Crap

IheartGUNS · Jun 14, 2012

So I guess I forgot to put the cover back on my powder(benchmark). Whats the worst that can happen? It's indoors, and it was probably uncovered for a couple days.

civilian75 · Jun 14, 2012

For short term exposure, my guess, probably nothing. Propellants have a stabilizer, in the case of BM2, it has Diphenylamine.

MSDS: <broken link removed>

Topper · Jun 14, 2012

unless a mouse hopped on and took a crap in there i wouldn't worry about it...

did you check for mouse poo?

/don't worry about it

IheartGUNS · Jun 14, 2012

No poop. Ok thanks I just thought gun powder absorbs moisture or sumthing.

deadshot2 · Jun 15, 2012

You asked what the worst that could happen? Someone could tap the ash off a cigar or cigarette into the open bottle and then the excitement would begin.

I keep my powder covered more for safety than worrying about humidity. Humidity gets into the container every time you open it and if you do so on a humid day, it's trapped there when you cover it. Don't worry about it. Another possible problem from an uncovered container is mixing. A spill from another powder source but then your're breaking one of the prime directives of reloading. Only ONE powder open on the bench at any given time. Better yet, only one powder present (out of its storage area) while loading. Not a bad idea with bullets too. Loading a heavy bullet of the same design over a powder load for a much smaller bullet can cause all kinds of consternation, not to mention the potential for damage.

mjbskwim · Jun 17, 2012

The bad part would be the squib.The good part would be the loads behind it won't blow you gun up?

Varmit · Jun 18, 2012

Hand-loading should be done with a complete "closed operational loop" much like a surgery in an operating room. From start to finish, the loader should not leave his station unsupervised with any components sitting out (open or closed). I have heard stories of powders getting spilled and arbitrarily shoveled back into primed cases etc. while the loader left everything sitting because of an interruption. I always put everything back in a locked cabinet before stopping to eat dinner, go to the store, etc. May be anal, but I have all my body parts. And my kids do also...

Trailboss · Jun 18, 2012

Open cans of powder make a great dessicant, one time use only though. :s0114:

RVTECH · Jun 18, 2012

only one powder present (out of its storage area) while loading.

Probably one of the best pieces of advice for reloading - for a variety of reasons. Another (and not entirely powder related) is never shoot someone else's reloads unless you trust them and their abilities completely. I was recently given a bag of older 30-30 reloads and just looking at them told me the reloader was a novice or not very careful. I pulled them all. I think I may have pulled some mixed in factory loads as some of the primer pockets were shiny clean but better safe than sorry.

mjbskwim · Jun 18, 2012

Varmit said:
Hand-loading should be done with a complete "closed operational loop" much like a surgery in an operating room. From start to finish, the loader should not leave his station unsupervised with any components sitting out (open or closed). I have heard stories of powders getting spilled and arbitrarily shoveled back into primed cases etc. while the loader left everything sitting because of an interruption. I always put everything back in a locked cabinet before stopping to eat dinner, go to the store, etc. May be anal, but I have all my body parts. And my kids do also...

When I started reloading,a guy told me to only load what my attention span could handle.
Think about it.Great advise,really.
So I don't answer the phone,get a drink of anything,tell the dog to go away (kicks work at this point) or talk to anyone.
This is easy for a guy with now kids or Gkids to come bother him.

Kevatc · Jun 18, 2012

You guys don't drink beer, text with your phone, and surf the net while you reload? Weirdos.

deadshot2 · Jun 19, 2012

Kevatc said:
You guys don't drink beer, text with your phone, and surf the net while you reload? Weirdos.

Don't drink beer at all (prefer excellent single malt), refuse to text with a phone ever, and the only time I'm on the net is when I'm "visiting" with guys like those here. I find those who can't function without a "Smart Phone" in their hand rather irritating. They walk into people in the stores or wander all over the road. Who the heck labeled these phones "Smart"?

I go a little farther with my caution than many do. I never "load a block" of cases. Rather than dropping powder charges in a whole loading block, and having all those powder loads exposed to the possibility of additional powder spilling in them for whatever the reason, I add powder to a prepped and primed case then seat a bullet on it before moving to the next. I use a Chargemaster so every charge for my bolt action rifles is measured, weighed, poured, and "capped" before moving to the next. Exception to that of course is when I'm figuratively smoking along with my progressive. Then, if I'm interrupted for something like a nature call, I cover the exposed powder charges in station 3 on my Dillon (the powder check station) with a plastic cap (it's a protective plastic cap from an end mill that just happened to be bright orange. When I return with a much gladder bladder I remove it and resume the fun.

Kevatc · Jun 19, 2012

deadshot2 said:
Don't drink beer at all (prefer excellent single malt), refuse to text with a phone ever, and the only time I'm on the net is when I'm "visiting" with guys like those here. I find those who can't function without a "Smart Phone" in their hand rather irritating. They walk into people in the stores or wander all over the road. Who the heck labeled these phones "Smart"?

I go a little farther with my caution than many do. I never "load a block" of cases. Rather than dropping powder charges in a whole loading block, and having all those powder loads exposed to the possibility of additional powder spilling in them for whatever the reason, I add powder to a prepped and primed case then seat a bullet on it before moving to the next. I use a Chargemaster so every charge for my bolt action rifles is measured, weighed, poured, and "capped" before moving to the next. Exception to that of course is when I'm figuratively smoking along with my progressive. Then, if I'm interrupted for something like a nature call, I cover the exposed powder charges in station 3 on my Dillon (the powder check station) with a plastic cap (it's a protective plastic cap from an end mill that just happened to be bright orange. When I return with a much gladder bladder I remove it and resume the fun.

Agreed on the smart pone thing. My wife is one of those folks who nearly goes into a full fledged panic attack if she can't find. Swear to God she likes her phone more than me.

As to the rest .... you do realize my comment was tongue in cheek right?

jonn5335 · Jun 21, 2012

Kevatc said:
You guys don't drink beer, text with your phone, and surf the net while you reload? Weirdos.

Call me crazy but I'm actually partial to cheap whiskey especially while loading I don't want to remember the hour I wasted sitting at the bench while I'm driving down the road to go shooting :s0005:

Lurkus Maximus · Jun 21, 2012

I keep one of those little bags of dessicant in mine. Overkill I'm sure but they come in all kinds of packages and hey, why not reuse 'em?

Gunner3456 · Jun 23, 2012

I save every desiccant pack I find. They can be dried out by placing on a clean cookie sheet in a 200 degree oven for about 20 minutes. When they lose about 25% of their weight per my reloading scale, they are dry and ready for a tight zip lock bag. I drop a few into my opened 4 or 8 pound powder containers after they are opened. I tie them into a coffee filter with a long string so they are easy to retrieve.