Plastic Storage Boxes - best brand ??

[rfwobbly]

About 7 months ago I had Grafs throw in a couple of MTM plastic storage boxes with my bullet purchase. These are 100 round, translucent boxes for the 9mm. I loaded up several trial rounds, probably 35 in all, and put them in the new plastic cases. They sat on the shelf for the last 7 months. I finally got a "play day" at the range. When I opened up the blue translucent case, the "hinge" had cracked, and the lid nearly fell off in my hand.

My loading room is inside my temperature controlled home. No chemicals or other environmental hazards are kept in my reloading area, or have been applied to the plastic boxes. Other than dropping in 35 9x19 rounds, these boxes have not been stressed in any way.

I also have 5 translucent blue Dillon 50-round plastic cases that I've been toting to and from IPSC matches and have frankly abused... and they show no signs of wear.


So my questions are:
• Is MTM known to be a poor quality case ?
• Do the opaque cases hold up better than the translucent cases ?
• What is the preferred plastic case of top reloaders, like yourself ?
• What other problems and stories do you guys have about reloading boxes ?

 

[ReloaderFred]

I use Berry's plastic boxes exclusively. Their prices include shipping and they have a life time guarantee.

Here is the link: http://www.berrysmfg.com/categories/3-0.php

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[Smokey Joe]

Plastic ammo boxes...

R. F. Wobbly--Contact MTM or Graf's--one of the 2 might make your loss good. There is competition among makers of those plastic ammo boxes.

FWIW, I shoot in a pistol league, and so, load and use quite a bit of ammo, which is normally stored in MTM boxes. Never yet had a hinge failure on any of 'em. But the hinge on newer ones can be a bit stiff. Even so, for my pistol range use, they're the right size & shape, and so I use 'em.

My favorite ammo boxes are the Plano rifle ammo boxes, with an actual, real hinge in the back, as opposed to a bendy plastic strip. Those stay open when you open 'em, closed when you close 'em, and, being hunting ammo boxes, they get left in the truck in cold weather--No damage, no problem.

 

[Otto]

MTM guarantees their hinges for 1 million open-close cycles or ten years.
I have many of their boxes that are at least 15 years old and none have broken yet.
Wish I could say the same for Berry's.

 

[matrem]

Have used mostly MTM boxes ( both opaque & translucent ),since I got over the "styrofoam crap" for the past twenty years.Have yet to wear out an MTM box. (hinges)
1,000,000 openings is far more than I've subjected any of them to in 20 yrs!

 

[rcmodel]

+1 on MTM.

I have some that are probably 30 years old or so. Some of the first ones they made anyway.

I prefer MTM, because they have always seemed of higher quality then Berry's and other no-names I have picked up at gun shows.
Most of them won't stay latched if you drop them or something.

I'd say you just got a bad MTM.
Call them & whine and they will send you a couple three new ones for your trouble probably.

rcmodel

 

[The Bushmaster]

I use MTM lift off lid boxes and prefer them over hinged lid boxes...

 

[rfwobbly]

Thank for the tips, guys!

The thought of starting over with cases really made my blood boil since so few of the different brands stack on each other. 14 different brands was what I didn't want to end up owning. I'll write MTM and see what they say.

Keep those ideas coming.

 

[smokey262]

Plano for me as well. The bendy hinges on the other brands drive me nuts. The Plano lid opens and stays fully open perfectly. Buy them at Midsouth

 

[Chief-7700]

Since my reloading machine is blue, happen to like the Dillon 100 round boxes at $1.46 per box what's not to like.........
Chief

 

[Bozo]

Well I am one of those guys who have 14 different reloading brand boxes with ammo in them. I have bought different brands over the years when some were on sale. I have no regrets with any of them. However, no doubt the mtm is the best of the bunch.

 

[highlander 5]

MTM will make good on the case. I drove over one 50 rd box I had and they replaced it. Had a 50 rd cartridge box from Midway I dropped down a flight of stairs shattered it to 5 pieces,gave them a call and a week later new box.

 

[Walkalong]

I have Berrys, Dillons, and Midways. I like them all. I even have a MTM around here somewhere.

I like the Bagmaster bullet bags for auto rounds especially. (look under "shooters bags")

Some Light 9MM Loads This bag is close to 20 years old. The frayed edge is where I cut off the handles.

 

[lev83]

I have had good luck with MTM, Dillon and Frankford Arsenal cases. Contact MTM they will take care of it for you.

 

[fireman 9731]

I like the Plano boxes, thats all I have ever used but I cant think of one bad thing about them.

 

[moooose102]

i use the Frankford Arsenal boxes from Midway. they work ok for me. i had one crack, but it does not interfere with its fuctionality, so i havent bothered with replacing it. i am going to order mare soon. they are good, and relatively inexpensive, so why not.

 

[greyling22]

the only one I have ever had crack were the cabelas brand. and it was not at the hinge.

 

[MMCSRET]

I have never had a failure unless I dropped the box when it was full. I use the hinged type but I prefer the slip top.

 

[rfwobbly]

Thanks again !

 

[Smokey Joe]

One Bad Thing, FWIW...

Fireman--

I like the Plano boxes, thats all I have ever used but I cant think of one bad thing about them.

Well, if all you want is one bad thing, they're made in China, while MTM boxes--at least all of mine--say "Made in USA."

But, gee, that "real" hinge IS a Good Thing.

 

[ken22250]

i have used MTM exclusivley for years, and i have not had somuch as one hickup from them, high quality, and lasted for years, and i use them for all my reloading, and for my .22lr and .17 HMR.
ken

 

[scrat]

same as the other guys. i have used mtm boxes a lot. they have all held up for sure.

 

[BADUNAME37]

Never a problem

I've used MTM for about 20 years and even hold ammo in some of their "Case Guards." I NEVER had a hinge break -- or ANY problem whatsover for that matter.

By the looks of the picture, it looks like something that would happen in EXTREME COLD.

I agree with rcmodel. Don't even bother writing, just call them and tell them the model number and the problem. I'm sure they will make BETTER than GOOD!

 

[bp78]

Another MTM fan, I own lots of them with no problem yet. I like them better than the other frankford ones I tried.

 

[Remo-99]

rfwobbly,

I've got some old MTM boxes, bought many years ago, they are tough plastic and have stood upto alot of treatment, like being dropped onto concrete while full of ammo etc.

So recently I needed some more ammo boxes for a new calibre and picked up some of the new MTM ones in the translucent plastic.

To my discovery, when I got them home, they were all cracked at the hinges, it wasn't easily seen at the store when I purchased them.

So, not too happy about it, made a trip back to the store, just to exchange them. But every MTM box they had in the store, in that size, had cracks on the hinge.

When I told them to forget about the exchange, I done my money on them. I won't even consider MTM again, unless they improve the quality of the current materials.

I ended up purchasing some Frankford Arsenal ammo boxes, they 'seem' to be a tougher more durable plastic, anyway.