” I’m scared to death my rifles and handguns and their associated ammo will spontaneously explode one day.”
Several years ago in the village of Baltic, Oh., a guy kept his black powder and reloading stuff in an oven in his basement. One day his wife wanted to use the oven. The resulting explosion damaged the foundation. True story.
Black powder explodes, smokeless powder burns vigorously.
Grandpa Joe was a tough old cowboy with grizzled hair, chiseled features, and hands tougher than barbed wire. I’d sit on his lap while he rocked in his favourite old chair on the porch, and he’d tell me again and again that his secret to living a long life was to sprinkle a pinch of gunpowder on his oatmeal every morning.
I stopped believing his tall tales when I grew up, but Grandpa Joe lived on for many years, enjoying perfect health until the ripe old age of 107. He left behind 14 children, 30 grandchildren, 45 great-grandchildren, 25 great-great-grandchildren, and a 15-foot crater where the crematorium used to be.