VII. Reloading Information

E. Miscellaneous

6. Safe Storage of Powder and Primers

  Recent events have caused many people to become more aware of the need
for safe storage practices for primers and smokeless powder.  Here is
some information I've extracted from various sources - mostly tracing
back to practices recommended by SAAMI (the Sporting Arms and Ammunition
Manufacturers' Institute.)  Some of this may also be in the fire codes,
and is recommended by the National Fire Protection Association.

Smokeless Powder - 
  Store in a cool, dry place - protected from accidental exposure to
ignition by flames, sparks or high temperatures.  Avoid open flame,
furnaces, hot water heaters, sun's rays, mechanical/electrical
equipment.  Also avoid solvents, flammable gases and other highly 
combustible material because of risk of fires in the vicinity.

  To avoid deterioration chemical, fumes, moisture and heat should be
avoided.  Deterioration can be checked by smelling the powder.  When you
open the cap on the container and sniff, good powder may have either a
solvent - alcohol, ether, acetone - type of odor, or perhaps little or
no odor.  Powder going bad will have an acidic odor which irritates.

  The approved shipping containers are constructed, so that in case of
accidental ignition of the powder they will open at quite low internal
pressures and so limit the burning rate of the powder.  (Smokeless
powder burns much faster under pressure and builds up pressure very
fast.)  Up to 20 pounds (9.1 kg) of smokeless powder can be kept in a
residence in its original containers.  Up to 50 pounds (22.7 kg) can be
kept in a wooden box/cabinet with walls at least 1" thick or perhaps of
other fire resistant and insulating construction.  The wooden or other
construction provides insulation against heat, should be large enough
to vent the gas produced if the powder does ignite, or should come
apart easily under low pressure to avoid a high pressure rupture which
can have the effect of an explosion.  A weak wall or weak seams can be
used to accomplish this.  Don't cram a storage box full, as this
increases the potential for high pressure.  If you can use equal
quality storage places, safety is enhanced by using separate storage
locations, with several smaller quantities stored rather than one
larger quantity.

  Black powder is much touchier, and I'm not discussing this at all.  
I've heard that Pyrodex is less dangerous than black powder - but don't
have any reliable information.

  Only the smallest amounts of smokeless powder needed should be stored,
and safety practices should always be used.  E.g., don't smoke near
powder storage, don't allow spilled powder to accumulate, keep out of
direct sunlight, etc.  Generally powder should be kept in the original
containers which were approved for shipping.

Primers -
  These should be kept in their original factory containers.  If primers
are taken out of their original containers and kept together, that
increases the chance of all of them going off if one of them does.  Note
that primers are small explosive devices and that a bunch of them going
off can cause serious damage to property and personnel.  Primer dust,
especially mixed with spilled powder is a hazard.  Working places should
be kept very clean.  Only one box at a time should be taken out and
loaded into your equipment to minimize danger.

  Primers should be protected from impact, friction, static electricity,
heat/sparks/flame and other abuses which could cause unwanted detonation.  
To keep them in good condition they also should be kept from exposure to
water/moisture, organic solvents including oils, gasoline, various
lubricants and thinners, and heat.  Temperatures above 140 degrees F.
cause a decrease in the usable lifetime.  Therefore the same desiderata
of cool and dry are recommended.  See the discussion on storage of
smokeless powder.  Note that excessively low humidity can lead to
undesirable static electricity condition, and so 60% or higher relative
humidity is recommended for working with primers. "Modern sporting
ammunition primers will not absorb moisture under normal or even severe
conditions of atmospheric humidity.  There is no advantage to be gained
from air-tight containers.  The factory containers in which they are
packaged need only normal conditions of storage."  Up to 10,000 primers 
may be stored in a residence.

  It is suggested that they should be kept in a wood cabinet (with the
usual spec of being constructed of lumber at least 1" nominal thickness)
and apart from propellant powders.

  General good safety practices - e.g. No Smoking - should be followed.

Bullets and Cases -
  Being inert, the main concern is to avoid corrosion, and so exposure
to water/moisture and corrosive fumes should be avoided.  Temperatures
high enough to damage bullets or damage or anneal the cases are unlikely
to be found in the home, apart from close proximity to furnaces and
other heat sources.  Such is to be avoided.

Loaded Ammunition -
  One needs to be concerned about all of the environmental situations
which would affect any of the components.  Loaded ammo is relatively 
safe to store compared to the same quantities of powder and primers 
because of the way the charges are divided among the rounds.  Still, 
safety practices should always be used.

Possible Information Sources -
National Electrical Code
National Fire Protection Association
Occupational Safety & Health Administration
Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute, Inc.
  (send a SASE to them at 11 Mile Hill Road, Newton CT 06470-2359
   for information on storage of smokeless powder and primers)
SAAMI brochures
Sporting Ammunition Primers - Properties, Handling, & Storage
  for Handloading  - 11/93  
Smokeless Powder - Properties and Storage - 11/93

--henry schaffer

P.S. Additions and corrections to the above are welcome.  I've tried to
be careful in what I said, but I can't take responsibility for
correctness or appropriateness of anything.