AccurateShooter.com accurateshooterforum Ignored my objection to violations to fire code and punishment by banning me from forum.

Storage of 1,200 pounds of smokeless powder and 200,000 primers in a private residence basement is dangerous and is contrary to existing fire code (Maine Title 25) unless approved by authority and approval is doubtful as this is a private residence - see precautions for powder storage over 800 pounds. Is an oil burning furnace in the basement? Sprinkler system in basement? Powder & prmers in same resticted location?

The storage of these items makes for a serious risk of unintended injury or death for others. The owner has contempt for Title 25 ("shove Title 25") and shows disergard for any consequences caused by a fire or explosion.

For example, volunteer fire fighters in the process of dealing with a minor emergency when the 1,200 pounds of smokeless powder and 200,000 primers ignite only feet below them in the basement. Visiting guests would be included.

Accurateshooterforum moderators have no problems with this. 

It's the 200,000 primers and 1,200 pounds of smokeless powder stored in a private residential basement located in Maine, business again. This is in violation of Maine's fire code and has the potential for loss of property or life. In the event of a fire the combination of the 200,000 primers and other flammable materials could cause a detonation vs. combustion. 

I believed I had an obligation to report this situation. I chose to make a report to the Maine Governor's Office. I elected to report this situation to the Governor's offcie as the offender or individual storing the powder and primers stated that the Maine State Fire Marshal had knowledge of the 200,000 primers & 1,200 pounds of powder stored in the private residence (building occuped by people).

Governor Mills has ignored my complaint that was made on September 3, 2020. My next step will be to file a Freedom of Information request with the Maine Fire Marshal's office asking for information regarding exceptions to the existing fire code that would permit storage of 200.000 primers (an explosive) and 1,200 pounds of smokeless powder (a propellent classified as an explosive) in a residential basement. 

Generally, I have a poor opinion of Accurate Shooter Forum and this would include the forum moderator that chose to identify my complaint as a "threat" and ban me from the forum. I believe this is a violation of my 1st Amendment right to free speech. I made no "threat" and did not make any obscene comments. I received disparagement as a senior and was threated with a dog attack. My identity and location was published and I was wrongfully associated with a group involved with organized illegal rioting.

Storage regs for 800 & more pounds of smokeless powder for commercial purposes:

In building having controlled access

Contained in fixed wood cabinets having 1 inch thick walls

Maximum 400 pounds in each cabinet

Cabinets fixed against walls of structure and separated by minimum distance of 40 feet.

Cabinet distance may be reduced to 20 feet provided cabinets are separated by barriers midway between cabinets, extending 10 feet from wall and barriers are to be constructed using 1/4 inch boiler plate & 2 inches of insulating material like wood, brick.

Powder cabnets shall be separated from other flamable material by a distance of 25 feet or a barrier having a fire resistance of 1 hour (what about the 200,000 primers?).

The building shall have an automatic sprinkler system.

Accurateshooterforum has a super abundance of experts in all aspects of shooting sports that pick on tiny details. Many members have engineering or technical backgrounds. The moderator that banned me claims to be a graduate of Harvard Law School (HLS). 

This situation involved an individual who claimed to have 1,200 pounds of smokeless powder and  200,000 primers stored in his residential basement - sprinkler system?, cabinet separation?, barriers?, living feet above the powder & primers?, 200,000 primers (40 cases of 5000 each) in same space? I think many members were aware of the potential for a major catastophic event but chose to remain silent, fearing expulsion from the forum. Many readers will come away from this incident thinking smokeless powder is no more dangerous than salad oil and primers are no more dangerous than caps used in toy cap guns (probably restricted because of accidents involving children).

This is censorship and violation of free speech. A vigorous discussion should have happened that would have shown why precautions for powder storage are required with references of various accidents. There was no discussion because of censorship and fear of reprisal in the form of banishment by forum managers and condemnation and rejection by other members. Safety is a touchy subject at accurateshooterforum. 

Censorship enforced by expulsion and condemnation run accurateshooterform - an online platform that is intended for users to create and share content with free speech protected.

I just read a report that detailed the potenital for smokeless powders to explode rather than burn.

From the report - "Broad assertions that propellant powders require confinement to produce explosions  is a gross simplification and fundamentally inaccurate"

Various smokeless powder accidents were analyzed; one occured in Finland (Lapua) where 700 Kg (1,540) pounds of powder exploded rather burn. The powder was a fine grain powder used for loading .22LR ammo. 

