Best plastic ammo boxes?

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Odnar

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I'm looking for 50 or 100 round semi-transparent boxes for handgun rounds (.357, .40, 9mm) or 25 round semi-transparent for shotgun (12 ga, 2 3/4 or 3") rounds. I'll probably buy 10 of each.

I have several MTM brand plastic ammo storage boxes and I like them a lot. ($3.63 each) I've found two brands that are cheaper, the Frankford Arsenal boxes ($20 for 10) and the Cabelas brand. ($8 for 4) Anyone had experience with either or can compare them? I'd rather pay a little extra if they're going to break if dropped, etc. Other suggestions for the price? I'm trying to move away from paper/styrofoam boxes.
 
A little off the subject, but the best boxes I've ever used are the old Fitz Ammo Safes for .45 ACPs and .38 Specials. They're not transparent, but they last forever. I have some that I bought in 1975 and they're still like new. I think maybe one of the moderators might be able to help you find some. :)
 
i just bought some cheapo food storage boxes from walmart for a few bucks each :eek:

eta:
ammotupperware.jpg
 
i just bought some cheapo food storage boxes from walmart for a few bucks each
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm a bit of an order freak sometimes. I'd bet that you can store a lot more rounds for the money that way though.


...Fitz Ammo Safes for .45 ACPs and .38 Specials. They're not transparent, but they last forever. I have some that I bought in 1975 and they're still like new. I think maybe one of the moderators might be able to help you find some.
Click to expand...

Not familiar with those, and Google isn't turning up much. More info?
 
I use both MTM and frankford arsenal. the frankfords cost less and are not built as well as them MTMs. That being said, they aren't bad, but I would rather spend the extra dollar on the MTM.
 
Fitz Ammo Safes

Not familiar with those, and Google isn't turning up much. More info?
Click to expand...

Paul "Fitz" Jones, one of the moderators, owned the company that made them. He sells them occassionaly on eBay. Not sure what he still has in stock, but you might send him a PM and ask.
 
The Frankford boxes are made heavier than Cabela's and will probably last longer, though they both last a long time. Cabela's are easier to see through, which is handy for me because I use a loose label inside the box to tell me what I'm shooting. Cheap as both are, I haven't been able to damage either brand yet.
 
The best I've found are the Berry's boxes. They come in 4 colors and for just about any caliber you need. They also have a lifetime warranty. You can order them direct at www.berrysmfg.com. I order them in cases of 50 boxes, but they also offer them in 4 packs. A 4 pack of 50 round .45 acp boxes is $6.81, and a case of 50 is $50.39. You'll have to check on shipping, but since I've got a wholesale account with them, they don't charge me shipping on plastic. I'm not sure about shipping on retail orders.

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
Depends on just what you want/need...

The Frankford (Midway) 50-round boxes are not as secure in latching as the MTMs, and will often spill if dropped from waist- or table-top level. They're also made of a brittler plastic, and will break easier under impact. For hunting or other field use, I prefer and use MTMs.

Having said the above, the FA boxes suit my purposes so well that I must have at least 200 of them in 50-round fliptop style, for both rifle and pistol ammo. The pricing in lots of 10 is attractive, and the boxes serve me well. I also like dealing with Midway, and usually add a ten-lot of ammo boxes to any order I send them.... I NEVER have enough ammo boxes!
 
I like having one or two 100 round boxes for each caliber so that I can transport to the range and still keep a relatively accurate tally of my round count per gun. Any more ammo than that goes into some old ammo cans I have.

While I like spankaveli's idea, I don't like transparent containers for ammo because it tends to cause my wife to say "isn't that enough?"
 
ZeSpectre,

My problem is just the opposite. When my wife looks at the ammo shelf and only spots ten 100 round boxes of her favorite ammunition, she tells me I better get busy and start loading again. Then life is good..........

Fred
 
MTM boxes are very good and affordable, Midway dealer prices put them at about the same price as Frankford.
 
+1 for Berry's. I really like their covered reloading blocks as well.


That being said, I just started reloading for .357 magnum again after a 20 year layoff . .it was pretty cool to pull out the old MTM boxes an see the date tag and think back to what I was doing the last time I put reloads into that box. :) (reloading in a closet in my college apartment)

Have a good one,
Dave
 
I think I'll give those Cabella's boxes a try. The main thing I didn't like about them was the color, but I see that they're available in smoke too. Thanks, everyone!
 
I've had both midway and MTM boxes and the MTM are MUCH sturdier.Dropped a midway box down a flight of stairs and it shattered,midway replaced it.
I DROVE over an MTM box scuffed it up some returned it for a replacement.
I've got MTM cases that are at least 15 yrs old and they still latch tight
 
Alright, I have to admit I have some experience with MTM boxes. They are stronger, last longer and don't break when you drop them. But in the spirit of showing that actions speak louder then words, here is pictures of my stash of them:

loaded_mtms.jpg


This is the loaded ammo collection. (yes those are all loaded and yes there are a bunch stacked up under the bench) The cans in front are the brass to be loaded.

mtm_spares.jpg


These are my spares for when I start loading again.


Sorry about the messy work bench and storage area. I am getting ready to shoot my Inland 30 carbine tomorrow so I am getting stuff ready to go. If you notice I do have a few Midway dark grey ones in there so I do know they break.
 
Holy mackeral, Peter! I thought I had a bunch of cases, but I doubt I have 1/5th of what you have! (But, I might have more Laser-Cast bullets than you, unless you've got a bunch more that are out of the picture. ;) )

I have a good assortment of 3 brands - MTM, Frankford Arsenal (Midway) and Berry's. The MTM's are definitely better. They are made with a softer, more pliable, and yet stronger plastic. They also have a better stacking design in that each case has corner "feet" on the bottom that will lock inside the rectangular ridge on each top. The other brands have no provision for stacking like that. That alone is a good reason to pay a little extra for MTM.

I don't see a big difference, if any, between Berry's and FA. I'd be willing to bet they are made by the same manufacturer. Some of them have a better lid lock than others. The best I can describe them is that the "good" ones have a latch that engages a thin strip along the top center of the bottom portion. The "bad" ones, that tend to open too easily, have a latch with a rectangular indentation that engages a rectangle with the same shape on the body of the case. I have cases of both brands with the 2 different latch designs, but more of the good type of latch than the bad.

[Edit]
You can see the result of the stacking feature in Peter's second picture. Although he doesn't have them all centered and therefore the feet are not all engaged with the top of the case below, most of the 3rd column from the right appear to be MTM's (from the latch design) and are stacked high without falling. The 2nd column from the right only has a few cases which all appear to be Midway brand, yet they are obviously not stacking well and if he stacked them as high as the other columns, I'll bet they would fall over.
 
Yes I have a lot more bullets from Oregon Trails stashed in the garage and back in deep storage. I try to keep the primers, powder and bullets in reasonable quantities and distributed around a bit. My wife's a civil engineer and she warned me about point loads on the foundation.

Your observations about the stacking are correct. The midway's do not stack well. I have a color coding system that works well for me. Anything that is to be reloaded or saved is in a blue mtm box. Anything in any other color is brass that will be trashed at the end of this reloading. Some is for age or wear, but mostly it is off brand stuff. Amerc, CBC etc.

This way when I grab a box I can tell instantly if I intended to keep the brass. Also you notice every box has a label. Each label has the load and is serial numbered to a spreadsheet and word document which keeps track of what I was trying to do with that load and what the experiment was.

When I sit and look at it, I realize I am too much of a physicist. :eek:
 
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