Military Ammo Boxes?

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DerbyDale

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I saw a debate on another forum about NOT storing ammo in .50 cal military ammo boxes. Some say the seals on most surplus boxes are bad and the steel conducts moisture, and thus bad for your ammo. They say you should only use plastic boxes. The quote below is from an Administrator of another forum, which is why it made me question it.

The seals HOPEFULLY ARE IN SERVICEABLE condition as steel is a conductor for moisture. Most GI cans I have seen the seals were questionable to say the least.
Click to expand...

Any truth to this? I have never heard that "steel is a conductor for moisture" before. If steel ammo boxes are so bad, why does the military use them?
 
If you want to be sure, fill your bath tub and submerge your cans for awhile. Any leaks would be apparent.

I recently read in a catalog advertising cans (so, for what it's worth) that the military was now destroying empty cans. Seems like a waste, but that might lend credence to it!
 
While I don't know for sure, my BS detector is going off. Steel conducting moisture? I don't buy that.

I'm sure you'll find plenty of folks around here who store their ammo in old metal surplus cans, and they haven't had any problems.
 
The steel doesn't conduct moisture, but it does conduct heat. Assuming the seal is good, whatever moisture is being held by the air inside the can will be condensed out in the form of water drops if the air temperature inside of the can drops sufficiently.

The powder in the ammo should absorb whatever moisture is in the air, >eventually<.
 
I've inherited reloaded ammo that had been stored in GI ammo cans for over thirty years. Shoots fine; nice tight groups...

If you wanna go ahead and worry about the seals, just use some blue silicone from your friendly autoparts store to augment the existing "O-ring".

Art
 
Geocachers have been swearing by ammo cans since the beginning because they do seal so well. As long as the can isn’t damaged on the sealing surface and the seal is there, it will be moisture proof. I used to be able to get as many ‘once fired’ ammo cans as I wanted for free, but my connection has moved on.
 
How long do you plan on storing your ammo?
What type of climate are you in? Arizona, Alaska, or Florida?

Those military cans were purchased from the low bidder to specs, and designed to primarily protect the ammo from the dangers of transport, and then from moisture. They were also to be one-use containers, with little emphasis on resealibility. Major ammo dealers use them for bulk shipments because they are cheap on the surplus market. Yes, they're handy for storage, but you may want to do some work on the seals before using for long term storage.
 
I store alot of stuff in ammo cans, have used them for tools for years. Metallurgically speaking, as far as I know steel doesn't conduct moisture plus last time I checked ammo cans are painted as well. They can sweat but that's only if the moisture is inside to start with. The seals are great but some old ones the rubber can be bad so watch those but they are cheap and plentiful.
 
Ammo cans are your friend!!!;);)
I keep most of my stash in cans. Have well over
a dozen .30 cal,.50 cal,20mm cans. Just check
the seals before you buy them.
Some stuff has been in cans 15+ years.
I'm a sucker for sealed creates and tins inside myself.
My 7.62x54r stash!!!
DSC01913.JPG


MRI
 
I prefer plastic sportman's dry boxes over milsurp ammo cans because plastic is a lot easier on the finish on AR mags than steel.
 
If steel conducts moisture, why do they make ships and submarines out of the stuff?

The steel doesn't conduct moisture, but it does conduct heat. Assuming the seal is good, whatever moisture is being held by the air inside the can will be condensed out in the form of water drops if the air temperature inside of the can drops sufficiently.

The powder in the ammo should absorb whatever moisture is in the air, >eventually<.
Click to expand...
Good point and probably where the "steel conducts moisture" theory came from.

Put some desiccant packs in the can. That will absorb any condensation.
 
I've used them for years, including as storage for ammo in the open in rural Alaska through whole years of rain, snow, sun, etc. Some observations:

--The outside WILL start to rust as the paint peels off. But I have yet to see the inside get rusty if the can is kept closed. The biggest problem with the ones stored outside was the latch rusting shut and needing to be smacked open with a hammer.

