Loading in Houston.

[Grandthumb]

I live in the Houston area and am gathering equipment to start reloading. Is it possible to set up on the garage to do it with our weather? Will I need to do it in the house. Powder storage? Please give me some advice.

 

[jfdavis58]

Powder does, in fact degrade with excessive heat or moisture. That said, I live in Albuquerque and I use my unheated and uncooled garage. I have a fan at each door and move air from which ever is the cooler side of the building. I also keep a fan blowing under the bench at my lower legs and feet.

 

[ranger335v]

Powder can take any heat YOU can take, and do it for years.

 

[hancjamk]

I live in Houston, as well. Six month ago I found a couple of old metal cans of powder in the garage. Both where bought back in the mid-80s and forgot about in the mid-90s. So, I had some powder that was already ten years old and left in the garage for another ten. Two different brands; one was bad, the other good.

So, even with excessive heat and cold, it would take several years for powder to degrade. The biggest problem is humidity. Powder is sealed in a container, so no problem there. Maybe, use a ammo can to keep your primers in.

If in doubt, keep it inside. A nice dark closet do…

 

[gamestalker]

I live in Southern Arizona and have a friend that bought several hundred pounds of IMR4350 back in the 1960's. It's stored and has been stored in his shed for ever. I've used this powder numerous times without any problems.
On the other hand, I store my primers and powder in the air condition house in containers that have oxygen deprived atmosphere. I've never used any powder that went bad, but I guess it is possible if the elements are in direct contact with it. But in the container with the lid on, I would say all is good.

 

[Grandthumb]

Thanks so much for the replies. I was half hoping I was going to have to make a couple of kids share a room because it was required to do my handloading inside. I'll most likely store primers in the house.

 

[Hondo 60]

Grandthumb,

Yes, you should definitely do all reloading in a climate controlled area.
(there, is that better?)

 

[Sport45]

I load in the garage, but store powder and primers in the house.

Expect any steel tool surfaces, painted or not, to rust if left out in the garage. My Dillon 550b handle is probably 80% rust covered as is the primer tube shield. I wrap toolheads in a silicone-sprayed rag and keep them in a 50-cal ammo can. Powder measures and smaller presses stay in a drawer in the garage when not in use. Stuff kept in my workbench drawers doesn't seem to rust.

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

My brother stored his powder in his humid and hot (fl) garage for years. When he moved to Atlanta he took all his powder down to Dad's for "storage". I guess that powder was exposed to fl's heat and humidity for nearly 20 years. I found it one day and gave it to my friend that reloaded a lot. He used it with no problems.

 

[AK_Maine_iac]

Have not had any smokeless powder for a long time period. It gets used up too fast. Only buy a small amount to a time, of different brands, in order to find out what my guns like best. My part of Alaska is a very dry, both summer and winter.

I did find a can of Black Powder in an old shed out behind an old gold mine. It had to have been from the late 60's to early 70. Because the mine closed down in 1970. I tried the powder in my BP muzzle loader and it has never miss fired. Matter of fact i got better grouping with the old stuff. No label on the can so who knows who made it.

 

[1SOW]

I use the garage in San Antonio with no problems other than the sweat. I have a 10" fan mounted to hit my face.

 

[Grandthumb]

Hondo 60.. I'll be sending some papers for you to sign.

Two open doors and a large fan will be part of the process. I do have cabinets that my tools/equipment can go in to.

Thank yall for responding.

 

[tommyintx]

50 miles northeast of houston signing in. Garage is fine, the only components to really worry about are primers and powder. But keep in mind you will probably be spending hours at a time in that environment, so even a small window unit air conditioner mounted into your wall will help a whole lot for your comfort level. Go turn it on about an hour before you plan on loading. Or do what i do, i run a 220v heavy duty air conditioner wired into a 30 amp relay with a outdoor lights timer on it, so it runs from around 10am - 4 pm. So by the time it heats up outside, the building is cooled down, and by the time it has shut off it's already cooled back down outside. given my building has been insulated, which helps alot, a set-up like this is relatively inexpensive and simple to set up.