ammo storage

[HOLY DIVER]

ok i'm pretty upset when i load my target .223 i normally load a good bit at once, put them in just regular old .223 boxs i've saved label them etc. then i put them in a wooden box,shove them in the closet. went to get a few boxes out and about half of all my reloads are green a corroded most are pitted and ruined. thought well i need dry storage boxs with silicate packs...but i want some more thoughts, is that good enough,completely wrong? whats the best way to store ammo to ensure this does not happen 2 me again

 

[W.E.G.]

What does the Army store their ammo in?

 

[Jeff H]

What does the Army store their ammo in?

Is it Ammo cans for $1000 Alex.

AMIRITE?!?




I do store a lot of my ammo in ammo cans, but I store a bunch of it on shelves as well. I would look more at the cause of the corrosion then how you store your ammo unless you live right on hte coast. Did you maybe use some brass polish on the brass?

 

[HOLY DIVER]

no its new lake city brass didn't do anything but prim, powder, seat the bullet,factory crimp

 

[frankenstein406]

Rice in canvas bags work good to. My ammos been in my sock drawer no problems yet. Thinking of getting the ammo cans with oring seal.

 

[Ohio Gun Guy]

Get some ammo cans, I have lake city.....no problems.

Its not the brass, its the conditions.

 

[snuffy]

went to get a few boxes out and about half of all my reloads are green a corroded most are pitted and ruined.

Huh! Never had that happen. I store my ammo in the plastic boxes available from case guard, or Frankford arsenal. Never have had any problems with tarnish or corrosion.

I just checked some stuff I loaded for a fella, at least 5 years ago, that never came back to pick them up. Most were stored in their original boxes, like norinco paper boxes with foam trays. Their brass was mostly alright, but 2 were stuck together by some kind of black tarnish. These have been sitting in the same place on my living room floor!

 

[Jaybird78]

+1 on the ammo cans.

I save those dessicant packs from packages also to throw in there.

You could try and tumble them for a bit and see how they turn out. Some recommend against this.

 

[FROGO207]

Your ammo will take up less space in those ammo cans if you store it in quart size freezer bags with all the air pressed out before sealing bag. I have done this for as long as I have been able to get Zip Loc freezer bags. The ammo ALWAYS comes out as it has gone in. No corrosion from chemicals in cardboard containers to think about either. Label with a sharpie and good to go.

 

[gamestalker]

I had a bunch of ammo in storage in South Dakota for about 10 years in zip lock bags. When I found it it was as good as the day I loaded it. +1 for zip lock baggies.

 

[W.E.G.]

The Army doesn't use dessicant packs in their ammo cans, and neither do I.

If moisture is getting into your ammo can, there is a hole in the can.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I store all of my reloads in zip lock bags. I have a Craftsman rolling tool chest loaded to the brim. Some of it I loaded over a decade ago. None has turned green.

 

[delgue]

Another little trick to go along with the dsec. bags is a hershey bar size piece of drywall wrapped with a paper towel in your ammo cans. Absorbs moisture.

 

[OldmanFCSA]

Target ammo I loaded back in 1982 for my 25-06 and 243 win is just as accurate and clean as day I loaded it, brass is slightly darker due to age but not darker than current production commercial ammo. It still shoots well- 1 hole groups at 200 yards if I do my part.
Ammo is double stored in Zip-Loc brand freezer bags, labled, and stored in an excellent quality US Ammo Can - 50 Cal Can. (Double stored is daily production and labeled in one bag, all bags that fit in can in another large Zip-Loc bag. Squeeze all the air out you can before sealing.)

 

[snuffy]

Those desiccant packs are nice IF you get new ones. The ones you get along with electronics or other equipment are probably all used up. They are made to absorb humidity from the air over a period of time, what do you suppose they've been doing? If you don't know the age of them, all they're doing is taking up storage room in whatever container you're using to store your ammo.

Some of them are designed to be "recharged". That's done by putting them in an oven for a period of time at a certain temp, it drives off the moisture captured in them. Some have a warning on them do NOT ATTEMPT TO RECHARGE! The granules would melt or become toxic.

