Reloading Safety Part 1: Powder

[recoil junky]

Reloading Safety
Part 1: Powders and Powder Storage

Powders:

There are many different smokeless powders available in a wide variety of burning rates. Powders are available in two types of composition; Single base and Double base. Single base powders are made from a straight nitro-cellulose composition. Double base powders contain both nitro-cellulose and a percentage of nitroglycerin. Powders most commonly used by the reloader are available in three types.

Flake: Usually double based, these are small round flakes, commonly with a dull appearance and may have different colored flakes. These are considered to be the fastest burning powders. Their most common uses are in shotgun shells, small capacity pistol and rifle cases, light target loads for revolvers and rifles and magnum revolver loads. Some examples are, Red Dot, Green Dot, Bullseye, Unique, Clays and 2400.

Spherical (ball): Nearly all spherical powderes are double based. As the name implies, these powders are round or oblong with one or more flat "sides". These are usually bright or shiny in appearance. These powders are in the "medium" to "slow" burn rate. These powders produce very uniform charges through most powder measures. They can range from fast magnum pistol powders to very slow magnum and overbore rifle powders. Some examples of "medium" burn rate powders are, H110, W296, H322, Blc2, H335, H380 and W748. Some examples of "slow" burn rate powders are, H414, H870, US869 and W760.

Extruded or Tubular: Usually of single base, these powders can be be very short and small in diameter or long and large in diameter. Usually, the larger the individual grain, the slower the burn rate. These powders are in the "medium" to "slow" burn rate. Some examples of "medium" burn rate powders are, IMR4198, IMR3031, Reloader7, Reloader10X, Benchmark, Varget and IMR4064. Some examples of "slow" burn rate powders are IMR4350, Reloader22, H1000, Reloader25, Retumbo, 50BMG and 20N29.


Powder Storage:

Here is a link on proper powder storage from Alliant Powder: http://www.alliantpowder.com/getting..._handling.aspx It discusses powder storage, disposal, deterioration and properties.

Most reloaders don't stock enough powder to warrent a full sized powder magazine, but your powder storage area should be out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources. It should be lockable to keep chidren away from potential hazards. Do not store powder near other flammables like solvents, paint thinner, propane bottles or combustable materiels.

DO NOT STORE POWDER AND PRIMERS IN THE SAME CABINET!

Benchtop Guidelines:

Always return unused powder to it's original container. Never reuse the powder container.

There is a "lot number" on every powder container. This is to distinguish when powder was made, it's origin and exact chemical composition. NEVER MIX DIFFERENT LOTS OF POWDER!

Never mix different types of powder as this can lead to a very dangerous situation. Powders of different composition can react very differently when mixed together even though they are very close in burn rate.

Never try to "recreate" or guess as to what powder is used in factory ammo.

Never have more than one kind of powder open on your bench at a time. Inadvertant mixing can lead to over pressure loads and damage to you and/or your firearm.

Do not substitute powders. (like H4350 for IMR4350 for example) Even though powders may have the same number, they may be of a different burn rate and using them grain for grain could be dangerous.

When switching powders, clean your bench. Make sure there is no left over powder in your powder measure (either manual or electronic)

Don't use a vacum cleaner to pick up spilled powder as it can cause static electricity, causing the powder to "go off" unexpectedly. Use only a brush and dustpan made of cardboard or stiff paper. "Sweepings" from your reloading room floor containing reloading powders are an excellent source of nitrogen. So dump them on your lawn or garden, water a bit and its gone.

Keep your reloading area clean and free of clutter.

Never smoke while handing powder.

If you take your time and pay attention, reloading a is a very safe and fun activity for the whole family.

[recoil junky]

Through some random act (words to describe what happened escape me at this point) The entire first thread on "powder" was deleted. I managed to save some of it and what I had written in microsoft word and recreated what I think was the "final draft".

If you would please give this another look and see if there is anything else we need to add/delete/spell differnt.

RJ

[Alboy]

Looks good to me RJ.  The only thing I can think of is in disposal of sweepings from the bench or floor is that reloading powders are an excellent source of Nitrogen in soils. Spread it out over the lawn or graden and water a little. It is gone.

[recoil junky]

Good advice Alboy, I added it.

RJ

[gitano]

Reloading Safety
Part 1: Powders and Powder Storage

Powders:

There are many different smokeless powders available in a wide variety of burning rates. Powders are available in two types of composition; Single base and Double base. Single base powders are made from a straight nitro-cellulose composition. Double base powders contain both nitro-cellulose and a percentage of nitroglycerin. Powders most commonly used by the reloader are available in three types.

Flake: Usually double based, these are small round flakes, commonly with a dull appearance and may have different colored flakes. These are considered to be the fastest burning powders. Their most common uses are in shotgun shells, small capacity pistol and rifle cases, light target loads for revolvers and rifles and magnum revolver loads. Some examples are, Red Dot, Green Dot, Bullseye, Unique, Clays and 2400.

