[gsusd]

I place them in boxes all in a steel ammo can with some silicon pallets hopefully to sufficiently keep the moisture away.

Living in the west coast, how many years do you think my ammo will last?

are plastic zip bags under vacuum to store ammo a good idea?

[Rembrandt]

Probably no one has researched this more than the military.....what's good enough for them should work for you.

[M2 Carbine]

I mostly use 50 cal ammo cans but I'll use just about any air tight containers I have.
At present I am shooting ammo that's been in Mayonnaise and Pickle jars since 1993 and earlier.

Recently I ran out of ammo boxes agaim.:)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v135/Bell406_206B/reloadsinjars.jpg

[rcmodel]

Properly stored in moderate temperature, in steel GI ammo cans with good lid seals?

Maybe 100 years or more.

BTW: There is no need for desiccant packs in GI ammo cans with good seals.
The military doesn't use them.

The only way water can get inside a GI ammo can is if you put it in there before you latched the lid shut.

BTW: Steel ammo cans are the only way to fly if you store ammo in your home. They are designed to contain primer & case fragments in the event of a fire. Your local firemen will thank you if they ever have to put out a house fire at your address.

Those glass jars full of ammo scare me!

rc

[JohnKSa]

They are designed to contain primer & case fragments in the event of a fire. Your local firemen will thank you if they ever have to put out a house fire at your address.I read a study somewhere that indicated the normal protective gear worn by firemen is sufficient to prevent injury from UNCHAMBERED rounds cooking off in a fire.

I suppose it's a tossup as to whether the firemen that respond to your house fire will know that.

Obviously rounds that are actually chambered in a firearm are another story.

[mgkdrgn]

how many years do you think my ammo will last?


Properly stored (cool dry place) your grandchildren should be able to use it.

THE CMP purchased Greek 30-06 I'm shooting now in my M1 Garand was produced in 1973.

[sebtool]

Uh - ammo cans? Think about it - WWII surplus ammo is still being sold and shot on a regular basis. I've got a bit stored in ammo cans in my not always so dry basement, and it goes bang every time! Kept as cool and dry as possible, it should last indefinitely. Especially military ammo, as it's sealed a bit better.

[rcmodel]

This is true.

And consider that a bunch of that foreign WWII surplus ammo was not stored properly!

Much of it has been stored in hot warehouses, and ship containers, and damp bunkers, and god only knows where else over the last 60+ years.

Had it all been stored under ideal conditions, it would be in even better shape then it is now.

rc

[W.E.G.]

Quality ammo stored in a cool dry place will outlast you.

If you want the ammo to be trustworthy beyond the time of your demise, I recommend ammo cans, and original packaging.

[dfariswheel]

The biggest factor is storage conditions.
If the area has large temperature fluctuations, or it gets extremely hot, ammo can deteriorate no matter what its stored in.
Heat is more damaging.

There is ammunition made in WWI that's still shootable.

[Water Garden]

I store my ammo in USGI ammo cans with a couple of desi paks and forget about it. How long with it last... eh, easily 50 + years.

Note: I recently bought several boxes of 1940's (according to the box) 45acp that were in torn up, soiled boxes. The old fellow said they had been in his shed since the 50's and he no longer had use for them. The old mans shed had no door, a dirt floor and several holes in the roof. I fired every one of them after rubbing off all the crud.

[gunslinger387]

We may be Pal's but if Zombies chase us, I'm trip'n ya.

Love that signature line

I've got ammo from the mid 90 that got pretty hot in a garage for a few years that still shhots fine.

[Water Garden]

I few years ago I discovered a old box of norinco 223 that was in my truck box. I estimate that the ammo sat in my truck bed box during the summer and winter for at least 9 years. I sold that truck so I removed the bed box and placed it in my garage for another 7 years. Thats roughly 16years of no protection other than out of the rain. Not a dud in the box

[tkopp]

I have a case of 7.62x54r ammo made by the Bulgarians in the mid 60s. Wooden crate, steel cans so oxidized I have no idea what color they were painted, or even if they were. They half fell apart when I opened them.

