Storing Powder ?

[hylander]

Anyone store their Powder in the bedroom Closet ?
I usually have about 12 1lb containers of smokeless and 5 1lb. containersof Black Powder on hand.
I do not have a spare room and the Garage seems like it gets humid.
I live near Sac Calif. Temps in the Summer 95-106, Winter down to say 35.
Would a shelf in the garage be OK, or would that see to much Humidity ?
How do you store yours ?

[oneokie]

Just like you do. Primers are on the other side of the closet, on a different level, so as to have as much distance between the powder and primers as possible.

[big boar]

I could be wrong but I read somewhere that powder storage has some GUIDELINES from the UN. (not that they're the best to listen to about firearms). Up here the regulations state that powder must be stored in a wooden container with minimum wall thickness of 1" so you can make a box from 2x4's. I think the wood idea is to allow the powder SOME insulation in the event of a fire and also to allow the container to vent itself rather than detonate if it was in an enclosed metal container. I made a wooden box for powder in about 45 min. including a hasp for a lock. Easy to make, keeps powder stored in a nice locked box and cheap to put together. I also store the primers separately in another locked box.BB

[454PB]

I have little worry about smokeless powder, but there's no way I'd store 5 pounds of blackpowder in my bedroom.

The best storage area is cool and dry. Mine is stored in my shop in plastic "totes". The temperature never exceeds 90 degrees in our relatively short summer, and maybe 25 degrees on a very cold winter day, and humidity is low where I live

[missionary5155]

I store my smokeless powder in a "Yard sale" kitchen wall cabinet. Swing open doors with magnetic closers. It is down in the basement. My black resides in a "yard sale" plastic cooler in the basement sitting on some metal shelving seperate fron the smokeless. Primers are in caliber .50 ammo boxes nearby the smokesless cabinet. I run a dehumidifier in the damp summer ( east central Illinois) so my tools do not rust down in the basement ... and I do not leak all over my reloading...

[Junior1942]

>How do you store yours ?

In an operating frost-free refrigerator. Constant low temp and humidity.

[beemer]

I keep some of my stuff in a inactive refirgerator, the unit has been removed. This provides some insulation from heat and moisture. A fireman told me he has put out kitchen fires and got a cold drink out of the refrigerator so it will provide some protection.

[Winger Ed.]

I use a 'garage sale' cabinet in the garage also.
If the cans/bottles seal well, its fine.
I've got some primers and powder that's over 10 years old, and its all OK.

Something I also do that I haven't seen mentioned for storage of powder, primers,
dies, and even molds that I don't use very often is to double seal/insulate them.

To protect these things from the ravages of humidity-
I seal them in those vaccume bags for freezing food that evacuate the air, and heat seal.

I may not plan use a certain set of dies, or bullet mold, etc. for a year or more,,
so I clean it, box it or whatever, and seal it up in a freezer bag.
It'd work for powder too. Put the whole can in there and zap it.
You could store it in a bucket of water and it'd be OK.
Even a common 'zip-lock' bag will work to help stop the air circulation around or in your can of powder.

This system also keeps loaded ammo fresh, shiney, and bright indefinitly too.

[cajun shooter]

Keep around 5lbs of black in my reloading room in the house and the rest in different inside locations. 454, try living in Louisiana and you will store inside. My outside shop gets up to 125 in the summer with 90% humidity. Not good for powder of any kind. The winter can go to the mid 20's but only for one or two nights. We had 30 degrees with sneaux one Thursday in December and 80 degrees and 70% humidity on the very next Thursday. If you don't like the weather in Louisiana, wait 5 min. and it will change.

[Dean D.]

I store my powder, dies, brass and other incidentals in an old non-operating refridgerator in my basement. I have never had any problems with rust on my dies or my powder drawing moisture although I live in a relatively low humidity area. As a previous poster mentioned, I like the insulation it provides besides the magnetic door seals.

I store my primers in a .50 Cal. ammo can in a seperate location with the same results.

Dean D.

[leadeye]

I am going to have to try the fridge idea when I move, sounds like a good one.