Vacuum Packed Primers

[jonp]

Has anyone else tried vacuum packing primers long term? I put some S&B in a bag and have a couple of cases of them. Any idea's on whether this will be better than a milar bag and O2 pack?

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[Half Dog]

I would like to know too. Great question!

[kevin c]

It sounds like a great idea for long term storage, but, given the various posts I've read here about folks having zero issues using 50+ years old primers that were just in their original packaging and stuck up on a shelf somewhere in the house, how much are you gaining? Wouldn't a .50 cal ammo can with a good seal gain you the same moisture protection and at the same time be a bit more convenient?

[JimB..]

Ultimately what you’re doing is protecting the cardboard packaging. I am currently working through primers from 1976, not a single failure or anything strange. “Carefully” stored on shelves in a closet or in a filing cabinet. Have moved a few times.

I’ve thought about sealing some up for storage in the basement, but they aren’t bothering anything where they are.

[megasupermagnum]

Seems like a waste of time to me. You can buy sealed boxes cheap enough. I store mine in MTM ammo crates. If you really want overkill, put them in ammo crates, and then put those in an old refrigerator. The best storage for primers is inside of loaded ammo.

[bangerjim]

Vacuum sealing is probably a waste of time....unless you live down in a swamp or the rain forest. Stories of many decades old primers stored in plain cabinets abound on here - - with almost 100% success on fire rate. I sure would not use my food storage vacuum bags for primers. But they are all stored INSIDE in climate-controlled rooms and, I live in the desert SW.

The call is entirely up to you.

banger

[Winger Ed.]

Is it better?
Yes.

However; unless you live in some extremely humid sort of climate, It's a solution for a non-existent problem.

[shooterg]

I've picked up primers from a flooded basement - let 'em dry well and sorted 'em out from the ruined boxes (most were still in the trays) and shot 'em . It's my understanding the compounds are installed wet anyway, so as long as they're not underwater long enough for the material to start migrating, and they return to 100% dry, oughta work. But sealing sure can't hurt !

[jonp]

I was thinking about my hunting camp. -40 in winter and 80 in summer. Humid

[Winger Ed.]

I was thinking about my hunting camp. -40 in winter and 80 in summer. Humid

I've had .38s go through the washing machine and still work fine.
However; When in doubt--- paint over the primer with finger nail polish like the military does theirs.

If I was hunting in such temperature extremes-
I'd be much more concerned about how high and low temps. effect bullet velocity,
and how it relates to point of aim and point of impact.

Sealing the primers, or not, would be WAY down on my list of priorities.

[dverna]

If I was going to store them for decades, I would vacuum pack them. My concern is rust/tarnishing.

I plan to do that for primers that will be put away for a long time in an unheated outbuilding. You cannot legally store more than 10k in your home in most areas....plus they are dangerous in a fire. At the current value of primers, I will err on the safe side....even if it a waste of time.

I get rolls of vacuum packing for less than $20 so not expensive to do.

[VariableRecall]

If your primers are vacuum sealed you may be able to get away with storing them in a place that is not temperature or humidity controlled. Still, you might want to check on your primer hoard every once and a while and see if their seals were compromised from time to time if you are storing them in a shed or something.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Looks like a great idea for a Canoe trip, maybe put a piece of Styrofoam in each one, so they float
;)

[No_1]

It works for food so I see no reason it wouldn’t work for other things including primers as well as powder.

[porthos]

i had a few hundred winchester primers that came in wooden trays. shot them and they worked fine. all but 1 tray are gone. used the other 2 up about 6 or 8 years ago. anyone that might know their vintage??

[Gtrubicon]

What does it hurt? Nothing! Most of us have used primers that are at least 40 years old, stored in various conditions. Pretty comfortable to say none were vacuum sealed. I like the idea from the standpoint of maybe they will be useful in the next century or beyond, you never know where they will end up over time. If we preserve our surplus the best we can, it is only for the better.

[gbrown]

I say, "Go For It!", nothing ventured, nothing gained. Myself, don't see the need, but that's just me.

[Gator 45/70]

I had picked some up at a flea market, I think it was 20 bucks 900 mixed, Some 308 projectiles 180 grain soft points and a tool box.
So far everything has popped. Something like 700 sm pistol, Lg rifle etc.

[kevin c]

I was thinking about my hunting camp. -40 in winter and 80 in summer. Humid

Sounds like a good place to have supplies for TEOTWAWKI. I can't imagine a need for loading centerfire hunting ammo in a camp otherwise, but I confess that I'm not a hunter, so please correct any misconceptions on my part.

