Where to store powder?

[kbuc]

Where does everyone store their powder?
I was thinking of my garage, but it does get some temperature variations. Does it matter if it is in a sealed container?

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[Grizzly_A]

If it's sealed I've heard the freezer is a good place.

I keep it in the basement where it's dry, cool and dark. I've heard that sunlight will also accelerate the breakdown of powder.

 

[Bend]

I store mine in a wooden, lockable footlocker in a cool, dry place.

 

[jimwsea]

I usually add a desiccant pack.

 

[pythonwill]

How do you know when its gone bad and what will bad powder do if used???

 

[SVT]

Try to keep it out of the garage or out of the shed/attic. You want to avoid extreme temps as well as areas that you will get condensation. I've seen many powder containers eaten away with rust over the years that were left out in the garage. Some of the powder smelt good, but I wouldn't trust it with rust flakes (you don't want to shoot rust through your bore). Open up your powder and smell it, you will know when it's bad (it's putrid). I doubt you would ever load bad powder, but in the off chance that you did, it would be very easy to image you getting a squib load.

 

[Grizzly_A]

When the powder is bad it will smell bad as well as the powder starts to break down. You'll see the color change from black and shiny to dull and tan. Depending on the storage container you'll see rust powder mixed in with it also.

At that point I'd use it in a cannon, but not through my gun.

 

[coctailer]

Where does everyone store their powder?

I store mine in tiny brass cans with little lead lids.








Sorry, couldn't resist

 

[aquariumjunky]

So when someone asks how many cans of powder you simply tell them thousands?

 

[reloadem]

I put all my reloading equipment in the attic in 1991, and there it stayed until early 2008. I built a loading bench and set up in the garage, brought down all the reloading equipment, including 1 can each of bullseye, unique, 2400, 748, 4064, 4895, and 2 cans 4350. Several thousand primers too. Only one can of powder went bad, one of the 4350 cans had red dust when poured into the powder measure, and it wouldn't flow through the measure. I used the bullseye, unique, 4064, the good can of 4350, and most of the primers, all were good.

When I buy powder, even if it's 8 or 10lbs at a time, I buy 1 pound containers, buying in small containers ensures the powder I am not using stays sealed and uncontaminated by moisture.

 

[jordanvraptor]

In London, under the House of Parliament...

 

[kbuc]

Thanks for the info,
I was wondering about the temp changes. I think I'll store it indoors somewhere safe.