Studies and tests have shown under certain circumstances like grain size, heat, chemical composition, and detonator force, the powder will explode rather than burn.

In the situation where 1,200 pounds of powder and 200,000 primers were stored in a confined residential basement having the potential of close proximity of powder and primers a huge fire or possibility of an explosion exists. No mention was given as to storage containers.

I am not an explosives expert but have had some training in shipboard fire fighting and the remedies to prevent explosions in magazines was to seal off the space and flood the magazine. 

Primers can be detonated by impact, static electricity, and heat. They are packaged in containers where each primer is contained within its own small plastic pocket - this is done to help prevent a chain reaction explosion.  In the event of heat the containers would melt or burn.

Having both powder and primers in the same confined residential basement space has a big potential for a disaster. Flaming debris might be ejected 100's of feet into dry flamable vegitation or debris. 

Where the 1,200 pounds of powder and 200,000 primers actually stored in a residential basement?

Regardless, stored or not stored - the "experts" running the forum should have condemed this situation but instead attempted to blow it off.

Add ignorance to disregard for free speech/1st amendment. 

Concerning another item - not the 1,200 pounds of powder and 200,000 primers.

Accurateshooterforum removed  2 of my posts regarding malware and spyware. The reason given was they were "confusing". 

Accurateshooterforum is an online platform that is entirely dependent on internet access and members need to discuss internet security and privacy but this subject was blocked by forum mangement for some arbitrary reason.

My past access to links contained in accurateshooter.com resulted in warnings from Windows Defender of an extreme nature.

None of my entries to accurateshooterforum were "obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, excessively violent, harassing, or otherwise objectionable. I did, however address safety issues, not popular to forum mangement and members and was ultimately punished by removal. I had lewd, excessively violent and objectional content directed towards me. 

From the executive order:

"Online platforms are engaging in selective censorship that is harming our national discourse. Tens of thousands of American's have reported, among other troubling behaviors, online platforms "flagging" content as inappropriate, even though it does not violate any stated terms of service, making unannounced and unexplaned changes to complex policies that have the effect of disfavoring certain view points; and deleting content and entire accounts with no warning, no rationale, and no recourse."

"For the puirposes of this order, the term "online platform" means any website or application that allows users to create and share content or engage in social networking, or any general search engine"

My posts regarding the storage of 1,200 pounds of powder and 200,000 primers were deemed contrary to some forum policy. I received no support from forum management on a critical safety item, was presented with a "deal" and then not provided with an opportunity to respond making the "deal", an ultimatum, followed by deletion of my content and account. I faced contempt for being a senior, and was erroneously linked to a radical and extremist group responsible for riots by other members in an effort to discredit me and my standards to facilitate my removal from the forum. 

1,200 lbs of smokeless powder and 200,000 primers is an extremely large amount of hazardous material to store.

Title 25 of the Maine fire code states that the limit of smokeless powder and primers shall not exceed 50 pounds and 10,000 unless permitted by authority of the state fire commissioner. 

The moderator of the forum who became involved in this situation claims to be a lawyer and a graduate of Harvard Law School (HLS) 

To consider:

I referenced Title 25 several times and was told I could "shove Title 25" by the member. I stated the state fire marshal should be informed of the storage and effect penaties or removal if not allowed by exception.

The moderator accused me of making false allegations and claimed that "local regulations allowed for this storage".

Other than telling me to "shove Title 25" no response was made to my references to Title 25 including the HLS graduate. Like "I have an exception granted by the state fire commissioner" or " the member has an exception granted by the state fire commissioner"

I was alleged to be a member of a very unpopular and hated group by almost all forum members then identifed and threatened - "my bull dog will chew you up BLM Petey".

I was identifed and addressed as "old man" showing contempt of seniors.

I fear reprisal and harassment by some of the 1000's of forum members.

1,200 pounds of powder and 200,000 primers had an approximate value of $45,500 prior to the present shortage and is worth more now. Private storage of these materials could be part of a plan to sell the powder and primers. No exception to Title 25 was shown that would allow storage of the powder and primers for private sale. 1,200 pounds of powder and 200,000 primers could be used to make 200,000 rounds of ammo having a value of approximately $120,000 or more during the present shortage.

