Storing Power and Primers

[30-06man]

Other than a safe what is another option for storing these? I searched on yahoo and it said you had to have them stored in a container that has at least 1inch wood walls. What do yall do? Do you have to put HazMat signs outside of your house so someone will know that there is power in the house incase of a house fire. I also looked at a Lockable Power Storage Unit at Cabelas that looks just like a little locking safe. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0012533213975a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_RESULTS_NYR&returnPage=search-results2.jsp&No=54&nyr=1&Ne=2510&Ntt=Powder&noImage=0&QueryText=Powder&Ntk=Products&Ntx=matchall&trueNum=597&N=3729

[corbanzo]

I have a big metal box.  If it blows up, there is gonna be nasty schrapnal everywhere.  I don't plan on it blowing up. 

[LaOtto222]

In the older days powder used to come in metal containers. Modern powders will not blow up if they are not contained. They will burn very hot. Now powders are shipped in plastic containers. The metal ones were subject to rust and they contained the powder more, so were more prone to blow up. I am not 100% sure of this, but I have a feeling that modern powders will not blow up in a plastic container. It is just conjecture, I have not tried it nor am I willing to. I do feel "safer" with the plastic ones. The walls of the container are not as strong as the old metal ones and they would not hold the pressure a metal one will. They do not rust either.

[PaulS]

If you check with your fire department you will find that the 1" of wood is a fire barrier spec. You need to protect the powder with a fire proofing that will last for one hour and in a container that will burst at very low pressures. A steel box lined with dry wall is a good container IF it is equipped with a hinged or loose fitting top that will not allow pressure to build to the point that it becomes a bomb. I store my powder in a wood box made from 1x6s lined inside and out with 1/2" dry wall. The top fits on it with a slip fit and it will hold about 100 pounds of smokeless powder in 8 pound kegs. The primer magazine is of similar construction but smaller. The two of them are kept about 30 feet apart.

[stimpylu32]

I store mine just like most gun shops do , on a shelf in my gun room . Granted my room is a little diffrent than most , it has block walls on 2 sides and a double  layer of 1/2" drywall on the other 2 + the ceiling .

The powder is one one side of the room and the primers are on the other , I also have a blast vent that let any pressure release to the outside of the house and not up through the floor .

stimpy

[GameHauler]

If you check with your fire department you will find that the 1" of wood is a fire barrier spec. You need to protect the powder with a fire proofing that will last for one hour and in a container that will burst at very low pressures. A steel box lined with dry wall is a good container IF it is equipped with a hinged or loose fitting top that will not allow pressure to build to the point that it becomes a bomb. I store my powder in a wood box made from 1x6s lined inside and out with 1/2" dry wall. The top fits on it with a slip fit and it will hold about 100 pounds of smokeless powder in 8 pound kegs. The primer magazine is of similar construction but smaller. The two of them are kept about 30 feet apart.

Paul,
How about some pics and Dimensions.
Mike

[PaulS]

I think I can find the original drawings and convert them to jpegs to post.
The thing is that you should check with your local fire department and city/county ordinances because the laws are different in different areas.

[Mckie Hollow]

Most States D.O.L. will have a code rule for the storage of explosives in a Magazine or Day Box. Steel & Wood is the Norm. If You compile this with Bldg. Codes of 1,2,3 Hr. Fire Ratings, I would think construction of storage containers would be covered. I've had worse experiances with Either Starting Fluid than any of the modern Powders.

[Ifishsum]

I just have mine stored in an overhead cabinet in the reloading room.  Smokeless powder won't blow up in the original containers, just burn up for a few seconds.  I guess if I had a house fire I might tell them where it was at in the house, but I don't think it would change anything.  The propane tank on the patio BBQ grill is far more of an explosion hazard than a few lbs of smokeless powder in the loading room.   Unless you're required by law to do something, I wouldn't worry about it at all.

[Mckie Hollow]

Agreed, I'd be worried more about Propane & Gas.

[30-06man]

Thanks. Ill call and make sure I have got every thing covered.

[Old Syko]

Thanks. Ill call and make sure I have got every thing covered.

Are you sure you want to advertise to the outside world just what you posess in your home?  Sounds like looking for trouble to me.  just as well be sure to notify your insurance company also.  Too many folks make too much of a simple thing.  Store the stuff like most do by using a little common sense and keep it to yourself seems more intelligent to me. 

Where I live, if there is a fire chances are everything will be gone before the fire dept. can get here anyway.

[beemanbeme]

How much powder and how many primers are you talking about??  That plays a large part of it.
 If you have a quantity, get an old refrigerator.  Put a chain around it so the door can open approx 2-3" with a lock on the chain. If someone wants to know why you've a fridge with a chain on it in your garage, just tell them you're gonna fix it but you're scared about kids getting in it or some such.

This way the refrigerator is child proof, comparatively fire proof, but if the house was consumed by fire, and the heat got high enough to ignite the powder, the pressure would open the door so it would merely burn but the chain would restrain it from opening all the way.  The primers popping would be confined inside the refrigerator.

If you have say two 8# kegs and 4 or 5 1# cans and a couple of thousand primers that you don't want to keep in bulk at your bench, put them in a plain brown box, seal it and write "RLDG STF" on it and put it at the back of a low traffic closet.  If you wife wants to know what it is just say offhandedly, "oh, just some reloading junk, I'm not using right now." 

I agree that advertising that you have gasp shudder a stock of flamables at your home isn't a good idea. 

[30-06man]

Thanks. Ill call and make sure I have got every thing covered.

Are you sure you want to advertise to the outside world just what you posess in your home?  Sounds like looking for trouble to me.  just as well be sure to notify your insurance company also.  Too many folks make too much of a simple thing.  Store the stuff like most do by using a little common sense and keep it to yourself seems more intelligent to me. 

Where I live, if there is a fire chances are everything will be gone before the fire dept. can get here anyway.

I wouldn't worry about that stuff where I am at but I have thought about this so far and decided since I have really nothing to worry about from what yall have said. Thanks for all of the replys.

[BBF]

I have never thought about that stuff exploding and I haven't had juveniles in my place for a long time. I do have a small fridge I keep the powder in which is located in my mini barn. The Primers are in the main fridge in one of those veggie drawers to keep them at a cool regulated temperature.