Powder and Primer storage - what do you do?

[7kings]

I generally only have 5 or 6 pounds of powder and a few thousand primers on-hand at any given time, and store them on the shelf above the reloading bench. I've kicked around the idea of getting a small storage cabinet for these supplies, but I'm not sure that's necessary.

What do you guys do? Where do you store your supplies?

[Steve RA]

Keep dry and room temperature and you'll be good to go.

[kellymc]

I pack them in the corners of my gun safes. except the 8 pound jug of tight group it just sits in cabinet

Edited July 2, 2015 by kellymc

[Sarge]

I keep a minimum of 20k primers and 20 pounds of powder on hand at all times. And I only load one caliber. I just keep mine on a shelf in a closet by the front door.

Edited July 2, 2015 by Sarge

[Reshoot]

In a, locked, double wall flammable material storage cabinet in the basement, next to my reloading bench. Temperature varies between 45 ~ 75 F, depending on whether or not I push wood into the stove. I keep the humidity between 50 ~ 55%.

[Reshoot]

I keep a minimum of 20k primers and 20 pounds of powder on hand at all times. And I only load one caliber. I just keep mine on a shelf in a closet by the front door.

Good to know! If I run low, I'll know where to look

[aceinyerface]

I generally only have 5 or 6 pounds of powder and a few thousand primers on-hand at any given time, and store them on the shelf above the reloading bench. I've kicked around the idea of getting a small storage cabinet for these supplies, but I'm not sure that's necessary.

What do you guys do? Where do you store your supplies?

What do I do if I only have 5-6 lbs of powder and a couple thousand primers??? I friggin PANIC!!

I store powder locked in a shed away from the house in old ice chests, primers inside.

[Powder Finger]

I pack them in the corners of my gun safes. except the 8 pound jug of tight group it just sits in cabinet

giant rectangular pipe bomb.

[7kings]

I generally only have 5 or 6 pounds of powder and a few thousand primers on-hand at any given time, and store them on the shelf above the reloading bench. I've kicked around the idea of getting a small storage cabinet for these supplies, but I'm not sure that's necessary.

What do you guys do? Where do you store your supplies?

What do I do if I only have 5-6 lbs of powder and a couple thousand primers??? I friggin PANIC!!

I store powder locked in a shed away from the house in old ice chests, primers inside.

I don't keep a ton of supplies on-hand generally. I've got enough to reload almost five thousand rounds right now. I'm not a competitive shooter, so I don't burn through massive amounts of ammo - usually a thousand rounds a month or less. I plan to increase my inventory some, but I'll probably never have more than 10k primers and 10-12lbs of powder on-hand.

Of course, this may change at any point as circumstances do, but for now that's kinda where I am.

[7kings]

Keep dry and room temperature and you'll be good to go.

My reloading room is in a re-purposed den. Living in SW Florida, my house is closed and in the AC (usually 76 degrees or so) for 9-10 months out of the year. It's a great environment for powder, but not so much for my electric bill...

[Pat Miles]

I pack them in the corners of my gun safes. except the 8 pound jug of tight group it just sits in cabinet

giant rectangular pipe bomb.

+1!

[kellymc]

OK maybe I need to rethink my storage a bit

[ttolliver]

Well, there's a formally correct way to store powder/primers and there's the way most of us tend to do it -- mostly from a sense of, "Oh, that'll never happen to me". And I'm as bad as anyone.

But a quick google search will get you information pretty quick. I don't remember the quantities off the top of my head, but basically powder should be stored in a 1" nominal wooden box with one side designed to easily come off to vent pressure and positioned away from any sources of heat or spark. As I recall there is a limit to the number of pounds per box, but there is no limit on the number of boxes per home. Well, no limit under commercial quantities. Although a serious hoarder might hit it, hehehe.

The intent of the wooden box is simply to provide some insulation from heat and spark. If the house is going up in an inferno, so is the powder. But if you have a smaller fire the box should do its job. And yeah, the absolute worse thing you can do is put powder in a container that will allow pressure to build. No wait...the worst would be a metal container that would allow pressure to build (aka the aforementioned pipebomb).

It seems to me the guidance on primers was pretty much the same. Again, I don't recall quantities. But they go in their own wooden box away from spark or heat and away from the powder box. And in the case of primers the worst thing you can do is take them out of the original packaging before you're ready to use them.

Anyway, that's a general rundown of what you'll find fire departments want you to do. Google can fill in the fine details.

