The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The Skunkworks > Handloading, Reloading, and Bullet Casting

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old May 6, 2013, 08:49 AM   #1
Silver00LT
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 6, 2013
Location: Alabama
Posts: 286
Good idea for keeping powder/primers dry?

Well I just finished relocating my desk and all components out into the room adjacent to the house where the water heater is located(small 4 x 8 storage room) and it is not climate controlled and the door lets air in/out. So that means moisture will find its way into there. So what I was thinking was store what I can inside, but the stuff I am actually USING(open 1lb of powder and a couple packets of primers) I would store in a container out there.

My idea was take those dog/cat food sealing containers and putting the components in there(in their original bottles still) with several silica packets.
__________________
My YouTube MOLON LABE
Training pays off...so keep active with your firearm. It could save your life one day.
Silver00LT is offline  
Old May 6, 2013, 08:57 AM   #2
Plumbnut
Junior member
 
Join Date: April 28, 2013
Posts: 219
Could you possibly store your powder and primers inside some place thats climate controlled?

Gas water heater if not of the sealed combustion type put out alot of water vapor when buring,most of this vapor is vented out the roof but not all. Plus you have humidity entering to room from outside.

Do not seal the room up unless your water heater is sealed combustion that gets its make up air from outside via a coecentric vent. Most of these type heaters are tankless.

Be careful around that water heater with that powder. I dont know your set up but I would hate for you to have a powder spill or the heater malfunction with powder close by.

Stay safe my friend!
Plumbnut is offline  
Old May 6, 2013, 09:12 AM   #3
Silver00LT
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 6, 2013
Location: Alabama
Posts: 286
I still have the shelf in the closet that I am using for reloading storage. That is where I plan on keeping unopened powder and all primers.

It's a electric water heater. Even then I still have a barrier and about 4 feet clearance between them. Think I'll just grab the powder and primers I am using when I walk out to the room to reload. Was wondering on that little container idea to keep like one bottle rifle one bottle pistol and a pack of primers in it, and under the reloading desk.

Not using the room as storage other than the heads. I do not even keep my finish rounds in there. They stay in ammo cans beside my safe. I put the main point of container question in italics.

No worries...if it was gas water heater...you won't find me in there. The idea of me being in a enclosed room with natural gas and a flame is nerving enough. Adding powder to that mix is just not smart. Desk had to be moved anyways and thats the only place that I'm allowed to reload. lol We're planning on expanding the family in a year so this room will be the new babys room in about two years.
__________________
My YouTube MOLON LABE
Training pays off...so keep active with your firearm. It could save your life one day.
Silver00LT is offline  
Old May 6, 2013, 09:17 AM   #4
Plumbnut
Junior member
 
Join Date: April 28, 2013
Posts: 219
Oh well if it is an electric water heater then you can seal the door off and help keep some of the moisture out......and use a dehumidifier with a drain to the outside if you wanted.

Make sure all the protective covers are in place over the access points on the electric water heater.
Plumbnut is offline  
Old May 6, 2013, 09:26 AM   #5
Silver00LT
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 6, 2013
Location: Alabama
Posts: 286
Only way I'd feel comfortable storing powder not in a double container is building a wall and dividing the room into two.
__________________
My YouTube MOLON LABE
Training pays off...so keep active with your firearm. It could save your life one day.
Silver00LT is offline  
Old May 6, 2013, 11:20 AM   #6
mikld
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 7, 2009
Location: Southern Oregon!
Posts: 2,891
I'd say (and I've done it like this for nearly 28 years), I keep powder in original containers with the caps on snug. I keep primers in their original boxes and stored in a Tupperware shoebox. Both are kept in a metal cabinet. I have some Bullseye from the late 70s and primers from around '88 and all still work like they are supposed to...
__________________
My Anchor is holding fast!
I've learned how to stand on my own two knees...
mikld is offline  
Old May 6, 2013, 05:00 PM   #7
g.willikers
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 28, 2008
Posts: 10,442
I keep primers inside, with the dies and press, since it's not too likely they would cause any kind of grief.
Powders stay out in an unheated (or cooled) garage, in their original containers.
Never had a problem.
And we get both a dry and a wet season, each about half the year.
One powder, in a one pound container, is a version that doesn't get used any more, and must be twenty years old.
But it might, one day, so there it sits.
It's still ok.
__________________
Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez:
“Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”
g.willikers is offline  
Old May 6, 2013, 09:25 PM   #8
Live45
Member
 
