I just recently inherited a mess of reloading equipment for both rifle and shotgun. I am an avid hunter and target shooter but have never been able to do handloads because I did not have the equipment. I have some questions I am hoping someone can answer for me.

Do powder, primers, etc. have an expiration date? I have cans and cans of powders, most of which look fairly new. The same with the primers. Just not sure if I should throw it and start all over again.

My fiancee is very worried about the prospect of storing containers of powder in the house. The research I have done says they are safer to store than gasoline and paint thinners, that doesn't seem to help though. Anybody have any facts, good or bad, about storing powders. For myself, what would happen if there was a fire when I wasn't home. Would the house blow sky-high? I know powder burns in a cartridge at a high speed. What does that equate to in a house fire? A mushroom cloud?

I have been reading everything I can get my hands on regarding reloading. Any books that are indispensable in the reloading arena? I have been reading the entire Hornady Reloading Handbook Series so far.

I have not started reloading yet, just trying to assess what I have and don't have. I have thousands of empty cases of .270, .338, .257 Improved, and many more just waiting to be used. But a lot were my Grandpa's and I don't know how to tell how many times they have been fired. The way I understand it, even with full length resizing dies and case trimmers, a case can only be fired so many times before it becomes dangerous to use. Should I throw all the cases I can't attest to the amount of times they have been fired.

All input is appreciated.

Coopduck,

Welcome to the forums here! You will find an incredible amount of knowledge here by doing what you did- simply asking.

Ok I'll start first.... No you won't blow anything up by having a bunch of powder in your house when it burns down. Try this one- if you have a very old or unmarked can of powder pour a tablespoon of it out and light it. It will pretty much just burn brightly. With smokeless powder the burning rate is a function of the pressure it is exposed to, no pressure to speak of and no quick burn rate either. Also, unless you see water damage or know the cans were stored in a very hot place the powder will be good to use, though I wouldn't use it in a target match that had a large cash prize.

The cases are most likely OK too, but for now I'll let someone else give you some hints on how to inspect those.

http://stevespages.com/table3.html

will answer most of your questions...

Gunpowder doesn't explode like dynamite, it just burns fast. Primers are more of a worry but not dangerous if you remember to treat them with the proper respect. They are powerful devices. ALWAYS remember to keep them in their factory packaging. NEVER store them in bulk, expecially in a glass jar.

My suggestion about all those cases? Do a thorough inspection. If they pass muster try a starting load from your Hornady book. Don't try using your grandpa's load data until you compare it with another recognized source. It's better to be safe than sorry. Work up in the recommended increments. Once you get closer to the maximum powder charge only use new or once fired cases. Work-hardened cases from many reloadings will mask those signs of high pressure we are always on the lookout for. Good luck and good shooting.

Take a look at the primers that you inherited. They are probably silver colored. Take a look at the fired cases you inherited. If you find a batch of one caliber stored together or in the same packaging with copper colored primers, they are probably, but not certainly, once fired cases and prime for reloading. If you find a batch with some copper and some nickled primers, you should be wary of Grandpa's loading practices. To be fair to Grandpa, such a batch may be unsorted range pickups or his culls, but I would not use them.

Decomposing powder has a very strong acid reek. It also may break into a red dust. Run into either of those symptoms and you should dump the powder. It's rare. I've run into it once in 40 odd years of reloading and hundreds of pounds of powder.

There is no arguing with women. Your best shot is a private loading space. A garden shed works fine. A corner of a garage where paint and gas are stored is OK for domestic harmony if not for safety. You might also get away with storing the bulk of your powder elsewhere and only having four or five cans at home.

Don't bet on it though. Chances are this is less about real safety concerns than a handy excuse to rag on your ass. Better you find that out now while you can still get out.

Hello Coopduck
About your powder, I'd be more concerned about spray cans of paint, wd40, or any compressed cans of household cleaners than I would of your powder blowing up in a fire. As for the primers, they wouldn't be any more dangerous than loaded amo in a fire. If amo goes off in a fire, (as long as it isn't in the gun,)it is the brass that becomes dangerous because it is lighter than the lead. Therefore brass schrapnell is the part flying but I'm told not with enough velocity to kill anyone. I've asked quite a few people this because I'm a volunteer firefighter here and I know what's in MY house and I'd be concerned entering it if it was on fire and I had to respond to it. If kept in there original containers all your components are safe.

If anyone has any information that contradicts my information PLEASE correct me.
Mike

PS enjoy your new hobby.

When I was a boy scout, (shortly after they invented dirt)I watched a demo by either a policeman or game warden where he put a rifle shell on a hot plate and covered it with a cardboard box. As I remember it, the bullet barely moved. The case ruptured down one side and thumped against the box but left no mark on the inside of the box.

Mike, you are right enough about the safety of powder in normal reloader quantities. A dozen or so one pound cans in a fire will just make a bigger fire.

However, I know of two fatalities and one near fatality from gunstore fires involving large amounts of powder. The damage was done by flash burns. Both fires were started by people doing really stupid things. When fifty pounds or more of powder burns more or less all at once, you get a really big fireball too fast to get out of the way of.

I keep a rather large inventory of powder for my reloading, but I spread it out. Some stays in the shop, some in the basement, and some on the loading bench. There may be a better solution, but that's the one I came up with.

Might I recomend starting at the beginning. Get a good reloading book,preferably several. I'm not overly fond of the load data in their book but I think Lyman does a very good job of explaining the process to a beginner. Most reloading manuals do a good job of addressing storage. I agree as stated above Smokeless powder is less volitile to store than liquids,like lawnmower gas.The big exception being black powder whitch is explosive in and of itself, that would include pyrodex ,safer than black,but still much more sensitive than smokeless. It's a great hobby, more like an affliction--Your gonna love it!---Shoot Safe---montdoug

Thanks for the help. I'm sure you will be hearing many more dumb questions from me in the near future.

1st, the fiancee, I have a room set asisde as shop and loading, we have an unspoken arrangement, she stays out of my shop and I keep shop stuff out of the rest of the house. (with the exception of my safe as nobody wants to bother trying to move it out of the guest room).

Powder. I keep mine in an old cabinet designed for the old film that was sensitive to sunlight, thing weighs a ton. Look for an old Steelcase file cabinet, preferably the ones used in Libraries with about 10 of the little drawers (the drawers are half the height of a regular file cabinet). Schools throw them out sometimes. I have one of those I store other loading components in, that thing weighs a ton too, really is steel. I don't worry at all about the stuff in there catching fire or going off and causing me any damage.

I am picky on cases, won't use somebody else off the range, and thoroughly clean and inspect mine. Threw one away the other day that was only fired 2 times cause it had a deep scratch in the neck and didn't want to take a chance on it splitting. If you get them good and clean you should be able to see any flaws.

Red

Make sure that none of the powder is Black Powder, because the storage rules are different. You will know it because it will have designations such as Fg FFg FFFg FFFFg. This is safe to store, but can be set off by electricity, heat or concussion. Also, the DOT approved storage containers are different.

Unlike smokeless powder, black powder has one burn rate, and is also considered an initiating explosive.

That being said, I have seven or eight pounds on hand always, and I haven't had a problem in the 20+ years I have been shooting smoke poles