Kegs of powder

They can't be shipped via common carrier.....

Never. Would be over the limit of what I might want to store around the house.

I've seen smaller cardboard canisters, maybe 15-30 pounds.

I want one.

Maxam packs at 25kg, which is roughly 55lbs, so that could be what you are referring to.
There may still be some CSB series single base powder out in the marketplace.

Been a long time, but I recall a gun show vendor scooping powder out of a fiberboard container about the size of the 30 gallon drums at my plant. That would be about 200 pounds.

Interesting thing was, the label ON the container said HP38, the packing slip inside on top of the powder said 231. This well before it was announced that they were the same stuff.

My buddy bought a keg of H4831 back in the 70s. It was cardboard and I think it was closer to 40 lbs. I used a pound or 2 out of it in a 25-06.

An acquaintance used to belong to a Civil War shooting team....that had a cannon. In his basement were kegs of powder...not sure if they were 50lbs but I think that's what they were. One in each corner so there's 200lbs down there and I asked him why so much? 'The cannon eats it really fast'. Oh...OK.

This post reminds me of some of the YouTube videos I’ve seen where guys will have what appears to be tens or hundreds of pounds of powder canisters/jugs in the background... most folks don’t realize most states do have fire code storage requirements or even residential co-location limits. I know when I found out years ago, I was inadvertently not in compliance for either aspect; my storage method or my total weight...

Right. Back when you got printed pamphlets of reloading data, they had a copy of the model fire code covering powder. If you have more than 25 pounds without a proper magazine, you are not in compliance.

There were a couple of famous or infamous occurrences. There was a well known custom reloader who made the mistake of tinkering with the trigger adjustment on a rifle with a round in the chamber. It went off and hit a keg of powder, one of many, hard enough to ignite it and them. The wave of heat pretty much dropped him in his tracks.

I think the national fire code is > 20 lbs but < 50, must be in a wooden box with 1" walls. But this is for a residence. I have my reloading stuff in a detached out building. I call that "the box with wooden walls".

SAAMI offers a publication on "Smokeless Powder; Storage and Properties". In it they reference NFPA 495. (Needless to say, I have a box that meets these requirements.)

http://www.saami.org/specifications.../download/SAAMI_ITEM_200-Smokeless_Powder.pdf


11-3.7 Smokeless propellants intended for personal use in quantities


not exceeding 20 lb. (9.1 kg) shall be permitted to be stored in original

containers in residences. Quantities exceeding 20 lb. (9.1 kg), but not

exceeding 50 lb. (22.7 kg), shall 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.

Now is that total quantity of all the powder or of a single container?

The largest kegs I have are direct from manufacturers. St. Marks doesn’t sell to the public but they also don’t sell by the 1 lb or even 8lb container.

My reloading shop can get 844 or 846 in 90 pound drums, but the current cost is hovering around $20 per pound. For pennies more, I can get Ball (C) or H-335 in 8 pounders for about the same price.

Dale shaver said:

That would be a single container

Click to expand...

The 50lb limit is total powder, not one single container. Bad info here.

Varminterror said:

This post reminds me of some of the YouTube videos I’ve seen where guys will have what appears to be tens or hundreds of pounds of powder canisters/jugs in the background... most folks don’t realize most states do have fire code storage requirements or even residential co-location limits. I know when I found out years ago, I was inadvertently not in compliance for either aspect; my storage method or my total weight...

Click to expand...

And just like that ... Our Freedoms have taken a little by little .... !!!

Maybe, maybe not. It’s fine where I live but like he said, you have to check to see about your location.

And it may not be a problem until you have to make an insurance claim after a fire.

I think the oxygen and acetylene tanks exploding will get rid of any evidence of gun powder if that occurs.