Storing Reloads in an ammo can?

Not a problem. The military has been doing it for decades. I do it too.

Perfectly safe. Not too attractive, but safe.

Preppers keep tons of loose ammo in military cans.

The only minus I see is the concentricity of some or many rounds will be altered with rounds hitting each other. If you aren't target shooting, probably no problem.

Better than those loose pack range buckets.

Good plan and I do it as well.
I've got plastic ammo boxes for about 900 45acp but I often have more than that loaded due to three or four bullet profiles and powder combos. My overstock goes in 30 cal cans until room to fill my range boxes.

I hope there's no problem with loose ammo in ammo cans! I keep one can a bit over half full of 45 ACP (much more than that and the can gets pretty heavy) and a nearly full can of 9mm. Both loose. This is my JIC ammo (Just in Case), a lot of rounds for grab and go...

I wouldn't put my high-BC tiny-meplat, tangent ogive precision match rifle rounds in them. I do put big piles of USPSA pistol ammo in them.

They were, after all, designed to hold big piles of ammo.

I use the GI 50 cal ammo cans, but keep the cartridges separated in plastic cases because I have different bullet types/weights and powders for intended use, i.e. plinking, range, hotter loads for my T/Cs, lighter loads for the the older guns.

Lemme think here. Is there any issue with storing reloads in an ammo can? Uh, reloads are ammo and an ammo can is made to store ammo in. Am I missing something here?

I just couldn't pass up the opportunity this post offered to be a bit frivolous and snarky.

I'm not a fan of just dumping ammo in loose, but I've been using milsurp ammo cans for about ever. It's what they're made for.

It won't be a problem. I have some loose ammo in ammo cans going back to 1994 that has not deteriorated at all. I made sure that my cans were clean and dry and just for kicks I sprayed the gasket with silicone spray. Target ammo should be treated more gentle.

Truthfully, I need to quit loading that much ammo. Somebody is going to have to deal with it after I'm gone!

I keep several...thousand ...in the coolest corner of my garage in ammo cans two high and double deep... and have for decades.



You’ll be just fine doing the same.

Stay safe..

I don't have any issues storing mine in ammo cans.

Just finished shooting the last 1000 of my 30 yo reloads stored in ammo cans.

Wellll…. there might be one little problem... the weight. don't put in more rounds than you're willing to carry. that's an issue for some of us old fluffs. But dissimilar metal is not an issue at all. The can is painted inside and out, so there's a fine buffer between metals.

Nothing wrong at all. Those cans with a good gasket are extremely air and water tight. I store them with desiccant packs and have yet to see any signs of moisture. Like others said though, I wouldn't store match grade or precision rounds in there without being boxed first.

Dissimilar metals will only create a galvanic cell if exposed to an electrolytic solution - meaning the interior of the can has to be paint stripped to be exposed at all, and then a salt-solution has to be introduced between the bullets and can to complete the cell. Keep your ammo dry and don’t sandblast the inside of your cans, and you’ll be fine. Recall - you have dissimilar metals in the ammo already, lead core in a copper jacket, steel anvil in a brass primer, copper jacket in a brass case... Keep it dry, and it’ll remain inert for generations.

No matter what you store ANY ammo in the keys words are 'COOL' and 'DRY'!!!

that is what ammo cans are make for, to store ammo in. it does not matter how you pack the ammo in. also coffee cans (plastic now) make good ammo cans too.

I like to use vacuum sealed plastic bags separating ammo into 50s or 100s, I also put a dissicant bag in each can. Be sure to mark the cans to make it easier to find your ammo for a range day, I found some 8 1/2 x 11 sheets of stickers and printed caliber on them, they look better than masking tape and marker.

I’ve kept a few thousand rounds of 30M1 Carbine in a GI can for decades now, hold overs from the days of teen age sons, all in their forties and fifties now.

Most of my stuff gets shot up too quick for storage to even become an issue. I’d rather store the components and load as necessary.

Looks like a lot of us do that. I like to put a card with load info into the can on top of the ammo, so I know exactly what it is.

CMP seems to think it's OK. I got 400 rounds of 30-06 shipped to me in CA, loose, in ammo cans. Both cans and contents arrived in good shape...

I like to polish finished rounds before storage in corn cob/walnut and polish, it helps keep the tarnish at bay. If it were me I would do that before storing.