Join Date: January 23, 2013
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 46
I recently discovered some CCI 550 primers that I had stored in a drawer and forgotten about since the early 90's. The drawer was in a cabinet in my garage. I live in Central Florida. The outcome was that these primers that had been stored for over 20 years in a humid garage went bang just like brand new primers. Not a dud in the whole bunch.
Live45 is offline  
Old May 6, 2013, 09:44 PM   #9
dahermit
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 28, 2006
Location: South Central Michigan...near
Posts: 6,501
All my primers are stored (inside the original boxes), in G.I. Ammo boxes...they have a rubber seal. I have a very large metal ammo box in the unheated garage (Michigan), that I have kept my iron bullet molds in for years without oiling them. I put some Vapor Inhibiting Powder (VIP), powder in the bottom of the ammo box and keep the lid closed except for taking out a mold or putting one back in. There is absolutely no rust on any of my molds.
dahermit is offline  
Old May 6, 2013, 11:13 PM   #10
Silver00LT
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 6, 2013
Location: Alabama
Posts: 286
I love ammo cans. Only thing I store my ammo in. I think ill buy some just to store primers in. Don't know why I didn't think of that. Then again all mine are full.
__________________
My YouTube MOLON LABE
Training pays off...so keep active with your firearm. It could save your life one day.
Silver00LT is offline  
Old May 7, 2013, 10:29 AM   #11
Tom Matiska
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 12, 2000
Location: Wilkes-Barre, Pa
Posts: 1,029
Quote:
My idea was take those dog/cat food sealing containers and putting the components in there(in their original bottles still) with several silica packets.

As good of an idea as any. One gallon ziplock food baggies are cheaper than tupperware. Rice is a great desicant..... reusable too.... just put in the oven at 200 or so and it dries out.
__________________
A gun is like a parachute... when you need one you usually need it pretty bad...
Tom Matiska is offline  
Old May 7, 2013, 11:40 AM   #12
mikld
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 7, 2009
Location: Southern Oregon!
Posts: 2,891
Quote:
All my primers are stored (inside the original boxes), in G.I. Ammo boxes...they have a rubber seal.
In case of a fire in the area where the ammo boxes are stored, wouldn't a couple thousand primers in a tightly sealed container be a bomb? I would think a "cook-off" would be disastrous in this case...
__________________
My Anchor is holding fast!
I've learned how to stand on my own two knees...
mikld is offline  
Old May 7, 2013, 12:32 PM   #13
Silver00LT
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 6, 2013
Location: Alabama
Posts: 286
I have plenty of rice. Had two of my food bags lose their vacuum so I'll just dry them out and use them as "silica".

mik - Same thing goes for ammo, gas lines, etc. You do what you can to prevent fires, but in the end if your gone while it does that at least your not in your house. If it happens to you and you can get to safety you notify EVERYONE that you have ammo and components so they can follow proper SOP to ensure safety.

You may be looked at as a "extremist" but you're alive and their alive.
__________________
My YouTube MOLON LABE
Training pays off...so keep active with your firearm. It could save your life one day.
Silver00LT is offline  
Old May 7, 2013, 03:29 PM   #14
dahermit
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 28, 2006
Location: South Central Michigan...near
Posts: 6,501
Quote:
In case of a fire in the area where the ammo boxes are stored, wouldn't a couple thousand primers in a tightly sealed container be a bomb? I would think a "cook-off" would be disastrous in this case...
A fire in an area of several thousand loaded cartridges in a G.I. ammo box would then also be problematic. But, the military still does it. I choose not to worry about a fire and my primers, I worry about a meteorite striking me on the head when I am out mushrooming...you have to choose your "worries".
dahermit is offline  
Old May 7, 2013, 06:35 PM   #15
wncchester
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 1, 2002
Posts: 2,832
Don't try to seal off your storage area from the water heater, it will provide a slight but noticeable warmth to the whole room and that alone will significantly reduce the humidity inside. Not that normal humidity or temps have much effect on powder and primers anyway.
wncchester is offline  
Old May 7, 2013, 07:13 PM   #16
BigD_in_FL
Junior member
 
Join Date: December 20, 2012
Location: The "Gunshine State"
Posts: 1,981
Keep your powder in its original container tightly sealed and it will be fine.
Keep your primers inside since they are not in a tightly sealed package
Really no need for anything else
BigD_in_FL is offline  
Old May 8, 2013, 05:57 AM   #17
IAmTheBadass
Junior Member
 
Join Date: April 9, 2013
Posts: 1
Good idea for keeping powder/primers dry?