The accurateshooter forum moderator, HLS attempted to blow this away by claiming the storage was allowed by local regulations. 

The member who claimed to have 1,200 pounds of powder and 200,000 primers now states he has only the allowed amount - 50 pounds of powder and less than 10,000 primers and stated that I would look "stupid" of any inspection found only the allowed amount.

That member claimed the state fire marshal had knowledge of the 1,200 pounds of powder and 200,000 primers and had no problems - is this true ?

Was an exception granted to allow storage of 1,200 pounds of powder and 200,000 primers? If so, why did the member now claim to have only 50 pounds of powder and less than 10,000 primers?

Accurateshooter forum appears to be some sort of network for clanish individuals operating under questionable circumstances. Forum management has no problems with this.

This situation and probably others has a potential for loss of life of innocents like volunteer fire fighters. Having no confidence in forum management to act responsibly, I contacted the Maine office of the governor.  

Accurateshooter forum needs to be shut down.

I wish to update the original report.

The forum member that first claimed to have 1,200 pounds of powder and 200,000 primers later informed me that he only had 50 pounds of powder and less than 10,000 primers - permitted by Title 25. I don't know if 1,200 pounds of powder and 200,000 primers actually were stored but the member admitted to storing them, in violation of Title 25- exageration and bragging?

Accurateshooterforum has a section where members may buy and sell items. There have been repeated acts of fraud commited on members by criminals infiltrating the forum posing as members. Forum management occasionally posts warnings and bans the criminals but recovery of funds is almost impossible - tracking locations and indivuduals is next to impossible.  Forum managment maintains buy/sell records for each member. The criminals infiltrate the forum, make innoculous comments sometimes for months then offer extremely low prices on items. Members repeatedly are scammed and recovery of funds is next to impossible.

I am most disturbed about the 1,200 pounds of gun powder & 200,000 primers. If set off, a massive fire would result. The worst case situation would be if volunteer fire fighters showed up to put out small fire and shortly after arriving, the massive cache of powder & primers ignited. The point is, that forum administrators attemped to blow this off by suggesting the privately stored powder cache was permitted by local ordinance and that I was making a false allegation. Title 25 if Maine's fire code is very specific. Waivers for exceeding 50 pounds of powder and 10,000 primers may be granted by a state fire commision and there was no indication that this was done.

Currently there is a nation wide shortage of powder and primers. Possession of powder/primers for private sale would bring in major amounts of money. 1,200 pounds of powder and 200,000 primers could be used to manufacture 200,000 rounds of ammo having a street value of $120 to $150 thousand. Unregulated sale of powders could be a hazard because of deterioration, blending, and mislabeling. Manufacuring ammo for sale requires a permit. Forum management has never advised members of these restrictions or hazards. Forum management avoids subjects like hazards and legalities of powder storage, fire codes, and other regulations as shown by suggesting the storage of this huge cache of explosives was permitted by local regulations. Did the cache of 1,200 pounds of powder and 200,000 primers actually exist, if so for what purpose?

The member who claimed to have the powder and primers in storage stated that the state fire marshal observed these materials and previously saw some 800 pounds of powder but did not have any problems with the excessive amount stored. The forum member who at first claimed to have the 1,200 pounds and 200,000 primers later informed me that in the event of any inspection the pemitted amount of 50 pounds and 10,000 primers would be found and I would look "stupid". Did 1,200 pounds and 200,000 primers actually exist? Did the state fire marshal actually observe the 1,200 pounds of powder and 200,000 primers, a violation of Title 25? This is much like claiming you commited an offense then later claiming you did not commit the offense - just joking? Forum management needs to control posts that allude to illegal acts, not find excuses like "local regulations permitted this".

Claiming the state fire marshal saw the 1,200 pounds of powder and 200,000 primers leads to a big problem - if the storage was illegal the fire marshal should have had these materials removed. Or was the claim to have 1,200 pounds of powder and 200,000 primer and being frendly with the state fire commisioner just a boast? Forum mangement has some obligation to determine what actually happened.

The usual snarky and insulting comments were directed to me. Disparaging remarks relating to seniors were made. Including me in a group that is extremely unpopular with forum members was done. A threat was made - "my bull dog will chew you BLM up, Petey". Has forum management banned this member? The member informed me that he knew my name and location, now I fear harassment and other retaliation from some member of the 10's of thousand forum members.