Ammo/Reloading Supplies Storage

[cory]

The questions comes up on here from time to time: "How much ammo/reloading supplies should I have on hand?"

Once you have a sufficient supply stocked up, how should you protect them from the environments? Here in the Southeast the environment is always a concern for materials.

I store my ammo, primers, & powder in ammo cans, I don't mix the three. My ammo is in the gun safe, but I don't but the primers and powder in there, as I don't want to create a bomb in the instance of a fire. I place a Dry-Pack 10gm Cotton Silica Gel Packet in each of my ammo cans.

My bullets stay in the original boxing, until I'm ready to load them.

Is this all sufficient storage?
Is there anything I'm not doing that I need too?

[Drifter]

Technically, there are some requirements for powder and primers stored in residences. Max is 50 lbs of powder and 10k primers. It appears that more than 20 lbs of powder requires specific storage.

SAAMI regarding smokeless powder:

http://www.saami.org/specifications_and_information/publications/download/SAAMI_ITEM_200-Smokeless_Powder.pdf

...and primers:

http://www.saami.org/specifications_and_information/publications/download/SAAMI_ITEM_201-Primers.pdf

Not sure that the regulations are strictly enforced at this time, but as we've seen in 2013, the "climate" can change in a hurry. Don't think it would be wise to publicly disclose information if you have in excess of the specified amounts. And not sure how insurance claims might be handled if it's determined after-the-fact that violations existed. Just something to think about...

[cory]

Huh, so according to SAAMI, storing powder and primers in a ammo can is a bad idea. It's hard to believe that a ammo can approved by the military for storage and transportation of 81mm mortars, wouldn't be suited for powder and primer storage. I've been assuming that military ammo cans are leak before burst, but I could be wrong. I'll see if I can't find a mil spec on them.

Thanks for the links Drifter, there's a lot of good info there.

[12-99]

Primers are very powerful, even more so when next to several hundred or thousand others. Putting them into a metal can is essentially creating a bomb if they were to go off. Primers can get wet and still function as long as they are dried out.

I keep everything in it's original container in a cool dark place (my basement) and have never had any problems in 10 years. The guys I know that have been loading for 50+ years have done nothing out of the ordinary to store components and don't have issues even with 20+ year old components.

[cory]

12-99 what area of the country do you live in?

[12-99]

12-99 what area of the country do you live in?

Pacific Northwest so we get a fair amount of rain / moisture. Just make sure the lids to your powder jugs are on snug and don't stress the rest. The chance of primers going off in an ammo can is probably very low, but if my house is burning and firefighters are trying to put them out, I don't want to put them at any additional risk of flying shrapnel from ammo cans.

[Whelenon]

From personal experience I agree with 12-99. I've got primers and powder that are thirty plus years old that I have no problems with, just recently loaded up some 308s with this stock and no failures. Stored in my basement on open shelves, a cool dry environment but also very important is a consistent environment. Now if they were stored in an unheated garage during Wisconsin winters I'm sure it would be a different story.

Thanks Drifter for the links to SAAMI on this subject, will give it a read.

[Bwild97]

A very interesting video produced in collaboration with SAAMI, this will make everyone's stomach turn.

[A.D.D. AR]

Bwild- jeez! now we know why there is an ammo shortage. These guys just made some "expensive popcorn". Also, now we know where "blems" come from.
Kidding aside, that was a cool video- answered some "what ifs". Thanks for posting.
-mike