Black powder storage

Just wondering how you guys store your black powder.?

Well, as a former Marine and the son of a career soldier I’m probably Mr. Overkill on this question but I store mine in a climate controlled shop, in a wooden box that lives in a large wooden chest. I’ve usually got 30 lbs or so so I take extra care.

My black powder is stored in original factory cans. The cans are placed in two ice coolers. A smaller one, which holds the powder, and then it is place in another larger cooler. Both coolers have the lids closed, but not latched. No bombs please! Check your local laws........The red quote is from Omaha NE fire Marshal
According to the Fire Code, black powder for personal use in quantities not exceeding 20 pounds shall be stored in the original containers in residential occupancies. Mine is in the garage under a table.
Flintlocklar

I keep mine in the original container in 50 cal ammo cans in the house in the section of our spare room that I use for my gun & fishing equipment. I do the same with modern powder. It seems to keep well. But I like the cooler idea mentioned.

In the drink refrigerator in the garage. A fireman once told me they sometimes grab a cold coke from a refrigerator after the fire was out, so that seemed like a good place to keep my powder. The garage is locked.

I store my powder on a high shelf in my man cave in the basement, cool and dry.

Bob McBride said:

Well, as a former Marine and the son of a career soldier I’m probably Mr. Overkill on this question but I store mine in a climate controlled shop, in a wooden box that lives in a large wooden chest. I’ve usually got 30 lbs or so so I take extra care.

Click to expand...

Same her, as I served as ammo specialist for 20 years I keep powder in a homemade powder magazine.

Has anyone ever used the search function ?

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/search/185795/?q=Black+powder+storage&o=relevance

Desipte Cabon 6,s negativity, I still would be interested in y,alls storage solutions. Would it keep ok in an unheated/unairconditioned garage as long as the seal hadnt,t been broken? I get the Graphs brand powder and there is no paper seal.

"Desipte Cabon 6,s negativity".

It's not really negativity, question is asked almost monthly along with chain fires.


From front of Swiss bottle:

Read precautions on back of bottle

From the back of Swiss powder bottle:

1. Store in original packaging.
2. Do not store with other combustible materials.
3. Store product within local, state and federal laws.
4. Store in a cool dry place with lid tightly closed.

From front of Goex bottle:

Read all warnings before using

From the back of Goex powder bottle:

1. Store in legal quantities, in orgnal containers
2. Store in compliance with federal, state and local
laws
3. Store in cool, dry space away from combustibles
4. Dispose of in compliance with applicable laws

Sparkyspark said:

Desipte Cabon 6,s negativity,

Click to expand...

I was trying to be helpful.

I lived in Vegas for years and kept my powder in the garage most the time without problems. Keep it sealed good( I had some in a powder horn). Keep it near or on the floor. Big difference in temperature between the floor and up high on a shelf. Some time of container or locker that is closed also helps keep the temp steady.

I used to work in ammunition stockpile management in the Army. The key is to keep explosives segregated and distanced from each other to avoid sympathetic detonation if any part of it goes off. I keep my powder in a wooden crate (coffin-sized) that I built for the purpose (I also plan to add a layer of drywall all around for temporary protection from house fire. My two 1# containers of BP live at opposite ends of the crate, with barriers of smokeless powder (incendiaries, non-explosive) between them. It would be better to have something inert as a barrier, but that's what I have now. If you have a large amount, I would seriously advise against keeping all your powder in one place. Space it out. Separate crates is best.

I store mine in 5 inch cast iron balls. Usually I put in a length of cannon fuse to use as a handle

Storing in ammo cans makes for great bombs.

Learn your local laws and follow them. Should you have a "mishap," any civil or criminal liability is all on you if you don't. At the very least, your insurance can deny your claim.

My BP is in stored a couple of different ways. Most of it is still in the Goex containers, which themselves are in an ammo storage box. While I appreciate JB67's comment that it could turn into a "bomb," I like that these containers have a rubber, water (humidity) seal on top, and feel that the risk:benefit is balanced. I also have smaller amounts of powder left in a horn or a flask that's in a shooting bag. All of this is in my unheated garage. Now that I think about this more, I'll move those ammo cans into my gun safe. It has a pretty good fire rating, which should help with the potential bomb issue (Thanks JB67!).

RE Carbon's suggestion to check the internet, I do think that's a good idea , and I believe that he meant well with that comment. I am guilty of posting a question or two here that could easily be checked online, but I do so because I value opinions of folks here and want to hear from them. Sometimes I seek no other information if it's a minor curiosity, but often I've also accumulated other info from the web too, and then make up my mind on how to balance the info I received from various sources.

I'm a scientist, and that's how science works too. On any given topic, there are different sources of info available, sometimes with smart people supporting different or even opposing views. One considers all of the the arguments and then makes their own decisions. In science, I consider the authors, the caliber of the journal it was published in (peer review quality varies), the data itself, and importantly the methods with which it was obtained and analyzed. In muzzle loading, I consider the logic, the person, the publication source (I consider this forum very high on my list), and when possible, I try to figure out the science or engineering too. I'm less qualified to consider the engineering and science of some of the muzzleloading queries, however I've seen several on this forum who have excellent authority on these subjects--I rely on them a lot. They are giants in our field. I try to thank them frequently, though I'm sure I fall short on this occasionally.

I keep mine in the plastic containers that they come in and those are in plastic ammo cans with the rubber seal and store those in a wooden boot box that my wife removed from our house during a renovation project. If it gets hot enough the plastic ammo cans will soften and melt at least thats my theory. I did some checking and very few regulations in my area other than Fed requirement of no more than 50 LBS for an individual.

Mine is stored in plastic baggies, under the bed right next to the heater duct. Keeps it nice and warm in winter and cool and dry in summer......


Ha, got ya....... Seriously, I keep it in its original container on a shelf in my basement work room. Stays about the same temp all year round. I only store a couple lbs at any one time for safety reasons.