desiccant packs in powder

C

Coyote-conquest

Active member
I reload in a old building that doesn't have heat or AC. Any time the humidity gets really high my powder gets clumpy.

Has anyone ever put small desiccant packs in the powder after they open them? I was thinking maybe somehow glueing a small one on the bottom of the lid but not sure how well it will work or if it will attract more moisture.

I really don't want to be stuck reloading on really nice days. As it is I try to wait for days that aren't too hot.
Thanks for any help or ideas
 
I'd so some research before I tried that. While it sounds like a good idea, introducing something into powder might not be a great idea. And if it was ...... ask yourself why the powder companies didn't do it in the first place? Just saying .......
 
Well true but it's sealed in a controlled environment when they bottle it and yes it makes it burn a little faster when it's drier but I'll do some research
 
If the manufacturers did all the things we shooters end up doing, there would be no need for all the accessory makers. Capitalism at work!
 
I store my powder in coolers to prevent temp variations in my shop. I would think that desiccant packages in the cooler would work better than trying to put them right in the powder can.
 
Originally Posted By: 22magnum22If the manufacturers did all the things we shooters end up doing, there would be no need for all the accessory makers. Capitalism at work!

While that may be true to some degree, most of us aren't chemists.

Desiccant packs are used in most every bottle of vitamin, aspirin, and many other things. As much as they are used by manufacturers of those items (and obviously inexpensive), I have to wonder why they wouldn't also be used by powder manufacturers? Cost wouldn't appear to be a factor, so there must be some other reason.

I had a friend who was killed by a powder incident. He had burns on over 60% of his body and died a slow and painful death after many days in the hospital. And he had probably reloaded and fired many hundreds of pounds of powder (pro skeet shooter). So maybe I'm a bit more picky and cautious than most folks.

In all reality it is likely to be just fine. But in my little world it isn't worth the chance until I found out for certain that it isn't a problem.
 
I would store my powder in a climate controlled environment along with the primers and carry what I needed out to the building when you reload.
 
I appreciate all the imput. After all the research I've done my feelings are that it will be fine. I've found several instances of people drying powder out for more speed. Also found where someone had ran several test with powder and humidity. He used desiccant packs and humidors. It's actually a very interesting article and I'm sure if you search you can find it. It will make the powder burn a little faster but that's about it. It won't change the basic chemistry besides moisture as a burn inhibitor.
I do like the idea of maybe putting my opened powders in something like a cooler or something similar. I may have to use a few coolers. I don't have the option of bringing it in the house. It would take up too much room.
 
This thread is probably old dead and gone but.. ..
If I were in your shoes I'd get and old refrigerator. Bigger than a cooler. Has shelves etc.
 
Originally Posted By: RockChucker1980This thread is probably old dead and gone but.. ..
If I were in your shoes I'd get and old refrigerator. Bigger than a cooler. Has shelves etc.

Great suggestion. And FWIW, the refrigerator would also be "slowly vented" in case of a fire.
 
My loading room is too small to use refrigerator for powder storage, but it is in air conditioned spare bedroom. Have primers stored in ammo cans and powder on shelf; some powder from the '50s and '60's keeping well there. Primers from the '80's as well.

I do use an old upright freezer for paint and other non-propellant flammable storage in a carport. Freezer has added benefit of locking door in event little ones were to get into the yard.

Regards,
hm
 
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