Saving cartridge boxes

I take it you don't reload. I use them for reloaded ammo. Be prohibitive to sell and ship though.

Do you keep the brass as well?

I don't save factory ammo boxes. I hand load. I prefer plastic flip-top boxes for my loads.

The question is.... why do you feel compelled to save them? Do you plan to reload some day? If not, then what do you see as value in keeping them?

I have some very old ammo boxes from my grandfather, and I think they're neat. Modern boxes not so much, but you could save a couple and maybe in 50 years they'd be cool.......especially if they had a price sticker on the box. And showed that they contained lead. YourYgrandkids would be like "lead? Wow! The tree huggers got rid of that ages ago!"

I have some old, (50's, 60's and a few 70's) boxes I keep for nostalgia, and someday a man cave, , and I save boxes for reloading, but if I didn't, I wouldn't feel a compulsion to save more than the odd box, maybe from a memorable hunt or such. (Oddly enough, I haven't saved any of those, except the plastic one I have 16 of my 20 original .30-06 deer rounds in. The other four took deer. I don't even have a .30-06 currently.)

I pick up the empty boxes from pistol ammo the others leave. If they're in good shape, I refill them with my reloads. If they aren't, I use the plastic trays as loading blocks. Being a 'batch' reloader, they work well to charge a large number of cases without having to change over to the bullet seating operation.

I have kept what few I purchased and I use them for load development only. When I crank out 3-400 / hour I put them into old plastic jars such as peanut butter or instant coffee containers. Don't have time to reload the individual plastic trays when in mass production mode.

Curtism1 said:

I have kept what few I purchased and I use them for load development only. When I crank out 3-400 / hour I put them into old plastic jars such as peanut butter or instant coffee containers. Don't have time to reload the individual plastic trays when in mass production mode.

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Well, using an older Lyman turret press, you sure have me beat for speed.

Saved 50-round boxes come in handy for boxing bulk ammo that you buy, not just for self-reloaded ammo. E.g. I just bought some Fed Arms bulk packed (500 to the bag) 9mm reloads and repacked them in boxes I had saved. I could have divided the 500 up into plastic baggies I guess, but the boxes are nicer. When I go to the range, I like to know how many rounds I am taking for the shooting that I have planned. So I repack both my bulk 9mm and .22LR. Then I grab two boxes of each for a trip to the range. Also the indoor RSOs who check that you are not bringing in forbidden ammo types (steel or Al cases) react better to boxed ammo than ammo carried in a Tupperware or plastic bag. To their casual observation it looks like OEM packaging.

I throw trash out, brass goes in a cans and 5 gal bucket.

I like to save old ammo boxes...especially if they have something inside. Also keep some newer boxes for re-loads.

Chevelle SS said:

I do, except 22 of course.

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Then it’s once fired brass that likely will bring decent money if you sell it. Being in original boxes helps to ensure that it’s consistent within that lot. Most brass is only worth a fraction of the cost of loaded ammo, but it’s a cost recovery if you want it.

I don't save boxes unless they are old enough to be interesting. My hand loads go into MTM plastic boxes or 50 caliber ammo cans. Many reloaders do us factory boxes.

If I come across old ones, I save them as man-cave decorations. A friend took a bunch of newer ones, sliced them up with a box cutter to make them 2 dimensional, and used them to wallpaper the door to the bathroom in his hunting cabin.

We have a bunch of .22 target shooters at our club that shoot Eley, so I grab the boxes I find (added to the very few I buy and shoot) and put my bulk box stuff in them. Sure jazzes up the ammo can , seriously makes it easier to load five or ten at a time, and needs be, I could squirrel them all over. I also have some .22's in auto parts boxes sitting around the garage, I found some of the small parts boxes are the same size.

I tried using old boxes for reloads for a short time, but after a few uses I had some of them open up and spill inside my range bag. So I just splurged for the plastic reloading boxes and am happy with my decision.

My mrs says i have a problem with saving boxes...
I reluctantly throw away boxes that dont fold flat..
....of course i have boxes of flat-folded boxes.........??
...perhaps she is right.

I keep my AA boxes, (I'm considering reloading for Trap again, after a 30 year hiatus.) which don't fold flat. (The old ones did.... )I have a big box full of them, and another full of AA hulls. I also have several boxes of rifle and pistol boxes, as well as the aforementioned vintage boxes.

I have two shopping bags full of rifle/pistol caliber boxes that I either shot up or had pulled out of the trash cans at my gun club. I used to use em' for my reloads, but gradually started to buy the plastic ammo boxes like Bassjam.

I use the plastic inserts from 45 box's as loading trays.
The tray's are also used to hold lubed cast bullets, keeps them from
smearing lube all over.

That`s more of a personal issue. If there is a need, sure.