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Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: david86440 on October 17, 2009, 05:57:10 PM

Title: How/where do you store your ammo?
Post by: david86440 on October 17, 2009, 05:57:10 PM: I have kept the bulk of my ammo in an old wooden military box marked "CORP OF ENGINEERING U.S. ARMY DEMOLITION EQUIPMENT SQUAD". It looks like it contained blasting equipment and it's dated 1943. 40" X 17" x 17". I like it because of the locking hasps and it's a really heavy box.

Being a wooden box, it appears to suck up humidity and I'm worried about my ammo.

I transferred the ammo into a locking metal cabinet today, but now I'm wondering if I should install a dehumidifier in the cabinet to control moisture.

What do the rest of you guys do?
Title: Re: How/where do you store your ammo?
Post by: Majer on October 17, 2009, 06:02:43 PM: I use surplus military ammo cans, they are air and water tight, and they can be stacked so they take up less space. And you can label what is inside with a sharpie for ease of use. They used to be real cheap, but the prices have just about tripled.
Title: Re: How/where do you store your ammo?
Post by: tombogan03884 on October 17, 2009, 06:04:58 PM: Get some one pound desiccant packs from Midway, or Brownell's
Title: Re: How/where do you store your ammo?
Post by: Big Frank on October 17, 2009, 06:29:54 PM: I have army surplus ammo cans and an army footlocker in a 2nd storey bedroom. That's as far from the basement as I can get it. Whatever doesn't fit in the footlocker gets piled up next to it. The ammo shortage of the past year didn't affect me at all. :)
Title: Re: How/where do you store your ammo?
Post by: Badgersmilk on October 17, 2009, 07:09:49 PM: .30 cal. ammo cans with little 2' desicant packs in them, under our bed. ;D The bed's just the right height off the ground, it keeps the dog out of there, their out of the way, but quick to access as needed. ;)

Each can holds 7 box's of commercial .308 ammo.
Title: Re: How/where do you store your ammo?
Post by: m25operator on October 17, 2009, 07:12:35 PM: If it is an open box, like cardboard or paper, then it stays in the house, unopened tin cases, some in the house, some in the garage.
Title: Re: How/where do you store your ammo?
Post by: twyacht on October 17, 2009, 08:35:04 PM: If humidity is an issue, Home Depot sells different "Damp Rid" type products, dessicant is also a necessity for any climate except the Arizona desert.

My ammo is stored in milsurp ammo cans, with dessicant packs bought at the Army/Navy store, (we still have one), but can be bought at Cheaperthandirt, but available at many other places including Wally World.

You can keep your ammo in the wooden box, if you get some Tung Oil, and dessicant. Wipe down the box every 3 to 5 weeks inside and out, rotate your dessicant at least once a month.

Living in the Fl swamps, keeping your powder dry takes on a whole new meaning. With winter coming lower humidity helps.

Just my .02 cents
Title: Re: How/where do you store your ammo?
Post by: MikeBjerum on October 17, 2009, 10:20:36 PM: Our home is basically a two story that is sunk four feet in the ground. The gun room is on the lower level off the family room, and has heat/ac runs in it. The ammo is in boxes ... kinda ... all over the room.

It tends to look like an ammo section of a gun shop from time to time in there. I spread it out so I can find the different calibers easy. The most interesting is the selection of reload .45acp that is in plastic 3lb coffee cans with masking tape labels telling which gun it is loaded for.
Title: Re: How/where do you store your ammo?
Post by: TAB on October 18, 2009, 02:04:46 AM: metal cabinet in the garage.

its spilt between ammo cans, boxs/cases and pastic ammo holders ( reloads)

I do keep a small supply of 45 in the house, its for "piece of mind" if I go thru 2 mags from a 1911, chances are I'm all ready dead.

