Gun Powder Storage
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Cool, dark, dry and unconfined should describe the perfect storage location. My powder is in a closed cardboard box with dessicant bags inside next to it. It's in the basement and keeping quite well for several years - but I try not to go over 5 years with any of it....
My brother had his powder in a metal desk that went from 40 to 100 degrees during the course of a year. I checked one of the containers by smell and almost threw up. After I recovered a bit, I poured some of the powder in my hand and a noxious green fog flowed out! After that I don't sniff directly from the can, but waft fumes toward me while holding the can away from my body. FWIW....
My brother had his powder in a metal desk that went from 40 to 100 degrees during the course of a year. I checked one of the containers by smell and almost threw up. After I recovered a bit, I poured some of the powder in my hand and a noxious green fog flowed out! After that I don't sniff directly from the can, but waft fumes toward me while holding the can away from my body. FWIW....
I keep all 20 pounds of powder I have in a solidly constructed steel box on top of the humidifier and right next to the propane-powered furnace in the utility room. I make sure to lock the doors up tight every time I put the powder away because if it ever gets ignited, I don't want it to damage anything outside of the box. 
(OK, that was mildly irresponsible, especially if someone with no knowledge of safe powder storage were to read it and take it seriously. I keep it in a temperature and humidity controlled environment, far from any heat sources or electricity. In other words, an ordinary old cabinet, in my garage.)
(OK, that was mildly irresponsible, especially if someone with no knowledge of safe powder storage were to read it and take it seriously. I keep it in a temperature and humidity controlled environment, far from any heat sources or electricity. In other words, an ordinary old cabinet, in my garage.)
>I've got a 12 gun fire retardant safe and I keep my powder on the upper shelf
This is what firefighters might call " a bomb". A tight, strong container is not where powder should be stored. Mine is in a wooden chest. It has a lock, from bygone days when kiddies were in the house, but even locked it is lightly contructed and provides no resistance should things ever get too hot.
This is what firefighters might call " a bomb". A tight, strong container is not where powder should be stored. Mine is in a wooden chest. It has a lock, from bygone days when kiddies were in the house, but even locked it is lightly contructed and provides no resistance should things ever get too hot.
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Sheet metal office storage cabinet in air conditioned second story loft room.
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Yep, you need to let that stuff have a place to safely vent should it ignite. A fire retardant safe seals up, and does not vent. Smokeless powder in any quanitity generates significant amounts of gas as it burns. Its not an explosive in itself, but does need to have a safe place to vent to. I keep mine on a wooden shelf or right on the floor.
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I keep mine on a wooden shelf I built into the bottom of my bench. Holds about a dozen 1lb canisters.
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Hi, Steve here. I keep my powder in a wooden desk drawer , in a wooden desk, with a piece of insulation on the side that is by the heat/air register . No sun access to the drawer. Check the sammi specs on storing powder ,how much powder you can store . Storing the powder in a TIGHT metal space could be dangerous in a fire , you might get a BOOM instead of a flair up.
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Mine's on a wooden shelf in a shop, climate and humidity controled, away from direct sunlight or sources of heat. Confining powder or primers in a none vented metal container is not wise.
Hi. Just to expand on this question, how long can powder be stored for if it is in its original sealed container and kept in a cool dry place? How about if you opened the container, used half, with the remainder still in the original but now unsealed container? What are the indicators that the powder has gone bad? Thanks.
Powder is usually determined bad if there is a rusty red dust coating it and has a rather arcid odor. Good powder smells clean and sorta sweet.
It can be stored indefinitely under the conditions you describe. Have several cans of both ball and stick powders that have been stored as you say for over 40 years. Still look and smell good. Only problem, newer lots have slightly different formulas and the loading manuals are published for them - not the older stuff.
If in doubt of powder usefulness, it makes a great flower bed fertilizer!
It can be stored indefinitely under the conditions you describe. Have several cans of both ball and stick powders that have been stored as you say for over 40 years. Still look and smell good. Only problem, newer lots have slightly different formulas and the loading manuals are published for them - not the older stuff.
If in doubt of powder usefulness, it makes a great flower bed fertilizer!
There is a sample of Laflin & Rand (aka: Hercules) now Alliant Unique that was placed in storage under water in 1899. It was tested in 1996. They say it will be tested again this century and is expected to perform as well as when it was made. (From The ABC's of Reloading 8th edition).
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Pisgah got it right: "This (a safe) is what firefighters might call a bomb. A tight, strong container is not where powder should be stored."
So having powder stored in a fire proof gun safe would be like storing your guns in an oven.
Thanks guys, appropriate corrections have been made.
So having powder stored in a fire proof gun safe would be like storing your guns in an oven.
Thanks guys, appropriate corrections have been made.
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Some good words of wisdom right there!
Due to the amount I keep on hand I have mine stored in a wooden box built to specifcations for storage of the amounts I generally keep on hand. I for got where I found the specifications at for storing more than 20 lbs, I have had a couple of computer crashes too loosing my favorite links, although I am sure I could find them with some digging around on a powder manufactures web site.
Properly stowed in a cool fairly dry enviroment without extreme swings in temps should keep it safe and last a long time. I would not confine it in any manor not recommended by the manufacture or federal code, ie...a un-vented gun safe. There are some other concerns I would recommend too but that would kinda be anal retentive for the average Hobbyist to adhere to unless you keep a lot of it around like I do. None are required by law though. Im just big on safety when it comes to things that can "ruin" my day. Thats what the military does and its been working for them for hundreds of years. Now I realize military and intelligence are two words that are hard to use when talking about Uncle Sam, but Ammunition storage is one area where Uncle Sam has his ducks in a row and sets the standard to be followed. Trust me on that one! I dare to say they have more experience at this than any of us here do. BTW...I was a Ordie for 21 years hence the basis of my information in this reply.
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