Back to primer storage ???

savagelover · December 1, 2011, 06:23 PM

I am moving all of my reloading stuff to the basement.It is heated but I do get some water on the floor once in a while.Also have a humidifer down there..Am in the process of building wooden cabinets for my stuff....I will need to get some of those ammo box;s I guess...Is there anyway you can tellif the primers are gathering any moisture? Seems to me that it would have to be really damp to ruin them..I mean like 60 to 80 percent to cause any damage...Maybe be not,I have no idea...I was thinking of wrapping them in plastic untill I get a metal box or whatever...Thanks....John

Jim243 · December 1, 2011, 10:10 PM

If you keep them in their original boxes and sealed in Zip lock freezer bags they should be OK.

Jim

rbf420 · December 2, 2011, 11:55 AM

i keep mine in an ammo can sealed, with bunched up paper lunch bags. supposedly it helps with humidity.

savagelover · December 2, 2011, 05:53 PM

For what it's worth,I ask the guys at Serria and he told ne with todays moderen primers they are not as subsiptable (SP) TO MOISTURE as they used to be...

dunerjeff · December 2, 2011, 06:03 PM

Put them in a rubbermaid or tupperware sealed container with a few rolls of toilet paper/paper towels,they should absorb any moistuer. Even a couple moisture wicking packets.

edward5759 · December 2, 2011, 06:10 PM

I had quite a few primers put away.
What I did was to drill two holes in a ammo can
I drilled and installed two Schrader valves to the ammo can. Using Argon off my tig welder I purged the box with a tire filler, holding the opposite valve open.
It worked well. I had over 100,000 Herter's primers and they still work fine after 25 years.
I used a big ammo can that was used for sealing up something ? Little Boy or Fat Man maybe.

Edward 5759

medalguy · December 2, 2011, 06:49 PM

Here we go again. It is very dangerous to place primers in any kind of sealed metal container. In the event of a fire they will explode, building up pressure until the container itself explodes. THIS is why firemen don't want to try to extinguish blazes in houses where reloading components are stored.

Read the SAAMI booklet on storage of ammunition and primers here. Excellent information:

http://www.saami.org/specifications_...01-Primers.pdf

Here's a pertinent quote:

Recommended Storage of Primers

Storage cabinets containing only primers are recommended.
These cabinets should be ruggedly constructed of lumber
at least 1” nominal thickness to delay or minimize the
transmission of heat in the event of fire. SAAMI recommends
against storing primers in sealed or pressurized containers.

Edward429451 · December 2, 2011, 07:25 PM

I store my open boxes in tupperware and my full boxes of 1000 in pelican cases. Perhaps I will construct me a wooden cabinet soon.

dunerjeff · December 2, 2011, 10:45 PM

Edward,did the side of your container have "the enola gay" printed on the side?

longspurr · December 6, 2011, 12:45 PM

I'm a fan of plastic coolers. I use small coolers for primers, and the large coolers for powder. Yes they are not "lumber", but they have "some" of the insulation properites of lumber. They are watertight which controls the humidity for basement storage.

This also works for taking ammo to the range in the summer. Keeping the ammo in a plastic cooler avoids the high temps that occur in auto's in summer.

If a person is Really concerned about a house fire, then constructing a BOX of fire rated sheetrock with the "cooler" inside should be investigated.

I have read of a firedept backing off and letting a building burn when they heard "popping" from ammo cooking off. This was factory ammo burning, not reloading supplies.

edward5759 · December 6, 2011, 01:52 PM

No it did not have "the enola gay"
But it did have sides that were made of 26 gauge aluminum so it could not take any real pressure it was more of an air tight sealed container. I had six of them and in the process of purging them out I blew one side out of the container with just the air pressure.
medalguy is right don't try to place them in a ammo can or something as heavy.
My box had walls about as thick as a modern day aluminum pop can.

MrWesson · December 6, 2011, 11:28 PM

I keep mine in a plastic boat style dry storage box. I have to keep my reloading equip outside and its worked so far in the FL heat/humidity.

10 Spot Terminator · December 7, 2011, 07:43 AM

Use a food saver vacuum packer for mine. Put 4 of the 100 packs in a small bag leaving plenty of extra baggie so I can use what I need and reseal the rest if need be.

drail · December 7, 2011, 03:59 PM

Whatever you choose to store primers or powder in be sure that it will rupture quickly and vent in the case of a fire. Otherwise you essentially have a bomb in your house.

hk33ka1 · December 7, 2011, 10:04 PM

I would store my primers in something air tight. Perhaps tupperware or ziplocks inside a wood cabinet.

That said, I had some mixed Winchester primers that sat on a shelf in my basement in only the factory cardboard brick from the early 90's till last year. They were all 70's-90's vintage W-W and Winchester large pistol. That basement flooded a couple times and the humidity was usually high enough that guns/tools would rust if left there for a period of time and not bathed in oil.

When I loaded and fired those in .45ACP there was not a single misfire or hangfire in the bunch. They all worked perfect.

