Storing reloading supplies

[MoreIsLess]

Unfortunately, I have to disassemble my reloading bench and store it because I am going to be working out of state for about 6 months while my wife stays behind and sells the house. I still have some gunpowder and primers. I was going to store everything in one of those 50gal Rubbermaid vinyl/plastic tubs. Is there any special climate control these need for storage, e.g. cool, dark, etc.

I plan to put the press back up in about 6 months after we sell our house,

 

[Walkalong]

Cool and dark is best. Not hot and dark is next, etc. But 6 months isn't that long, so as long as they are not open and in the front yard, you should be OK. Powders come in the perfect container, they just need to be kept out of really hot and fluctuating temps. Best of luck.

 

[Ex]

I store mine in big tupperware type container also. In the house. If it's cool and stable enough for me, powders will also like it.

The one thing I do in addition...
You know the little desiccant packs that come in prescription bottles, electronics, and other things? I have saved up a couple handfuls. I store those in the "powderware" box. About once a year, I spread all the little packets out on a cookie sheet, put them in the oven and "bake" all the absorbed moisture out of them, restoring their desirable properties.

Probably don't even need to but it makes me feel good about my stored powder and primers. Powders in particular, if tightly capped, don't really need that. Just makes me feel good!

 

[Magnum Shooter]

If you keep it cool, dry, and dark it will keep for much more than 6 years let alone 6 months.

 

[PJSprog]

I'm in a similar situation, MoreIsLess. I just got married about a month ago and had to disassemble my bench to move to her house (a small farm, where we can shoot to our hearts' content). Unfortunately, there's no room in the house for my bench. So, we've decided to put up a small "shop" building between the house and the barn, but that won't happen until next spring. So, everything is stored in boxes in the interim. As noted by others, just avoid storage with extreme temperatures or wild fluctuation and your components will be fine.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Well, since you got that solved nothing left to say but good luck on the sale of your house. I hope it goes fast and for a price you like. Are you buying another house too? If so good luck finding a good one...

 

[Schwing]

A friend of mine just found a cache of primers he purchased about 20 years ago and misplaced them. He loaded a few hundred up and they all went bang. They were just in a cardboard box in his basement.

 

[George Mabry]

Back in the mid 80’s a friend gave me a four pound canister of Bullseye powder that he’d picked up at an estate sale. It was about 1/3 full. The canister was old looking and quite dusty. The printing on the container was even fading out. Even then I was a little leary of the powder and not particularly interested in using it so I put it under my work bench where it sat until last month. I live in Texas and over the last 20 years or so we’ve had a number of 100 degree plus days and below freezing temperatures. With some reservation, I loaded up a batch of .45 acp using 4, 4.5, and 5 grains of that powder under 230 grain FMJ and 200 grain SWC bullets. They all shot just fine.

The only rounds I’ve ever had to go bad also sat in my garage for 10-15 years. These were a couple of brick of .22 rim fire. They were the cheap kind that you use to be able to get on sale for $8.99. When I started shooting them each round had a different sound. I was shooting in sandy soil and it was easy to see the strike of the bullet. After just a few shots I got a spew sound and no discharge; the bullet stuck in the barrel. A few rounds later another one stuck and threw the rest away.

 

[R.Ph. 380]

Very, very dangerous to store all those components, Send them to me and I'll store them in my reloading area. If you have some old dies and molds, send those also, they can fall off the shelves and injure someone.(now that there aren't any components to hold them up)

I can send you periodic reports on their safety and use if you would like.

Bill

 

[SWThomas]

I store my opened powders and all my primers in my safe. I have humidity control devices in it.

 

[AABEN]

I built a room on my garage to reload in. I got me a small air conditioning unit and sit it at 80 so my reloading room will stay good in the summer. Bought it in the fall when put on sale for 50% off. My room has a 32 R factor so it is easy to keep cool. I have some gun powder that is over 30 years old that still goes bang.

 

[greybeard57]

I've found that an old (or new) cooler is a great storage device and doesn't fluctuate temperatures very quickly. Soo, I was sitting here thinking about the dehumidifying devices such as a rifle bore dryer type and considered that there might be a way to insert that into the drain hole, put a couple pieces of 2x4 or something along each side of the rod and a solid masonite or 1/4" plywood bottom on those to give a nice flat surface as well as keep everything off the dehumidifier rod (redundant, I know). Or just drop a couple desiccant packs under the false floor, keep the drain closed and duct tape the lid shut if you live in a humid area. I use old coolers to store blankets and wrong season clothes in out in the barn. They don't sweat and everything stays clean and they are solid enough to stand on if need be (not me of course, they won't hold up 300lbs I'm pretty certain )

 

[RussellC]

Those desiccant packs you all speak of are filled with silica gel. It can be purchased in bulk in craft stores for drying flowers and such.

Russellc