Gun powder safety

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Keeping gun powder in a safe doesn´t keep it from detonating, if there is a fire and the temperatures rise.
Lucky for the ones who never got hitten by a shockwave or fragments, being the shockwave more scaring then the fragments.
A human being goes blind for a while, and will not ear anything as well, not to speak about bleeding.
In order to avoid this demon of nature to become alive what are your tricks to store gun powder?
 
Thick wooden box with loosely fitting lid is all you need. Modern powders burn, they don't explode. Have something that vents the gasses and you don't have to worry about the big boom.
 
Detonate?

Notwithstanding the harm that exposure to the detonation of a high explosive can do, what does this with the storage of gunpowder?

Storage in a strong, securely closed container like can result in an explosion, because pressure can build to the point that the container ruptures violently like a bomb. Like a pressure cooker. Storage in such a container is a bad idea, for that reason.

But propellants don't detonate on their own.
 
gunpowder or primers in a waterproof safe is a bad idea. portable and locked wooden containers that can be removed in case of a fire (if someone is around to do it) are the way to go. if they don't get removed they will add to the fire but won't blow up. if you have large quantities of these items you need to give some thought on how you will arrange storage. I built 2 plywood boxes, one can hold about 5 pounds of powder and one for primers and primed cartridges. that's sufficient for my needs, but I only reload handguns at this point.
 
"...detonating..." Gun powder doesn't detonate. It burns. The bang of a firearm being fired isn't the powder. It's the bullet breaking the sound barrier and the air returning whence it came.
 
Are you perhaps thinking of black powder? It does ignite with a bit more zest than modern smokeless powder. However, the main safety concern with either powder is that the container might not vent the pressure and the thing turns into a bomb. It's part of why canned beans and such things are dangerous in a fire, because the pressure does not vent and reaches a rupturing point and you get molten beans and possible shards of the can flying in all directions.

Smokeless powder will not explode on it's own. It goes "whoosh!" and burns quickly.

Keep the powder away from sources of ignition, such as fireplaces, stoves, grinders, welders, torches, furnaces, water heaters. Keep the container clean, and make sure it will not contain pressure and turn into a bomb.
 
my 45 is at least 200 fps below the sound barrier and it doesn't sound like a pop gun.
 
c-fbmi said:
Do you just say this kind of stuff to troll.... or do you really not know any better? Seriously.
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Doug, you have to learn to ignore Sunray. His posts are so frequently laced with misinformation that it is laughable.
He perfectly fits the old adage: "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt"

The bang of a firearm isn't the powder.....indeed, lol

Cheers, Dave.
 
yomomma said:
This part at least is true...set lots of it on fire and never went bang more of a szszszszszszszsz...

;)
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That is because you were burning it unconfined!! f:P:

Where do you suppose the 50,000 PSI + comes from that drives the bullet through and out of the barrel.

When that 50K+ is released as the bullet exits the muzzle, the loud "Bang" you hear are the gases expanding into the air.
Those gases are produced by the burning powder.
So it IS the powder that makes the noise.

FWIW, the bullet also makes a "crack" breaking the sound barrier, but that is a different sound.

The best way to notice the difference is to be spotting targets from a safe place at the 300M mark.

You will first hear the crack of the bullet as it passes, then very shortly after, the boom of the rifle itself.
The latter noise is powder generated, period.

Regards, Eagleye
 
My reloading/gun room is fire proof from outside and if it catches fire inside..... I doubt you will run in to get the 20lbs of powder and 4000-6000 live rounds in that room.
 
Some notes: If the powder is confined it detonates.
There is a difference between the nature of fast burning - deflagration, like it happens with oil (napalm deflagration) and a detonation.
A detonation is a very fast - the fastest - burn reaction. 50 times the speed of sound. This is the nature that permits firearms to work the way they do.
If the powder simply burned - deflagration, the bullet could not even leave the barrel, depending on the weapon.
Lets put things clear - detonation = firearm tech + bombs.
 
Ok has any one ever had gun powder blow on them!!!!There is tons of powder all over and not a single incident.
 
If powder detonated in a cartridge there would not be a need for so many different powders most of which have different burn rates. Some cartridges do not even burn all the powder and it can be found after the firing of the cartridge, if it detonated no unburned powder could be found. The only powder that I would say detonates is black powder.
 
When powder detonates all the molecules release their energy at the same time. This will destroy a gun. Propellant powder burns quickly. The grains burn from the outside in. the reduction of burning surface area as the grains burn changes the burning rate. This is why powders are surface treated with deterrents to slow the surface burn down.

Powder in a wooden box or non sealed cabinet presents no explosion risk.

If you have a lot of powder in a cabinet or loading room, it will give off a huge amount of heat if a few seconds (5-10). You don't want to be there when it happens. This is why you want to sweep up once in awhile.

I have had a powder fire. I was soldering and a drop fell on the floor and ignited some powder in the rug. (A rug was a dumb idea.) It was a small fire, but a large fire extinguisher did not touch it. I had to drown it in water.

A 5 gallon Jerry can of water in the loading room is a good idea. It can be used to drown a small fire, quickly. If you don't want to hang around to fight the fire, it can be kicked over to spread water across the floor. Just leave the lid on loose, so it will fall off when tipped over.
 
Silverback said:
If powder detonated in a cartridge there would not be a need for so many different powders most of which have different burn rates. Some cartridges do not even burn all the powder and it can be found after the firing of the cartridge, if it detonated no unburned powder could be found. The only powder that I would say detonates is black powder.
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I can say BP also will not blowup unless its in a air tight container just so happens the container it comes it works well when you want to make a big firecracker lol(that is a don't try this at home and a hold my beer and watch this moment all at the same time)
 
Ganderite said:
When powder detonates all the molecules release their energy at the same time. This will destroy a gun. Propellant powder burns quickly. The grains burn from the outside in. the reduction of burning surface area as the grains burn changes the burning rate. This is why powders are surface treated with deterrents to slow the surface burn down.

Powder in a wooden box or non sealed cabinet presents no explosion risk.

If you have a lot of powder in a cabinet or loading room, it will give off a huge amount of heat if a few seconds (5-10). You don't want to be there when it happens. This is why you want to sweep up once in awhile.

I have had a powder fire. I was soldering and a drop fell on the floor and ignited some powder in the rug. (A rug was a dumb idea.) It was a small fire, but a large fire extinguisher did not touch it. I had to drown it in water.

A 5 gallon Jerry can of water in the loading room is a good idea. It can be used to drown a small fire, quickly. If you don't want to hang around to fight the fire, it can be kicked over to spread water across the floor. Just leave the lid on loose, so it will fall off when tipped over.
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hmm ive help build NHRA regulated cars they have fire extinguishing systems that spray in a few areas this idea may work for a small reloading room
 
antiqueguy said:
hmm ive help build NHRA regulated cars they have fire extinguishing systems that spray in a few areas this idea may work for a small reloading room
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Powder does not need oxygen to burn. It can be extinguished by cooling - with lots of water. I fought a powder fire for what seemed like a half hour. Probably a few minutes. The challenge was to get enough water on it, quickly.

If you want to protect a loading room, run a garden hose to the ceiling with a sprinkler. Or just have a short garden hose rigged that can be turned on to fight a fire. As I write this I realize that 20 feet from the door to my loading room is a wet bar with a hose connection. I can easily store a connected hose under the bar. I even already have some old unused hoses.
 
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