I also had some rifle primers I bought from a shop that have not been made since the 50's/60's and I don't know how they were stored before I got them. They all fired fine too.

medalguy · December 9, 2011, 12:16 AM

Ever TRY to kill a primer so you could deprime the brass? Damn nearly impossible. Primers are made today to resist virtually everything.

swmike · December 9, 2011, 11:58 AM

None of my primers stay in storage long enough to worry about them deteriorating. I am either "shooting them up" or loading them into ammo which I store in GI ammo cans with dessicant.

rclark · December 9, 2011, 12:55 PM

To me storage of primers is easy : Keep off the floor, and not in a sealed container. Mine are stored in my dry basement in a plastic drawer. Powder is stored across the room in wood cabinet.

brickeyee · December 9, 2011, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Also have a humidifer down there..

A dehumidifier might be a better option.

DeeDubya · December 9, 2011, 04:27 PM

I generally buy 10-20,000 small pistol at a pop. I just slip the boxes of 5000 each in a quart zip lock and seal it up. I've had some stored for years without a failure. Never store primers and powder in the same vessel.

CherokeeT · December 9, 2011, 06:10 PM

Just keep them in the original boxes and off the floor, away from water sources. Has worked for me for 50 years in humid climate or damp basements.

December 1, 2011, 06:23 PM	#1
savagelover Senior Member Join Date: March 5, 2011 Location: Alpine,,NY Posts: 254	Back to primer storage ??? I am moving all of my reloading stuff to the basement.It is heated but I do get some water on the floor once in a while.Also have a humidifer down there..Am in the process of building wooden cabinets for my stuff....I will need to get some of those ammo box;s I guess...Is there anyway you can tellif the primers are gathering any moisture? Seems to me that it would have to be really damp to ruin them..I mean like 60 to 80 percent to cause any damage...Maybe be not,I have no idea...I was thinking of wrapping them in plastic untill I get a metal box or whatever...Thanks....John

December 1, 2011, 10:10 PM	#2
Jim243 Senior Member Join Date: January 5, 2009 Location: Just off Route 66 Posts: 5,067	If you keep them in their original boxes and sealed in Zip lock freezer bags they should be OK. Jim __________________ Si vis pacem, para bellum

December 2, 2011, 11:55 AM	#3
rbf420 Senior Member Join Date: August 1, 2009 Posts: 166	i keep mine in an ammo can sealed, with bunched up paper lunch bags. supposedly it helps with humidity. __________________ My Calibers- 9mm, .38spl, .357 mag, .45 acp, 30/06, 303 brit, 7.7 jap, 7.5 french.

December 2, 2011, 06:10 PM	#6
edward5759 Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2009 Location: Phoenix, AZ. 30 miles from water, two feet from Hell. Posts: 355	I had quite a few primers put away. What I did was to drill two holes in a ammo can I drilled and installed two Schrader valves to the ammo can. Using Argon off my tig welder I purged the box with a tire filler, holding the opposite valve open. It worked well. I had over 100,000 Herter's primers and they still work fine after 25 years. I used a big ammo can that was used for sealing up something ? Little Boy or Fat Man maybe. Edward 5759 __________________ Failure is part of success! This year will go down in history. For the first time, a civilized nation has full gun registration. Our streets will be safer, our police more efficient, and the world will follow our lead into the future!" -Adolf Hitler,1935"

December 6, 2011, 12:45 PM	#10
longspurr Senior Member Join Date: November 8, 2002 Location: On the western shore Posts: 182	I'm a fan of plastic coolers. I use small coolers for primers, and the large coolers for powder. Yes they are not "lumber", but they have "some" of the insulation properites of lumber. They are watertight which controls the humidity for basement storage. This also works for taking ammo to the range in the summer. Keeping the ammo in a plastic cooler avoids the high temps that occur in auto's in summer. If a person is Really concerned about a house fire, then constructing a BOX of fire rated sheetrock with the "cooler" inside should be investigated. I have read of a firedept backing off and letting a building burn when they heard "popping" from ammo cooking off. This was factory ammo burning, not reloading supplies. Last edited by longspurr; December 6, 2011 at 01:00 PM.

December 2, 2011, 05:53 PM	#4
savagelover Senior Member Join Date: March 5, 2011 Location: Alpine,,NY Posts: 254	For what it's worth,I ask the guys at Serria and he told ne with todays moderen primers they are not as subsiptable (SP) TO MOISTURE as they used to be...

December 2, 2011, 06:03 PM	#5
dunerjeff Senior Member Join Date: March 31, 2011 Location: central Wisconsin Posts: 440	Put them in a rubbermaid or tupperware sealed container with a few rolls of toilet paper/paper towels,they should absorb any moistuer. Even a couple moisture wicking packets.

December 2, 2011, 06:49 PM	#7
medalguy Senior Member Join Date: August 31, 2009 Location: New Mexico Posts: 1,033	Here we go again. It is very dangerous to place primers in any kind of sealed metal container. In the event of a fire they will explode, building up pressure until the container itself explodes. THIS is why firemen don't want to try to extinguish blazes in houses where reloading components are stored. Read the SAAMI booklet on storage of ammunition and primers here. Excellent information: http://www.saami.org/specifications_...01-Primers.pdf Here's a pertinent quote: Recommended Storage of Primers Storage cabinets containing only primers are recommended. These cabinets should be ruggedly constructed of lumber at least 1” nominal thickness to delay or minimize the transmission of heat in the event of fire. SAAMI recommends against storing primers in sealed or pressurized containers.

