Temperatures and re-loading supplies

[Don P]

This topic has been taken up before and some thoughts I would like to add. I received a order yesterday through UPS. Powder and primers. The box was rather warm from riding in a UPS truck from mid morning to my delivery time of 6M. The powder container was really soft to the touch compared to the container in my den. After being in the house for a short while the container regained it rigidness.
My point is when folks ask about re-loading supplies and ammo and temperatures having effects on them does anyone realize that the supplies from manufactures to suppliers/distributors to customers travel by truck and these trucks are NOT climate controlled ( refer units ). I know from experience that inside a trailer temps can reach 130-160 degrees. Just a point to ponder the temperature changes the re-loading supplies we buy have gone through before they are in our hands.

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

Yep.... this is the same point that I try to make when people talk about tumbling loaded ammo and think that it will break down the powder. Makes no sense.... it's already been tumbled... and cooked!

 

[riverwalker76]

Those are both good points. However, I think the problem with primers in particular is the long term exposure to heat and humidity that plays into breaking them down. Primers are more sensitive to heat than powder is.

 

[Don P]

I would truly like to know the answer to how long is long term. Primers are traveling coast to coast and Canada to the Gulf. At some points the primers have to be spending 3-7 days at times at extreme temperatures with minimal temperature change. Possible experiment time

 

[drail]

I believe components are far more sensitive to humidity extremes than temperature. I am still using Federal primers from cases I purchased in 1993 that have been stored in a dry location but they have seen some hot and cold temps. I have never had one fail yet. And way back then a case (5000) could be had for 35 dollars. I stocked up. I also have a good deal of powder from the 90s that seems to be holding up very well.

 

[Don P]

After reading drails post I think I'll forgo the experiment and leave it at the humidity is the killer. Dam I see plastic rust here in sunny HUMID FLA

 

[FrankenMauser]

Somewhere on these boards, is an old thread on this subject, with a CCI/ATK letter I posted a link to.

I can't remember where I found the information, now. And I can't find the thread with our wonderful search function.

It boils down to:
Primers break down with prolonged high humidity and/or humidity swings.
Temperature swings have little effect on primers.

Powder breaks down with prolonged high temperatures and/or temperature swings (but if left unsealed, humidity will also cause problems).

 

[Dave R]

Franken, I remember that, too, but also could not find it.

Based on their answer, your powder and primers should have no problem with the few days on the truck. Its only if they get exposed to many years of summmer/winter freezes and thaws/humid and dry that you'll have problems.

So just store your powder and primers in a climate controlled area--indoors.

 

[rtpzwms]

Heat and Primers

Living in the desert and storing primers in the garage. I have yet to have a primer fail to work properly. I had a box that I misplaced for over 10 years and they still worked fine. We have several days each year over 110 degrees. If I had to guess that missing box had at least 30 days a year that were very hot days so that would be about 300 days and it also was exposed to cold days. Cold for the desert here would be about 30 degrees. But we seldom have high humidity even on rainy days. Soon as the rain is gone so is the humidity.

 

[Nomadicone]

I have a small number of primers and powder bought in the early 80s which were left in a mini warehouse in Tennessee for one year (high humidity) and one summer in Arizona (heat) no climate control. I thought they were going to be worthless. However, I did a test and not only did they fire perfectly I could see no difference over a chronograph either in velocity or SD. I don't suggest doing this but these primers (a couple hundred) and powder were missed when things were put in storage. I certainly would not use them for hunting or SD but for practice they are just fine. Last year I came into 5000 WSP primers in the old white boxes with orange print. I have used over 500 of them and they are just fine.

 

[sc928porsche]

A few days on the truck isnt going to harm them. Especially if they are sealed! Look at all the temp and humidity changes military ammo goes through before it is fired. Some of that stuff goes back to WW2. It has been shipped, bounced around, flown at high altitudes etc. But of course, they are sealed. Your powders are sealed, however some of the primers are not. With the glut that we have had on powder a primers, anything you get now has been manufactured recently. Just take appropriate steps after you recieve them.

I seal my primers in seal a meal packets for each 100 primers. They are then stored in a Military ammo can.

 

[Fullthrottle]

Agree 1000% with sc928porche, truck will cause no harm!

To go a bit further on that point, I have a buddy(reloading teacher), that has all powder/primers and such, stored in his garage...N. California, with no problems. Subject to temp and humidity changes, never any problems, not saying it works for all.........but it works for him. Some of his powder is close to a decade old, still shoots as good as it it did new. This guy doesn't even start to shoot deer unless it is at least 1000 yards out.........I know......I know....he is one of the odd men out!

 

[snuffy]

I seal my primers in seal a meal packets for each 100 primers. They are then stored in a Military ammo can.

Good grief, talk about wasted effort/cost!

CAUTION: The following is going to cause you to actually think!

Do you see that the anvil of those primers you've been using are colored? That's the sealer that is spread/applied on them after they've been finished. That sealer is why it's nearly impossible to kill a primer. It wards off humidity, water, oils, and MOST solvents.

I still have some winchester match 120M primers that were made available to DCM shooters for loading practice/competition for the DCM shoots. They were hardly new when I got them, that was 1973! They still fire just fine. Oh, they were stored for 15 years in a dank, damp basement, my reloading area while I lived with my folks. They are in WOOD trays, with a plain brown sleeve!

Powder if kept sealed,(lid on tight), and OUT OF DIRECT SUNLIGHT, can last for a very long time. Notice how powder bottles are BLACK plastic? The older ones were steel, and some were fiol lined cardboard. All efforts aimed at keeping powder out of exposure to sunlight. Kept in where you live, it will outlast many of us!

 

[Farmland]

I don't know the hard facts about storage in extreme temperature. I do know what mine go through. My primers and powder are kept in an out building on the farm where my reloading room is located. This is an unheated building. It can get below 0 degrees in the winter and close it not over 100 in the summer. Some were between these extremes it is comfortable for reloading.

Lets not even talk about humidity because it can be very extreme, enough so that I have to keep all the bare press metal parts oiled or they rust fast. I forgot once and the ram on my Dilion was frozen. Talk about work getting that working and clean again.

I have primers that have been stored for 12 years and they have all worked. (they are Winchester in the white boxes, I over stocked form the first primer shortage) I do keep the boxes inside those cheap zip lock bags. I don't know if it helps but they are cheap.

I have some Winchester Action Pistol powder that is at least 15 years old. I am still using it and it shows no signs of going bad. The only problem is that I am on my last 1 pound metal container of it.

So like I said I don't know the hard facts on storage life or storage in extreme temperatures. However maybe I am lucky or these products are more durable than we give them credit for.