Powder & Primer storage

[jimreed1948]

Where do you store your powder and primers.

Ever since I have been reloading, I have always had a room in the house that I used. After moving to the house I'm currently in, I moved all my reloading items to my workshop. I have plenty of room there, but of course there is the heat and humidity to deal with along the Gulf Coast.

I thought about putting the powder and primers in a small refrigerator on the counter but not turn it on. I wouldn't want condensation building up on the items when I started to use them, but if I left it off, it would help protect it from the excessive heat and humidity. I of course could leave the powders and primer in the house and take them out when needed.

[Lifeislarge]

I put them in shoe boxes in my wife's closet. She has so many in there that it'll be years before she notices. Nice climate controlled environment and fairly safe from thieves.

[lee blackman]

Two words... Damp Rid.... You get it at walmart, in little buckets, and the little refill bags.

I keep one in my safe, and two in my gun room, and one in the cabinet I keep all my reloading components in.

That, and insulate your shop very well, then get a window AC unit, just leave it on 24/7...

[texasref]

I store my powder and primers indoors. I reload out in the garage.

I never leave powder in the hopper or primers out there.

If that's not possible go cheap! Get or make a cabinet and hang a 40w bulb inside, that'll do the trick.

[truborshooter]

ZipLock bags are your friend against dampness.

1000 primer boxes fit easily.

All the powders I have are in plastic containers and an extra layer or two of plastic wrap

under the cap makes them air tight.

[Just4FunLP]

I keep my powder, primers, and tool head in our spare bedroom. Reload in the garage. I live in Florida and it's extremely humid.

[kneelingatlas]

Humidity?!? What's that?

[jmbaccolyte]

Atlas- humidity is kind of like rain only not as wet. San Diego and Puerto Rico have the best climates I've seen, although I've heard Hawaii is similar.

I live in the mid-west USA and store the powder and primers that I can afford in a GI ammo can in the basement of my residence. The basement's temperature fluctuations are less than the rest of the house. Also I run a dehumidifier attached to the air conditioning in the summer (I don't know if that helps).

Edited June 3, 2014 by jmbaccolyte

[Justsomeguy]

At one time I lived in the Chicago area which would sometimes in the summer reach 99% humidity and over 100deg F! Ugh! I moved to Oregon where the humidity is seldom over 70% which keeps my cigars just right and my components too. A dehumidifier and air conditioning are absolutely beneficial in such high humidity conditions as can be encountered in some places, so if you can, store your components in such protected environments. It's better for YOUR health too.

[cjim]

For humidity i use kitty litter crystals, put in old socks. Any store carries it.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Fresh-Step-Crystals-8lb-Cats/10313505

Storing powder and primers in something that does not have an easy open door / front etc is potentially dangerous. I store my P&P in wooden cabinets that are 1" thich This gives my 1"+ as per SAAMI specs. It is wood kitchen cabinet, 1/2" sheetrock, 1/2" plywood. Front door is one that opens easy. YMMV.

11-3.9 Commercial stocks of smokeless propellants shall be stored as follows:

(a) Quantities exceeding 20 lb. (9.1 kg) but not exceeding 100 lb. (45.4 kg) shall be stored in portable wooden boxes having walls of at least 1 in. (25.4 mm) thickness.

( Quantities exceeding 100 lb. (45.4 kg) but not exceeding 800 lb. (363 kg) shall be stored in non-portable storage cabinets having walls of at least 1 in. (25.4 mm) thickness. Not more than 400 lb. (181 kg) shall be permitted to be stored in any one cabinet and cabinets shall be separated by a distance of at least 25 ft (7.63 m) or by a fire partition having a fire resistance of at least 1 hour.

© Quantities exceeding 800 lb. (363 kg) but not exceeding 5,000 lb. (2,268 kg) shall be permitted to be stored in a building, provided the following requirements are met:

1. The warehouse or storage room shall not be accessible to unauthorized personnel.

2. Smokeless propellants shall be stored in non-portable storage cabinets having wood walls of at least 1 in. (25.4 mm) thickness and having shelves with no more than 3 ft (0.92 m) of separation
between shelves.

[L3324temp]

My stuff is in the basement so primers are stored in 5 gal pails with sealed lids and desiccant inside. This protects against humidity and any minor flooding that may occur.

[mcracco]

I put a GoldenRod heater in my safe 30 years ago and it still works. Doesn't have to be a safe; wood or steel storage cabinet and it would work just as well.

[BillD]

I store my primers in the original container in the garage on top of a cabinet. I leave the powder in the hopper between loadings. All year round in Indiana.

I've yet to have a problem after over 100K loads.

[Jaycwebb]

Yeah, I live in Arizona....this isn't a concern for us so much.

We just need to keep stuff out of the sun.