Ammo Can Usage

[gazpacho]

I am in the process of reorganizing all of my ammo into .30 cal ammo cans. The bulk stuff just gets unboxed and dumped into the cans. The premium ammo (defense or hunting ammo) goes into the cans still in the original packaging, for added protection. That leaves the rest, mostly FMJ/LRN/Target/Plinking ammo, in 50 round boxes. Should I just unbox this ammo and dump it in like the bulk stuff?

What is everyone's opinion?

 

[GBExpat]

I have a lot of my ammo & components stored in a bunch of .50cal and .30cal ammo cans.

Ammo that comes boxed, stays boxed.

On the front lock I include a note IDing ammo type, packaging and QTY.

 

[MErl]

if it comes in a box it stays boxed
but the boxes get put inside a 40mm ammo can

 

[Lex Luthier]

I have had the great fortune for many 30 cal and 50 cal ammo boxes to find me over the years.

None of my surplus cartridges are loose in the can. There is packed bagged stuff, but the rest stays in the 50 rd boxes. Depending on the size of the round, you can get 6-8 boxes in each can without overstuffing it. During the last squaring away of the load out closet, I also added a homemade desiccant pack to each can.

I made them from dollar store panty hose, zip tied on both ends, containing about a 1/4 cup of silica sand. There are other versions on YouTube, but it cost very little to make these, and there is plenty more material for more packets. These packets also went into totes/ cases containing webgear, uniforms, and other tactical gear that might suffer from being locked in a closet for a long time.

While doing that project, I also managed to dehumidify the closet by hanging larger silica packs on both sides of the closet, and adding an open bucket of Rid-Ex. Six months later, the closet still smells fresh, and even the bottom of the gear tote has lost its musty smell. We have all experienced that moldy smell on our olive drab stuff, and I can say that doesn't happen in my gear room. Good luck.

 

[Ramone]

As my life is pretty humid, I will usually take it out of the cardboard and leaving it in the block, give it a wrap or two with saranwrap (just to hold it all together). in the absence of a block in the packaging, it gets dumped into ziplocs or tupperware.

I tend to shy away from filling a whole can with loose rounds, mostly as I find it a lot easier to grab a bag or two when headed to the range.

 

[InkEd]

I do mine a little differently. I keep mine loaded in magazines inside .50cal cans along with some boxes. For example, I can keep 10 PMAGS and a few boxes in one can. It does reduce the capacity what I can fit in the cans but I like the option of having them ready to go if needed.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

I leave mine in boxes (in cans) till the bitter end if only to quickly ID projectile weight but in the past it has paid off in finding re-called lots as well.

 

[pty101]

I keep everything in boxes unless I have enough of the same brand and caliber to fill up a can. Most of my cans end up with misc. brands of whatever I find on sale.

 

[Dallas Jack]

I took a thousand rounds out of the boxe's and dumped them in an ammo can. Grabbed my AR and ammo can on range day and found out I could not shoot that ammo there because it was FMJ.

I took the ammo to a local ammo shop to trade for something I could shoot. They did not want to take it as they said it was most likely reloads. I finally talked them into a 2 for 1 trade for some Wolf HP's.

While the ammo I had was some generic white box it was in LC brass that I could have reloaded.

I guess what I am saying is without the box no one knows what it is. So for me it stays in the box.

If you want to dump it in an ammo can at least cut the end of the box off and put it in the ammo can with the ammo.

PS
I should have mentioned that this was at least 8 years ago and Wolf was somewhere around $100/1000
Dallas Jack

 

[wambo300]

i only put bulk brass in loose everything else goes in boxed

 

[XD 45acp]

Ammo cans,... I LOVE ammo cans. I'd shove my wife into an ammo can if they'd make one big enough...

 

[gazpacho]

Thanks for the info all. That pretty much lines up with what I am doing. The 2 calibers that I normally buy in true bulk is 5.56 and 22lr, and those are going into the cans en mass. Most everything else is going in boxed.

This is all just long term storage ammo, so the cans are getting sealed shut with a desicant pack and an oxygen absorber.

I also have 2 Action Box dry boxes with loaded AR Mags. The tall ones hold 26 metal 30rd AR mags, so they make a great grab an go case.

 

[Dr.Rob]

When I have done BIG batches of reloads I use 30 cal ammo cans for storage, keep smaller boxes (Midway plastic or other) around to take to the range. I keep all those dessicant packs from stuff shipped here to throw into ammo cans.

 

[303tom]

I think all of us gun nuts have our stuff packed in ammo cans & ammo boxes.................