[jonp]

Sounds like a good place to have supplies for TEOTWAWKI. I can't imagine a need for loading centerfire hunting ammo in a camp otherwise, but I confess that I'm not a hunter, so please correct any misconceptions on my part.

I reload at camp to target shoot there. We are there off and on year round not just for hunting. I keep a full reloading set-up there. Press, dies, bullets, powder and primers for all calibers I own to save hauling things back and forth. Keep clothes, food, fishing gear, etc. Everything I might need so I can jump in the truck and just show up

[robg]

i have vacuum packed loaded ammo ,didn't notice any difference to normal storage.if i lived on a boat i would though.

[kerplode]

If it makes you feel better, go for it.

Personally, though, I think it's a waste of time and money. Primers are hard to kill. Normal temps and humidity levels aren't going to hurt them.

[FISH4BUGS]

The vacuum sealing will not keep the vacuum for a long time. You are better off just leaving them in your closet on a shelf.

[Martin Luber]

I have a sleeve of old 1960s Remington 69 shotgun primers that still pop, but very weakly, and the loaded shells are poopers. I don't know where they came from but the key is the flash holes are open to the air. Other, equally old shotgun primers with sealed holes fired normally.

The oldest of the "new" un nickled winchester pistol primers ( ~2003?) are tarnished but work fine.

All my nickle rifle primers, 1980 or earlier, are fine. Stored in upstairs closet. Near where the dog sleeps....just sayin.

[JSnover]

The vacuum sealing will not keep the vacuum for a long time.
Everything leaks eventually. Vacuum food storage is good because it deprives the food (and microbes) of air to slow the the deterioration. A vacuum is going to suck in air and moisture when it leaks, just not very much. It'll stop when the pressure equalizes.
The best long-term storage would be purged and sealed, that way when the seal breaks down there's still an inert gas in the container.
When I used to do a lot of camping/canoeing/hiking I used ziplock bags, double bags for the really important stuff.

[ebb]

Back after the New Town shooting it was near impossible to find anything reloading. I had never reloaded handgun ammo and had no SPPs. I found 2 boxes of remington SPPs on a table at the gun show. I asked how much and he said $50, so I asked for both? He said for all of them. I give him $50 and he puts 17 1000 count boxes in my bag. I notice the boxes look beat up, when i get home and look inside the boxes I notice they are damp and have very small droplets of water on them. I remember reading a story on Bench Rest Central about priming compound being water proof for many years. So i find and re read the article. The shooter puts 20 primers in 20 cases and puts 10 in a bucket of water for 30 days, them puts 10 in the window sill. When the 30 days are up he blows the water out of the cases and sets them in the same window sill. After a week he loads all and shoots through a chronograph and has 5 fps deviation. I took all my primers and opened all the packaging and put all the little trays and all the paper boxes in the dehydrator for 2 hours. I have never had a misfire with any of them yet. I think the writer on BRC had good information and don't think moisture is the problem it was years ago.

[JSnover]

The shooter puts 20 primers in 20 cases and puts 10 in a bucket of water for 30 days, them puts 10 in the window sill. When the 30 days are up he blows the water out of the cases and sets them in the same window sill. After a week he loads all and shoots through a chronograph and has 5 fps deviation. I took all my primers and opened all the packaging and put all the little trays and all the paper boxes in the dehydrator for 2 hours. I have never had a misfire with any of them yet. I think the writer on BRC had good information and don't think moisture is the problem it was years ago.
I think you're right. I don't vacuum seal anything, I handle my primers with my bare fingertips, been doing it that way for a long time. I do store my powders and primers in a small refrigerator but I don't think it's really necessary - just a thing I started doing. If they're dry when you load them they should be fine. If I was hauling primers and powder out to the camp site I'd double bag them but wouldn't bother with the vacuum.

[kevin c]

I reload at camp to target shoot there. We are there off and on year round not just for hunting. I keep a full reloading set-up there. Press, dies, bullets, powder and primers for all calibers I own to save hauling things back and forth. Keep clothes, food, fishing gear, etc. Everything I might need so I can jump in the truck and just show up
Envy...

[jonp]

Envy...

Camp from my deck looking towards Canada.

281314

[kevin c]

Double envy...

[farmerjim]

I live in wet humid Louisiana. A couple of weeks ago I discovered 5,000 Winchester small pistol primers, 2,000 herters large pistol primers, and 2,000 CCI shotgun primers stored in a box in my reloading room. I bought these primers back in the 1960's. They were stored in the attic at my Fathers house where daily humidity goes from 100% down to about 50% daily. The temp in the attic would go from 150 summer day to about 30 winter night. These primers still work fine. There is no need for special storage conditions for primers.

[Bobbers]

I have used some of my dads primers from the 1970's with no special storage and no issues.