Transport and storage of Gun powder and primers

[swampratt]

I read this and thought of the first paragraph.
recommendations on storage.
Does that mean it is not the law but we wish you would do it anyway.????

KNOW THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS ON STORAGE AND HANDLING ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION, BATTERY MARCH PARK, QUINCY, MASS. 02269 AND REPRINTED WITH THEIR PERMISSION:

CODE FOR THE MANUFACTURE, TRANSPORTATION STORAGE, AND USE OF EXPLOSIVE MATERIALS NFPA NO. 495-1992.

CHAPTER 10. SMALL ARMS AMMUNITION AND PRIMERS, SMOKELESS PROPELLANTS AND BLACK POWDER PROPELLANTS

10-3. SMOKELESS PROPELLANTS

10-3.1 Quantities of smokeless propellants not exceeding 25 lb (11.3 kg) in shipping containers approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation may be transported in a private vehicle.

10-3.2 Quantities of smokeless propellants exceeding of 25 lb (11.3 kg) but not exceeding 50 lb (22.7 kg), transported in a private vehicle, shall be transported in a portable magazine having wood walls of at least 1-inch (25.4 mm) nominal thickness.

10-3.3 transportation of more than 50 lb (22.7 kg) of smokeless propellants in a private vehicle is prohibited.

10-3.4 Commercial shipments of smokeless propellants in quantities not exceeding 100 lb (45.4 kg) are classified for transportation purposes as flammable solids when packaged according to U.S. Department of Transportation Hazardous Materials Regulations (Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 173.197a), and shall be transported accordingly.

10-3.5 Commercial shipments of smokeless propellants exceeding 100 lb (45.4 kg) or not packaged in accordance with the regulations cited in 10-3.4 shall be transported according to U.S. Department of Transportation regulations for Class B propellant explosives.

10-3.6 Smokeless propellants shall be stored in shipping containers specified by the U.S. Department of Transportation Hazardous Materials Regulations.

10-3.7 Smokeless propellants intended for personal use in quantities not exceeding 20 lb (9.1 kg) may be stored in original containers in residences. Quantities exceeding 20 lb (9.1 kg) but not exceeding 50 lb (22.7 kg), may be stored in residences if kept in a wooden box or cabinet having walls of at least 1-inch (25.4 mm) nominal thickness.

10-3.8 Not more than 20 lb (9.1 kg) of smokeless propellants, in containers of 1 lb (0.45 kg) maximum capacity, shall be displayed in commercial establishments.

10-3.9 Commercial stocks of smokeless propellants shall be stored as follows:
a.Quantities exceeding 20 lb (9.1 kg), but not exceeding 100 lb (45.4 kg), shall be stored in portable wooden boxes having walls of at least 1-in. (25.4 mm) thickness.
b.Quantities exceeding 100 lb (45.4 kg), but not exceeding 800 lb (363 kg), shall be stored in nonportable storage cabinets having walls of at least 1-in. (25.4 mm) thickness. Not more than 400 lb (181 kg) may be stored in any one cabinet, and cabinets shall be separated by a distance of at least 25 ft (7.63 m) or by a fire partition having a fire resistance of at least 1 hour.
c.Quantities exceeding 800 lb (363 kg), but not exceeding 5,000 lb (2268 kg), may be stored in a building if the following requirements are met: 1.The warehouse or storage room shall not be accessible to unauthorized personnel.
2.Smokeless propellant shall be stored in nonportable storage cabinets having wood walls at least 1-in. (25.4 mm) thick and having shelves with not more than a 3 ft separation between shelves.
3.No more than 400 lb (181 kg) shall be stored in any one cabinet.
4.Cabinets shall be located against walls of the storage room or warehouse with at least 40 ft (12.2 m) between cabinets.
5.Separation between cabinets may be reduced to 20 ft (6.1 m) if barricades twice the height of the cabinets are attached to the wall, midway between each cabinet. The barricades shall extend at least 10 ft (3 m) outward, shall be firmly attached to the wall, and shall be constructed of 1/4-in. (6.4 mm) boiler plate, 2-in. (51 mm) thick wood, brick, or concrete block.
6.Smokeless propellant shall be separated from materials classified by the U.S. Department of Transportation as flammable liquids, flammable solids, and oxidizing materials by a distance of 25 ft (7.63 m) or by a fire partition having a fire-resistance of at least 1 hour.
7.The building shall be protected by an automatic sprinkler system installed according to NFPA No. 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems.

d.Smokeless propellants not stored according to (a), (b), and (c) above shall be stored in a type 4 magazine constructed and located according to Chapter 6.

Reprinted with permission from NFPA 495-1992, Code for the Manufacture, Transportation, Storage and Use of Explosive Materials, Copyright 1992, National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA 02269. This reprinted material is not the complete and official position of the NFPA on the referenced subject which is represented only by the standard in its entirety.

 

[jchip123]

I think you are right about it being a recommendation only, but what do I know.

 

[dennishoddy]

A lot of the NFPA regs are adopted by different agency's to become law.

The electrical code pretty much follows it. DOT follows it.
It wouldn't surprise me how much of it is actually law.

As far as the powder transportation, it would fall under DOT?

 

[Fyrtwuck]

I can't find it at the moment, but BATFE addresses powder storage too. Basically they push it back to the "Authority Having Jurisdiction" and the fire codes they adopt.

It can get confusing. Okc (before I retired) was operating under the International Fire Code. If you were to take a drive up to Tulsa, they could very easily have adopted a totally different fire code.

In Okc Municipal Ordinances, the Fire Code is adopted under Chapter 20. A lot of the IFC makes reference back to the NFPA regs.

 

[Sanford]

I stay within the recommendations for home storage solely to keep my insurance company from being able to point to them as a reason to refuse or limit coverage.

 

[swampratt]

I see no recommendations for home storage quantity only I see how much can be stored together in a container.
That is the way I read it.

 

[Sanford]

I see no recommendations for home storage quantity only I see how much can be stored together in a container.
That is the way I read it.

Referring to this paragraph?

10-3.7 Smokeless propellants intended for personal use in quantities not exceeding 20 lb (9.1 kg) may be stored in original containers in residences. Quantities exceeding 20 lb (9.1 kg) but not exceeding 50 lb (22.7 kg), may be stored in residences if kept in a wooden box or cabinet having walls of at least 1-inch (25.4 mm) nominal thickness.

I read it as a max of 50 pounds if you store it in the box, less if you store it in the original container. If your reading is that those don't constitute the min/max requirements for residential storage, the previous paragraph probably needs to be considered too.

10-3.6 Smokeless propellants shall be stored in shipping containers specified by the U.S. Department of Transportation Hazardous Materials Regulations.

Oddly enough, even though it references DOT specifications it's explicitly about storage - and since it's the first mention of storage, it's probably intended to be the "default" with everything following it to be exceptions. I've never researched DOT specs so haven't a clue what those are, though.

(edit - a quick DOT Smokeless Powder search turned up these links, haven't read them completely to try and figure out what they mean, though)

49 CFR 173.171 - Smokeless powder for small arms.
49 CFR 173.56 - New explosives
49 CFR 173.58 - Assignment of class and division for new explosives.