Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles How do you store primers for long term

I was reading the recent thread on who forgot to stock up on primers, and would like to know how everyone stores their primers for long term storage. With primers, as well as powder, being at a premium now, I'd like to make sure I'm doing things right when storing what I have so it will remain good. Staying dry is obvious. How do you store your primers ensuring they stay dry and effective when ready to load?

I have a lockable wooden cabinet in the basement, where it’s temp and humidity controlled. I have some I bought during the Clinton administration that are still good.

Old70

I have them in my reloading room.

It has an air conditioner in summer and a heater in winter.

A few years ago i put a mini split in and it has been a good buy.

They stay on the shelf in their own spot,shotgun primers as well.

I try to keep the temps around 75 in summer and 70 or so in winter.

I use an old freezer which isn't running, I store my powder and primers in it. It has an airtight seal and I keep a couple of cans of desiccant in there which I recharge periodically in the oven. It's in my basement which isn't heated or cooled but being a basement it's a bit more temp stable than the rest of the house.

I just keep my primers on my reloading bench in my gunroom, I dont think there is much chance of primers or powder going bad, I got a reloading buddy that has kept his powder/primers in a yard shed with no heat or air conditioner for the 30+ Years I have known him with no problems.....Hb

Ammo cans in a cool place

COOL & DRY Im using primers & powders that are nearly as old as I am.

CW

keep lids tight on powder and store in house. No issues. I have primers that are 22 years old.

My primers are kept in my basement which is failry temp. consistent, but not always dry.

I keep my primers in plastic containers with tight fitting lids. Did make my own dessicant.

Punched a lot of small holes in a pop can. Cut off the top end. Put cat litter in the can about 2/3 full. Folded the top closed firmly. Then i baked the can in the oven. [Also used rock salt from my water softener tank as a dessicant. ]

Baked the cans in the oven for a couple of hours at 250 F. Endured sideways looks and snide remarks from spouse.

My primers are fine. Every year or so the cans get baked again.

Better living thru chemistry.

Keep mine in a zip lock bags in ammo cans in my closet. I hope I never have a fire!

Ammo cans in an old refrigerator that I gutted out and installed heavier shelves

Old refridge in original packaging. I recently shot some up that were purchased in the late 80's.

Mine are stored in ammo cans on shelves in the clean, climate-controlled basement. The shelving for .30 cal size cans was already in place when the house was bought a few years back. The guy that owned it before me was a pretty avid shooter/reloader as well.

Mine stay in a cooler in the garage.

I keep primers in their original packaging stored in an IKEA type hutch in my basement. I have 157 size shotshell primers from the 70s I'm still using without problems. I have rifle and pistol primers a decade or so older that still work.

If worried about longevity, load what have into ammunition and store normally. I recently finished off some surplus WWI 30/06 and 8mm Lebel ammo without a misfire. I unintentionally used some 22 Shorts loaded with early smokeless bulk powder or maybe even black powder as the cases were copper rather than brass which would have been around the turn of the last century. Though there were a couple duds out of the ten rounds I fired it isn't much different than current Remington Golden Bullets now that I think about it.

On my shelf.

Is this the wrong answer?

I wondered about using a cooler for powder & primers. How long have you been storing them like that? I have plenty of unused coolers.

In the gas range. Warmth from the pilot light keeps the primers and powder dry.
Just put a note on it that says "remove primers and powder before lighting oven".

LOL

Powder I store in coolers in the garage. Primers get stored in the garage in a cabinet in original packaging. No special care to heat or humidity since primers don’t absorb moisture from the air, and as long as it stays under 150 degrees i am good to go.

https://saami.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Info-Doc-Primers.pdf

5. Modern sporting ammunition primers will not absorb moisture under normal or even severe conditions of atmospheric humidity. There is no advantage to be gained from air-tight containers. The factory containers in which they are packaged need only normal conditions of storage. They should be kept dry and not exposed to high temperatures (in excess of 150° F). If exposed to wet conditions or high temperatures, they may deteriorate, yielding mis- fires or poor ignition of the propellant powder.

I keep my primers and powder in a metal industrial cabinet. It has a magnetic latch on the doors so in case of a fire the doors will open up before pressure can get up too high and blow. Reloading shop is heated and cooled.

Every jug of powder and brick of primers gets the month and year of purchase and I rotate through them.