I reload in my garage, I keep my primers and powders in sealed bags, inside of sealed .50 cal ammo cans when not in use. Worked out great for me so far.
IAmTheBadass is offline  
Old May 8, 2013, 10:27 AM   #18
mikld
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 7, 2009
Location: Southern Oregon!
Posts: 2,891
Quote:
A fire in an area of several thousand loaded cartridges in a G.I. ammo box would then also be problematic. But, the military still does it. I choose not to worry about a fire and my primers, I worry about a meteorite striking me on the head when I am out mushrooming...you have to choose your "worries".
Wow, first time I've been accused of "Chicken Little" thinking...
__________________
My Anchor is holding fast!
I've learned how to stand on my own two knees...
mikld is offline  
Old May 8, 2013, 03:28 PM   #19
snuffy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 20, 2001
Location: Oshkosh wi.
Posts: 3,055
Lets get something straight. If primers were affected by humidity, they'd come sealed inside a moisture proof package. They're not,,,---are they? This means storage anywhere is just fine, as noted by several reply's already.

Powder is also quite tolerant of humidity. That means you return it to it's bottle/can when finished loading, and make sure the lid is on tight. Some say powder absorbs humidity when exposed to humid air. I don't believe it. AND it's been researched to death, finding it makes no difference how humid it is while loading shells.
__________________
The more people I meet, the more I love my dog

They're going to get their butts kicked over there this election. How come people can't spell and use words correctly?
snuffy is offline  
Old May 8, 2013, 03:59 PM   #20
dahermit
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 28, 2006
Location: South Central Michigan...near
Posts: 6,501
Quote:
Lets get something straight. If primers were affected by humidity, they'd come sealed inside a moisture proof package. They're not,,,---are they?
I looked at the Box that 1000 Federal Small Pistol Primers came in. It states:
"...store primers in a cool dry enviornment..." But then, what the heck do they know about storing primers?
dahermit is offline  
Old May 8, 2013, 07:08 PM   #21
Airman Basic
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 12, 2013
Location: South of Interstate 20
Posts: 219
Got some of the original Hodgdon 4895 sold in the 50s and 60s. Occasionally I'll load some up for old times sake. Still goes boom with good accuracy.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Bulleseye.jpg (68.6 KB, 13 views)
File Type: jpg H4895.jpg (67.7 KB, 14 views)
Airman Basic is offline  
Old May 8, 2013, 11:06 PM   #22
Ole 5 hole group
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 13, 2002
Location: Red River Valley of the North
Posts: 203
Yes, storing your primers in a cool and dry environment means you don't store them where they will get flooded.

I and many others have use primers stored in their original containers, within a detached garage, subject to 115*F in the summer and cool damp winters and they performed as expected every time and they were stored for years under those conditions.

Recovering primers from a flooded basement - well, sometimes it's just best said "Houston, we have a problem".
Ole 5 hole group is offline  
Old May 9, 2013, 10:32 AM   #23
mikld
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 7, 2009
Location: Southern Oregon!
Posts: 2,891
Quote:
I looked at the Box that 1000 Federal Small Pistol Primers came in. It states:
"...store primers in a cool dry enviornment..." But then, what the heck do they know about storing primers?
__________________
Nearly everything with storage instructions say "store in a cool dry place". I don't think I've ever seen "store container in a hot damp place"...
__________________
My Anchor is holding fast!
I've learned how to stand on my own two knees...
mikld is offline  
Old May 9, 2013, 12:06 PM   #24
dahermit
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 28, 2006
Location: South Central Michigan...near
Posts: 6,501
Quote:
Nearly everything with storage instructions say "store in a cool dry place". I don't think I've ever seen "store container in a hot damp place"...
Nor are you likely to. Nevertheless, if storing in any environment had negligible effect on something, they would not bother putting a warning on the box that it came in. You will not see, "store in a cool dry place", on lead fishing sinkers.
dahermit is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:09 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.10773 seconds with 11 queries