NO MORE POWDER ON THE SHELVES

[MTlager]

During the holidays was in Helena MT and making the rounds to some of the local sporting goods stores. Went in Bob Wards to check on there powder supply and noticed there was no gun powder on the shelf. I asked the guy behind the gun counter where there powder was. He said, "there's a new fire marshal in town" and he made them pull all the powder off the shelves and they had to keep it in the back room !! Fire code ! How the heck you supposed to sell powder when you can't display it ? Go over to Sportsman Warehouse and they have a few "empties" sitting on the shelf. Fire Marshal hit everybody in town ! Them being a bigger store they could put 20# on the shelve and only have a total of 400# in the building. So you have to ask if they have a can of say, 4895, then they have to go to the back room and look. What a pain. With Helena being the state capitol I wonder if our not so honorable Governor has anything to do with this nonsense ?

Lonnie

 

[AJC]

Is it a new ordinance that began at the beginning of the year or just arbitrary enforcement of something on the books already?

 

[Mulligan]

Noticed the same thing when I was visiting family in eastern WA, Moses Lake, and Spokane gun shops said the same thing. The primer boxes on the shelf were also empty????
Some folks are scared of there own shadow.
CW

 

[spencerhenry]

Liberals will get their way, one way or another.

 

[Troy Goltz]

It has been that way at Scheels for a few years I think it is just getting standard in the industry. Nice part about Scheels is they have a lot of people working so it doesn't really bother anybody too much.

 

[ShootDots]

During the holidays was in Helena MT and making the rounds to some of the local sporting goods stores. Went in Bob Wards to check on there powder supply and noticed there was no gun powder on the shelf. I asked the guy behind the gun counter where there powder was. He said, "there's a new fire marshal in town" and he made them pull all the powder off the shelves and they had to keep it in the back room !! Fire code ! How the heck you supposed to sell powder when you can't display it ? Go over to Sportsman Warehouse and they have a few "empties" sitting on the shelf. Fire Marshal hit everybody in town ! Them being a bigger store they could put 20# on the shelve and only have a total of 400# in the building. So you have to ask if they have a can of say, 4895, then they have to go to the back room and look. What a pain. With Helena being the state capitol I wonder if our not so honorable Governor has anything to do with this nonsense ?

Lonnie

I do not live in Montana. However, Montana, once again, re-elected a Dem Senator, John Tester. I know that Tester is supposed to be "Pro-Gun" but that does not show how many Dems are elected in the State Legislator or Local politicians. My guess is that even though Montana is a "relatively" conservative state, there are obviously some liberal Dems in positions of power and authority. This is why elections always have consequences and WHY we need to ALWAYS vote! Evidently, the guy causing this problem is NOT very pro-gun! How did he get into that position??

 

[DirtySteve]

Red Rock in Miles City has powder on the shelf...

 

[dc.fireman]

Fire codes are based on the National Building Code (BOCA). The codes are updated every three years. For as far back as I can remember - at least back to 1990 when I began my journey with the fire service, for storage of smokeless powder over XXX lbs., it was supposed to be stored in a ventilated wooden magazine, in a separate outbuilding. I'm going based upon memory here, but I think it was anything over 125 lbs.

Primers were supposed to be kept in a separate wooden magazine.

Black powder had a separate, but lower storage limit.

Manufactured ammunition had a magazine requirement, but could be made of glass & metal, and the storage limit was significantly higher.

It sounds as if there is a new marshall in town, who is simply going by the book.

Just FYI.

 

[muleman69]

I do not live in Montana. However, Montana, once again, re-elected a Dem Senator, John Tester. I know that Tester is supposed to be "Pro-Gun" but that does not show how many Dems are elected in the State Legislator or Local politicians. My guess is that even though Montana is a "relatively" conservative state, there are obviously some liberal Dems in positions of power and authority. This is why elections always have consequences and WHY we need to ALWAYS vote! Evidently, the guy causing this problem is NOT very pro-gun! How did he get into that position??

