Powder purchase FTF?

[kalister1]

I wouldn’t say ENTIRELY useless. Live in a multi family dwelling or apartment and you are storing a crap ton of powder and it aids in burning down your neighbors townhouses/duplex/apartments it sure as heck is a liability against you for violating fire code.

IMHO it’s like safe storage of firearms around kids. I have no problem with there being a law saying you need to. You stupid enough to allow access to a kid who shouldn’t be trusted who hurts themselves or others, yeah I’ve got no problem with the gun owner being held civilly or criminally liable for that.

Just my 2 cents.

https://mdsp.maryland.gov/firemarsh...blic Safety Article Title 11 - Explosives.pdf


(2) A person may not possess or store explosives for use in firearms in
any quantity in multifamily dwellings, apartments, dormitories, hotels,
schools, other public buildings, or buildings or structures open for
public use.

 

[trickg]

I respectfully disagree with the information in post 6 above. I believe the intent of the reg is to establish limits per residence. Take a look at the context. Remember, fire code.

The rule is intended to regulate powder that is mass detonable, IE will all go up at once. Loaded ammo is not considered mass detonable.

You can respectfully disagree, but the law reads as it reads. I did mention that the spirit of the law was probably to limit it to 5 lbs per residence, but that's not how it reads.

I'm actually mindful of the law - I have more than 5 types of powder in 1lb canisters because I want choices when I reload, and at the time I purchased those powders, I was a reloading a fair bit, so I'd guess I'm storing a touch less than 5lbs currently.

What I would do would be to have up to 10lbs worth of powder containers IF they were full, leaving me with somewhere between 5-8 lbs. What I would not do would be to have loads more than that. I realize that it's a safety issue, both for those of us in the home, and for any firemen who may one day, God forbid, have to put out a fire in my home.

Besides, if the fire gets to that point in the house, my reloading area isn't terribly far from my gas furnace and water heater - there would be bigger issues to worry about than my smokeless pistol powder.

 

[lazarus]

the reg really isn't designed to limit how much powder a person holds, but rather define the point at which an approved storage magazine is required. It is in the fire code for residential structures, not in the criminal section like other regulations related to firearms. Also, there is a lower limit for multi family residences, defined as a building housing more than 2 families. I believe the limit is zero, but its been a while since I read it.

5 pounds sounds like a lot until you realize 5 or 6 pistol calibers plus 2 or 3 rifle, each with potential for a different powder. I have tried hard to standardize to one pistol powder and one rifle powder. Still working through the first pistol powder purchase, which does not work for 9mm.\

I respectfully disagree with the information in post 6 above. I believe the intent of the reg is to establish limits per residence. Take a look at the context. Remember, fire code.

Yeah, that’s my issue. I am just starting to get in to reloading. I think I can technically stay within the limits.

One powder will work for .223 and 6.5G. One will work for .308 and .30-06 M2 ball. I need H110 for .30 carbine. One will work for .38sp, 9mm and 9MAK. No idea what .32acp, 7.62x39 and 7.62 Tok take. Maybe overlap with the powders for the other calibers.

Odds are good I won’t reload for all of that. I am starting with 6.5G and will be getting stuff for 38sp shortly.

Unless you are reloading for only 1 or 2 calibers, 5lbs isn’t much. Sure that’s 1500rnds of .223 or 15,000 of .30-06. Not so much if you have a pound for this, a pound for that. Or heck doing some mass reloading. Less than 800 rounds of .308. Someone with a progressive could run through that in 2 or 3 hours reloading all their spent brass.

I can easily store some out in my shed 200ft from my house and also some in my house. I doubt I will be reloading most of my calibers unless prices for loaded ammo get stupid. I do plan to have the ability to reload all of them even if all I have are dies and a load worked out.

The ones I plan to do reloads for on the regular are 38sp, 6.5G, .30-06 Garand and maybe .30 carbine. That should allow me to stay at about 5lbs or less. A pound of pistol powder is going to last a few thousand rounds of 38sp and a pound of H110 is ball park 500 rounds of carbine. That’s going to take a few years to go through the later and probably a decade for the former.

.223/6.5G and .308/.30-06 I’ll probably use more than a pound a year in reloading and I don’t plan to do much .223 reloading. Maybe some match loads.

