Storing powder in heat ?

JLK · March 8, 2006, 08:17 AM

I live in South Fla. My garage is very hot during the summer. Is there any problem storing powder,primers and loaded ammo in a hot place?

Ruger4570 · March 8, 2006, 08:30 AM

It is reccomended that powder be stored in a cool, dry place by the manufacturers and all reloading books. Personally, I lived in Tucson for many years and my reloading room was in the garage where it would get over a 100 degrees in the summer. If there was any deteriation of the powders it was nothing I could ever see or notice. I had a can of Bullseyethat I had for over 30 years and it as stored in everything from damp basements,cool rooms and also in my garage. I finally made some shotgun shells out of it, just to get rid of it as I don't use it for pistols at all. The shells fired fine without a hitch. I would certainly follow the mfgr.s suggestions as to how to store it, but I have not seen any problem when it wasn't followed either. It is certainly your call on this..

Leftoverdj · March 8, 2006, 09:41 AM

If you can stand it, your powder can stand it. Hundred degree temps might shorten powder life, although I can't prove that, but powder life is so long that a few years off it shouldn't matter. Temperatures above what humans can stand do seem to matter. I have heard of powder deteriorating over a summer in a metal roofed shed and I lost a can that was left sitting where afternoon sun shown directly on it for several years.

Do what you can easily do. Make sure your garage is well ventilated, install a fan if you can, block direct sunlight, and store in a cabinet in contact with the slab.

**Mal H** · March 8, 2006, 10:02 AM

"Is there any problem storing powder,primers and loaded ammo in a hot place?"

In a word - yes.

However, if there is absolutely no other choice, you do what you gotta do.

You've already gotten good advice above. As Leftoverdj said, keep the components as near to the slab as possible, and as near to the house as possible (if it's an attached garage). It's also usually cooler in the back of the garage away from direct sunlight.

When the dog days arrive, you might want to take a thermometer and check out various locations in the garage to see which spot is the coolest.

rwilson452 · March 9, 2006, 12:09 AM

I lived in So. CA for some time. Stored my powder in the garage. my solution was to store it in a styrofoam cooler I cut the bottom out and replaced it with a sheet of aluminium that was sealed to the sides to keep it mostly air tight. this was placed on the n/e corner of the garage on the slab. the room would get hot but the slab was slow to heat or get cold. Lived there 15 years never had any powder go bad. I would note the east side of my garage had a block wall 6' from it plus the house next door and a large pine giving shade so the east side got almost no direct sun. the south and west side would get the whole solar treatment. Eventually I installed a whirlygig in the roof which helped a bit venting the heat out. the garage door was the north side of the garage.

March 8, 2006, 08:17 AM	#1
JLK Senior Member Join Date: October 1, 2001 Posts: 135	Storing powder in heat ? I live in South Fla. My garage is very hot during the summer. Is there any problem storing powder,primers and loaded ammo in a hot place? __________________ Rsrc

March 9, 2006, 12:09 AM	#5
rwilson452 Senior Member Join Date: June 10, 2004 Location: Tioga co. PA Posts: 2,647	Powder storage I lived in So. CA for some time. Stored my powder in the garage. my solution was to store it in a styrofoam cooler I cut the bottom out and replaced it with a sheet of aluminium that was sealed to the sides to keep it mostly air tight. this was placed on the n/e corner of the garage on the slab. the room would get hot but the slab was slow to heat or get cold. Lived there 15 years never had any powder go bad. I would note the east side of my garage had a block wall 6' from it plus the house next door and a large pine giving shade so the east side got almost no direct sun. the south and west side would get the whole solar treatment. Eventually I installed a whirlygig in the roof which helped a bit venting the heat out. the garage door was the north side of the garage.

March 8, 2006, 08:30 AM	#2
Ruger4570 Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2005 Location: Rochester, New York Posts: 2,136	It is reccomended that powder be stored in a cool, dry place by the manufacturers and all reloading books. Personally, I lived in Tucson for many years and my reloading room was in the garage where it would get over a 100 degrees in the summer. If there was any deteriation of the powders it was nothing I could ever see or notice. I had a can of Bullseyethat I had for over 30 years and it as stored in everything from damp basements,cool rooms and also in my garage. I finally made some shotgun shells out of it, just to get rid of it as I don't use it for pistols at all. The shells fired fine without a hitch. I would certainly follow the mfgr.s suggestions as to how to store it, but I have not seen any problem when it wasn't followed either. It is certainly your call on this..

March 8, 2006, 09:41 AM	#3
Leftoverdj Senior Member Join Date: October 15, 2004 Posts: 934	If you can stand it, your powder can stand it. Hundred degree temps might shorten powder life, although I can't prove that, but powder life is so long that a few years off it shouldn't matter. Temperatures above what humans can stand do seem to matter. I have heard of powder deteriorating over a summer in a metal roofed shed and I lost a can that was left sitting where afternoon sun shown directly on it for several years. Do what you can easily do. Make sure your garage is well ventilated, install a fan if you can, block direct sunlight, and store in a cabinet in contact with the slab.

March 8, 2006, 10:02 AM	#4
Mal H Staff Join Date: March 20, 1999 Location: Somewhere in the woods of Northern Virginia Posts: 16,955	"Is there any problem storing powder,primers and loaded ammo in a hot place?" In a word - yes. However, if there is absolutely no other choice, you do what you gotta do. You've already gotten good advice above. As Leftoverdj said, keep the components as near to the slab as possible, and as near to the house as possible (if it's an attached garage). It's also usually cooler in the back of the garage away from direct sunlight. When the dog days arrive, you might want to take a thermometer and check out various locations in the garage to see which spot is the coolest.