Is there an Ammo Storage Limit?

I have it all, powder, primers, bullets, and so many loaded round I don't keep count, and a really don't worry about it. If there's a fire and I'm at home I grab a fire extinguisher and call the fire dept. Two houses down from lives one of the cities battalion chief and he's also a shooter. He's been in my house and saw all my reloading stuff and how it's stored. He commented that he was very glad I kept everything in wood cabinets and not in metal.

is there a limit as to how much ammo you can store/keep/stockpile?

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Is there a limit on how many books you can own?

Is there a limit on how many books you can own?

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Have you read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury?

Scott

SOME communities MAY have limits placed on flammables - check your local regs

Martyk said:

he was very glad I kept everything in wood cabinets and not in metal.

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Why?

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Wood cabinets will burn and vent any gas buildup from the burning powder or ammunition. Unvented metal cabinets could allow the build up of pressures that could cause a detonation and spread of burning material. The heavier and tighter the metal cabinet, the more such an occurance is likely.

Wood cabinets will burn and vent any gas buildup from the burning powder or ammunition. Unvented metal cabinets could allow the build up of pressures that could cause a detonation and spread of burning material. The heavier and tighter the metal cabinet, the more such an occurance is likely.

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Exactly, bullets will cook off but don't go far. If everything is in a metal cabinet it could easily turn into a bomb. That's one of the reasons they don't sell powder in cans any longer.

Yes, there is a limit. It's called "discretionary income".

There's a lot of misinformation here.

is there a limit as to how much ammo you can store/keep/stockpile?

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The answer is YES.


There is definitely a limit to the weight that your floor joists can structurally bare.
Also, if you have a concrete floor, basement, etc. you are still limited by the cubic-foot volume of the domicile you store the ammo in.

I know a guy who stacked his ammo cases in the shape of a couch and put a slip cover over the top of it.

he was very glad I kept everything in wood cabinets and not in metal.
Why?

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Then why do they recommend a metal powder magazine for black powder which IS an explosive, unlike gun powder?

oneounceload, that sounds like something you would use in the field (I don't know much about proper black powder unfortunately) and in the field I would not trust a wooden anything to survive all the abuse I go through, and consequently it would also go through.

Exactly, bullets will cook off but don't go far. If everything is in a metal cabinet it could easily turn into a bomb. That's one of the reasons they don't sell powder in cans any longer.

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Hmmm ... I never thought this was a problem before, but when I buy bulk ammo from Georgia Arms I generally leave it in the green metal ammo cans. Should I not be doing this?

oneounceload said:

he was very glad I kept everything in wood cabinets and not in metal.
Why?

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Then why do they recommend a metal powder magazine for black powder which IS an explosive, unlike gun powder?

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Black powder for small arms is considered a low explosive and tends to deflagrate rather than explode. Type 4 magazines are designed to contain up to 50 pounds of low explosives. Black powder packaged for use in small arms (no more than 1 pound per conductive plastic container) can be reclassed as a Division 4.1 Flammable Solid, the same classification as smokeless powder.

lebowski said:

Exactly, bullets will cook off but don't go far. If everything is in a metal cabinet it could easily turn into a bomb. That's one of the reasons they don't sell powder in cans any longer.

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Hmmm ... I never thought this was a problem before, but when I buy bulk ammo from Georgia Arms I generally leave it in the green metal ammo cans. Should I not be doing this?

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You're fine. Small arms cartridges will not ignite as a mass, but will function individually over time. I've seen hundreds of ammo cans that have been involved in fires and the most damage I've seen is bulged containers with several holes that provided self venting and kept the pressures to reasonable levels. A few cans did split open, but none that I saw actually fragmented. The gaskets also tend to melt in a fire, venting the cans.

There is definitely a limit to the weight that your floor joists can structurally bare. Also, if you have a concrete floor, basement, etc. you are still limited by the cubic-foot volume of the domicile you store the ammo in.

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Exactly. That's why I'm building a new barn.

I'm building a new barn.

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Hey me too!!
I erected the walls before I figured out the roof framing, so I've had four walls standing up for a couple weeks now. When done, it will change the wife and I's life as we know it!!

No I pretty sure that there is no limit on how much, but check your state regulations.

I know a guy who stacked his ammo cases in the shape of a couch and put a slip cover over the top of it.

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Points for creativity

Massachusetts has a limit of 10,000 rounds of rim fire ammunition, 10,000 rounds of center fire, and 5,000 rounds of shotgun ammunition.

But thats Massachusetts, for federal laws only for the primers and powder, I think 10,000 primers and 20 pounds of powder, then you have to have special storage, then you can double it.


Just like the guns, more than I need (at the moment) but not as much as I want (for the future).

idk who cares its not like getting caught with a illegal full auto or something

The only limit is that of money and space. The lack of either can be overcome with an abundance of the other.

chevyforlife21 said:

idk who cares its not like getting caught with a illegal full auto or something

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We care because we obey the law.

scottaschultz said:

Have you read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury?

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Of course, but it wasn't suppossed to be an instruction manual! Have you read 1984 by George Orwell? Even more appropriate these days.

crazy-mp said:

Massachusetts has a limit of 10,000 rounds of rim fire ammunition, 10,000 rounds of center fire, and 5,000 rounds of shotgun ammunition.

But thats Massachusetts, for federal laws only for the primers and powder, I think 10,000 primers and 20 pounds of powder, then you have to have special storage, then you can double it.


Just like the guns, more than I need (at the moment) but not as much as I want (for the future).

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I know some folks who should be glad they don't live in Mass.

Just for grins I reload 9mm and .45acp. I ran into a deal on .40 S&W a while back. then the sks, AR,etc. Lets just say if you count any centerfire.. I would be over 10k.