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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    AR
    Posts
    11,596

    Default Question for the black powder guys?

    I am fortunate to have a niece that works for a black powder company. Among other things she gets to go around to reenactments, black powder shoots, and any place where large amounts of black powder is used. She sends me pictures of her shooting cannons, large Civil War mortars, and all sorts of plack powder rifles and pistols. Personally I have never been a black powder guy and have always used Pyrodex or White Hots in my CVA .50 cal. rifle...

    Suffice it to say I now have 3 lbs of high quality black powder 2 - 3F and 1 - 2F. If I live to be 110 I'll never be able to use it all but how should I store it? Somebody suggested in my freezer. Right now it is in my reloading room along side my smokeless. That room may get up to 85 in the summer and 55 in the winter. Should it be in some type of container or sitting on the shelf in it's original container? What happens if there is a fire? It is my understanding that BP is much more explosive than say 4895...

    I know, I could ask her but she thinks I am smart enough to already know the answer. Any help here is appreciated.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    State of Deseret
    Posts
    4,215

    Default

    Does this help, Red?

    http://goexpowder.com/handling.html

    Another option is you could donate it to some civil war reenactors in your area.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Georgia
    Posts
    3,694

    Default

    Congratulations! Now ... grab the rifle and other stuff and head for the range! Sincerely. bruce.
    " Unlike most conservatives, libs have no problem exploiting dead children and dancing on their graves."

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Houston Metro
    Posts
    3,220

    Default

    You can spread it in the yard.
    To Error Is Human To Forgive Is Not SAC Policy

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Yuma, Az.
    Posts
    378

    Default

    Go out and shoot that stuff up. It'll last awhile and you'll have a lot of fun getting all smelly and greasy from it. After about ten shots you will get a lot better at loading the guns.

  6. Default

    Reminds me of a blackpowder story.....years ago I was shooting my BP rifle. Ran out of powder in my flask so I went to the car to refill. Ended up spilling a bunch in the carpet beside the driver seat on the door seat. Thought I got it all picked up. Months later I was driving across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. The weather was white knuckle bad, kept thinking I would get washed off the bridge. I made it off the bridge, unclasped a hand from the steering wheel and lit a cigarette. Wumpf! Instant wall of flame beside my left ear and the unmistakble smell of burning BP. Luckily, no real damage done. Startled the bonkers out of me.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    6,045

    Default

    BP will burn after a hundred plus years even when not stored properly. Just needs to be dry. Civil War shells still explode. I store my meager BP supply in my basement where year round temp is 68 and dry. In a house fire, I don't think BP will explode but will burn quite rapidly intensively spreading the fire.

  8. #8

    Default

    I've always kept BP in the garage where I do my reloading. That includes Pocatello where the temperature got close to 100 and was in the 90s for weeks on end some years. You definitely have to be careful handling the stuff - smoking, welding, coleman lanterns,using a space heater in winter, etc are things you don't want to do with the BP can open. And like Jim in VA says,you have to be careful to clean up any spills.

    I like shooting the stuff, and good BP is more consistent velocity-wise, round-to-round than smokeless. IMHO.

    good luck!

    jn

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    AR
    Posts
    11,596

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Major Tom View Post
    In a house fire, I don't think BP will explode but will burn quite rapidly intensively spreading the fire.
    Thanks Tom, that was my concern.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Yuma, Az.
    Posts
    378

    Default

    Static electricity is not your friend either. BP is pretty volatile stuff once it gets a spark of any kind. Do not measure it out in a standard powder measure. I use a Brass container for measuring powder for my black powder cartridges and a powder horn for the muzzle stuffers.

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