Cartridge storage-trays or loose?

[38snapcaps]

I buy alot of Walmart value pack 9mm which as you know is 100 rounds just poured in the box. Now UMC has come out with 240 rounds loose in a bulk box.

Now, I'm a real perfectionist, and what I've done in the past is as I shoot up other brands I keep the trays and put the value pack cartridges in them.
Its a fun little habit of mine, can't stand to see those shiny new "bullets" just all laying around in the box, nice and neat rows for me!

For long term storage, does it matter how the rounds are kept? I'm thinking of buying a bunch of bulk packs for the "rainy day" we all hope never comes. Could they be stored in ammo cans like they come for, say years, or should I put them in plastic trays? I've heard and read about WWII ammo in orginal containers, are those cartridges loose or seperated?

I think they're loose right? If so, loose storage must be okay because people shoot this 60 yr. old ammo and it works just fine.

 

[Ala Dan]

Hello there 38snapcaps-

I recommend storing ammo in palstic boxes, such as
those by J & J, or MTM. J & J's boxes are available
with the slip-on tops; and the MTM "case-guard's"
that I use have the "snap tight" tops. Either one
is an excellent way to protect ammunition for long
term storage.

But, heck come to think of it most of my boxes
are empty, cuz I shoot ammo about as fast as I can
make it!

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[VaughnT]

I like the little plastic boxes, but I don't think they do anything positive for longterm storage other than prevent things from happening to the rounds while they are in transit. You might see some bullet setback or dinged ogives if you had an ammo can full of loose rounds and went on a roadtrip with them in the trunk. Other than that, I can't see a problem with loose storage.

I have about 2k rounds of 38/357 stored loose in an ammo can as we speak, and don't doubt that it will be accurate and reliable when I take it to the range next year.

 

[pignock]

I kinda like the plastic boxes for range ammo - I've got 1k rounds of 45ACP and 38spl in MTM 100 rounders now - even got em color coded by load .

It makes it real easy to grab a hundred rounds of the right stuff for a range trip.

My only comlaint is they tend to try and mostly shut their own lids (plastic springback) which is a hassle in winter time what with wearing gloves and trying to load mags/cylinders.

 

[ajacobs]

I have liked the little mtm boxes myself even though I don't reload but for long term storage I recomend the original box just becuase I have noticed my own corroded fingerprints in ammo that I have handled and put in the boxes and then didn't fire for a year or so.

 

[Archie]

Both. Okay, I'm wishy-washy....

Seriously, I buy the MTM or J&M divider boxes for match ammo. It's easy to count to make sure I have enough for the match; I can keep track of what stage I'm on, makes it easy to see if I've recovered my empties. (I consider I've shot a perfect match if I can find all my empties...)

For practise stuff, I have some pseudo tupperware boxes I found at the 99 cent store. Fairly waterproof, fairly sturdy, and they stack. These have a lid attached and snap shut. By the way, these are the faster to load from, too.

I don't do much in cardboard anymore. Too frustrating.

 

[sm]

Canvas Bank Bags, tied with rawhide or 55O cord.
Metal Coffee Cans.
( I hate the new plastic coffee cansiters...it is...wrong)

5 gal. galvanized buckets have my 9mm loads, The 10 gal plastic buckets has the .45ACP. I get real Hi-Tech. As they are loaded they are chunked in a bucket. I drag the bucket outside and shoot. Brass goes in another empty bucket. When I get in a groove I can make most of the brass land in the bucket and makes policing easy. See I have reason for my system.

I hate the styrofoam. Only Plastic boxes I have are by accident...I need to return these...oops. For Instance I shot a fella's 454 Casull earlier today, his handloads were in plastic boxes - I left him 25 rds out the 100 he had. Well...I was having serious fun. I guess the least I could do was return his ammo in his plastic- huh?

 

[BluesBear]

I use my Tilia Seal-A-Meal.

I toss a silica gel packet in a plastic bag with 100 rounds of .45acp, vacuum the air out and seal it.

Toss 10 of them in a .50cal ammo can and it's good forever. When I go out to the "pit" I just slice open a bag and load mags. Empties get dumped back in the ammo can. I don't have to worry about the cardboard boxes.

 

[gggman]

I shot a bunch of surplus WWII .45 ammo that had been stored loose in a cardboard box in my grandfathers barn for about 40 years. It had been subjected to extreme temperature and humidity changes for all those long years, and it was badly discolored, but I didn't have one misfire. If the containers that you buy from Wally World are sealed containers, I would recommend that you leave them sealed for long term storage. Transfering them to plastic containers won't have any effect on them, and why spend money on all those containers?

 

[TarpleyG]

I dump everything into a .30 or .50 cal ammo can, loose. Takes up way less space that way. I figure I can get just over 1000 .45 ACP cartridges into a .50. Probably twice that in 9mm. If it was good enough for all those years, should be good enough now.

GT

 

[Top_Notch]

I have to have all mine in rows too. It helps me when I'm at the range. At a glance I know how many I shot and how many I have left. Plus it just looks neat and how in the world are you going to know if you got 101 rounds from the Winchester White Box Value Pak?

 

[BluesBear]

Yeah you WWWB 9mm guys get the lucky breaks. You get 101 or 102 in your box. While us .45 guys get exactly 100 in 2 styrofoam trays.