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This is part of the About Hunting & Shooting online Reloading Course. Check my Ammo Loading Course Index for links to other articles, and topics to be covered in future additions. Be sure to bookmark it and check back there from time to time, since I'll be adding more as time goes by.
Personal safety is very important in all things, and especially so in handloading ammunition. Not only must you be cautious in handling powders and primers, you must also be wary of overcharged cartridges, which could easily cause injury or death to you or others.
I discussed work areas in another portion of this course, so I won't expound further on that here. I also covered the very real need to use reloading manuals elsewhere, and encourage readers to always use at least one good manual for obtaining load information. Please see the manuals pages for more on this.
Powder Handling/Storage
Modern smokeless powder is not the most dangerous reloading component (primers
are), but it is, of course, extremely flammable and will explode when contained
(as in a cartridge). For this reason, the handling and storage of powder must
be approached with care.
- Powder should be stored in the proverbial cool, dry place, and for obvious reasons should not be exposed to heat, sparks, or open flames.
- If possible, don't store all your powder containers in the same place.
- Powder storage cabinets should be self-venting.
- Always store powder in its original, marked container. This ensures that you won't forget what powder is in which container. Some powders may also react with certain materials, and sticking with the original container ensures against this.
- Don't store powder in your powder measure - return the unused portion to the original container as soon as you're done loading. If left in the measure's reservoir, powder may react with it. I had to replace the reservoir in a used powder measure I bought, because powder stored in it in the past had eaten its way into the plastic.
- Never use a powder in any cartridge unless you have good load data for that powder in that cartridge. Substituting powder can be extremely dangerous and should never be done.
- Do not mix powders - ever!
- Never exceed loads indicated as maximum in your manual(s).
- Keep powder and primers out of the reach of children.
- Visually check powder level in cartridge cases before seating the bullet... this will help you detect and avoid over- and/or under-charges (both of which can be extremely dangerous).
- Never smoke while powder and/or primers are present.
- Never substitute smokeless powder for black powder, Pyrodex, or for any other smokeless powder.
- Do not store powder and primers together.
Now that we know a little something about the handling & storage of powder, let's move on to primers.
Page 2 - Safety, Page Two (Primers & General)
