PRIMER STORAGE

J

J. R. WEEMS

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Ok, we all know cool and DRY is the way to go here, but the question is---- how about in a safe that has a dehumidifier???? I just locked some up, but am having second thoughts?? ANYONE???? THANKS!! :)
 
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sophie said:
I don't know why you are worried. Sounds ideal to me. My safe stays about 65 year round. Your dehumidifier should do the job.
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Well, there IS some heat involved, but I tend to agree with you. Should be ideal, but one never knows about such things. :) Safer to ask around. :) THANKS!!!
 
I keep my primers on the fireplace hearth, next to my ashtray.

But seriously, I just keep them is a locked closet in my basement, which is climate controlled. I'm sure having them in your safe, with dehumidifier is good.

Between having too many guns, and too many primers, there's not enough room in my safe to keep the primers in there. I've had some primers kept in my garage for several years, and they always went bang, too...
 
dmar said:
I keep my primers on the fireplace hearth, next to my ashtray.

But seriously, I just keep them is a locked closet in my basement, which is climate controlled. I'm sure having them in your safe, with dehumidifier is good.

Between having too many guns, and too many primers, there's not enough room in my safe to keep the primers in there. I've had some primers kept in my garage for several years, and they always went bang, too...
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Well, bang yes, but these days I worry more about theft. Locks don't keep theives out for long, they just keep honest folks honest. :) A lot of break-ins these days. They could never get a safe out of here but could bag stuff up that was laying around loose. Just the times. :(
 
Yep, primers are a LOT more stable than some people think. I've seen tests where primers that were subjected to water and various chemicals still worked fine. For long term storage, I keep them in an ammo can in the basement.
 
I keep my primers on an open bookshelf six to eight feet over from my powder storage shelves. All of which is in an centrally air conditioned/heated room. I'm not sure about primers, but I do know powder should not be stored in an enclosed area such as a safe. Power in the open burns fast, powder in a pressure cooker becomes a bomb.
 
Primers come from the factory loosely packed in unsealed boxes. How much special care do you think they need?

Avoid extreme heat and excess moisture. If it was an issue, they'd come snuggly packed in hermetically sealed containers.
 
primers are stored by most of the big wholesalers in unheated buildings. hot in summer and cold in winter. I store mine in 20mm ammo cans with a good sealing gasket.
 
SMSgt said:
Avoid extreme heat and excess moisture. If it was an issue, they'd come snuggly packed in hermetically sealed containers.
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Define that. I see you live in Florida, as do I. Is "in the garage" in Florida too hot? You know how hot and humid it is here 8 months out of the year.
 
Hot enough to self ignite. My components sit comfortably on a shelf in an inside closet. Never a problem.
 
I keep mine in my safe, I wish I had the problem of too many guns in my safe to have room for them, but alas I have the room. Primers are more resilient than you think, I only keep mine in the safe because of young grandkids. I used to keep them on a shelf in my loading room.
 
I store all my primers in 50cal. Sealed ammo cans. This way the moisture In the air has no effect on them.
 
I have stored a few thousand primers in a 30 cal. ammo can with a 4 oz silica-jel "dehumidifier" for about 30 years. This works for very wet basements with no heat. There isn't any reason not to keep your primers in a safe, but modernity priced jewelry is more likely to be stolen than primers. Primers are only valuable to ammo makers, where are they going to fence them? I know I wouldn't buy primers from some guys car trunk, on the corner, in a bad neighborhood. Ivan

Edit 12/5/2020: I might buy primers under those same conditions now (7 years later) due to the shortage imposed by the pandemic/shortages, ITB
 
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I would like to clear out the closet shelf in my office which means relocating powder and primers. My reloading area is in the shop which is not climate controlled and can get to 120 in the summer. I read an article this morning that suggested keeping powder in the fridge. Our spare fridge is in the garage so would that be a suitable place for the primers also?
 
Primers are a lot tougher than most people think.I don't suggest that you purposely give them a harsh treatment but I know that they can sustain a lot of mistreatments that powder can't.
 
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I know its worth something but I dont lock my ammo or primers up. My safe has no room anyway. Not to mention I wouldnt want primers in my safe with guns during a fire.
 
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In sunny Georgia, I've stored primers on the floor of an upstairs closet, in a first floor half-bathroom vanity (sink & toilet) with powder. I kept a "working inventory" of 1 primer brick for each size in the garage when I was reloading. I never had a "problem" related to primers with any ammo.

The reloads I fired were anywhere from 3 hours to 10 years old when I got to the range. I had 1 brick of small pistol primers and 1# powder bottle sit through a month of muggy, high humidity Georgia weather (3 severe thunderstorms, 1 hurricane). That 38 Spl / 9 MM ammo fired normally over a 1 month period when decent weather returned.
 
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