WildRose
Well-Known Member
With my background that probably wouldn't be a problem face to face.
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Correct. I was agreeing with you, but I could see how it might have sounded like I misunderstood you. That flash would probably blind you! I'd be curious to see if 50 lbs would be a strong enough to push some doors or window out though. Let's just say I wouldn't want to be nearby, especially inside!
I have not purchased any reloading components since Covid hit in March of 2020. What I have done, however, is load for rifles I had older components laying around, due to my lack of shooting them and having them buried in the back of my safe. Other than using some primers I could have used for some guns I was shooting, I used them on some older ones I had powder and bullets for. This is also getting rid of older powder that could start to cause problems. Additionally, to having fun shooting some of my old favorite guns, I also got a couple of my grandchildren interested in shooting. Now, they want my safe queens!
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Yeah, it was something that I was really unaware of until I started reloading. And at first, I figured I only had a couple pounds of powder at at time and it probably wouldn't do much. But now.......I fee like the fireball might light my neighbor's houses up! I have a separate powder safe. I figure it would give enough time for the fire to either be extinguished, or the house would be fully engulfed (with FF's out) by the time it lights off.
WildRose
Well-Known Member
Flash burns would be my biggest concern but I sure wouldn't want to be on a closed room when it lit up either. Probably a very low order explosion just blowing the windows but the following vacuum is going to suck in a huge amount of oxygen creating a secondary, probably larger flash.
I have some considerable experience with explosive ordnance and a lot of training in particular with the storage of ammo and powder.
You'd be hard pressed to have enough of either to blow up a house and have to store it in a particularly unsafe manner creating a pressure vessel to get the whole thing started.
I get why FF's don't want to enter such a storage area during a fire but if they know what they're doing the risk of explosion is way down the ladder of concerns or should be.
Now fireworks are a completely different equation where an explosive risk is always very high with bulk storage.
WildRose
Well-Known Member
I keep bulk powder in a huge 3/8" plate steel locker that is 5' long by 30"hx30" deep.
A fire is going to have to really work to ever get into that crate and I leave the lid unlatched so that should it happen, it may flash but it won't explode.
All the relevant local emergency responders are also aware of what I have and where it is stored so they don't have to worry about it.
Well I have to get the rifle built first, LOL.
Bangswitch 6x47
Member
If I didn't shoot as much as I do, I wouldn't need anything for a long time.
I've got five 8lb jugs of H4350, two 8lber's of H4831sc, one 8lber of CFE223, and IMR8208, as well as about 75lbs of various other powders. I also have about 20k small rifle and large rifle primers, but I'm down to my last 3k Berger 109lr hybrids.
This may sound like a flex, and some may think I'm hording, but the fact is, I shoot competitively in LR precision rifle matches, and I'm having to try and find bullets. While the 3k I have will get me by for another couple months, my match shooting will be over before summer gets here if I don't feed the shelves.
I've got about 10k rounds of 77gr and 69gr smk's loaded for .223, and continue to load more, as well as 9mm.
So if anyone has any Berger 105 hybrids, or 109 LR hybrids, I'd be happy to take them off your hands. Lol
I've got five 8lb jugs of H4350, two 8lber's of H4831sc, one 8lber of CFE223, and IMR8208, as well as about 75lbs of various other powders. I also have about 20k small rifle and large rifle primers, but I'm down to my last 3k Berger 109lr hybrids.
This may sound like a flex, and some may think I'm hording, but the fact is, I shoot competitively in LR precision rifle matches, and I'm having to try and find bullets. While the 3k I have will get me by for another couple months, my match shooting will be over before summer gets here if I don't feed the shelves.
I've got about 10k rounds of 77gr and 69gr smk's loaded for .223, and continue to load more, as well as 9mm.
So if anyone has any Berger 105 hybrids, or 109 LR hybrids, I'd be happy to take them off your hands. Lol
Tidus56
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2018
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Same waiting on my action…always waiting.
