Montana Code Annotated 2023

TITLE 50. HEALTH AND SAFETY

CHAPTER 61. FIRE SAFETY IN PUBLIC BUILDINGS

Part 1. General Provisions

Restrictions On Storage Of Smokeless Powder And Small Arms Primers

50-61-121. Restrictions on storage of smokeless powder and small arms primers. (1) A retail establishment may stock up to 400 pounds of smokeless powder on the premises of a building with a sprinkler system or 200 pounds on the premises of a building without a sprinkler system if storage of this stock conforms to the following conditions:

(a) no more than 20 pounds are on display in a customer service area;

(b) the storage area is clearly posted as off limits to customers;

(c) the storage area is clearly posted prohibiting smoking or any open flame or sparks; and

(d) the storage area is a room designed and constructed to restrict smoke travel that is separate from the customer service area, that has a self-closing entrance door, and that conforms to one of the following:

(i) It is constructed of material sufficient to achieve a 1-hour fire resistant-rated barrier between the storage area and the customer service area. The smokeless powder must be stored in cabinets made of wood or equivalent material that is at least 1 inch thick, and each cabinet must contain no more than 200 pounds of smokeless powder. Cabinets must be separated by 25 feet.

(ii) It is protected by a fire suppression sprinkler system approved by the state fire prevention and investigation section of the department of justice or a chief of a governmental fire agency organized under Title 7, chapter 33, or the chief's designee, and the storage area has cabinets as provided for in subsection (1)(d)(i).

(iii) Smokeless powder stock is contained in a cabinet with casters and constructed of wood at least 1 inch thick that is covered on all sides with 5/8-inch sheetrock.

(2) A retail establishment may stock up to 250,000 small arms primers if storage of this stock conforms to the following conditions:

(a) no more than 20,000 primers in a building with a sprinkler system or 10,000 primers in a building without a sprinkler system are on display in a customer service area;

(b) the storage area must conform to the conditions imposed in subsections (1)(a) through (1)(d), except that no more than 125,000 small arms primers may be stored in one cabinet, and the minimum required separation between cabinets is 15 feet; and

(c) small arms primers are retained in packaging approved by the U.S. department of transportation.

History: En. Sec. 2, Ch. 506, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 21, Ch. 706, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 24, Ch. 449, L. 2007.