[psyprofessor]

For super long term storage of ammo....say 20 years.... I have heard the following:

1. Paint the back of the shell (primer) with varnish...to prevent it from rusting.

2. Store the above ammo in a military ammo box and place vaseline on the edges of the lid...to create a tight seal.

3. Place a small amount of "scoopable kitty litter" into a small mesh bag (someone recommended cutting up nylon stockings for this purpose) and placing it within the ammo box. It's purpose would be a "poor man's" substitute for decassent.

4. Place box in a dry cool environment.


Ok...what do you guys think??? I'm really curious about the idea of placing varnish on the back of the shell.

[WardenWolf]

PVC pipe. Seal one end with a cap and PVC glue, put whatever you want in it along with some dessicant, leaving empty space at the end of the pipe (in case you need to use a hacksaw to open it), and then put a cap on the other end with glue. There you go. Sealed container.

[rcmodel]

DO NOT paint the ammo with varnish!
It will only flake off and gum up the works when you try to shoot it.

Just put it in a sealed GI ammo can, and keep in a cool dry place.
The ammo will last longer then you will!

BTW: There is no need for Kitty Litter either.
The only way mosture can get inside a sealed GI ammo can is if it was already in there when you sealed it!

rcmodel

[oneounceload]

don't use varnish - if you really want to seal primers, use clear nail polish, (aka George & Roy's primer sealer)

[rcmodel]

But, you really don't want to seal the primers with any paint.

GI surplus is already sealed, and commercial stuff doesn't need it anyway, unless you plan on Navy SEAL'ing underwater with it!

rcmodel

[MAX100]

I have some shells that are about 30 years old and they have been stored in the box that they came in. I fired a few of them and they go bang.


GC

[GRIZ22]

Just fired a box of 357s I loaded in 1978 that were sitting in a closet for 30 years. No sealant, no ammo can, they all worked fine.

Sealed in an ammo can in a dry and relatively cool place should be all you have to do.

[RetiredLawman]

FWIW, I have some paper shells from the 1940s that look brand new. Just keep them in a gun safe. No special treatment. I also have some brass hulled shells from way back when?? They are slightly tarnished but no damage. Wipe the surface and they shine.

The only problems I have had with ammo is Remington 22 long rifles. They corroded in a fairly short period of time. I bought a brick of them and put them in my safe. Part of them were so corroded I had to toss them. I have a brick of Winchesters that I bought at the same time (my M77 likes Super X) and they are still like new.

JMHO, shotgun shells usually don't need anything but a dry storage area.

[kingpin008]

+1. Ammo is -not- so sensitive that all that rigamarole is necessary. Unload it into a USGI ammo can, maybe toss in a few dessicant packs, and be done with it. No need for vaseline, kitty litter, or any such.

[rcmodel]

maybe toss in a few dessicant packs,The U.S. military has never found it necessary to use dessicant packs in ammo cans.
So why should we need them?

Like I said earlier.
The only way mosture can get inside a sealed GI ammo can is if it was already in there before you closed the lid.

rcmodel

[Fred Fuller]

If the crimps aren't sealed, it does little good to worry about sealing primers IMHO. Military ammo cans do fine for storing shotgun shells long term, from .50 cans on up depending on how strong you are 8^) and how much room you have.

If you want the real thing, there is some Winchester military 00 available right now from a production overrun- http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=857119&t=11082005 or $219.95/case of 250 (plus shipping) from http://www.ammunitiontogo.com/catalog1/product_info.php/pName/250rds-12-ga-winchester-military-2-34-9-pellet-oo-buckshot/cName/12-gauge-buckshot .

hth,

lpl

[kingpin008]

The U.S. military has never found it necessary to use dessicant packs in ammo cans. So why should we need them?

RC - I said maybe. As in, you could if you wanted to. Chill out a bit, huh?;)

[Craft714]

I bought a box of reduced recoil (Remington) 20 years ago. I found some of them in a box of capming stuff and wondered if they would fire. YEP! All fired just fine. So 20 years (wow, I was 22 then) of rattling around in a box of stuff and they still worked.

Found a box of the Dreaded Black Tallons (9mm) from my academy days, 1993 and I bet they still work.

[JohnBT]

"1. Paint the back of the shell (primer) with varnish...to prevent it from rusting."

Brass (copper/zinc) and copper and such don't rust. They'll tarnish a little, but that's it. Iron and steel rust.

I buy paper shells when I run across them and they work fine even though they're usually between 40 and 70 years old and were probably stored on a closet shelf like most of my really old ammo. Sometimes it's a cheap way to get some 28 ga. shells

Why do so many people believe that ammo is delicate and fragile?

I have some ammo cans, but mostly for the convenience of stacking them. But I don't store my ammo outside in the rain like the military. Well, except maybe in a duck boat. I have had steel shells get wet enough for the steel pellets to rust into a solid mass.

John

[icebones]

the military never bothers with putting dessicant in ammo cans because small arms ammunition usually either gets used up, or after its shelf life is up, it gets tossed. i know, its my job. let me tell you, checking the lot# and DOM numbers on a igloo of 5.56 gets really old, really fast. just a gee whiz info. i still have paper shells too with the old school super x boxes. last time i checked they still shot good.

[CWL]

Keep vaseline away from the cans.

Ammo cans already have a rubber gasket on it to keep out moisture and other liquids. Vaseline can corrode it (same reason why vaseline should not be used to lube condoms!)

Vaseline can also melt in summer heat, it can migrate and get all over your shells and even into the primers.

The military ammo box is already a pretty good design, no need to do more with it.

[poco loco]

not the scoopable cat litter but the "crystals" silica gel cat litter.

It's the same product as a dessicant pack only in larger crystals. Crush it up a little for more surface area to enhance absorbtion, put in old pair of wifes hose and you're good to go.

[Milkmaster]

I knew a guy who buried some ammo for 10 years. He used brass hulls on his shotgun ammo instead of anything with steel hulls etc. He used a 4" pvc pipe with end caps glued on it (not the screw on type). He had one of those vacuum systems you would use for putting frozen food into the freezer. For an extra measure he did the vacuum pak thing on the ammo inside plastic bags. The test worked out fine according to him. I am not sure all that was necessary, but he did bury it all in the moist backyard dirt. The ten years idea was not his original intention. He dug it up because he was moving.

That all being said, I have heard of others burying guns in pvc pipe only to find the gun rusted later. I would say a lot depends how well it is sealed, climate, and day to day relative humidity for that area.

[chuckusaret]

The military ammo cans are the best for ammo storage. I have 10 gauge shells and some 44-40 rounds that have been stored in a wooden box for 50 years, they still go BOOOOOOOM. If you want to keep out any possible dampness use dessicant, its cheap

[onebigelf]

Keep vaseline away from the cans.

Ammo cans already have a rubber gasket on it to keep out moisture and other liquids. Vaseline can corrode it (same reason why vaseline should not be used to lube condoms!)

Vaseline can also melt in summer heat, it can migrate and get all over your shells and even into the primers.

The military ammo box is already a pretty good design, no need to do more with it.

Big time!!! Vaseline will ruin the gaskets. If you really absolutely feel the need to do something to the gaskets, wipe the with a VERY small amount of silicone grease. Shouldn't be necessary.

And stay away from the varnish. Sealer is only necessary if your ammo is going to be submerged. Extensively. I sometimes use a little thinned nail polish on primers, but it's in various colors that my wife tried and hated and I use it to mark different loads. Now friends wives, and particularly daughters, pass off their old polishes. The daughters particularly are a good source because they have all kinds of screwy colors.

John