I have too much powder for my lock up in the reloading room and was planning to store some in the unheated garage attached to the house.The garage usually doesn't freeze. Should I be concerned about storing the powder at near freezing temperatures?
Cold Powder
- Thread starter savage112
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i would add that if you use it within a year i don't see anything going wrong. But the bigger question is why is your main lock up so small
I think we are only allowed 50 lbs in the house.
You may want to check out the laws in your immediate area. They can be different from what I've read on different threads. Large cities often have their own set of laws concerning powder storage.
There are two very real problems with storage in your garage. First it should still be locked up. Second is extreme temperature swings. You say it doesn't freeze but what temps does it go up to in the height of summer??? Is dampness an issue???
This is what I did, I bought a small freezer, plugged it in and turned the temp to just above freezing. Then I put in the extra powder. I don't use "small one pound containers." I blend each type of powder into one large lot and use cleaned out liquid laundry detergent containers to hold the blended lots. The large, four litre, containers will hold up to 10+ pounds of powder and they have plastic lids as well as convenient pouring spouts.
If you decide to go to a powder magazine outdoors, then it gets trickier.
There are two very real problems with storage in your garage. First it should still be locked up. Second is extreme temperature swings. You say it doesn't freeze but what temps does it go up to in the height of summer??? Is dampness an issue???
This is what I did, I bought a small freezer, plugged it in and turned the temp to just above freezing. Then I put in the extra powder. I don't use "small one pound containers." I blend each type of powder into one large lot and use cleaned out liquid laundry detergent containers to hold the blended lots. The large, four litre, containers will hold up to 10+ pounds of powder and they have plastic lids as well as convenient pouring spouts.
If you decide to go to a powder magazine outdoors, then it gets trickier.
The "cold" isn't an issue as far as I know. Ganderite likely has lots of information on this.
It's been my experience that "heat" is the culprit when it comes to powder deteriorating.
I keep mine in my garage where it can get right around 0 in the winter and upwards of what feels like 35 in the summer. I have open and sealed containers and never have experience a problem. When they are opened I always make sure to properly put in the seal under the cap when closing them up after use. I worry about it sometimes as its quite the financial investment but so far so good.
I would say heat is not a problem where mine is. It never sees sunlight which I have found to be deadly on plastic wads and hulls I stashed
Maybe 85 degrees max in the summer. There is no serious heat there IMO and tons of vents so moisture is also not a problem
So far it works for me
Cheers
I still have two unopened steel kegs of 700x I think they are 12 pounders I have
Cheers
I believe you folks but in my experiences there have been some nasty break downs of powders from well known manufacturers both off shore and local. Cold has never been an issue for me either. Heat on the other hand has been a major culprit in causing some powders to break down. Many of the surplus powders are surplussed for several reasons. Most of the commercial surplus is fine and will last indefinitely unless there is a lot of vibration rubbing off the graphite coatings which regulate burn rates.
Military stockpiles of powder can be a different issue. Several people on this site have experienced issues with these powders in the past which start to sweat out their nitro, clump, give off toxic, oxidizing vapors etc. Often they will give warning by giving inconsistent velocities and ignition. Sometimes they won't and can ruin a bore. So far I've had three military surplus lots of powder degrade and one lot of commercial powder break down. All showed the familiar signs in the heat of summer, in storage locations where the heat was up to 40C.
It isn't a regular occurrence by any means. I have the same powders from different lots that are just fine where their sister lot broke down.
One container of powder is just an example of a lot the was made properly and not moved/vibrated excessively. We don't always know the history of powders or their handling.
Just to show, I have containers of BLC/4831/4320/3031 and even some Super Vel that are just as good as the day they were made, likely during WWII.
Since I've put all of my powders into the 4L liquid detergent jugs and stored them in the temp controlled fridge, they've been behaving very well. The bulk powders kept in the Chest Freezer work very well also.
I read somewhere recently that keeping powder in the freezer is a fallacy.
I think a lot has to do with the powder you are buying and trying to store also. I never buy bulk that is not factory sealed in jugs from common manufacturer's
Some of this bulk one gets in a plastic bag and box god knows where it is made and how it was stored prior to you buying it especially military stuff
Cheers
How much are you talking here. More than 15 pounds. If not why worry. Nothing will happen to it anyway in your garage if you keep it out of the light and in it's original containers
Cheers