December 2, 2011, 07:25 PM	#8
Edward429451 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2000 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 9,494	I store my open boxes in tupperware and my full boxes of 1000 in pelican cases. Perhaps I will construct me a wooden cabinet soon.

December 2, 2011, 10:45 PM	#9
dunerjeff Senior Member Join Date: March 31, 2011 Location: central Wisconsin Posts: 440	Edward,did the side of your container have "the enola gay" printed on the side?

December 6, 2011, 01:52 PM	#11
edward5759 Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2009 Location: Phoenix, AZ. 30 miles from water, two feet from Hell. Posts: 355	No it did not have "the enola gay" But it did have sides that were made of 26 gauge aluminum so it could not take any real pressure it was more of an air tight sealed container. I had six of them and in the process of purging them out I blew one side out of the container with just the air pressure. medalguy is right don't try to place them in a ammo can or something as heavy. My box had walls about as thick as a modern day aluminum pop can. __________________ Failure is part of success! This year will go down in history. For the first time, a civilized nation has full gun registration. Our streets will be safer, our police more efficient, and the world will follow our lead into the future!" -Adolf Hitler,1935"

December 6, 2011, 11:28 PM	#12
MrWesson Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2010 Posts: 357	I keep mine in a plastic boat style dry storage box. I have to keep my reloading equip outside and its worked so far in the FL heat/humidity.

December 7, 2011, 07:43 AM	#13
10 Spot Terminator Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2008 Location: Central Oregon Posts: 348	Use a food saver vacuum packer for mine. Put 4 of the 100 packs in a small bag leaving plenty of extra baggie so I can use what I need and reseal the rest if need be.

December 7, 2011, 03:59 PM	#14
drail Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2008 Posts: 3,150	Whatever you choose to store primers or powder in be sure that it will rupture quickly and vent in the case of a fire. Otherwise you essentially have a bomb in your house.

December 7, 2011, 10:04 PM	#15
hk33ka1 Senior Member Join Date: April 20, 2010 Posts: 275	I would store my primers in something air tight. Perhaps tupperware or ziplocks inside a wood cabinet. That said, I had some mixed Winchester primers that sat on a shelf in my basement in only the factory cardboard brick from the early 90's till last year. They were all 70's-90's vintage W-W and Winchester large pistol. That basement flooded a couple times and the humidity was usually high enough that guns/tools would rust if left there for a period of time and not bathed in oil. When I loaded and fired those in .45ACP there was not a single misfire or hangfire in the bunch. They all worked perfect. I also had some rifle primers I bought from a shop that have not been made since the 50's/60's and I don't know how they were stored before I got them. They all fired fine too.

December 9, 2011, 12:16 AM	#16
medalguy Senior Member Join Date: August 31, 2009 Location: New Mexico Posts: 1,033	Ever TRY to kill a primer so you could deprime the brass? Damn nearly impossible. Primers are made today to resist virtually everything.

December 9, 2011, 11:58 AM	#17
swmike Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2005 Location: Marysville, WA Posts: 670	None of my primers stay in storage long enough to worry about them deteriorating. I am either "shooting them up" or loading them into ammo which I store in GI ammo cans with dessicant. __________________ My definition of Gun Control--- A steady grip and hitting your target. "In God we trust, all others are suspects." "If I shoot all the ammo I am carrying, either I won't need any more, or more won't be of any help". ____________________________________________

December 9, 2011, 12:55 PM	#18
rclark Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2009 Location: Butte, MT Posts: 2,624	To me storage of primers is easy : Keep off the floor, and not in a sealed container. Mine are stored in my dry basement in a plastic drawer. Powder is stored across the room in wood cabinet. __________________ A clinger and deplorable, MAGA, and life NRA member. When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns. Single Action .45 Colt (Sometimes colloquially referred to by its alias as the .45 'Long' Colt or .45LC). Don't leave home without it. That said, the .44Spec is right up their too... but the .45 Colt is still the king. Last edited by rclark; December 9, 2011 at 07:34 PM.

December 9, 2011, 04:27 PM	#20
DeeDubya Senior Member Join Date: November 1, 2011 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 114	I generally buy 10-20,000 small pistol at a pop. I just slip the boxes of 5000 each in a quart zip lock and seal it up. I've had some stored for years without a failure. Never store primers and powder in the same vessel. __________________ DW NRA Life Member

December 9, 2011, 06:10 PM	#21
CherokeeT Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 2008 Location: Medina, Ohio Posts: 273	Just keep them in the original boxes and off the floor, away from water sources. Has worked for me for 50 years in humid climate or damp basements. __________________ God Bless America US Army, NRA Endowment TSRA Life, SASS Last edited by CherokeeT; December 9, 2011 at 06:41 PM.