Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Powder Division and Storage Questions??

Howdy!

With these changing times, I figure others might be in the same situation as some of my hunting pards.

We have some inbound 8 lb powder containers to divide by 4 and store individually. Any advice or guidance is appreciated.

Questions, which come to mind:

1. What is the best, safe and most accurate method of dividing and storing powder given that we have no empty approved containers?

2. What is the best method of doing the actual division itself and should static electricity be something of concern? Seems everything touched this time of year sends off a spark. I know...shuhhhhhhh!

3. Is something like a food saver a good idea to remove the air/oxygen induced when the container is opened and then re-sealed for long term storage? Food Saver allows you to do this with plastic containers. What about the moisture absorption packets? Thinking not but worth asking about.

Probably sounds a like a bunch of simple and goofy questions to many expert loaders but I want to make sure we get this right and avoid the BOOM factor. Thus, the elimination of having to buy more already hard to find powder.

Much obliged.

David

Sounds like an accident brewing x 4. I would suggest you not separate the contents from the containers. Repackaging powders is not recommended and a great opportunity to misuse and have reloading accidents. I am sure there are some here that have done what you are suggesting without incident, but repackaging safely is still not recommended. Best leave it in the original container.

While I probably shouldn't get involved, I'll say this.

For each 8 lb jug get four 1 qt plastic containers with the pop on lids. MAKE SURE THAT YOU MARK THEM CORRECTLY BEFORE YOU DIVIDE THE POWDER! Just pour it from the original jug until each of the containers has an equal amount. Again, make Damn sure that the new containers are marked correctly. Don't know about you but I wouldn't worry about long term storage. 8/4=2 and two pounds of powder ain't gonna stay around long enough to worry about long term storage.

Do it, or not. Son't worry about storage in original container. I had a pound can of Red Dot for almost 30 years. Just finished it last fall. Good as ever. If you really feel the need to separate, then do so, although unnecessary.

I thought sure this subject would have been covered before on the Fire but a search with our admittedly poor search engine wasn't good to me.

There isn't much on the web at large....some references to static with black powder being susceptible but then there's a video of some guy throwing a geyser of sparks onto a pile of bp and it just sat there. hmmmmm, in the old movies it worked. NO reference to smokeless and static that I could find.

Since graphite is used as a coating on many powders to keep down static and I haven't heard of anyone blowing their reloading setup into the sky in my lifetime, I'm going to assume you can pour powder into another container like HDPE, which is what Nalgene is made from, with no problems.

I sure as hell wouldn't use a bottle that was used though, no matter what was stored in it previously.

I didn't see a mention of black powder, which is an explosive.

Smokeless powder isn't technically an explosive, but an accelerant, and isn't that easy to detonate. I have some 50+ yr. old H4831 that came in paper bags from Hodgdon. Bags and powder are still OK. I think one could store smokeless powder in any clean, dry container.

IMHO,

DF

Well he just mentioned "powder".

I think the issue is whether pouring the powder, i.e., grains of powder rubbing over one another in a stream, into another plastic container would cause static to build up in the powder.

I have a dehumidifier in my reloading room and, with that dry environment, I'm wondering, not worried, about the answer to this question.

Most powder comes from the factories packed in high density polyethylene (HDPE) containers. Any clean, opaque and sealable HDPE plastic bottle can be utilized for smokeless, providing you permanenetly label bottle and cap.
It is important to use a container that will not allow much pressure to build prior to rupturing. Do not use glass.
All the black powder I ever bought has come in metal containers, never larger than a pound each. Perhaps a clue there.

Keep them in their original containers; nothing wrong with eight-pounders for storage whether metal or plastic. If you're worried about static electricity, just make sure you discharge on a safe ground before reaching for or opening a powder container.

Fueling a vehicle is much more dangerous than handling smokeless powder.

Sounds like here is the 'need' to separate. 4 guys buying 8 lbs to be SHARED but NOT stored/used at the same place.

Static elec. - IF BP is laying out in the open you can set a match to it, and BP will only burn NOT EXPLODE.

I have burned smokeless powder (which had been accidently MIXED) and it only ignited and burned slowly.

Static elect isn't much, if any concern with smokeless.

NEITHER will explode UNLESS confined.

Thanks for clarifying what I didn't spell out very well. Indeed, there are 4 hunting buds buying 8 pound containers and wanting to split it up into smaller approved containers.

Also, I'm seeing several on the fire wanting to borrow a pound or so of powder so in essence the same questions asked would apply there as well. Appreciate the responses. BTW I did find new and approved empty powder containers for sale.

Just wanting to do the right thing and figured who better to ask than the Gunwriters.

Just throwing this out there but if it was me I would consider clean, dry, and properly labeled quart plastic bottles that Gatorade comes in. I'm not sure who has to approve a powder container.

Just for clarity. Most round here know but I'm not a GW and don't pretend to be. I am just sharing from my experience of about 40 yrs of gun loonyism.

Per original ?, When I decided to burn the nearly whole pound of MIXED powder, I didn't know what to expect. I poured it out on the ground in a line. I was a little disappointed when it ONLY burned UNceremoniously.

By "approved" I was simply referring to the same container the original product shipped in.

Thanks,

David

I have a strong preference for metal funnels. Maybe even metal containers for breaking bulk bearing in mind all the rules for say gasoline.

I also remember the death of Don Bryngelson (not sure of the spelling but a heck of a nice guy and left a nice widow - had a big picture of an F4 landing gear up in flames displayed - I never asked if it was his) in a powder flare at Keg of Powder in Half Day Illinois back the 1970's. Don was breaking bulk on smokeless powder and putting the powder in paper bags for folks to tote home. I wasn't there to see it but the one eye witness who got out before the whole block burned down (which it did) said it looked like an instant piece of the sun in the next room. I'd hate to think Don - or James Butler Hickcock or Jon Eric Hexum or Brandon Lee or lots of other people died in vain when there's a lesson there. Be careful Murphy was optimist.

This is my opinion only!! I would check about storing powder in 'CLEAR' containers. Light, sunlight, may have an effect on powder stored for some length of time.

I don't remember ANY powders sold by manufacturers in clear containers. Something to consider.

This is aboiut as screwy a thread as I can imagine, in so few posts.

As Dirtfarmer mentioned, there's NO mention of black powder.

Smokeless powder can be safely drizzled into any sort of plastic container without any worries. Opaque plastic is better, but clear works if you're not storing it in sunlight.

Some guidelines recommend powder canisters be stored in nailed-together 1" plywood, which busts open without exploding. I store my canisters in cheap plastic coolers, which will do the same thing and protect the powder from temperature extremes.

Powders that are inadvertently mixed end up with a burn rate in between the two powders. There's nothing dangerous or erratic about them. In fact mixing is exactly how some modern powders are modified, such as Superformance.

Roger that! I appreciate the affirmative. Also like the idea of cooler storage.

I've always used empty soda/gatorade plastic bottles. Label with a permanent marker. Store in a closet.

Found a source for the exact same jugs the big boys use. Bought a case and just reproduced the labels so all the pards now have some powder in OEM jugs. Might be overkill but feel better with this approach.

Also, using the old cooler suggestion for storage, which is a winner.

Thanks,

DLH