And now that the topic came up again, I really should spend some time over the long weekend building some boxes.

[Ming the Merciless]

An old non-functional refrigerator with magnetic door seals works well as a flammables cabinet. The magnetic door seals will not hold enough pressure before releasing for an explosion.

[BeerBaron]

under my reloading bench is a large set of draws/cabinet. I attached a lock to it and it now locks up. the side is steel with holes punch in (like a peg board for hanging stuff) so plenty of ventillation. nice and secure, still easy to get to and fairly safe.

[jtaylor996]

I pack them in the corners of my gun safes. except the 8 pound jug of tight group it just sits in cabinet

giant rectangular pipe bomb.

I've heard they don't blow up when it's just primers in the safe. After a fire, however, your guns and everything in the safe will be confetti'd to death. There was a firefighter who posted about this happening once. The safe didn't blow up, but everything inside was destroyed when the primers went off.

[Powder Finger]

I pack them in the corners of my gun safes. except the 8 pound jug of tight group it just sits in cabinet

giant rectangular pipe bomb.

I've heard they don't blow up when it's just primers in the safe. After a fire, however, your guns and everything in the safe will be confetti'd to death. There was a firefighter who posted about this happening once. The safe didn't blow up, but everything inside was destroyed when the primers went off.

could be, i wouldn't want to find out first hand either way.

[RePete]

My powder is kept in a wooden box with a loose wooden lid.

A 1lb container of powder on the bench that's being used.

5000 primers each SP, LP, SR, LR and LRM on a shelf near the bench and the remainder in a desk drawer.

[Smitty79]

This seems to be the latest thread on this topic. I'm getting ready for the next great materials drought. I've read some place that the limit for residences is 20# of powder and 10k primers. I can find an extension to 50# of powder if you have the right kind of box. I've seen something like that for more primers. I can't find it. Anyone have a link?

[warpspeed]

I use a Justrite cabinet I picked up at a yard sale. Looks like this:

Most of the stuff I've seen in reloading stores are just wooden cabinets that keep it separate and lockable.

[Sarge]

Mine is crammed in a closet by the front door. I won't say how much I have in there. My hope is, I can get it out of the house in the event of fire. Assuming of course, I'm home

[peterthefish]

This seems to be the latest thread on this topic. I'm getting ready for the next great materials drought. I've read some place that the limit for residences is 20# of powder and 10k primers. I can find an extension to 50# of powder if you have the right kind of box. I've seen something like that for more primers. I can't find it. Anyone have a link?

Most municipal fire codes incorporate by reference all or part of an edition of the NFPA codes and standards. Id start by googling "NFPA primer storage", and end up here; http://www.saami.org/specifications_and_information/publications/download/SAAMI_ITEM_201-Primers.pdf Edited May 8, 2016 by peterthefish

[Smitty79]

This seems to be the latest thread on this topic. I'm getting ready for the next great materials drought. I've read some place that the limit for residences is 20# of powder and 10k primers. I can find an extension to 50# of powder if you have the right kind of box. I've seen something like that for more primers. I can't find it. Anyone have a link?

Most municipal fire codes incorporate by reference all or part of an edition of the NFPA codes and standards. Id start by googling "NFPA primer storage", and end up here; http://www.saami.org/specifications_and_information/publications/download/SAAMI_ITEM_201-Primers.pdf

Found that one. No exception there. Something doesn't make sense. I've bought 5k primers at a Cabelas and it wasn't half of what they had on the shelf.

[peterthefish]

Again, every town or municipality (authority having jurisdiction) has their own fire code. They may, or may not, adopt the NFPA as their code. Moreover the AHJ may have procedures for getting an exception to the code.

Some towns adopt the NFPA restrictions on residential powder and primer storage. However, residential violation of fire code is typically a civil matter and the fire marshall doesn't have the power to enter your house and verify your compliance. On the commercial side most retailers will have permits.

There is no single law that governs storage of primers, smokeless powder, or other hazardous materials. The NFPA code is a model code and industry best practice. It may or may not be the law where you are.

[techj]

Powder is stored in a 3/4" plywood cabinet with spring hinged doors in my reloading room (detached garage). in our area we are allowed to store up to 50lb this way. still working on a way to fill the cabinet.

I store my primers inside - only allowed a max of 10,000 primers.

Makes no sense but don't want to deal with a denied claim should we ever have a fire.