Primer Storage...

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Czechvar

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I have been trying to find a better way to store my Primers, and remembered this empty Sentry 2260 Fire Safe I’ve been dragging around for 20 years. So I drilled several 1/2” holes in it for ventilation to hold humidity down, and I’m putting a big Dessicant can in there too. The Safe is very solid, weighs over 200 pounds, and the door lock and combo are good. Much better than the wooden Ammo boxes I was using...I’ll use them to store brass now.

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The safe will work but it may be a bit of overkill. Some reloading manuals will suggest storing powder in wooden cabinets, the rationale being that in case of a fire, should the fire ignite the powder, the cabinet would be quickly destroyed rather than try to contain the full energy of the powder which would turn the cabinet into a bomb. I treat my primers like powder so I don't store my primers in strong containers and I don't store my powder and primers together.
 
Primers are an extremly fast explosive. Store them in the wooden box. Powder is supposaed to be stored in cabinets of 1 inch wood with one "weak" wall to allow the box to not contain gases which as we all know creates the explosion. Many years ago I bought primers from Hodgdon and they were shipped(Railway express) in wooden cases of up to(I think) 50,000. Maybe 70,000. I got them in batches of 50,000. Have to go look but I think they were made in Norway or Sweden. In fact they had deals in the 50s where you could buy a hundred pounds of powder and 100,000 primers. Both shipped in wooden crates. When i had my shop I was allowed to keep 100 lbs of powder in an old fridge or freezer with the cord cut off.
 
Nice bomb!

Any climate controlled environment will suffice and most spaces not climate controlled would be fine. You can get primers wet and they'll go off just fine as long as you let them dry out. You can spray primer with WD-40 and they'll go off as long as you let them dry.
 
Skeet 028 said:
Primers are an extremly fast explosive. Store them in the wooden box. Powder is supposaed to be stored in cabinets of 1 inch wood with one "weak" wall to allow the box to not contain gases which as we all know creates the explosion. Many years ago I bought primers from Hodgdon and they were shipped(Railway express) in wooden cases of up to(I think) 50,000. Maybe 70,000. I got them in batches of 50,000. Have to go look but I think they were made in Norway or Sweden. In fact they had deals in the 50s where you could buy a hundred pounds of powder and 100,000 primers. Both shipped in wooden crates. When i had my shop I was allowed to keep 100 lbs of powder in an old fridge or freezer with the cord cut off.
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OK, so the Sentry Safe is not a good idea, and I’ll put the Primers back in the Ammo boxes. I suppose the Safe might make a good place to store my LaRue Armadillo Collection...
 
HorizontalMike said:
Ammo boxes? Surely not the metal kind, right?
Cardboard ammo boxes OK...
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Educate me....... metal ammo boxes would contain the gases of detonated primers instead of allowing it to vent........ but loaded ammo is stored in metal ammo boxes. Difference?
Think I know the answer but want to make sure.
 
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IMO, I would not want to test that type of storage. Too much confinement is what allows powder to be explosive, and I would imagine that a box/case of primers stored under confinement could lead to same.
:eek:
 
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If one primer somehow goes off in a metal box there's a good chance they'll all go of. It's much harder to ignite loaded cartridges and if one goes off it's less likely any others will go off.

Same reason you can ship primed brass without a hazmat fee, but need to pay hazmat for boxes of primers.
 
fordson said:
Educate me....... metal ammo boxes would contain the gases of detonated primers instead of allowing it to vent........ but loaded ammo is stored in metal ammo boxes. Difference?
Think I know the answer but want to make sure.
Click to expand...

The diff is its hard to get ammo to detonate in mass. 50k primers in a tight soace, almost instant simultanious detonation. Why they come in those little trays & not in a coffee can. If one primer goes in a brick, they all go.
I store my primers in a couple 20mm amo cans with the lids not fastened down. Easy to grab the whole thing & move it. Powder is stored in woodn boxes or cabinets.
 
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Nothing to add, except to say, Czechvar, those wooden cases of yours are very nice and seem to be very well made. Congratulations.
 
Wood containers provide more insulation in a fire than metal containers that will transfer heat more quickly. Wood will eventually burn through, but it takes a while.

Primer stored in their original containers will be fine if kept dry, and dry does not mean zero humidity.
 
I also keep them in a shelf in my basement. I see no need for an additional container other than the original packaging.

If I did the wooden box would be best especially over a safe.
 
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Quite a few years ago I was buying Russhki ammo that came in wooden crates with hinged tops. I still have a few and I gave many to friends One has about 8 of 'em and he stores primers and ammo in them. Primers he keeps in a small barn separate from his loading shop and his powder is stored in an old Commercial freezer that died....in another building
 
I keep my primers and powder on a shelf in my gun/tool room adjacent to my garage. I cut a hole in the wall for a window unit A/C but I don't turn it on unless I'm going to spend a bit of time in there.
 
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