I would not want to be the 1st 16 guys thru the door ;D
Title: Re: How/where do you store your ammo?
Post by: blackwolfe on October 18, 2009, 09:23:38 AM: I keep mine in the surplus metal ammo cans, mostly in the basement that has a dehumidifier running if necessary. When I have the time I have an old metal cabinet that was a commercial flamable materials cabinet that I am going to sandblast and repaint to store ammo in. My upper floor is probably the driest in the house, but also gets very warm in the summer, even with AC and I worry about heat degradation over time.
I have a friend that bought a vaccuumm sealer at Sam's club and he uses it to seal his ammo. He says it works well. I'm thinking of doing the same.
Title: Re: How/where do you store your ammo?
Post by: jaybet on October 18, 2009, 09:59:07 AM: I don't have that much...it stays under the bed. That way I can "Go up in a hail of bullets". ;D
Title: Re: How/where do you store your ammo?
Post by: JC5123 on October 18, 2009, 10:25:50 AM: .50 Cal ammo cans with silica dessicant
Title: Re: How/where do you store your ammo?
Post by: Badgersmilk on October 18, 2009, 10:37:04 AM: Quote from: jaybet on October 18, 2009, 09:59:07 AM
I don't have that much...it stays under the bed. That way I can "Go up in a hail of bullets". ;D

In that I do the same (probably have around 6,000 rounds under there!)... Have you ever laid awake at night thinking...

What if there's a fire?!? ;D ;D ;D

RUUUUN!!!

Also makes me wonder... What if just ONE of them went off for some reason... :-\ ;D

"Really officer! That's what killed my wife! Just ONE round went off. It's crazy!"
Title: Re: How/where do you store your ammo?
Post by: Woody on October 18, 2009, 10:43:48 AM: I'm thinking of the vacuum seal too. I presently keep mine in Coleman coolers, with dessicant, after I tumble them.
Title: Re: How/where do you store your ammo?
Post by: Timothy on October 18, 2009, 10:53:50 AM: I don't keep much but what I have is right next to my vault. I'm not too worried about it. I've shot rounds that I've had for twenty or more years without a problem. Even the ones that I left in the shed for ten years were not a problem.

Shotgun shells I rotate and use up quickly.

Remember in a fire, the casing is going to go further than the bullet. It's the lighter part of the cartridge. I don't want to get hit by one by they aren't very balistic either.
Title: Re: How/where do you store your ammo?
Post by: bryand71 on October 18, 2009, 07:41:01 PM: Most are kept in the gun safe along with the guns, I do have a .30 cal ammo can with loose 12 ga. and 5.56 ammo. I need to buy some more .50 and .30 cal ammo cans at the next gun show though. I have reloads to do and nowhere to put them.
Title: Re: How/where do you store your ammo?
Post by: ericire12 on October 18, 2009, 07:50:27 PM: You guys have ammo ??? ;D
Title: Re: How/where do you store your ammo?
Post by: MikeBjerum on October 18, 2009, 07:51:05 PM: Quote from: ericire12 on October 18, 2009, 07:50:27 PM
You guys have ammo ??? ;D

Yep ... I'm a hoarder you know ;)
Title: Re: How/where do you store your ammo?
Post by: ericire12 on October 18, 2009, 07:52:08 PM: Quote from: m58 on October 18, 2009, 07:51:05 PM
Yep ... I'm a ho~~arder~~mo you know ;)

8)
Title: Re: How/where do you store your ammo?
Post by: Big Frank on October 18, 2009, 07:56:19 PM: Quote from: ericire12 on October 18, 2009, 07:50:27 PM
You guys have ammo ??? ;D
I have about 500 rounds of 5.56 just in one .50 cal ammo can. nah nah nah nah nah. :P When I couldn't fit any more boxes in the ammo can I started putting in ziplock bags with 100 rounds in them.
Title: Re: How/where do you store your ammo?
Post by: MikeBjerum on October 18, 2009, 07:57:12 PM: And a Glockphobe as well ;D
Title: Re: How/where do you store your ammo?
Post by: ericire12 on October 19, 2009, 07:46:07 AM: Quote from: jumbofrank on October 18, 2009, 07:56:19 PM
When I couldn't fit any more boxes in the ammo can I started putting in ziplock bags with 100 rounds in them.

Yeah.... Zip lock bags and/or Tupperware would probably be just fine