Not a single dud in the 600 rounds I've fires so far. The rounds look new.

[Publius1688]

To answer the original question, storing ammo in sealed steel cans is sufficient. Dessicant packets, in the cans, is overkill as long as the ammo was dry when you put it in there. Vacuum sealed bags are overkill, too- ammo cans suffice.
If you own an air conditioned home, especially one with a hardwired dehumidifier, placing the ammo off the ground in an internal closet is fine as well.
All this applies to brass cased ammo stored in a climate controlled environment.
Ammo 'cached' (if you know what I mean, you know what I mean), is a seperate issue and really beyond our scope here. If that's your goal, do your research and you'll find what you need to know. Hint: ammo cans won't cut it alone.
As an aside: shotgun ammo is another thing entirely. I've seen shotgun shells left in the back of my truck for months fire, and shells left in my gamebag offseason go dud. No wisdom from me on the scattergun ammo.

[fastbolt]

Some interesting info available at this site:
http://www.saami.org/Publications/

This publication on the site may have some info relevant to your question:
http://www.saami.org/Publications/202.pdf

[JohnBT]

I know that ammo stored in the original cardboard box in a bedroom closet in a house with no AC in humid Virginia will easily last 20 or 30 years or more with no deterioration that I could tell.

The only ammo I've seen go bad was a half a box of .38 blanks that were purchased between 1945 and 1950. And I don't know how they were stored for the first 30 years, although they could have been in the attic with one of the guns for part of it. When I finally tried them they were all duds.

I seem to be the relative who gets all of the old guns and ammo when houses get cleaned out.

John

[makarovnik]

I store mine in a large tupperware container and throw in some desiccant packs. We frequently have 90+ humidity levels here but I've never had a problem with rust or excessive moisture in the house.

[Damon555]

The best way to properly store ammo is for everyone to put it in my closet!

[Shadow 7D]

Well all the ammo manufactures seem to store it in cardboard boxes in side of cardboard cases out of the weather. Should work for me.

[A-FIXER]

As only to add this to the mix while storing other things food,supplies the vac type space saver bags they show on tv where you put blankets in and vac the excessive air out they are sold at wally world in in the ironboards section at our local store the size I purchased are 1 1/2' x 3' and i've put my ammo in those just to keep the moisture away and not allow anymore to absorb the factory boxed pkgs cost was low and they hold alot of ammo you use a vac and it removes the interior air this maybe the ticket for you as well for you.

[M2 Carbine]

Those glass jars full of ammo scare me!

Why?

[M2 Carbine]

I read a study somewhere that indicated the normal protective gear worn by firemen is sufficient to prevent injury from UNCHAMBERED rounds cooking off in a fire.
There are always exceptions.

My gun shop burned down in 1995. Best guess there was 30+ thousand rounds in the shop.
In the past I've gone into great detail about the fire, so the short version is there were many bullet holes in stuff.
There were seven guns in the fire. All unloaded.
The bullets that passed through 50 cal ammo cans, walls, etc, were either loose in cans or in plastic or cardboard boxes in cans.

This can was not in the flames but close enough that about thirty 9mm burst.
The can was full of 9mm in plastic boxes.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v135/Bell406_206B/FRockchuckerand9mm.jpg

Powder cans, along with a couple Black Powder cans and WD40 can. The WD40 and Black Powder blew up.
Note the bullet holes in the two center cans. Those bullets had to go through at least a steel 50 cal ammo box before getting to those powder cans.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v135/Bell406_206B/F_powder_cans.jpg

[content]

Hello friends and neighbors // I use ammo cans at home with dessicant//

.22 ammo , about 400 rounds per ,in plastic peanutbutter jars in ammo can.

When going to range or to shoot skeet I use a 14"X 8"X 8" foam padded metal tool box with lock.