CLeaning up gun powder

[kdog70]

I have carpeted reloading space....dumb i know........i have a little bit of gun powder on the ground lets say 50 grains total from it just falling out of my powder thrower. Can i vacuum it or is there a good way to get it up. It doesn't bother me but my female counter part is having a problem......go figure.
thanks for your time
kdog

[MrSardonicus]

I clean mine with a match....no good on carpet though

[Archie]

... opines a vacuum is inviting a static electric spark and therefore contraindicated. I have done it once or twice with one of those portable dust buster type thingies, but my survival may have been a function of the God who watches over us who don't know no better.

I suppose the carpet is the permanently mounted, wall to wall sort? You can't just pick it up, take it outside and shake it off?

The only other bright idea I have is duct tape. Sort of blot it up on the sticky side. I'm not sure of the static electric possibilities in this... do be careful.

[JAYBIRD78]

Tweezers are the only answer, plus you could reuse the powder that way.

I have used a vacuum, knock on wood I'm still here. I have used a spray bottle of water to wet down the powder and then vacuum.

The sticky tape method is good.


***Once in awhile I will find a "hot" round laying at the range. I will use my bullet puller and save the brass/bullet. When my wife is not home, I will use a match and watch the powder burn (had a fascination with fire as a kid). ***

[Dingoboyx]

Sorry mate, you must be one of those nymphomaniacs that like s playing with matches

+1 spray a little mist of water on the carpet, then vaccuum whilst wearing eye and ear protection (while your wife is out of town) and wear body armour

Seriously, spray a little water mist on the carpet and vaccuum quickly (dont muck around) If your vac takes bags, make sure there is a fresh one in there (no bag, the powder will go straight to the fan/motor.... with bag, should catch 99% or more) If it is a can type vac, undo the straps (so if it were to go bang, the top would just pop off.... not be a confined explosion) If the vac is able to suck water, (wet/dry can type) suck up a few liters of water first, so the powder gets wet once it is sucked up. Get out your vac, sweep up what you can first.... get it all prepared and start with a cold vaccuum cleaner. You should be able to do the whole area in 30 seconds, so the vac will hardly get to warm up.... then empty the bag (so wifey doen't get a nasty suprise next time she does the floor) the put some lino or mats around where the powder mainly drops.

[Dragon55]

then use Shop Vac with some water already in the tank and hook to the wet side inlet

[VaFisher]

Use the Vacuum all you want it's fine I have been doing it for ever with no bad surprizes.

[roy reali]

Primers + Kirby = BANG! + Angry Wife

[Qtiphky]

I use a Dyson bagless vac. Haven't had a problem yet. I use a hand brush for the bench and put into a bag to go in the garbage and then vac the floor. I usually use the hose attachment and not the beater brush part, though. Never really thought about the gunpowder possibly exploding as I don't think there would be enough there to really cause problems.

[brickeyee]

Use a shop vac.

The filter prevents anything sucked up from getting near the fan and motor.

[Unclenick]

I've never worried about it, either, but on a theoretical basis I like the idea of getting one of those inexpensive small capacity wet/dry shop vacs and hooking it up with some water in the tank as a landing zone for incoming powder. Unless the powder is all clumped together in one mass, I wouldn't worry about misting it before collecting it. The air flow will be too high for the flame from an individual ignited grain to damage the vacuum, and if it lands in water, well that takes care of that.

The water can be tossed on the lawn. Gunpowder breaks down to make a good nitrogen firtilizer. Black powder is fast release and will acidify the soil a little with its sulfur, but smokeless is slow release and is pretty neutral in regard to pH.

[Dingoboyx]

Thanks for that, Professor Uncle nick

[Wildalaska]

Sorry mate, you must be one of those nymphomaniacs that like s playing with matches

Pyromaniacs. Nymphomaniac is a term for my ex wives

WildexceptthesecondshewastooprissyAlaska TM

[Dingoboyx]

An ex wife trying to set fire to your house?

