Black Powder

[Omahkapi'si]

True, the shed locks but that won't stop anyone who wants it bad enough.

But it can be stored in a steel cabinet correct? Thought I saw somewhere that was a no-no.

 

[azmntman]

Its fine. Use common sense (or please return it to the factory) and store where you want....in a cool dry place. Coolest. Dryest. Heck put in the kitchen cabinet behind the Cap n Crunch,

 

[Omahkapi'si]

How did you know I have Cap n Crunch?

 

[Grenadier1758]

Black powder is not temperature sensitive with respect to degradation due to temperature changes. You want to store your powder in a container that will allow the powder to burn up rather than contain an explosion. A steel locker using rivets to hold the panels together is fine. A sealed refrigerator is not although it is well enough insulated to keep the powder temperature below the ignition point in case of a fire.

 

[Omahkapi'si]

I was thinking a large plastic tool or job box type thing like on a job site?

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Found a good solution I think. Wooden box we had in storage. Used for horse brushes and stuff. Not anymore.

Removed metal except hinges but covered them. All wood. Rubber liner on bottom. Loose lid no latch.

 

[smoothshooter]

Sorry, resurrecting this old thread.

Been shooting Triple 7 all along but getting 4 lbs of GOEX soon. Can this be stored in a metal gun cabinet in a garage type building I have? It's a good building, steel roof, concrete floor, etc. Dry but the temp in it is basically same as outside year round. -30 in winter and could be 90 in summer. Or does real BP need to be in a wooden cabinet or box? How about just on a wooden shelf?

thanks!

BP has an indefinite shelf life as long as it is kept dry.
Do not store it in a strong metal or wooden cabinet or box. If there is a fire hot enough to set it off, a loosely constructed enclosure will let pressure escape in a big whoosh.
If stored in a more rigid structure that will not readily come apart as pressure builds, the resulting pressure spike will cause a BOOM!!, and will actually become a bomb of sorts as it detonates.
About the worst thing possible you could store it in is a military ammo can.
Which, unfortunately, is how a lot of people store it.

 

[Omahkapi'si]

The lid on my little box above is just folded closed with no latch or anything. There is actually a little gap now small enough that critters won't get in but big enough to vent the box. The building it's in is actually a sort of workshop where I clean my guns and store some saddles and stuff. The box is on a secure table and brackets both sides of the legs to keep anything from moving. High and dry. Temperature in this building can be -30F in winter and 80F - 90F in summer depends on weather, but Alberta is very dry year round, especially here in the foothills. Guess if we had a prolonged heatwave I can put a freezer pack in the box.

 

[smoothshooter]

I was thinking a large plastic tool or job box type thing like on a job site?

The gallon or 5 gallon jug of gas in stored in your garage for your car or lawnmower is potentially more dangerous than a few pounds of properly stored BP.

 

[smoothshooter]

The lid on my little box above is just folded closed with no latch or anything. There is actually a little gap now small enough that critters won't get in but big enough to vent the box. The building it's in is actually a sort of workshop where I clean my guns and store some saddles and stuff. The box is on a secure table and brackets both sides of the legs to keep anything from moving. High and dry. Temperature in this building can be -30F in winter and 80F - 90F in summer depends on weather, but Alberta is very dry year round, especially here in the foothills. Guess if we had a prolonged heatwave I can put a freezer pack in the box.

BP does not degrade or break down like nitrocellulose smokeless powders do in weather-caused heat. Shelf life is pretty much indefinite.
Even if it gets wet, there are numerous historical references about having to dry out powder that was thoroughly saturated with water ( Lewis and Clark expedition comes immediately to mind, but I have read about several others ).
I have wondered if the powder was weakened, or a made a little erratic after the drying process, but have not seen any references about that.

Spence may be able to shed some light on this.

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Interesting. Thks

 

[Woody Morgan]

Sulphur, saltpeter and charcoal. What is there to degrade?

wm

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

Kind of like a Rattler.....if you dont poke you dont get bit.

 

[Kestrel]

BP does not degrade or break down like nitrocellulose smokeless powders do in weather-caused heat. Shelf life is pretty much indefinite.
Even if it gets wet, there are numerous historical references about having to dry out powder that was thoroughly saturated with water ( Lewis and Clark expedition comes immediately to mind, but I have read about several others ).
I have wondered if the powder was weakened, or a made a little erratic after the drying process, but have not seen any references about that.

Spence may be able to shed some light on this.

BP wil definitely go boom after being wet! I worked a case where a three year old boy was killed after he and his brother found a pipe bomb in the river. The river had receded during winter and they found this pipe on the now exposed beach. Mom got tired of them horsing around with the thing and told them to throw it into the fire. (Didn't look like your Hollywood pipe bomb) A short time later, after the powder had dried out, it blew up and a piece hit the boy in the head.
I called in the bomb squad and we located a second device that looked nothing like a pipe bomb. We decided to shoot it with the robot anyway. When that thing went off...you should have seen EVERYONE'S faces.
Figured they had both been thrown out into the river several months prior.

 

[pilot]

How did you determine the pipe bombs contained black powder?

 

[Kestrel]

Bomb squad guys and residue testing

 

[smoothshooter]

The lid on my little box above is just folded closed with no latch or anything. There is actually a little gap now small enough that critters won't get in but big enough to vent the box. The building it's in is actually a sort of workshop where I clean my guns and store some saddles and stuff. The box is on a secure table and brackets both sides of the legs to keep anything from moving. High and dry. Temperature in this building can be -30F in winter and 80F - 90F in summer depends on weather, but Alberta is very dry year round, especially here in the foothills. Guess if we had a prolonged heatwave I can put a freezer pack in the box.

Your storage box should be fine.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Kestral, that was not in W.VA was it, I heard that's how some of them boys fish.

 

[Zonie]

Seems someone forgot Forum Rule 42 so I removed the post.

Here's the rule for those who forgot:

42: Members may not discuss the making of black powder or post links to web sites that offer instructions for making black powder.

Here's a link to all of the Forum Rules

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/forum-rules.108881/

 

[J. Paul]

True, the shed locks but that won't stop anyone who wants it bad enough.

But it can be stored in a steel cabinet correct? Thought I saw somewhere that was a no-no.

Mine is stored in a non working refrigerator in an outside building. If I would have had a old chest freezer I would have used it. Unlocked of course so if it gets an ignition source it's not contained and door simply opens.