primer storage
what is the best way to store primers, i have them in origanal box plus in plastic contaner temp around 60 most of the time, if i vacum pack them , would that increse shelf life.[?]
0
-
DO YOU THINK IT WILL HURT MY PRIMERS IF I VACUM PACK THEM IN PLASTIC BAGS ONE BRICK OF A 1000 IN EACH BAG, ASK BEFORE GOT LITTLE RESPONSE. 0 -
axlebraker,
Store primers where it's cool and dry as with most things that oxidize.
This is from the Speer recommendations:
"Priming Storage and Safety
Modern primers, with proper storage, have incredibly long shelf life (in spite of rumors to the contrary that ran amuck in 1993-4). For storage and safety, primers must be left in their original packaging. Find an area with low humidity and reasonably constant temperature. High humidity combined with big temperature swings can degrade primer performance. Dehumidifying equipment must be flameless to avoid accidents. Check for local regulations on the quantity of primers that can be stored in a residence and adhere to those regulations.
Modern primer packaging is designed to protect primers from mass detonation in the event they are in a fire or the package it dropped. In a fire, current packaging design results in a series of small "pops" as individual primers cook off.
Never store primers in a tightly closed metal container like an ammo can. To do so is to risk a devastating explosion complete with deadly metal fragments from the can. Such confinement can make the discharge of one or two primers instantaneously progress to a high-order event involving all primers in the can.
Never store primers in bulk, that is, removed from their factory packaging and placed in another container. When loading, dump out only ten to twenty primers at a time. When the session is over, return all primers to their original containers before putting them away.
Primer are best stored in a vented wooden box or cabinet with a loosely attached door or lid. This allows the pressure to vent in the case of fire or a few primers detonating in the container. Wood acts as an heat insulation to slow the transmission of heat to the primers.
Mark primer packages with the date of purchase and use them in the order received. This rotates your stock so no box is forgotten.
All reloading components including primers must be stored away from access by children or persons with impaired judgment.
Above all, apply a healthy dose of common sense to primer handling as well as all your handloading activities."
Best.0 -
Store them in a cool and dry place, in original packages. I'm still using ones I bought about 30 years ago with no problems. 0 -
And, if your temperature swings a bit or you forget and leave the air conditioner off or somthing, don't assume all is lost and throw them all out.
I acquired a huge quantity of AlCan primers that were stored in a couple of old Mayonaisse jars with screw tops, but still in their original boxes, and which had been sitting in a detached garage/barn/tractor shed in South Texas for well over 30 years. I started out with over 10,000 primers of various size, now down to about 4,000 and have had a total of 2 misfires in all of them.
Dan R0 -
quote:Originally posted by axlebraker
what is the best way to store primers, i have them in origanal box plus in plastic contaner temp around 60 most of the time, if i vacum pack them , would that increse shelf life.[?]
Nononsense nails it again.
In theory, keeping oxygen away from your primers should help preserve them. If you were packing them away for your great-great-great grandchildren (which may not be entirely implausible), then vacuum packing them (eg in airtight plastic film. . .NOT a metal can) may not be a bad idea.
In practice, it doesn't matter, since air or no air, if you simply keep them dry and cool, they'll last for at least several decades, and probably longer than your lifespan.
I think the way you describe IS probably the best practical way to store them, so long as the plastic container has a relatively loose fitting lid.0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
5 comments