Hugnot
Well-Known Member
Having large amounts of smokeless powder & primers in your basement would be a hazard in the event of a fire. In the MSDS info it is suggested in the event of a smokless powder fire is to vacate (run) vs. fight it.
Should some 20,000 pounds or so, of unconfined powder be ignited there might be an high order explosion due to extreme heat & massive emmission of explosive gas/fumes. This has happened during WWI & WWII powder manufacturing, probably during the powder drying stage. I don't know of any extruded smokeless powder being made in the USA. Apparently, there are various safety measures involved in making ball powders allowing making it in the USA.
I keep my powder in 2X thick wood boxes having same size wood lids. Primers are stored in separate areas in heavy wood boxes. I would not want to respond to fight a fire in a house that had 1,200 pounds of smokeless powder & 200,000 primers in its basement.
From SAAMI - 11-3.7 ...... be permitted to be stored in residences where kept in a wooden box or cabinet having walls of at least 1 in. (25.4 mm) nominal thickness
Years ago, I put 1 lb. of H4831, sealed in its factory plastic container, in an about 1 cubic ft steel box that had bare metal inside. I had an identical box also having bare metal inside. The lids of both boxes where not secured, only closed. After 6 months the insides of the H4831 box were lightly rusted; the insides of other box were clean, not rusted. My guess is that corrosive decomposition products migrated thru the plastic walls of the powder bottle. Probably, this is one of several reasons why wood containers are suggested for powder storage. Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is commonly added to powder to reduce the decomposition rate.
www.hodgdonreloading.com
I'm real old and at one time in the distant past I bought surplus H4831 in 2 1/2 gallon gas cans.
The little .22-.250 with a fast twist barrel, 8 to 7, loaded with 75-80 grain bullets is an effective reduced cost longish range rifle. Like powder charges in the mid 30 grains and ranges of 800 yards or so. Like 180 or so rounds loaded per pound of powder vs. 97 or 132 or so with other rounds. Not so good for shooting big beasts like elks.
Should some 20,000 pounds or so, of unconfined powder be ignited there might be an high order explosion due to extreme heat & massive emmission of explosive gas/fumes. This has happened during WWI & WWII powder manufacturing, probably during the powder drying stage. I don't know of any extruded smokeless powder being made in the USA. Apparently, there are various safety measures involved in making ball powders allowing making it in the USA.
I keep my powder in 2X thick wood boxes having same size wood lids. Primers are stored in separate areas in heavy wood boxes. I would not want to respond to fight a fire in a house that had 1,200 pounds of smokeless powder & 200,000 primers in its basement.
From SAAMI - 11-3.7 ...... be permitted to be stored in residences where kept in a wooden box or cabinet having walls of at least 1 in. (25.4 mm) nominal thickness
Years ago, I put 1 lb. of H4831, sealed in its factory plastic container, in an about 1 cubic ft steel box that had bare metal inside. I had an identical box also having bare metal inside. The lids of both boxes where not secured, only closed. After 6 months the insides of the H4831 box were lightly rusted; the insides of other box were clean, not rusted. My guess is that corrosive decomposition products migrated thru the plastic walls of the powder bottle. Probably, this is one of several reasons why wood containers are suggested for powder storage. Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is commonly added to powder to reduce the decomposition rate.
Gunpowder stability
www.hodgdonreloading.com
I'm real old and at one time in the distant past I bought surplus H4831 in 2 1/2 gallon gas cans.
The little .22-.250 with a fast twist barrel, 8 to 7, loaded with 75-80 grain bullets is an effective reduced cost longish range rifle. Like powder charges in the mid 30 grains and ranges of 800 yards or so. Like 180 or so rounds loaded per pound of powder vs. 97 or 132 or so with other rounds. Not so good for shooting big beasts like elks.
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Snowbird
Well-Known Member
I burn hundreds of pounds of slow burning powder each year, usually in 20lb batches. They get lined up so the fireball isn't as large. Clumping them together makes that rapid exothermic reaction not tolerable for those nearby. I wouldn't want any of it inside my house when it lights up.
