Long Term Powder Storage

[Poygan]

I pick up powder here and there when the price is right but don't use a lot of any particular flavor. I probably have around twenty varieties on hand. I store it all in a wooden cabinet in the garage which in Wisconsin is subject to temperature and humidity extremes. I've never had any powder go bad yet ( just finished a can of P5066 from the sixies), but I'm thinking I should have a better method of storing it. I have a basement but, while the temperature would be more constant, the humidity could be an issue.

How do you store your powder under similar circumstances?

[Ricochet]

Humidity is not an issue for smokeless powder. Temperature is. Keep it cool and it'll last a long time.

[454PB]

I'm with Ricochet. I've got powder that is 35 years old, and it's as good as new. Keep it cool and as dry as possible.

[legend]

ebay has had several metal military storage canasters with o ring tops;you might check there just a thought.

[jhalcott]

what does YOUR local govt. say about such things. MY fire marshall would suffer a stroke if he saw 20 pounds of powder stored in anything other than a REGISTERED powder locker. SO I don't let him in!!!

[Billvz]

DO NOT store primers or powder in a sealed metel can (50 cal ammo cans or of sort)
when you seal it you have made a bomb. about 20yrs ago I stored all my primers &
powder in 50 & 20 mm millatery cans. Every thing was in my garage my presses & powder drop, scales & so forth. I thought I had it nice, I even had an old oil burner
for heat. I went out early one morning & started the stove & went back in the house
for coffee. About 10 min. there was a big & I mean big boom, sparkes & debris all
over, nearly burnt the house down. For nearly an hr. smaller explosions primers I
think. I was living about 20 miles from town at the time & single. Lost my truck & all my stuff
:Fire: :Fire: :Fire: :Fire: :Fire:

Bill Vz

[Junior1942]

Get a used but operating frost-free refrigerator. Store your powder and primers and ammo in the freezer part and in the fridge part. They'll stay at a constant low temp and low humidity. Bring to room temp slowly before opening any container. Good for extra beer, too.

[danski26]

I'm just up the road from you north east of lake win, i store mine a "non-sealed" metal cabinet in the basement. keeps it cool and a de-humidifier keeps it under 50% in the summer. I'm still working on some red dot my dad gave me from the early 70's that is still going strong.

[KCSO]

I have always use an old antique safe. I vented it out in back and put in some humidity pads and am still using powder that is over 30 years old. I use to use 50 cal ammo cans, but my brother in law was smoking one time and when he opened a can he blew the lid off from the fumes. Scared US big time.

[AZ-Stew]

I agree with Junior1942.

A refrigerator is ideal storage. It should be one that has the magnetic strip seal around the door, not one of the really old ones with the mechanical latch. The ones with the mechanical latch will be a bomb during a house fire, as were Billvz's ammo cans. Set the 'frig to cool to the mid 40s F. Powder stays dry and at a constant temp. This is ideal storage conditions for smokeless powder. We would have loved for our shipboard magazines to stay at these conditions. If you live in a humid part of the country (I don't have to worry about it), you should allow your powder to come up to ambient temperature before opening the can. You should store your primers in their original factory packaging inside plastic bags so they can be removed from the 'frig and allowed to come up to temp with the humidity condensing on the outside of the bag, rather than on the primers or their factory packaging.

I agree with him on the beer, too. :drinks:

Regards,

Stew
Former Navy Chief Gunner's Mate

[MT Gianni]

Last summer when we had temp. in the low 100's my basement got up to 62. I keep mine in a closet. Gianni.

[Ricochet]

Once again, humidity doesn't affect smokeless powder. High humidity might rust powder cans, but has no effect of deteriorating the powder.

Heat, on the other hand, exponentially accelerates powder decomposition as the temperature rises. The U.S. Army used to store samples of batches of powder at 150°F and watch them till red fumes evolved. They would do so in a matter of months. They had it figured where they could predict the expected life under more normal storage conditions from this accelerated agin, and when the batch got near the end of its life, it had to be shot up or be surplused.

[AZ-Stew]

Whether or not humidity affects smokless powder, condensation and water immersion are bad things. That's why it's important to provide a dry storage place and to allow the powder and primers to come up to ambient temperature before exposing them to humid air.

Regards,

Stew

[Shiloh]

Cool and dry. No large temperature swings.

It'll last a looong time.