--I haven't seen interior moisture build up in any of them unless the tops were off during rain. However, JE223's point is valid. All my cans were loaded and closed in the dry Alaska air. In the south or east you might well consider tossing a dry-zee-air inside.

--The cans are not designed to be used underwater. While many will be resistant to flood waters, they're not supposed to be kept underwater for long term storage.
 
Holy moly MRIman, that's a LOT of 54! I thought my two spam cans were impressive. BTW I saw my first Dragunov SVD at the gun show last month. I'd be more inclined to shoot 54 with that instead of the Mosin that beats me up at the range.
 
Well out here in Arizona we got 23 pallets of 50 cal ammo cans that have been sitting for the last 15 years through monsoon rains and 115 degree plus days as well as 3 floods ya open any of em up they are nice clean and dry the lil white strip of paper with the inspector who cleared em as empty is still just as it was when placed inside back in 1990 according to the date on each one in every can in this shipment Omega weapons systems received the paint on the ones on the outside edges and top of each pallet is a lil faded the ones towards the center of each pallet are still all like brand new.....

Don also has ammo cans from WWII that have been sitting outside for decades same conditions climate wise they too are all nice dry and clean on the inside.........

So I don't know where he is gettin conduct moisture as its super humid here during monsoon season and the temps fluxuate from 115+ in the day down to 50 at night sometimes, monsoon rain is high pressure imagine standing in front of a fire house about 20 feet away thats what its like when it rolls in.... no moisture in any of those cans he's also got the same style crates used to store bren barrels in ........ no rust or signs of moisture the barrels look just like they did wood handles and metal all mint new they been in those metal crates since 1945 so...............
 
GI ammo boxes in good condition are just terrific for storing ammo in most circumstances. In very extreme and moist places, I would consider vacum sealing long-term stored ammo in plastic bags before tossing in the can.

The cans really can support the weight when needed to move the ammo from place to place---and it just makes everyone happy when the ammo can actually has ammo inside when someone says 'What's in the old ammo can'?
 
Holy moly MRIman, that's a LOT of 54! I thought my two spam cans were impressive. BTW I saw my first Dragunov SVD at the gun show last month. I'd be more inclined to shoot 54 with that instead of the Mosin that beats me up at the range.
Click to expand...


SVD's are out of my price range. I'd love to have a few,but have way to many
other things on my plate.
I have @ 15 weapons in x54r. The PSL is the most fun,for "getting the job done", I'll pick out my Finn M-39 every time.
As the saying goes,"Buy cheap,stack deep".

MRI
 
Ammo storage

Steel is a conductor for moisture???? Whatever. I have been storing ammo for years in ammo cans (just like bigbrother does) and I have never had any problem whatsoever with metal cans. Just be sure to check the rubber o-ring and also check that the latch pulls down tight and locks solid. I have been buying .50 cal cans for $4.50 and they look like new.
 
I've been storing ammo in steel ammo boxes for many years with never a problem.
I routinely shoot factory and reloaded ammo I've stored for 10+ years.

45incans.gif
 
Plastic is generally not perfectly airtight (due to tiny pores in the plastic). Steel cans are more likely to be airtight. I'll stick with the steel cans. They've worked fine for me and the government has used them for decades too...
 
MRI, I hope that's a basement, otherwise your floor joists would like to have a word with you. You are a model of how to live, beautiful stack!

I aquire ammo cans whenever I can. Many times in shipboard life they go over the side along with all the shell casings after a shoot. Recently I've asked for several hundred 5.56 stripper clips, 4-5 .50 cal cans, 2-20mm cans and a 25mm can. There is no such thing as too many cans. I also find the laundry detergent and cat litter that comes in the little square buckets to be quite nice, especially for storing brass. Then there are joint compound buckets. So many containers, so little brass.....
 
the british, americans, and even the germans left hundreds of thousands of tons of high explosives in the groudn of western europe. Particularl in the Mons and Ypres areas. Needless to say those shells are in excellent shape and are usable.

THe same goes for the massive amount of rifle and machine gun ammo left in the SUNKEN bunkers in the original storage containers, metal as well as wood. Ironically after almost 90 years in that state, they do in fact still work.
 
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