how to store ammo home?

[Wes Janson]

The only way I can see to get a safe to explode would be if it were completely airtight, and all of the cartridges managed to touch off, raising internal pressure a whole lot. But I just don't see how it would fail explosively.

 

[Moondoggie]

I use a defunct side by side refrigerator/freezer with the shelves reinforced for the additional weight to store most of my ammo and reloading components.

I drilled a hole in each side and carriage bolted a length of heavy chain from each side that locks in the center underneath the handles on the doors to keep the average person out. This arrangement was my first gun safe when I still had a kid at home. When I was able to afford a real safe, the fridge became ammo storage only. Empty nest = more disposable income..funny how that works!

It's nice to have the light come on in my ammo storage cabinet whenever I open the door!

 

[Soybomb]

I can only speak for my safe, but with the 1/2" for the cord for a dehumidifier and the air space around the door I'm reasonably confident there is no way it could ever build pressure. A sealed ammo can could definately build pressure...enough to be dangerous, I don't know. I imagine it would fail long before much pressure was built.

 

[Cosmoline]

Somebody needs to email Jamie and Adam. I don't believe the exploding safe myth for a second, but I DO want to see them detonate a safe.

 

[BrainOnSigs]

I'm such an ammo whore I had to buy another full size safe for my ammo. I could fill several pallets.

 

[Ala Dan]

I've got many boxes of centerfire ammo stored in the bottom of my RSC,
adding lots of weight in case a thief comes while I'm sleeping~!!

 

[Mannlicher]

loonie, thats not enough ammo to worry about. Just put it on a shelf in the closet. Whats that? About a shoebox full?

 

[CB900F]

For the skeptics;

If you container is not rated as a safe, but is the typical RSC box, not too much worry. As has been stated, these boxes have holes, loose doors, & can therefore vent, relieving pressure.

However, to assume that all safes are like your 'safe', is fuzzy thinking at best. True safes don't have holes in them, as it's exceedingly hard to meet the U.L. burglary and fire ratings with holes in the safe. Many good safes also have intumescent seals on the door that expand under heat, to keep the gasses of a fire out of the interior & help seal against the exterior temperature rise.

But, if worse did come to worst, and under extreme circumstances, the ammo in this sealed enviroment did cook off, I don't want to be anywhere near it. Normal housefire, the chances are very low that the interior would get hot enough to damage the interior papers, let alone cook off ammo. But, somebody lives next to the bulk plant, don't they? So 600,000 gallons of petroleum can't ignite? All that flaming liquid wouldn't dare come over to your place? Of course not, you'd sue!

I'm just pointing out worst case scenario. All the rest of you that want to chance burning ammo in there with your guns, go right ahead & store in the RSC. I'm not your insurance agent, I don't care. I will feel sorry for the poor defenseless guns though.

900F

 

[loonie]

sorry,I am so stupid,what does RSC stand for?

 

[EZ CZ75]

I believed that Loonie said he lives in Canadia and that the laws require him to keep the ammo locked up. It may only be a shoebox full, but you can't fault a guy for trying to follow the law, no matter how stupid they may be.

 

[loonie]

I believed that Loonie said he lives in Canadia and that the laws require him to keep the ammo locked up. It may only be a shoebox full, but you can't fault a guy for trying to follow the law, no matter how stupid they may be.

that's true,storing ammo in a locked container is bylaw in canada.

 

[BIGDADDYLONGSTROKE]

loonie

RSC=Residential Security Container.


Personally I store my ammo that is in the mags In the fire safe with the firearms, if a fire happens in my home I will be more worried about getting wife out before it gets hot enough to cook off the ammo, and as for the rest of the ammo its in its card board boxes on top of the safe or in the closet I dont have a garage (apartment life) and I will be sure to notify the police and fire crew on scene that there is a quantity of ammo in and around my fire safe. Im sure they have probably dealt with that sort of thing before.

