Storing your ammo

Good Idea the silica gel packets.

Oh...and to re-emphasize...when you use Ziploc baggies, use the FREEZER baggies. They're plenty tough enough to handle the weight of 50 to 100 rounds that people typically bag up.

If you use the sandwich baggies...stand by, because they WILL tear!

You all have an impressive amount of ammo. Personally, I store the components, not large quantities of reloads. I do use the milsurp ammo cans to store primers, 5 gallon buckets to store brass and the original containers for powder and bullets. I load what I need as I need it.

I have had occasion to sell a gun for which I had a large quantity of reloaded ammo. Couldn't sell it so I ended up giving it away. Now I keep the components instead. Something to consider.

I discovered that the glue dries out pretty quickly on those Avery stickers.

I've gone to simply printing the "label" on a sheet of paper, and then using quality transparent tape to affix the label to the can. The transparent tape doesn't leave that crusty residue either. The Avery labels leave a crust when they dry-out and eventually fall off.

You haven't been storing ammo long if you haven't learned this lesson already.

W.E.G. said:

I discovered that the glue dries out pretty quickly on those Avery stickers.

I've gone to simply printing the "label" on a sheet of paper, and then using quality transparent tape to affix the label to the can. The transparent tape doesn't leave that crusty residue either. The Avery labels leave a crust when they dry-out and eventually fall off.

You haven't been storing ammo long if you haven't learned this lesson already.

Click to expand...

I don't do either. Brother P-Touch or Dymo labels for me, or equivalent!

http://www.brother-usa.com/ptouch/#.VPlbcMlOl7g

http://www.dymo.com/CategoryDisplay...pe=2&langId=&top_category=11501&storeId=20051

I use freezer ziplock bags with 250 to 500 rounds per bag, with the info written on the bag, and they are stored in either 5 gallon Home Depot buckets or I have a bunch of those big Rubbermaid outdoor style trash cans in my basement and the ziplocks go in there. I think they are 40 gallon trash cans, or something like that. Not the real tall ones with the wheels embedded, but the round grey ones with lids that snap on. My thinking with that is that if we get some flooding in the basement (hopefully never will) the trash cans are high enough that hopefully water will not rise high enough to over top the lids, and even if it does, hopefully the ziplocks will keep the ammo water-tight. The home depot buckets I use are up on a table, so hopefully water will not reach high enough to get in them. They are heavy enough (with their cargo of ziplocks full of ammo) that I can nudge them around the table but can't really pick them up and move them due to weight and my reduced leverage since they are up on a table.

For going to the range, I use the 50 cal ammo cans because there is enough room for magazines, an UpLula loader, and a ziplock or two full of ammo for that range trip.

Another storage option, I like the Ziploc containers with the snap on lid. Or maybe they're Glad brand, can't remember. I buy the rectangular ones that are about 1.5 pints in listed size. One will comfortably hold 120 .223s, 125-150 .38 Specials, about the same number of .45 ACPs (been a while), I think 100 .44 Magnum (stopped loading those about the same time as the .45s) and 200-rounds of 9mm. Perfect sizes for my storage needs and my typical range trips.

One caveat: be careful not to stack these more than 3 boxes high on each other. The plastic gets brittle over time and will crack. Luckily I've never had one spill rounds, but I don't chalk that up to any particular forward planning.

Im on Harbor Freights, email list and last month they had ammo boxes for 5.99 a piece for a 30 cal can (by dimensions) coupon was for good for 8 cans. I gave my girlfriend a coupon and I had one.

I use factory boxes with inserts that fellas throw away at the range, i use Army Surplus cans (need more), coffee cans for brass, factory boxes that other people have giving me, the Harbor Freight ammo boxes.

Basement stays a constant temp and humid level, so I can leave ammo in cardboard with out worrying about it.

The Avery labels I use are removable, not pemanent, and I've yet to see one dry out or come off an ammo box. Been using them for years.

Heavy duty quart freezer bags with home made labels printed on Avery peel and stick labels. Those go into black mechanics tool bags: $12 ones with brass zippers. I used to use ammunition cans but they just added additional weight.

http://www.thefind.com/sports/info-black-mechanics-tool-bag

Regular zip loc 1 gallon bags have suited me fine, never saw need for the freezer flavors. Sometimes I just zip loc in bags and place in the cans, sometimes I skip the bags. As to desiccant packets? When I do use them they can be had from many distributors such as McMaster Carr Supply.

Ron

I use plastic coffee cans for short-term storage of range use ammo. They are free, won't rust and right size/weight for handling, even when full. For my range trips, I pour ammo from coffee cans to small canvas mechanics tool bags (one for each caliber). I tried larger bags but found the loaded bags too heavy.

For long-term storage, I vacuum pack them in Food Saver bags and store them in 5 gallon buckets with lids so they are water/air tight. I clean/polish my brass with NuFinish and the residual polymer on the brass prevents tarnishing of brass for years.

I use a lockable plastic box on wheels

For pistol calibers I use quart freezer bags and put them inside ammo cans. I tear the label off of manufactured ammo and put it in the baggy for identification. A large can will hold 1600 or so 9mm and weigh about 50 pounds. For reloads I write out a label with info and put it in the baggie. Each can is merely marked as "9mm" or "357" since I don't have enough variety to fill cans with a particular flavor.
I store rifle rounds (30-06, 30-30, 243, etc) in the boxes they come in but I don't reload them and don't keep more than a few boxes of each on hand. For 5.45x39, 7.62x39 and 223 I generally keep them in the spam cans or other boxes they came in when I purchased them. Once opened I put them in freezer bags just like I do my pistol ammo.
All cans are stored in my shop where I am fortunate to have very sturdy cabinets.

Too many options and needs for just one way.

For longer term storage, I cut PVC pipe, cap one end and put a screw cap on the other. I try to color code the tubes. The displayed tubes both will hold 500 rounds, one is .45 ACPs, the other is .40S&Ws. I have others, longer, that hold 250 rounds of .223/5.56. Larger calibers become a weight problem. If Teflon tape is used, these are water proof. (Center photo at the bottom.)
http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=208700&stc=1&d=1426096408

For ease of stacking, the old metal 50 cal metal cans work ever well. (Right photo at the bottom.)
http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=208701&stc=1&d=1426096435

For smaller lots and testing, I use these square plastic ice cream boxes. Zip lock bags in most with a data sheet. A data sheet is folded on the out side on the bottom box. (Left photo at the bottom.)
http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=208699&stc=1&d=1426096335

As I haven't bough 'loaded' stuff in years, I don't have any original boxes. I make do.