I am sure this has been asked many times before but I can't find anything useful. I reload for everything I shoot: pistols, rifles, skeet guns, so I have a LOT of different powders. I live in Florida so I am afraid to store them in the garage due to the high humidity. I currently store them in the house but am very afraid of fires. What to do? I could store some of the cans/bottles in a gun safe (and in fact do this with the less frequently used powders), but don't have room for all of them.
Suggestions? What have I missed?
Peter.

Three things I always keep in mind when storing powder, cool, dry, and out of direct sunlight. I know it gets hot and humid in FL, but as long as you store the powders in sealed containers they'll be fine in your garage.

I store my powder in my little shop in their original containers.
I try to keep the temperature as constant as I can with a small air conditioner and in winter a small heater.
For the last 12 years I have been staying about 75 degrees,unless I am working there then it does get a little cooler.

Powder doesn't slef combust so as long as you store it away from flames, it's safer in the house than some cleaning fluids. If you wantto store it in the garage, get a cheap ice chest & drop a desicant pack in with the powder & leave the lid shut.

Fred my concern about smokleless powder is that it is an accellerant and even a small fire will become a major firestorm very quickly generating a lot of heat. The ice chest idea is interesting but I would use it in the house probably. The powder inside would be protected for quite some time before any spark or flame penetrated the chest. I like the box idea because it is not made of cardboard or wood but a rather inert material. Any other ideas for boxes?
Peter.

I would be concerned about the heat (and humidity) degrading the powder.

Have you considered getting a chest freezer and keeping it in the garage? Freezing the powder wouldn't affect it in the least. Chest freezers are inexpensive and come in all sizes.

quote:

Originally posted by fredj338:
If you want to store it in the garage, get a cheap ice chest & drop a desicant pack in with the powder & leave the lid shut.

I agree with this 100%. I store some powder in an ice chest in and storage shed that can get to near 100 degrees during the summer. Even during a hot spell the temp in the chest does not get much above 70 degrees.

Another great option is an old refrigerator or chest freezer. It does not need to be plugged in and running and it will still do a fair job regulating temp. But the best thing about a chest freezer or refrigerator is that it would be a great defense(short term) against fire.

With respect to powder storage and the danger of fire, keep in mind that smokeless powder does not "explode" (unless it is tightly contained) it burns. SO--any storage "locker" needs to have a lid (or door) that will pop open from any pressure generated by burning powder to release pressure and minimize the danger. If you have powder stored in an old fridge or freezer and the fire gets it hot enough to set the powder on fire you are WAY past the point of worrying about increased burn--all that is going to happen is the fire will get a bit hotter, there is no danger of an "explosion". Powder stored in a tightly contained container is a whole other ball game.

Not to be a smart ass, but if I had a full on house or garage fire goin' down, the last thing I'd be worrying about was whether or not my powder was going to burn or (doubtfully) explode.

quote:

Originally posted by Kevin Rohrer:
I would be concerned about the heat (and humidity) degrading the powder.

Have you considered getting a chest freezer and keeping it in the garage? Freezing the powder wouldn't affect it in the least. Chest freezers are inexpensive and come in all sizes.

I would NOT freeze the powder. What do you think is going to happen the first time you take it out of the freezer? It is going to start sweating and produce condensation, especially in Florida with the heat and humidity.

IMHO, this is a very bad recommendation.

I had a wood working buddy build me a powder storage box. A two foot high by two foot wide by three foot in length 3/4 inch plywood box lined with a double layer of sheet rock and a hinged lid built the same. We put it on casters so that it will roll around on my concrete basement floor, it is quite heavy of it's own weight. I don't lock the lid so that it can lift if it needs to. My basement is heated and cooled and I run a dehumidifier in the hot months. This will hold approx 200 pounds of powder and it has worked for me for several years. Good shooting.

quote:

Originally posted by graybird:
I would NOT freeze the powder. What do you think is going to happen the first time you take it out of the freezer? It is going to start sweating and produce condensation, especially in Florida with the heat and humidity.

IMHO, this is a very bad recommendation.

Are you saying that even though the powder is stored in an airtight container, when it is exposed to air during the reloading process, the powder will attract moisture as it warms up?

I have some HP38 I don't want; I will try this as an experiment. What should I look for on the powder as it warms up?

quote:

Originally posted by Kevin Rohrer:

quote:

Originally posted by graybird:
I would NOT freeze the powder. What do you think is going to happen the first time you take it out of the freezer? It is going to start sweating and produce condensation, especially in Florida with the heat and humidity.

IMHO, this is a very bad recommendation.

Are you saying that even though the powder is stored in an airtight container, when it is exposed to air during the reloading process, the powder will attract moisture as it warms up?

I have some HP38 I don't want; I will try this as an experiment. What should I look for on the powder as it warms up?

Yeah, that is what I'm saying. It might not hurt the powder left in the container, if put back in the freezer quickly, but what about the powder you're going to use for reloading. I liken it to what happens when you pull a cold drink out of the fridge. It'll start to produce condensation when warming up. It may not do it in your drop tube, but it could still happen inside the brass before/after the bullet is seated.

Who knows, it may not happen? But, I would do as you're going to do and make a little trial run. It just sounds like a bad idea, IMHO.

Let us know how things turn out.

craigster, my concern is that it may not start as a "full on house fire" but once it reached the powder it sure as hell would be!
Peter.

Get a cheap, used refridgerater and put it in the garage. If you're worried about heat, get a working refridgerater and set it on the lowest setting. Put a chain with a lock around it with enough slack that the door can open 2 or 3 inches so it can vent in case of a fire. The chain will keep kids and nosy people out of it and make it legal with BATF. Put a sock full of rice or a commerial air drier inside and you're good to go.
As posted, if the powder is in a sealed container, the outside humidity has no effect on it.

quote:

Originally posted by Kevin Rohrer:
I would be concerned about the heat (and humidity) degrading the powder.

Have you considered getting a chest freezer and keeping it in the garage? Freezing the powder wouldn't affect it in the least. Chest freezers are inexpensive and come in all sizes.

Freezing the powder is actually NOT a good idea. Besides moisture that can accumulate inside as it thaws & refreezes, there could be some drying out of the powder as it sits in the freezer. Same idea behind NOT freezing coffee. No, cool & dry is your best bet.

When I said "lowest setting", I meant the warmest temp. Something in the 40-70 degree range.