 

[dist1646]

FIFY.

I always thought it was funny how the law actually reads, because one would think it would be limited to 5 pounds per residence, but that's not what it says.


I would guess that the spirit of the law intends for it to be 5 pounds of power per residence, but with the way it reads, in my house, because I have 4 adults living there, combined, we're legally allowed to have 20 lbs, based on how the law reads. (Actually, we could have 40 lbs - 20 lbs of smokeless, 20 lbs of black.)

But aside from that, the ONLY time this even applies is if you have a fire and the powder causes damage beyond what the normal fire would have because of the powder. Otherwise, how would anyone know what you've got in your home?

Yet one more useless law that is impossible to enforce.

It reads "A person" not per person. Totally different meaning given the context.

 

[kalister1]

It reads "A person" not per person. Totally different meaning given the context.

OK, So I am "A Person", how would you describe my Wife?

 

[trickg]

It reads "A person" not per person. Totally different meaning given the context.

If it's meant to be per residence, or per dwelling, it should read that way. It doesn't, so it would be hard to make that as an argument in a court of law.

 

[dist1646]

OK, So I am "A Person", how would you describe my Wife?

Her highness and she who shall be obeyed!

 

[dist1646]

If it's meant to be per residence, or per dwelling, it should read that way. It doesn't, so so it would be hard to make that as an argument in a court of law.

Feel free to be the test case.

 

[kalister1]

Her highness and she who shall be obeyed!

That's how I describe her too!

Thank you for keeping it clean!

 

[kalister1]

Let's not forget how powder is packaged now.
I have Metal Cans (empty) with metal screw on lids from the 80s, these things are Bombs. Now everything is cardboard or plastic to prevent explosions.

 

[Allen65]

Let's not forget how powder is packaged now.
I have Metal Cans (empty) with metal screw on lids from the 80s, these things are Bombs. Now everything is cardboard or plastic to prevent explosions.

The metal cans aren't as unsafe as you might think. The thin sheet metal would tear and the cap would strip off long before pressure would build enough to accelerate the deflagration rate of the propellant significantly. Nitrocelluose's burn rate ramps up significantly with pressure, which is what makes it a good, safe propellant. It burns relatively slowly at room pressure (unlike black powder), but at chamber pressures it quickly burns to create a high pressure mass of gas to move a projectile.

 

[Uncle Duke]

The metal cans aren't as unsafe as you might think. The thin sheet metal would tear and the cap would strip off long before pressure would build enough to accelerate the deflagration rate of the propellant significantly. Nitrocelluose's burn rate ramps up significantly with pressure, which is what makes it a good, safe propellant. It burns relatively slowly at room pressure (unlike black powder), but at chamber pressures it quickly burns to create a high pressure mass of gas to move a projectile.

Exactly this. Smokeless powder containers, including the metal cans of yesteryear and the current plastic versions, all need and needed to be approved by the US DOT for the reasons mentioned.

 

[trickg]

Feel free to be the test case.

This is why I've said that it's a law/regulation that's difficult to enforce. We're afforded (per the US Constitution) our privacy, so as long as we're not breaking the law or acting shifty or shady in any other way, (and thus drawing the attention of law enforcement agecies) and you don't buy your powder in Maryland, (and therefore it isn't logged) the only way to "enforce" it would be the honor system for those who are purchasing and storing powder - i.e., knowing what the regulation is, and then choosing to abide by it, as I do.

Even if there's an issue because of a fire, it's going to be difficult to say that the conflagration was due to an excessive amount of stored smokeless gunpowder.

 

[rseymorejr]

So the limit is 5 pounds. How about if you have 10 containers half full?

 

[Allen65]

So the limit is 5 pounds. How about if you have 10 containers half full?

5 pounds is 5 pounds, no matter how it's apportioned amongst containers.

 

[THier]

5 pounds is 5 pounds, no matter how it's apportioned amongst containers.

Unless your "container" is single serving size, I prefer .45acp

 

[Shamr0ck]

— snip —

we're not breaking the law or acting shifty or shady in any other way, (and thus drawing the attention of law enforcement agecies) and

bold

you don't buy your powder in Maryland, (and therefore it isn't logged)

/bold

the only way to "enforce" it would be the honor system for those who are purchasing and storing powder - i.e., knowing what the regulation is, and then choosing to abide by it, as I do.



