Ammo storage (humidity)

[bobmcd]

I am wondering about how much I should worry about humidity when storing ammo. I have put together a pile of a few months' supply, and right now have it in the manufacturers cardboard boxes on a shelf in a (locked) shed. A mix of shotgun, .223 rifle, and .22 LR.

Living here in the Mid-Atlantic (Fairfax County, Virginia) it can get a little humid, aside from minor freezing in winter and pretty warm in the summer. (On the other hand, I have been stationed in both Germany and Louisiana, so I know that Virginia is by no means extreme.)

So ... what sorts of things should I do to counter humidity, considering this stuff will sit for a few months before it is all expended (and incrementally replaced)?

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

I doubt it will go bad in a few months, but for l/t storage get some gi ammo boxes.

 

[Matrix187]

Ammo has been pulled out of dirt and mud on the old battlefields of Europe, decades after the World War II and still worked. You don't have anything to worry about really. GI Ammo cans are good though if you're worried about it. Maybe atleast sealed plastic covering the rounds with some silica packets?

 

[federal1]

not to worry

If humidity caused ammo to go bad, we wouldn;t have done so much
shooting in Vietnam.

 

[wrs840]

I think the silica packets in the container are maybe the most important detail if you containerize your ammo and live in a humid environment... i.e.: if you close up the container with a lot of damp air in it, the powder could be the only thing in the can to soak it up. I ain't so sure about the wisdom of surplus ammo-cans for long-term home storage.

I keep my ammo in a big, lockable, wood-construction, rolling traveling-production truck-pack trunk.

Les

 

[bobmcd]

Thanks for the quick responses. I had pretty much suspected that it would be OK in the semi-short term.

"...a big, lockable, wood-construction, rolling traveling-production truck-pack trunk."

Man, I gotta get me one o' THOSE!

 

[wrs840]

"...a big, lockable, wood-construction, rolling traveling-production truck-pack trunk."

Man, I gotta get me one o' THOSE!

Here ya go:

http://www.rrcases.com/fgtrunk.htm

Les

 

[fireman 9731]

You could always just get a decent sized rubber-maid like tote to store it in.