Any thoughts on using an ammo can with a rubber gasket (with some desiccant packs inside) to store ammo in a humid climate?
Isn't that what they were made for? Make sure the gasket is in good shape. Mind the heat, as that can break down the propellant prematurely.
Hmm, thinking about the heat it might be worth storing them on the floor instead of the top shelf. Perhaps not a huge difference, but can't hurt.
Heat is your biggest enemy…. Check this thread:https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/desiccant-or-not-in-storing-reloads.896681/#post-12092849
That is the exact way I store my ammo. I keep mine stacked on the basement floor, I've never had an ammo problem yet.
It's a good idea to not stow the GI metal cans on bare concrete, as they seem to "wick up" moisture from the concrete and rust out (if slowly).
Just know that if you're depending on the dessicant, it's not going to last as long as you think. I get maybe three months out of a 30 gram packet.
A good point, people often forget masonry is a porous material that moves moisture like that. In my case its a second floor and there is carpet so I'm good to go.
I store my ammo in military ammo cans. Been doing it for more the 30 years. I have a few that were a little rusty when I got them. I just repainted them.
I, too use a lot of ammo cans to store ammo. And I often decorate them up a bit just for fun. I keep mine on the lowest shelves of a heavy duty rack in the coolest corner of my insulated garage. I’m in the “Gunny Lite” category of ammo can storage… Stay safe.
Ammo cans are WON-DER-FUL! I wash, thoroughly dry, closely inspect the cans and treat the rubber gaskets prior to use. And, yes, out of habit, I always include a desiccant packet. For ~50 years most of my ammunition that is outside of unbroken cases is in USGI ammo cans. In that time I have never encountered any problems with the practice. I current use about a hundred cans in the basement in that capacity.
True...and the metal cans could leave rust stains in humid climates. I store the few metal cans i have on bare concrete with a sheet of plastic visqueen/sheeting underneath. I also use small square plastic buckets with watertight lids and the thicker strap type handles (found at the big name hardware stores) and add a couple of desiccant packs, but can't load them too full...I'll fail before the strap does.
Your not storing ammo until your using 81mm mortar cans. Can't move them worth crap after they're filled but it's the next closest thing to a 55-gallon drum of loose 556.
I have been storing ammo in GI cans without desicant inside of a job box in an outside shed in Fl for years and had no issues
It’s ok. My house has a concrete slab that is 8 inches or thicker. That’s only part of my stash. I have over 100 ammo cans. I ended up getting more labels of different colors and relabeled all my ammo cans. I also have 5/8” plywood under the cans. I need to take an updated pic. I also have a few crates of ammo in my Mosin closet.
It seems to me that the military went to a lot of trouble (and expense) to find a way to store ammo. I will take advantage of all their hard work. No sense to reinvent the wheel so to speak.
I've been using the plastic ammo cans for a couple of years, I do have 2 metal GI cans. This was me staging them while I set up storage in my garage. Here in the high desert humidity is not a big issue.........
I'm in Florida. ALL of my ammo is in metal ammo cans. I don't bother with desiccant though. It's not really necessary, particularly if you keep the cans in an air conditioned house.
I keep ammo in mil-surp ammo cans, like they came from the factory. The 'spam can' ammo can be a pain to open and impossible to reseal.
Those 20 round boxes were going for $40plus each last time I saw any (which was around three years' ago).
This may sound silly but isn't the whole point of ammo cans is to store ammo? I guess I don't understand the original question.
