I've gone through the painful task of going through the proposed Act as it pertains to powder, primers and cartridges for shmoes like me storing them in a house a.k.a. dwelling.
My reading of this tells me that Joe reloader can store up to 25kg of powder, of which up to 5kg may be black powder and primers and cartridges in his house so long as it is:
- Stored away from flammable stuff
- Stored in a manner that prevents it from easily being stolen
- Stored in a manner that prevents 'unauthorized' access to it.
i.e. I can store all of: 25 kg of powder, unspecific number primers and cartridges TOGETHER in a locked STEEL box if I so desire. I may choose to do something different, like store them separately, in 3/4" plywood wood boxes with non ferrous fittings (or titanium boxes or beer fridges) but NONE of this is REQUIRED under the proposed act.
Just trying to separate the facts from what people believe or have been told. I'm happy to be corrected if these facts are wrong.
Here are what I believe to be the relevant sections:
Detached dwelling
301. No more than 25 kg of propellant powder, of which no more than 5 kg may be black powder, may be stored at any one time in a detached dwelling or a storage unit that is attached to a dwelling.
Other dwellings — smokeless powder
302. (1) The maximum quantity of smokeless powder that may be stored at any one time in a dwelling that is located in a building containing other dwellings is
(a) 20 kg, if all the powder is in containers that hold no more than 1 kg; or
(b) 5 kg, if any of the powder is in a container that holds more than 1 kg.
Other dwellings — black powder
(2) The maximum quantity of black powder that may be stored at any one time in a dwelling that is located in a building containing other dwellings is
(a) 1 kg, if the black powder is in containers; or
(b) 3 kg less any quantity that is in containers, if the black powder is in small arms cartridges or black powder cartouches.
Detached storage unit
303. The maximum quantity of propellant powder that may be stored at any one time in a detached storage unit is 75 kg, less any quantity that is stored in a place referred to in section 301 and any quantity that is stored in a place referred to in section 302.
Storage requirements — dwelling
304. (1) When propellant powder, percussion caps, small arms cartridges that contain black powder or black power cartouches are stored in a dwelling, they must be stored away from flammable substances and sources of ignition, in a manner that protects them from theft and ensures that access to them is limited to people authorized by the user.
Storage requirements — storage unit
(2) When propellant powder, percussion caps, small arms cartridges that contain black powder or black powder cartouches are stored in a storage unit,
(a) the storage unit must be located in a dry place, away from flammable substances and sources of ignition;
(b) the storage unit must be constructed and maintained to prevent unauthorized access and to protect the contents from weather;
(c) if the storage unit is a container, it must not impede exit in case of fire;
(d) if the storage unit is not a container, all exits must be kept unobstructed;
(e) any shelving in the storage unit must be made from a non-sparking material (for example, wood or painted metal);
(f) only propellant powder, percussion caps, small arms cartridges and black powder cartouches may be stored in the storage unit;
(g) propellant powder, percussion caps, small arms cartridges and black powder cartouches must be stored separately from one another (for example, on different shelves or separated by a wooden barrier);
(h) the storage unit must be attended when it is unlocked;
(i) the storage unit must be kept clean, dry, organized and free of grit;
(j) any spill, leakage or other contamination in the storage unit must be cleaned up immediately;
(k) precautions that minimize the likelihood of fire in or near the storage unit must be taken; and
(l) a sign that displays the words “Danger — Fire Hazard/Risque d’incendie” in letters at least 10 cm high and that prohibits smoking using letters, or a symbol, at least 10 cm high must be posted on the storage unit in a clearly visible location.
