Powder and/or primers in small refrigerator in unheated/uncooled garage?

[QuietDan]

Need some advice:

My reloading bench is in my unheated, uncooled semi-detached garage (breeze-way).

I keep less than 5 pounds of smokeless powder in an ammo can in the house. And, I keep a couple bricks of primers in a separate ammo can in the house. I'm thinking temperature control.

I'm planning on putting the five or so one-pound bottles of smokeless powder in one of those small square dorm refrigerators that's just sitting around and that's going out in the garage, probably put a few diet cokes in it as well. Won't set the temp too low, just so the contents don't spike in the summer heat.

I might just leave the primers in the house, or in a container in the dorm refrigerator in the garage. Also, a pound or two of black powder/black powder substitute needs a home -- stay in the house or out to the garage refrigerator?

Thoughts?

[Jonnin]

the fridge causes condensation. Basically any moisture in the air when it closes will condense when it cools, which can spoil your goods. That is the biggest concern I can think of. If you do this, consider some way to deal with the moisture. Note that heat speeds up the decomposition of (most, maybe all?) powders and primers, so the shelf life is decreased if store too much over 90 for a long time (decades?).

Powder and primers do not explode in a hot car. I would guess that powder can stand at least 150 degrees F before it goes up, same for primers. No one would SELL things that explode at lower temps than 150 to the public; it would be too risky as you KNOW some fool would leave it in the hot car, or it would get hot during transportation, or in a warehouse, or something --- even punks that leave some in a bottle by the road to see if it blows up in the sun.

The fridge is a good idea, but you probably could just put a fan blowing on it and do as well, or better, to keep the heat down without the risk of moisture. A cool, but not cold, dry place is what you seek.

Edited January 30, 2012 by Jonnin

[MacGyver]

With modern powders and primers your primary concern needs to be humidity control. They can both stand a wide range of temperatures over a long period of time so long as you appropriately control the moisture.

I'd skip the refrigerator and invest in some good rechargable dessicants.

[Guest nicemac]

My wife has one of those Food Saver machines;

FoodSaver®

She got it at Costco around Christmas for just over $50. It sucks the air right out of a bag of food and then hermetically seals the bag. Or primers. Or any number of things I would be interested in sealing…

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Food savers are fun machines.

Only issue other than humidity, which might not even be an issue since so many fridges have magnetic door seals rather than mechanical latches nowadays-- Have read that you want to store powder and primers in a cabinet that will open up real easy if the stuff happens to light up. As opposed to say, a tightly-sealed metal locker that might do a good impersonation of a bomb with lit powder inside. Some of the old fashioned refrigerators would close pretty tight with mechanical latches.

They also say not to store powder and primers in close vicinity. Dunno how closely the rule must be obeyed. I obeyed that rule so far. The powder is in a pressed board cab on one side of the shop and the primers are in the drawers of an old metal desk on the other side of the shop.

[dlm37015]

just build or buy an insulated box with blow out plugs or make one out of plywood

[QuietDan]

just build or buy an insulated box with blow out plugs or make one out of plywood

So, an Igloo cooler with a press-fit, non-latching lid would be sufficient? Good for the primers.

I'm thinking the small refrigerator with its magnetic door-seal would be good for the blow-out requirement, and set it for "one" or lowest setting so I don't create condensation. Or maybe even leave it off. Well, put the powder here.

Hmmmmm.

I drink diet coke warm anyways.

Edited January 30, 2012 by QuietDan

[Guest canebreaker]

When I started reloading I read of storage.

A wood box made of no less than 1" lumber, not milled 1" lumber. So a full 1" or better. Store powder and primers separate. But that was talking about large amounts.

I would make a box that can be locked about the size of a locker. Divide it at about half height with 2X lumber. 1 half for primers and the other for powder.

Walmart is good about selling a wood box during hunting season, fall. It has rope handles and a deer painted on it. Make two bigger ones. Sit them on a couple of brick on the floor of your storage room.

When you go shoe shopping with your lady, look around in the boxes and pick up the packs of silica. Put a hand full into the storage boxes. I put them in with my reloads.

[frankmako]

i have been using army ammo cans for many mango seasons. kept them in the basement and/or garage over the years in many different areas in the u.s.. so it was a wide temp range, from hot to cold. hot/cold it seems not to matter. just the other day i used some powder (bulleye) that i put in a ammo can back in 1985. it worked just as good as day one. ran some rounds across the chronograph and they were where my load data should be. so to me it is best to store primer/powder in a good army ammo can anywhere in you home.

[Caster]

I keep my primers in 20mm ammo cans. Toss in some dessicants, good to go.

[tnhawk]

During 30 years of reloading, always kept my primers and powder in a closet or the garage.

[chances R]

During 30 years of reloading, always kept my primers and powder in a closet or the garage.

Same here......but the real solution is to shoot more, this stuff is for using, not saving.