Powder Storage

C

chillippr

Guest
I believe many, if not most, community ordinances covering fire protection/fire prevention require conformance to the codes of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) as a matter of countrywide compatibility. NFPA 495, Chapter 9 has requirements for the storage of smokeless powder in residences and commercial establishments. As I read it, there is no way to store more than 50 pounds of smokeless powder in a residence without violating the code. In the unfortunate event of a fire, property insurance coverage (which all reference community ordnance/code compliance) may go out the window or become a matter of litigation. Costs of fighting the fire and liability for ancillary property and casualty costs also may be assessed the owner whose liability insurance may also be in question.
Bottom line – am I missing something or do those of you storing quantities of powder greater than 50 pounds (many well over) in your residences assume the risk and hope for the best?
 
I just wouldn't try and claim it on the contents. There are a lot of things....in a lot small quanities that are more dangerous than smokeless powder. I would however recommend two things.

1. Do not store over the legal amount of Blackpower or equivalents in a house. The boom may draw attention during the fire.

2. Never...ever...store any kind of powder in a container/safe/etc. that can cause pressure to rise.

I once went to a friends house who had recently bought another gun safe and when he opened it, he said he even had enough room in it to store his powder and primers. You should have seen him turn white and quickly unload his safe when I told him what would happen. His wife even worked at a military base making bombs and explosives. She heard the conversation and said " that's nice...and it's in the basement directly under our bed". I just told them that it would have been an easy trip to the moon.

Hovis

Hovis
 
I doubt that a fire deparment and/or an insurance investigator would miss the effects of over 50 pounds of smokeless powder having burned - claim or not.
 
I've seen hundreds of pounds burn...really isn't noticable between 10lb and 100lb as it burns up and not down. Just the powder closest to the contact with shelf or floor, etc. leaves a mark. If you want to verify this. Build a wood box...oh..12" x 12". Take a couple of coke cans or tupperware, etc and cut the ends out. Place in bottom of box, put a couple of ounces in it and light it "safely" with cannon cord or long grill lighter "do not be looking straight down. Then in another area of box....do the same thing with about 10 times the powder. Burn on wood will look the same. We used to do this in Demo classes to show the burn and then we would light blackpowder "from a safe distance" to show the difference.

Hovis
 
Chppr........;

Just build yourself a small wooden building in your backyard that is entirely of 2" wood to give the required "burn time" & your concerns are no more, right???? Why belabor the point??
 
Thou doth protest too much, methinks - to paraphrase Hamlet's mother.
 
I had a fire inspection. I used an old refrigerator (of course with a magnetic door) and the inspector was happy.
 
kgcoker said:
I had a fire inspection. I used an old refrigerator (of course with a magnetic door) and the inspector was happy.
Click to expand...

You just have a 200 lb bomb waiting for a fuse. There are goverment guidelines on storage cabinets for powder. I would highly advise you to check them out.

Now if the door of it is facing a safe direction, it might not be to bad if it goes off.

Hovis
 
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