Brass corrodes because of contact with corrosive elements. Salt would do it, as well as a host of other stuff. Water,(liquid), does a real fine job of staining brass.

A lot has to do with how the brass was handled before it was packed in whatever container you used. Does it have your finger prints on it? How was it cleaned/tumbled, and what was the polish used? A lot of us are using nu-finish car wax as a tumbler additive. It deposits a thin coating of wax on the brass, it should protect it better than if plain corn cob or walnut was used.

 

[GLOOB]

+1

Something is making your ammo corrode. This isn't just a storage problem. Maybe something about your closet, or something to do with the ammo.

Take stock of what's in your closet. Are you storing other chemicals in there? Maybe you have some muriatic acid in there with a loose cap, or something?

Sweat contains salt, and it may even be acidic. Your sweat might be particularly corrosive. Try wearing latex gloves when you reload.

For brand new brass, this is even more important. There's nothing on new brass to protect it from your corrosive sweat. I purchased a lot of steel pin tumbled brass, and it was too clean. It became discolored almost immediately. I tumbled it with some car wax before using it.

Also, you can tumble assembled rounds for 10 min (not the hollowpoints!) with clean media and a bit of car wax.

Properly handled, your ammo should stay shiny for a long time, even if your home has high humidity. I have 1 ammo can, and it doesn't contain any ammo. All my ammo is piled up on a shelf in cardboard boxes and plastic bags. My dessicant packs are in the safe with the guns. My ammo has to fend for itself.

 

[amlevin]

I've heard that the humidity in SC is so bad that everything turns green, eventually.

I put all my .223 ammo in either boxes or stripper clips/bandoliers and store in 50 Cal ammo cans. We have a bit of a humidity issue here in the NW too so I just toss in a dessicant pack for good measure.

My ultimate goal is to shoot all my ammo on a regular basis so it doesn't have time to turn green.

 

[john81276]

First, greetings from another Upstater! I noticed you said you are storing in a wooden box. What kind of box, and are the rounds just tossed in, or separated from the wood in some way? The wood could be treated in some way, and wood can act as a wick for moisture, I'd think...

 

[rcmodel]

Maybe something about your closet,

+1
Maybe fresh washed clothes from the dryer are not as dry as you think they are?
Maybe you fill the closet with humidity every time you wash clothes?

Anyway, I'd ditch the wood box and buy some surplus .50 Cal GI ammo cans.

I Guarreenntee Ya they will keep ammo fresh longer then you will be around to use it!!

And also contain the shrapnel in case your house burns down!!

rc

 

[ClemsonAl]

Home made desiccant

Desiccant packs are expensive to buy, but you can make your own for cheap. Find an arts & crafts store, and go in their flower drying section. You can get the crystals for less than $10 per pound. For a small area, fill a pill bottle and cover the opening with 2 layers of coffee filter and tape the filters around the bottle. The filters will keep the silica from spilling and the crystals will collect any moisture. For bigger areas, use a bigger container and more silica. The MOST IMPORTANT thing, is to tell the store clerk that your wife sent you there!!

 

[Shadow 7D]

Or you can buy KITTY LITTER (the silica crystal type) for even less.

 

[DiMora]

Ammo cans. I live in Georgia, and it is humid here. No issues with cans.

 

[soloban]

+1 on the Craftsman chest. I have a rolling 4 drawer chest.

1st drawer: .357, .223, and .22 LR and primers
2nd drawer: .30-06, 7.5x55 Swiss, 8mm Mauser, 12 & 20 Gauge
3rd drawer: .38 Special, 9mm, .45 ACP
4th drawer: Reloading powder

All ammo is in the plastic boxes or factory cardboard boxes. .30-06 is the exception and I store than in M1 Garand Enbloc Clips

Storing the ammo inside the house helps too since its climate controlled.

 

[crestoncowboy]

I put the silica dessicant in pantyhose. double wrap tie on both ends. When they need recharging throw the whole thing in the oven.
I store my ammo in ammo cans in the closet and had honestly never thought of the clothes still being a little damp.