Storing ammo at a temp of 55 and 55% humidity

[sublimaze41]

Okay,
my wife is understanding about my reloading purchases (most of the time), but she has drawn a line in the sand regarding ammo storage upstairs.

I have bulk loaded a few thousand .223 rounds and DON'T want to store them in ammo boxes in my basement. By that I mean the military .50 cal and 20mm cans.

Will loaded rounds stored in those plastic Frankford boxes be Okay for long term storage with a temp of 55 and humidity of 55% ??

I would appreciate any answers to this much visited question.

 

[strat81]

You'll probably be fine, but those plastic boxes aren't air or water tight. For any LT storage, I'd recommend that you use desiccant.

I prefer to store my ammo in ammo cans since they are cheap, easy to get, stack well, are durable, and are more air and water tight than most other containers.

 

[rcmodel]

They will also contain the fragments in case of a house fire.
Your friendly local Firefighters will really appreciate that!

IMHO: For safety reasons alone, mass quantities of loaded ammo shouuld be stored in steel GI ammo cans in your home.
Not to mention they are air tight and waterproof.


rcmodel

 

[sublimaze41]

So it written, so it is done. Thanks!

 

[dmftoy1]

Just out of curiosity, why don't you want to store your ammo in cans in the basement? If you're worried about flooding you can put some strong shelves up hear the rafters and the odds of water ever getting that high is pretty slim.

Just curious.

Regards,
Dave

 

[sublimaze41]

I have plenty of .50 and 20 mm cans with ammo in them. The problem is when I load 50 .30-06 rounds and put them in the Frankford boxes they will not fit in the cans. Sure I can put the cases upright but then it only holds a few boxes in one can.

 

[dmftoy1]

Gotcha!

I tend to store my ammo "loose" in the ammo can's and move it to my nice boxes in batches of 100-200.

Regards,
Dave

 

[rcmodel]

Me too.

Well, not loose loose exactly.
But in Zip-Lock bags of 50 or 100 rounds, depending on the caliber & size. You really can maximize an ammo cans capacity that way.


rcmodel

 

[strat81]

Just an FYI:
http://www.midwayusa.com/ebrowse.exe/browse?tabid=1&categoryid=18485&categorystring=655***

Local gun shows have also had a ton of ammo cans lately, most in excellent condition for good prices.

 

[Black_Talon]

Never mind.