Spherical (ball): Nearly all spherical powderes are double based. As the name implies, these powders are round or oblong with one or more flat "sides". These are usually bright or shiny in appearance. These powders are in the "medium" to "slow" burn rate. These powders produce very uniform charges through most powder measures. They can range from fast magnum pistol powders to very slow magnum and overbore rifle powders. Some examples of "medium" burn rate powders are, H110, W296, H322, Blc2, H335, H380 and W748. Some examples of "slow" burn rate powders are, H414, H870, US869 and W760.

Extruded or Tubular: Usually of single base, these powders can be be very short and small in diameter or long and large in diameter. Usually, the larger the individual grain, the slower the burn rate. These powders are in the "medium" to "slow" burn rate. Some examples of "medium" burn rate powders are, IMR4198, IMR3031, Reloader7, Reloader10X, Benchmark, Varget and IMR4064. Some examples of "slow" burn rate powders are IMR4350, Reloader22, H1000, Reloader25, Retumbo, 50BMG and 20N29.


Powder Storage:

Here is a link on proper powder storage from Alliant Powder: http://www.alliantpowder.com/getting..._handling.aspx It discusses powder storage, disposal, deterioration and properties.

Most reloaders don't stock enough powder to warrent a full sized powder magazine, but your powder storage area should be out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources. It should be lockable to keep chidren away from potential hazards. Do not store powder near other flammables like solvents, paint thinner, propane bottles or combustable materiels.

DO NOT STORE POWDER AND PRIMERS IN THE SAME CABINET!
Why not? I've been doing that for 50 years. I can't think of something "wrong" that could happen. "We" went through an era when "automatic" primers on reloading presses were deemed "dangerous". Clearer heads finally prevailed, and that "danger" is now correctly dismissed as wrong. What could happen if primers and powder are stored together? If there is something that is going to ignite a primer, it's going to ignite powder.
Benchtop Guidelines:

Always return unused powder to it's original container. Never reuse the powder container.

There is a "lot number" on every powder container. This is to distinguish when powder was made, it's origin and exact chemical composition. NEVER MIX DIFFERENT LOTS OF POWDER! I'm afraid I have to disagree vigorously with this in the context of "safety". There better NOT be SAFETY reasons to keep LOTS of the SAME powder separate. If so, the manufacturer is not selling the SAME powder! In fact, it is my strong belief that one SHOULD mix lots of powder if one wants to have a "uniform" response across 'lots' (not many), of powder.

Never mix different types of powder as this can lead to a very dangerous situation. THIS IS A COMMENT THAT SHOULD BE IN CAPS! Powders of different composition can react very differently when mixed together even though they are very close in burn rate.

Never try to "recreate" or guess as to what powder is used in factory ammo.

Never have more than one kind of powder open on your bench at a time. Inadvertant mixing can lead to over pressure loads and damage to you and/or your firearm.

Do not substitute powders. (like H4350 for IMR4350 for example) Even though powders may have the same number, they may be of a different burn rate and using them grain for grain could be dangerous.

When switching powders, clean your bench. Make sure there is no left over powder in your powder measure (either manual or electronic)

Don't use a vacum cleaner to pick up spilled powder as it can cause static electricity, causing the powder to "go off" unexpectedly. Use only a brush and dustpan made of cardboard or stiff paper. "Sweepings" from your reloading room floor containing reloading powders are an excellent source of nitrogen. So dump them on your lawn or garden, water a bit and its gone.

Keep your reloading area clean and free of clutter.

Never smoke while handing powder.

If you take your time and pay attention, reloading a is a very safe and fun activity for the whole family.

I can "go along with" this post if the above issues in yellow are addressed. "Addressed" does not necessarily mean "deleted", but I need some justification provided to keep them as they are.

Personally, I would prefer to severely limit the use of the word "never" to those circumstances that EVERYONE can agree on. There is a whole universe of different reloading situations. I'm not going to lock my powder and primers up to keep them away from children, because there are no children around. It's the same concept as "child-proof" caps on medicine bottles. After the "nannies" got told to get their heads out of their rears and acknowledge that there are A LOT of "seniors" that don't have any kids around and they don't need to have "child-proof" caps on their medicine bottles. This should be addressed to those that have children at home or grandchildren visiting.

OSHA, while actually providing some very badly needed "adult supervision" with regard to work-place safety, has caused a SERIOUS problem by throttling some activities with ABSURD "law". Being silly in the name of "safety" has the opposite effect. It causes people to reject ALL admonitions about safety. THL shouldn't simply be a "parrot" repeating what LAWYERS for powder manufacturers FORCE their clients to do.

Let's get this "stuck".

Paul