Im not trying to say other people's ways are wrong, just my way of doing things. To each his own I guess.

 

[Colt]

if a fire happens in my home I will be more worried about getting wife out before it gets hot enough to cook off the ammo

Here's a question for you. When you evacuate your house, and the firedepartment arrives, will you inform them of the ammo and your safe?

On one hand, you would want to warn them that there is an extremely heavy object on the second floor (in my case) that may eventually be on the first floor, or in the basement. You'd also want them to be aware of the ammo. Their safety is paramount, and I'd probably say something.

On the other hand, I'd hate to have them say "whoa!" and keep their distance, letting the place burn down. Especially if the fire wasn't bad enough to warrant such a reaction. Now, instead of doing everything in the power to control the fire, they might take a hands-off approach, allowing everything to be destroyed. Yes, I have insurance. I also have quite a few things that money can't replace.

 

[loonie]

thanks

thanks

 

[BIGDADDYLONGSTROKE]

Colt

If you read my post all the way through you will see that I stated that I would be sure to notify police and fire crews on scene that there is a quantity of ammo in around my fire safe. I hope that cleared that up for you.

 

[possum]

In the closet!

 

[chaim]

I agree with the others that you don't really have enough ammo to worry about keeping locked up. I have quite a bit of 12ga, 7.62x39, .223/5.56, 9mm, .40 and .45 right now (well, not a lot compared to many here, but a couple thousand rounds) and I just have the boxes in larger cardboard boxes to keep it all organized and in one place (or actually in two places). However, if you are in a location that requires you keep it locked up, just buy a cheap footlocker, file cabinet with lock, lockable file box, etc. as you don't really need much for that much ammo (heck, if you don't have a gun locker or gun safe yet, get one of those gun lockers that has locked shelves on one side and the gun locker on the other and take care of both needs at once- something like this).

 

[cassandrasdaddy]

safes

because of the tight seal on a good safe door it takes surprisingly lil explosion on inside to open one. there is a trick called a water hammer a roomate taught me. drikk hole in safe fill with water insert small explosive charge through hole use a lead expansion anchor to seal hole boom water doesn't compress make boom more efficent dor opens and very quietly

 

[trickyasafox]

i keep it all organized on teh second shelf of my loading bench. i am the youngest person in the house (22). it's just easier to pack it and store it so close together. and the safe is about 10 feet behind me with some ammo as well

 

[loonie]

today I bought a RSC box for 90 dollars STACK-ON thanks to all posters!

 

[Mannlicher]

I believed that Loonie said he lives in Canadia and that the laws require him to keep the ammo locked up. It may only be a shoebox full, but you can't fault a guy for trying to follow the law, no matter how stupid they may be.

Loonie, sorry about the shoebox comment. I had no idea you are Canadian, and have to follow a law to requiring you to lock up ammo.

Let me tell you what I do, and I see you have already done about the same. I use the cheap Stackon safes, the ones with the single barrel key lock. I frame it inside with 1 X 4 and fit in two shelves. I put the heavy stuff on the bottom, and stack the smaller quantities on the shelves. Cost is minimal, and you can really pack a lot in one of those.

 

[Lupinus]

it just gets stacked on the top shelf of the safe. Ammo is pretty stable stuff and if there is the event where it might go off outside of your firearms, such as say cooking off in a fire, chances are you aren't gonna be in the area of it anyway and if so you will have bigger problems then ammo cooking off....like say your skin doing the same.

Also remember that if ammo were to just go off it isn't going to sent the bullet going for hundreds or more yards, it will expload IMO go a few yards along with pieces of the case doing the same. Dangerous if you were to throw it into a camp fire, but agian not much so if it is a situation where you'd have to worry about it cause you'd likly either be out of there already.

 

[stevelyn]

I store mine on open shelves.

Ammo in a fire = POP!.........Fffffffffffft.
No flying shrapnel. No explosion other than the primer.