How to keep/store your ammo for long periods?

[DerbyDale]

I need to get some Desiccant packs for my ammo cans. Which of these types are you using, and where do you usually purchase them?
http://www.agmcontainer.com/desiccan...ccant_bags.htm

Thanks

I use these Desiccant Packs from CheaperThanDirt.com (they are bigger than they look)

Remember, Desiccant Packs don't work forever and must be replaced or "recharged". Not all packs can be recharged, but these can be...


Here is one of the CheaperThanDirt packs in a 50cal Military Ammo Can with 1200rounds of 9mm WWB. Next to it is one of the plastic ammo boxes from Wal-Mart. I think the Military cans are much better.

 

[cornman]

Unless you live in a very hot or humid place i would not worry about it.

 

[packnrat]

just fill up a ammo can with your choice of ammo, and put in a desiccent pouch seal up and just put it away till needed. repeat as needed stock up lots of cans .

but do not use the holders for the ammo. just stack them in the can...you can fit a lot more in each one.. (.38 in a fiftey = about 2K rounds)

 

[Chester32141]

Someone here mentioned being sure that bullets are pointing down for long term storage ... does it really make a difference ? I have an awful lot that are just sitting in ammo boxes and maybe even a few cases that are primer end down ... I'd hate to have to sort thru all of them to make ure they are pointing in the right direction ...

Chester

 

[coloradokevin]

I'm shooting 50 year old ammo all the time and it goes bang as often as anything else.

Funny you should mention that. When I bought my 8mm Mauser a few years ago, the guy who sold it to me gave me a bunch of old corrosive ammo for it...

I still have a few boxes of this stuff, and it is dated 1939.

I've shot probably 300 rounds of this stuff, and every single one has gone "bang" as expected. Not bad ammo for 70 year old stuff! Acceptable accuracy on milk jugs while plinking and such...

I think I'm going to save my few remaining boxes, just because I figure it has already lasted that long... why not keep it?

 

[bill123]

I have mine in an unheated garage in the factory boxes. Should I get an old chest freezer to help insulate from the temp swings ?

 

[mbt2001]

I have mine in an unheated garage in the factory boxes. Should I get an old chest freezer to help insulate from the temp swings ?

Put them in Mil cans with a desicant pack (don't worry about the size, I use the smaller ones) and don't worry. This whole "cool dry place" is way over blown. Guns and powder and war have been around a LONG LONG time and most of the time, cool dry places ain't were they are used / fought.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

Even the little bit I have that's factory is out of the cardboard boxes, stored in military ammo cans. I do have the factory end flap in with the ammo for identification. Over the long term, even in ammo cans the paperboard boxes will soak up the avalible moisture, then hold it against the brass causing that yucky looking green fuzz on the brass cases. I've seen this a couple times. However, there was no dessicant agent in with this ammo.

So store it in cans, out of cardboard, with a dessicant pack. Should be good to go even 50 years from now, as long as it doesn't spend half of every year over 100 degrees in the shed.

I've got some 30-06 ammo from 1942 that still goes bang every time.


EDIT: Forgot. I prefer the 30 caliber cans. One of them full of any common caliber gives you plenty of rounds, and plenty of weight to carry.

 

[jakemccoy]

RFTM, gotta link?

 

[glockman19]

I use 50 cal stackable ammo cans. They are gasget sealed and I add a couple of packs of silicon or desicant I figure noncorrosive ammo stored this way in a cool dry place shpuld be capable of storage for 50-80 -100 years.

 

[moooose102]

RTFM, i for one like your thinking! i thought of that my self last week, but i do not have a vacuum pack sealer, yet. but i am big on the military surplus ammo cans also. for good long term storage, it is going to be tough to beat these. it is what they were intended for, storing ammo. if you want to go one step further, vaccun pack them, then put them in a ammo can. then, other than a whole house fire, your ammo should be safe from anything. and last longer than you do.

 

[.cheese.]

does it really matter that bullets be stored in the down position? I store mine sideways in the original factory box and tray (ie: Speer GD 50 round boxes and Hornady rifle 20 round boxes) to fit more in a can.

 

[smullen]

I'm always interested in how folks store theirs...

I keep most of mine in my current main gun safe, some stacked on a 5 Shelf Utility shelf, and in a lockable file cabinet... Each drawer of that is for a different gun... AR Mags, AK Mags, Glock Mags, 10/22, etc...

I plan on getting a second (bigger better) gun safe that I'll move all the firearms too and just keep ammo in the current one and mags will remain in the file cabinet....

 

[Rugerlvr]

Milsurp ammo cans. Make sure that the rubber seal around the top isn't corroded, and makes a tight seal. and throw in a few silica gel packs to keep things nice and dry. Store in your basement, elevated from the floor. I have used 30mm cans, as well as the XL .50 cal cans and .30 cal cans.

 

[.cheese.]

I'm still curious about this "storing bullets - bullet down" concept.

 

[rcmodel]

Storing lead bullet ammo "bullet down" was thought to be a good idea long ago.

In pre-air conditioning & homemade bullet lube days, high summer temperatures could possibly melt the bullet lube, allowing it to run down into the powder and kill it.

There is no other reason to store ammo bullets down.

Most modern bullet lube won't melt & run anywhere unless subjected to a torch!

rcmodel

 

[.cheese.]

thanks for the info!

 

[Maximum1]

In army surplus ammo cans.

 

[janobles14]

bullet down

it absolutely IS good to store bullet down. after having this happen to me with factory ammo i can assure you that if you store ammo bullet up (primer down) and there is any shaking, moving, vibration, it can over time shake loose the primers and cause fire failures or worse.