Apyronymphomaniacfromalaskawithagrudgeandagallonofgasandsomematches?

or

Anymphopyromaniacfromalaskawithagrudgeandagallonofgasandsomematches?

[tiberius10721]

ive been using regular vacuum cleaner for yrs with no problem.

[FrankenMauser]

A vaccuum will be just fine.

We're not talking about black powder here.
This is smokeless powder. It burns like a wet poop*, if not in a pressure vessel. *(t-urd; the uneditted word is censored here.)

Even if it does ignite in a vaccuum cleaner, you'll have more than enough time to grab some popcorn and watch... or pick it up and take it outside to watch it burn.
The odds of ignition are probably about the same as being stuck by lightning twice, on the same day.


All my life, I have been vaccuuming up live primers and smokeless powder. With literally hundreds of live primers, and probably 2 pounds of powder cleaned up; I still haven't seen a hint of a problem.

[Dr. Strangelove]

I wouldn't think 50grs of powder would warrant dragging out the vacuum cleaner. That's one .270 cartridge or so worth of powder?

A bit of advice about the "female counterpart" - she does leave you alone in the house sometimes, right? If you vacuum the house while she is away, I can guarantee she won't ask what specifically you vacuumed up. A few white lies now and then make a relationship work....

[Lost Sheep]

Hire a carpet shapoo service, the kind that wets the carpet.

Make it a surprise for her. She will love you for it. (Send her to a spa for a day while the carpet dries.)

Next time you reload in the house, spread out an old shower curtain (buy one from a used goods store, don't use one from your house. Women are funny about that stuff.) If the waterproof cloth type that is ok. If the plastic type, lay an additional sheet over it (also from a used goods store)

Overkill, I know. But she will love you for it. It shows you care enough to do the overkill.

It's like the old adage: .50 BMG, when you care enough to send the very best.

Lost Sheep.

P.S. I use a Rainbow vacuum, which uses water as the filter medium. Whether a specific vacuum is safe to be inhaling flammable or explosive materials depends on the specife vacuum. Some suck the air in through the motors/fans and there is a chance for exposure to armature sparks. Some, (like the Kirby) have the motors completely sealed off from the vacuum air flow. So you/ve gotta examine your specific vacuum. Some women would LOVE to have you blow up their vacuum, assured that they will wind up with a new one. Other women really like their vacuum and would forgive you for risking it as much as you would forgive her for running your favorite sidearm through the dishwasher. Some women are touchy. All the other are just building up "anger points" for later use in arguments.

[hornady]

I may be wrong but I don’t see a problem with Vacuuming smokeless powder. As stated above its not Black powder. Black powder will go off with static electricity. Smokeless powder is a propellant and not an explosive.

[Russ5924]

I always get some on the carpet but 50G that a lot of powder. Why not get one of those plastic throw rugs and put that under your reloading bench. Wife always vacuums where I reload and not had a problem, but waiting to see what happens if she finds a primer

[WESHOOT2]

Take a handkerchief and place it over the vaccum's nozzle.
Push it in some with your finger, then rubberband the excess around the outside of the nozzle.

Then vacuum, but before you turn it off simply peel the kerchief away, holding the sucked-up debris.

WARNING: PRIMERS WILL EXPLODE


My production bench is carpeted; I ain't guessing; this ain't theoretical; safety first.

[oneounceload]

A shop vac has worked well for me for over 25 years for minor spillages of shot and powder

[James R. Burke]

Archey suggested what I do. My carpet is not very big, and not held down by anything. I just take it outside now and then and shake it off. Maybe you could put a piece over it. My wife, and kids who are now gone no this is one place to stay out of. I claimed that corner of the basement as mine period. I do keep it picked up, and never use a vac on it.

[pizzapaiute]

Use the tweezer method mentioned before. Then you'll be qualified to pick the fly poop out of the pepper. A good government job might well follow! (;

[webby4x4]

Then you'll be qualified to pick the fly poop out of the pepper. A good government job might well follow!

Awesome! That made me LOL.