A family member lives in Eastern PA and has to temporarily move his primers and powder out of the house. He's thinking of a storage unit that is sheltered, but unheated. He asked me if they would be OK, but I don't know for sure. No freezing temps where I live and heat is more of a problem for components. I've got some 20+ year old powder that still works fine. Also some primers over 30 years old. The Remington and Federal ones work fine and look pristine. Some Winchester ones discolored but seem to work ok. My storage temps vary from 30-80F. Any with experience of storing in freezing temps? What do you think?
Freezing temps and primers & powder
- Thread starter feffer
- Start date
GeneT
Active member
I've had primers and powder exposed to multiple winters and below freezing temps in Oregon. Not as severe as PA, but it did no harm at all.
GsT
OK, thx...pretty much what I thought. Some other friends suggested moisture and high heat are problems, but cold not so much.
MilGunsmith
Member
At least put it into GI ammo cans before storing. That will help with the moisture problems. It will also keep the mice from chewing up any cardboard containers.
putting PRIMERS in a gi ammo can is creating a bomb if there is a fire..
primers are an EXPLOSIVE, powder is not..just a flamable.
original packaging in 1" wood storage...ammo cans are for ammo
MilGunsmith
Member
We get primers here at work in ammo cans. They are the same primers that are in loaded ammo stored in the ammo cans. We also get other munitions, rated 1.1thru 1.4 in ammo cans, like 40mm HE rounds for the MK19.
does not make it correct nor right.
in the reloading component line( out side of black powder) ONLY PRIMERS are an EXPLOSIVE.
AMMO is not,( ammo detonated outside a chamber is pretty harmless. and ammo can will contain it. powder just burn tho hot and fast, when not in a metal container, it is just a flammable. bullets are pretty inert..common stuf, not mil specialty stuff.
whoever is shipping your primers is not following industry not federal regulations on primers.
as a side note the government quietly changed the classification of modern smokeless powder to EXPLOSIVE instead of its true FLAMMABE. one more quiet step in controlling its movement to the consumer..ie gun owner
MilGunsmith
Member
As I work for a DOD test facility, I would think that they are following the proper procedures for storage and shipping of munitions.
yep you would think so,
BUT the fact they are shipping primers in a sealed metal contains proves they are not.
check the industry and then delve into actual shipping regs for primers..its deep.
start with just asking your source, unless you are worried about losing a source.
Primers are packed to prevent mass detonation.
The temperature inside an ammo can will be pretty far from uniform in a fire.
There should be no real chance of a mass detonation.
sorry but that is pure bs
i had several ammo cans in a fire..all with ammo inside.
the can did as designed, not a single bullet made it out of the can. the cans were quite distorted from the ammo going off and the heat.
i had several ammo cans in a fire..all with ammo inside.
the can did as designed, not a single bullet made it out of the can. the cans were quite distorted from the ammo going off and the heat.
Plastic coolers would be a good idea for storage shed storage. The biggest problem with storage in uncontrolled cold temperatures is condensation. If the temperature changes slowly there is no problem, it is when the primers or anything is cold and there is a rapid temperature increase, condensation is likely. It's much like taking an object out of the refrigerator and it sweats.
the good news it does not ruin primers, open the container to the traays and let them dry....then load and shoot...i had 5k get wet once...all went bang when loaded dry
GeneT
Active member
Quite a few years ago I experimented with destroying primers. Nothing short of detonating them worked. It was then that I stopped worrying about the skin oil on my fingers hampering a primer that I had handled...
GsT