Long story short do not turn your back on a Demo

 

[nmkid]

Empty cans here in Virginia on the shelves. At least where I go. No big deal, you go to the help desk, they check their stock, done. Plenty of primers on the shelves though. Surprise today, they even Fed GM primers!

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I do not live in Montana. However, Montana, once again, re-elected a Dem Senator, John Tester. I know that Tester is supposed to be "Pro-Gun" but that does not show how many Dems are elected in the State Legislator or Local politicians. My guess is that even though Montana is a "relatively" conservative state, there are obviously some liberal Dems in positions of power and authority. This is why elections always have consequences and WHY we need to ALWAYS vote! Evidently, the guy causing this problem is NOT very pro-gun! How did he get into that position??

If you did live in Montana you would not be surprised Tester wins.

 

[AJC]

Fire codes are based on the National Building Code (BOCA). The codes are updated every three years. For as far back as I can remember - at least back to 1990 when I began my journey with the fire service, for storage of smokeless powder over XXX lbs., it was supposed to be stored in a ventilated wooden magazine, in a separate outbuilding. I'm going based upon memory here, but I think it was anything over 125 lbs.

Primers were supposed to be kept in a separate wooden magazine.

Black powder had a separate, but lower storage limit.

Manufactured ammunition had a magazine requirement, but could be made of glass & metal, and the storage limit was significantly higher.

It sounds as if there is a new marshall in town, who is simply going by the book.

Just FYI.

Watched a video on this sight about how not dangerous all this stuff is when not in a gun. It was actually a fire fighting training video series. I suffered threw the entire series to get "educated" Seems like this is not based on the science.

 

[ShootDots]

If you did live in Montana you would not be surprised Tester wins.

You know Alex, it amazes me that very "rural", hunting and shooting states are sometimes more liberal than you would expect! I EXPECT California, New York (really the East and West Coasts) to be liberal. How do you explain Montana and New Mexico? I don't get it!

 

[ben lurkin]

Cities like Bozeman and Butte are very democrat and pro union. I work there occasionally and I'm rather taken aback by that since they seem to generally be fairly conservative otherwise.

 

[Someoldguy]

It seems most states have primarily a liberal influence in the cities and a conservative influence in the rural areas. Often the votes in the rural areas can not counter those in the cities. Ergo, the population centers dictate policy.

 

[AJC]

It seems most states have primarily a liberal influence in the cities and a conservative influence in the rural areas. Often the votes in the rural areas can not counter those in the cities. Ergo, the population centers dictate policy.

And as the population is and has been driven to city life by the reduction in manpower to farm along with other labor intensive rural jobs it only gets worse. Lest i digress and drag this further off topic

 

[IdahoSharpshooter]

not yet here in Idaho...

We would just remove the fire marshall from office. We still say "NO!" to liberals and dems here to date.
The US Constitution is still the law here.

 

[284winner]

You know Alex, it amazes me that very "rural", hunting and shooting states are sometimes more liberal than you would expect! I EXPECT California, New York (really the East and West Coasts) to be liberal. How do you explain Montana and New Mexico? I don't get it!

It's a disease. Kinda like EHD in a deer herd. Takes time to eradicate it but eventually we get it under control till the next time the disease hits an area.

 

[284winner]

I've been kinda lucky here in Michigan. Many locations that sell powder, do not have it most times I'm looking. I have a little honey hole shop I get mine at and although they do not sell it much in 8 lb jugs, I buy the one pounders. There prices are 10 year ago prices at 27.99 per pound for any powder I typically purchase. On top of that they offer me LE pricing which takes another few bucks off. Just picked up 3 lbs of RL 26 and 3 lbs of RL33. At around 150.00 OTD is real good considering they are one pound cans. Hoping they keep getting what I need on there shelves. I'm sure it will change as well.

 

[DHuffman]

Sportsmans Warehouse in Williston has been that way since opened, empty bottles on display. Scheels in Bismarck as long as I can remember as well. It is ridiculous but both stores are well staffed and it's not a problem to get someone to go check. Scheels used to keep an updated list of their stock over in the reloading section.

Runnings & HH in Bismarck have actual powder on the shelf as does the LGS across the river in Mandan.