Even if there's an issue because of a fire, it's going to be difficult to say that the conflagration was due to an excessive amount of stored smokeless gunpowder.

I thought the powder log had long been done away with...


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[trickg]

I thought the powder log had long been done away with...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I wouldn't know. I've bought exactly two pounds of powder in Maryland because I didn't like the idea of my powder purchases being logged. If they have since fine away with that regulation I wouldn't know because I don't buy my powder here.

 

[fabsroman]

Yeah, that’s my issue. I am just starting to get in to reloading. I think I can technically stay within the limits.

One powder will work for .223 and 6.5G. One will work for .308 and .30-06 M2 ball. I need H110 for .30 carbine. One will work for .38sp, 9mm and 9MAK. No idea what .32acp, 7.62x39 and 7.62 Tok take. Maybe overlap with the powders for the other calibers.

Odds are good I won’t reload for all of that. I am starting with 6.5G and will be getting stuff for 38sp shortly.

Unless you are reloading for only 1 or 2 calibers, 5lbs isn’t much. Sure that’s 1500rnds of .223 or 15,000 of .30-06. Not so much if you have a pound for this, a pound for that. Or heck doing some mass reloading. Less than 800 rounds of .308. Someone with a progressive could run through that in 2 or 3 hours reloading all their spent brass.

I can easily store some out in my shed 200ft from my house and also some in my house. I doubt I will be reloading most of my calibers unless prices for loaded ammo get stupid. I do plan to have the ability to reload all of them even if all I have are dies and a load worked out.

The ones I plan to do reloads for on the regular are 38sp, 6.5G, .30-06 Garand and maybe .30 carbine. That should allow me to stay at about 5lbs or less. A pound of pistol powder is going to last a few thousand rounds of 38sp and a pound of H110 is ball park 500 rounds of carbine. That’s going to take a few years to go through the later and probably a decade for the former.

.223/6.5G and .308/.30-06 I’ll probably use more than a pound a year in reloading and I don’t plan to do much .223 reloading. Maybe some match loads.

Yeah, try reloading for shotgun. With 18 grains per shell, that gets you around 400 shells per pound of powder. I can turn out about 250 to 300 shells on my press in an hour. When I was shooting a lot, I was shooting 250 to 500 rounds a week. That is a lot of powder, shot, primers, wads, etc.

Then, try reloading for different gauges wherein you have to use Clays for the 12 gauge, Universal Clays for the 20 gauge, and International Clays for the 28 gauge and .410. Oh, you happen to be a rifle and pistol reloader too?

Good luck staying within the 5 pound limit. It can be a real struggle sometimes. When we were living in a townhouse, I could not reload anything in the townhouse. So, I had to go over my parents' place to do my reloading.

The thing that really bugs the hell out of me is that there is no carve out for a storage area outside of a residence. For instance, why can't I store more than 5 pounds of powder in a tool shed a specified minimum distance from a dwelling?

 

[lazarus]

Yeah, try reloading for shotgun. With 18 grains per shell, that gets you around 400 shells per pound of powder. I can turn out about 250 to 300 shells on my press in an hour. When I was shooting a lot, I was shooting 250 to 500 rounds a week. That is a lot of powder, shot, primers, wads, etc.

Then, try reloading for different gauges wherein you have to use Clays for the 12 gauge, Universal Clays for the 20 gauge, and International Clays for the 28 gauge and .410. Oh, you happen to be a rifle and pistol reloader too?

Good luck staying within the 5 pound limit. It can be a real struggle sometimes. When we were living in a townhouse, I could not reload anything in the townhouse. So, I had to go over my parents' place to do my reloading.

The thing that really bugs the hell out of me is that there is no carve out for a storage area outside of a residence. For instance, why can't I store more than 5 pounds of powder in a tool shed a specified minimum distance from a dwelling?

Yeah, that bothers me too. I’ve got a perfectly good shed 200ft from my house. No reason I couldn’t store 5lbs out there too. Or more. Or heck, what if you had two homes.