Powder storage question

[fatoldfool]

Howdy fellas, lot of changes in my life in the past year and a half. Thinking about buying a storage building (wood framed, T111 sided) and moving my reloading stuff from the basement to the unheated building. If I use an old freezer for powder storage will my powder be OK? including black powder? Temps here range from 10 below zero to occasionally over 100 degrees F....

[3leggedturtle]

I,ve kept powder in an unheated garage for last 15 years and never had a problem with them. Keep the cap on tight when not reloading, should be ok.

[COSteve]

Allowing the powder to temp cycle certainly isn't the best idea if you don't have to. In addition, if you live where it's humid you're adding another variable to degrading powder life as well as increasing your chances of your reloading equipment rusting.

[AJMD429]

What about an insulated container (plywood box with styrofoam lining, old freezer or fridge) - plus a small amount of heat in the extreme cold. Theoretically a pipe-heating cable might even be enough, and be safe unless it really malfunctioned, OR if your powder were within a picnic-cooler type thing, and THAT thing was in a plywood box twice as big, and you kept a 75 watt light-bulb on inside that cabinet, it would stay pretty warm vs. 'outside' temps.

[Don McDowell]

Any blackpowder you stored that way would be fine, but the smokeless powder might not take it to well over an extended time, and the primers may absorb more moisture than you'ld like them to.

[stretch]

A goldenrod heater might help temps in the winter.

I've got some OLD (Herter's!) SRP that were stored
in a damp basement long ago. They work just fine,
and I'm pretty sure they're older than I am.

My limited experience says you'll be all right, but
there's no denying the temp cycles won't do the
powder any actual good.

-Stretch