so here's the ? i recently built a new shed its 16x24 its built off the ground with a framed/plywood floor. i have it walled in on the inside but not insulated. i have all my reloading equipment setup out there but i have been storing my components powder/primers inside the house. ive been keeping an eye on things and have seen zero signs of moisture. so i would like to keep all my stuff out there with my equipment how many of yall are in this situation and where do you store your stuff. it would seem that i would have a greater chance of developing moisture issues bringing the stuff back and forth from a cold/heated house to the opposite outside

Powder and primers are always best when stored cool and dry. Excess heat is their enemy. That's why I store my components in a 65 degree cellar that doesn't vary by more than + or - 5 degrees.

If the tops are snuggly on the powder containers, that should take care of the moisture. If you have room, an old, non-working refridgerator makes a good powder storage locker. Put a chain around it so's the door can only open say 3" and it's child proof. You want the door to be able to open so in case of fire, the door will open and your powder burn rather than blowing up.

As wasbee says, the containers themselves will protect from humidity well enough.

Low temps, or changeing temps, means nothing. Actually, low temps retard all chemical deterioation. HIGH temps accelerate deteriostion so I try to limit that to no more heat than I can comfortably work in.

I still have a little of Hodgdon's original H-4831 (WW2 surplus) powder that still works fine.

You're in Louisiana. That presents problems right there. Here's what I would do. Buy some desiccant and sew maybe half an ounce of it up into little packets made of used dryer sheets. Put the packets into your opened cans of powder.
Better yet, just order these...

http://www.thewaterproofstore.com/desiccant.html

Better still, make your own and save some money...

http://www.alpharubicon.com/pr...esiccantpacksgvi.htm

+1 for using an old refrigerator. Throw in a couple of desiccant pouches and you are good to go.

so with a desicant pack in each opened can i should be fine storing them outside. the normal outside temps wont bother the powder? im searching for a fridgerator now if i can find one i will go that route.

An AR member a lot smarter than me made this suggestion. You put rice in your salt shaker to keep it dry and flowing. Why not your gun locker? And so I have a knee high stocking with a couple of pounds of rice in it laying in the bottom of my gun safes.

Why can't you do the same thing with a powder locker?

Living in Missouri, having moved from the desert of Wyoming and Montana, I found myself nearly overcome by humidity.

I built a small reloading room in my garage and insulated it. A small electric heater keeps it toasty in the winter. I imagine a small air conditioner will be installed come summer heat.

I find the room keeps itself about as dry as the house but I use two small rechargeable dehumidifiers. These are only about $20, they have a humidity indicator window on the front and you plug them in to recharge them.

The room is 8' high and 6' x 10' and these two with the heater keep the place very low humidity. I imagine the a/c will do the same as the heater for keeping the humidity down.

im not as worried about the humidity i think the building stays plenty dry and i have a couple plans to help help that also the main concern is heat. it gets fairly warm here and i wonder if that will affect it the powder/primers any.

quote:

Originally posted by sksshooter:
...searching for a refrigerator now. If I can find one, I will go that route.

craigslist or a second-hand appliance store...

Heat is your enemy. Primers will last a very very long time if kept cool and relatively dry. The powder, the same.

An old fridge is a good storage locker but it will work like an oven if the room gets too hot. A small a/c unit will do the trick.

I put mine (while still in the container) in Ziploc bags. May not help but I do it… My room is climate
controlled so maybe it is over kill… like so many things “T”