I know that the safety of storing powder and ammunition is a common topic in these forums. I did a search and really didn't find any current threads appropriate to add this to so I am starting a new one.
Instead of reporting anecdotal reports or quoting laws - sometimes based on understanding and sometimes based on ignorance and fear, SAAMI, the Sporting Arms and Ammunications Manufacturers Institute, at http://www.saami.org, publishes some videos and pamphlets on the subject of the safety of ammunition and smokeless powders in storage, handling, shipping, and fires.
I stumbled on these by accident. I was trying to find information on the industry specs for .357 pressures so I could judge what pressures might be safe in my .357 revolver. I didnt' find that answer - the book containing that answer can be bought but was more expensive than I wanted to pay.
Instead, though, I found a library of interesting pamphlets and videos for next to nothing. I bought a whole bunch of pamphlets and two DVDs that discussed the risks in handling and in fires - one DVD was on ammunition and one was on smokeless powder. They were about 20 minutes each in length and were only $10 each. With both of those and a good sized stack of pamphlets, my order was only $26.10. You should all consider ordering those if you want to know just how little risk there is to having ammunition or smokeless powders in a fire. I sent them a check and had my order in a couple weeks.
Really, SAAMI should offer the pamphlets as PDFs for free download and the videos for free download. At less than fifty cents each for the pamphlets and only 10 dollars each for the DVDs, they are probably not even covering the material, handling, and shipping costs. My order even arrived on a Saturday by Fed Ex ground!
Anyway, in summary, here's my review of the situation. Put two layers of 5/8 inch sheetrock between you and your ammunition - just a simple stud wall with sheetrock on both sides. Put two layers of 5/8 inch sheetrock between you and your powder - outside of any legally required storage box. Make sure that the powder container is not sealed so that pressure does not build up. Remember that short of a really bad accident during actually handling powders, if your powder is going to burn, your house is already burning. Flames escaping by not sealing the storage container aren't likely to start new fires but the explosion of a sealed container could hurt someone. If there is no seal and expanding gases can escape relatively freely, even large amounts of powder will be burned off quickly and safely.
An interesting part of their test was to bury two 8-lb containers of Titewad in at least 2 feet of sand on all sides. This created a pressurized condition even though the sand blew away easily and relatively safely. Even so, when they ignited one container the other powder container right next to the burned one did not ignite.
There was recently a fire in Tulsa, Oklahoma where the fire department stood by and watched the house burn because there were exploding rounds of ammunition in the fire. This is just unnecessary. Fire fighters can easily and safely extinguish a fire of burning ammunition as demonstrated in several scenarios in the videos including a semi-trailer fire, a retail fire, a bon fire. The SAAMI tests showed clearly that the other household chemicals and aerosols under your sink or in your garage are far more dangerous to you and to firefighters in a fire.
Some other interesting tests in the videos were done shooting .308 rounds into boxes of ammunition and running over and grinding ammunition into pavement with a huge bull dozer and dropping boxes and cases of ammunition from heights.
I did find a reference to these videos in another thread in a long, difficult-to-read quote of municipal codes but only in regards to the videos being sent to fire departments, etc. Like I said, if you're curious, you should order these videos and watch them yourself. Very interesting stuff.
Instead of reporting anecdotal reports or quoting laws - sometimes based on understanding and sometimes based on ignorance and fear, SAAMI, the Sporting Arms and Ammunications Manufacturers Institute, at http://www.saami.org, publishes some videos and pamphlets on the subject of the safety of ammunition and smokeless powders in storage, handling, shipping, and fires.
I stumbled on these by accident. I was trying to find information on the industry specs for .357 pressures so I could judge what pressures might be safe in my .357 revolver. I didnt' find that answer - the book containing that answer can be bought but was more expensive than I wanted to pay.
Instead, though, I found a library of interesting pamphlets and videos for next to nothing. I bought a whole bunch of pamphlets and two DVDs that discussed the risks in handling and in fires - one DVD was on ammunition and one was on smokeless powder. They were about 20 minutes each in length and were only $10 each. With both of those and a good sized stack of pamphlets, my order was only $26.10. You should all consider ordering those if you want to know just how little risk there is to having ammunition or smokeless powders in a fire. I sent them a check and had my order in a couple weeks.
Really, SAAMI should offer the pamphlets as PDFs for free download and the videos for free download. At less than fifty cents each for the pamphlets and only 10 dollars each for the DVDs, they are probably not even covering the material, handling, and shipping costs. My order even arrived on a Saturday by Fed Ex ground!
Anyway, in summary, here's my review of the situation. Put two layers of 5/8 inch sheetrock between you and your ammunition - just a simple stud wall with sheetrock on both sides. Put two layers of 5/8 inch sheetrock between you and your powder - outside of any legally required storage box. Make sure that the powder container is not sealed so that pressure does not build up. Remember that short of a really bad accident during actually handling powders, if your powder is going to burn, your house is already burning. Flames escaping by not sealing the storage container aren't likely to start new fires but the explosion of a sealed container could hurt someone. If there is no seal and expanding gases can escape relatively freely, even large amounts of powder will be burned off quickly and safely.
An interesting part of their test was to bury two 8-lb containers of Titewad in at least 2 feet of sand on all sides. This created a pressurized condition even though the sand blew away easily and relatively safely. Even so, when they ignited one container the other powder container right next to the burned one did not ignite.
There was recently a fire in Tulsa, Oklahoma where the fire department stood by and watched the house burn because there were exploding rounds of ammunition in the fire. This is just unnecessary. Fire fighters can easily and safely extinguish a fire of burning ammunition as demonstrated in several scenarios in the videos including a semi-trailer fire, a retail fire, a bon fire. The SAAMI tests showed clearly that the other household chemicals and aerosols under your sink or in your garage are far more dangerous to you and to firefighters in a fire.
Some other interesting tests in the videos were done shooting .308 rounds into boxes of ammunition and running over and grinding ammunition into pavement with a huge bull dozer and dropping boxes and cases of ammunition from heights.
I did find a reference to these videos in another thread in a long, difficult-to-read quote of municipal codes but only in regards to the videos being sent to fire departments, etc. Like I said, if you're curious, you should order these videos and watch them yourself. Very interesting stuff.
