Do you store powder in your MEC bottles?

[berettaprofessor]

Shotgun reloaders: Just wondering why I can't keep the H110 in the plastic MEC bottle instead of the plastic Hodgdon bottle? Detached from the press and capped with the original MEC cap of course. I can buy spare MEC bottles for around $12 and it just seems easier in the long run to not be pouring it back and forth between plastic bottles. If you voted "no" please tell us why.....

 

[Charlie98]

While most shotshell powders probably don't have a high enough Nitro content... some powders will etch a plastic powder bottle/tube. To me it's also a safety issue... the top of the MEC bottle just has a pushed in stopper, which could more or less easily pop or knock out, and there might be an issue of which powder is actually in the bottle. I only used WST, so it wasn't a problem with me, but for those that use different powders...

I stored shot in my MEC bottles... but not powder.

For what it's worth... it takes about 10 seconds to unscrew the bottle from the press and pour it back into it's powder container. I don't see how it's a time-consuming issue.

 

[Soonerpesek]

I voted “no”…
I don’t keep powder in the metallic reloading press hoppers…
Guess it’s habit…
Suppose I just want to keep it in the package it came in when not in use…

 

[Wildfan99]

I keep the powder in the MEC bottles, but only for whatever time it takes for me to finish that run of shells. When it's empty, I just leave it empty until the next session.

Of course, the bottles are marked with what is in them.

 

[Bill M]

I leave the powder container close to the press, and when I change powders, I dump the measure, and put that container away.

 

[nettlle]

For me the most identifiable way to store my powders is putting them back in the original containers that they come in.

 

[tmd16556]

I voted no, because I don’t. That said, I haven’t loaded shotshells enough in a while. If I loaded often enough and used one powder enough, I could see leaving powder in the bottles. They are easy to label. If I were going to load another within the week, I’d do it. With longer storage there are just too many advantages to the manufacturer bottles.

 

[jmorris]

why I can't keep the H110 in the plastic MEC bottle instead of the plastic Hodgdon bottle?

You can, they might turn dark though, depending on what powder you leave in them. If I do, I also label the bottle, so the contents stay known.

 

[Armored farmer]

I voted yes....but I was reloading weekly and would cover the loader with a pillowcase when I finished loading for the week. The loader stayed mounted to the bench for the next weeks ammo needs.
It was also in a separate building.

 

[cfullgraf]

I voted no.

I load enough different cartridges that I’m changing powders frequently. When I am done with a reloading session, I return unused powder to the original factory container. I figure powder measure containers are not designed for long term storage of powders and I probably will want to load something else at the next reloading session.

It may not seem to make a differece but at some point it will. Get in the practice of emptying the powder reservoirs at the end of a session. It will be a valuable safety practice in the long run versus being lazy with your powder handling practices.

I’ve started reloading a large number of shells only to get interrupted in the middle of the run. I’ve been pleased to reset the powder measure when I finally get back to the reloading machine.

Beats a trip to the emergency room.

 

[FROGO207]

I do not store any propellants in any of my measures. Too easy to mess up and use the wrong type and the origional container is airtite and best for storage with a long life IMO.

 

[rfwobbly]

I vote "No" and here's the reason....

The canister that the powder was sold in has the ability to dissipate static electricity. It has a slightly conductive surface, either by post-treatment or compounds added to the plastic at the time of molding. Most of us know about the pink "anti-static" bags for computer boards, well this is very similar. Except that in place of protecting transistors, this is to reduce the possibility of fire due to static charge build-up. This is why you see all powders come in the same ugly, black canisters, and never yellow, purple or blue. I highly suspect that the conductive ingredient added to the plastic is black graphite, but smarter people will need to talk about that.

Obviously, the possibility of ignition is much lower with smokeless powders than it is with primers. Powders are only "flammable" whereas primers are true "explosives". But primers also have their own types of protective packaging and no one in the their right mind swaps out those containers.

 

[JohnMc]

I just acquired a trove of reloading stuff, indirectly from a widow. Her husband passed at least 10 years ago.
There are two or three MEC bottles with powder in them and the names of the powders written in Sharpie.
The bottles themselves look OK and I wouldn't be surprised if the powder in them is actually OK.
I don't trust the powder is what it says.
I doubt I'd be 100% sure of what was written on bottles I labeled after a week or two, let alone these.
I think I'll use the old powder to start fires or something and, when I reload, have only the powder I'm using out on the bench and keep on dumping the powder back into the factory bottle when done.

 

[Wildfan99]

Old powder makes great fertilizer.
Seriously!
Broadcast it on your grass.

 

[Wildfan99]

I've done it a bit, and it worked, but the "experts" say don't.

 

[lightman]

I voted no. I like my powder stored in its original container.

 

[Jim Watson]

I left my MEC measure loaded. I only ever used 700X except once when 452AA came along cheap so there was no flip-flopping of powders to cause confusion.

That is not a poll selection, I sure didn't take the bottle off the loader.

 

[roval]

what exactly is an mec bottle?

 

[Wildfan99]

The bottles that go on a MEC shotshell reloader.
They hold the powder and shot.

 

[roval]

what does mec stand for?

 

[Charlie98]

Mayville Engineering Company, I believe...

 

[entropy]

Most shotgun powders will react with the plastic in the bottles, some faster than others. MEC used to make them thicker, and of a different plastic, but they were opaque. I have a few of those left. The newer ones will harden and become brittle fairly quickly, I usually end up buying one new bottle every other year because when I am loading, I tend to leave the powder in them if loading on consecutive days. I've been taking it out daily lately, however, trying to make them last longer. I'm out if shot at the moment, so it might be a while before I fill it again.

 

[Bill M]

My old MEC bottles are dark grey/green, my oldest Dillon hopper is almost the same color, my Lee red and grey are still the original colors. I never leave powder in any, I've been blaming the cloudiness on the sun shining through the window!

 

[243winxb]

"no" please tell us why...

No- Powder bottles should be HDPE (High Density Polyethylene), like Hodgdon powder bottles. Its marked on the bottom.

Black bottles keep the sun/light off the powder.

Nitroglycerin may attack other types of plastics.

 

[Slamfire]

From the day gunpowder leaves the factory, the nitrocellulose molecule is breaking down and releasing NOx. One of the components is nitrogen dioxide, a horrible oxidizer. NO2 combines with water molecules in the air to form nitric acid gas. Which is bad by itself.

I think that is why my hopper yellowed. Or, it could be something else oozing out of the gunpowder.