I have several thousand primers stored in vaccuum-sealed freezer bags; they've been sealed since Christmas 2002. I've had them stored outside because they form a cube about 12" on a side; I thought it would be a good idea to keep them cool. My question is: will long-term storage of primers in a zero-psi environment damage them in any way?

It shouldn't...

When you thaw them out and shoot them, you'll probably know more about that than the rest of us. Let us know.

I worry about CONDENSATION and all the temp changes. I live in a pretty dry climate and I've stored primers in their original boxes for YEARS with no problem. You might outsmart yourself trying to be too protective of these things. Beware.

Good point, Pecos. Now that I think about it, I don't think condensation would be a factor because they are sealed in those heavy seal-a-meal bags, which my sister (who uses them wholesale) says are quite good for long-term storage of meat, etc. in the freezer. She has sealed stuff for a year or more; we thaw it, open it, grill it and it tastes just fine.

rootbeer, it's not the moisture getting to the primers when they are stored. I believe what Pecos45 is referring to is when you pull them out of the freezer, and open the bag for use.

The temperature difference will be the factor, unless you leave the bag unopened util the inner contents reach room temperature. If you open the bag just out of the freezer, every primer will accumulate condensation. That may become a factor.

Good luck & good shooting,

HBL

Rootbeer---let me read between the lines of your post and try to understand. I assume that you have the primers stored in their original containers and in vacumn sealed freezer bags?? I do not assume that you stored them in the freezer?? If they are stored in a freezer let me propose this..Regardless of the vacumn pack primers do contain (albeit small) mositure through humidity. Freezing tends to expand anything that is frozen. I believe that freezing
them would have a detrimental effect on them and cause the priming pellet to expand until it cracked. Regardless, say absolutely no humidity
when stored, I think it would still damage the primer.. Of course this is only my opinion.

I had a thousand or so primers in a tool box (kennedy kit) in a pole shed (unheated) in southern minnesota for a little over twenty years.

They went through severe cold, hot summers, humidity and every one worked.