Ok Im getting deployed for a bout a year or so to afghanistan in a few months. I plan on buying a safe and some desicant to store my guns. Will this be enough if it is stored in a basement? Also, how should I store my reloaded ammo and powder? Will ammo cans be ok or will I need to take more precautions? Any input is greatly appreciated!
Storing ammo while on a deployment...
- Thread starter bragood
- Start date
- Status
Larry E
Member
In my experience with dry basements they're just about ideal for storing ammunition, primers, and powders since they tend to stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter than anywhere else in a house. If the basement tends to be damp it's not a good place. Military ammo cans are great for storing ammunition, both factory and handloads. Make sure they're dry and clean and you should be okay. Storing ammunition in a safe is good too, as long as it's not exposed to heat or cold which aren't good for ammunition, powder, or primers.
If you can buy or build a box or boxes made from nominal 1" lumber or 3/4" plywood large enough to store your powder they'd be ideal. Primers can be stored in military ammo cans separate from the powder.
Good luck and keep safe in Afghanistan too!
If you can buy or build a box or boxes made from nominal 1" lumber or 3/4" plywood large enough to store your powder they'd be ideal. Primers can be stored in military ammo cans separate from the powder.
Good luck and keep safe in Afghanistan too!
Second the military ammo cans - they're about the best thing going to store ammo in.
Also, do you have a family member who can keep an eye on your guns and maybe run an oiled cloth over them once in awhile.
When I was away in the Army my brother looked after my guns in exchange for being able to shoot my guns whenever he wanted to.
He tried to wear my old 10/22 out. He wound up liking it so much he bought it from me. I'm still not sure how I feel about that...
Also, do you have a family member who can keep an eye on your guns and maybe run an oiled cloth over them once in awhile.
When I was away in the Army my brother looked after my guns in exchange for being able to shoot my guns whenever he wanted to.
He tried to wear my old 10/22 out. He wound up liking it so much he bought it from me. I'm still not sure how I feel about that...
Halo
Member
Yep, GI ammo cans are (oddly enough!) perfect for storing your ammo. I wouldn't put any powder in those or any other tightly sealed container though. If for some reason there was a fire or something, you want that powder to have plenty of space to ventilate the gas produced when it burns. Your powder is best stored somewhere dry without frequent temperature swings, in any kind of box that could pop open if the powder started burning..
Whenever I buy shoes or electronics that have those little desiccant bags in the box, I just toss them in my ammo cans to help the air in them dry as possible.
Thank you for your service. Stay sharp over there!
Whenever I buy shoes or electronics that have those little desiccant bags in the box, I just toss them in my ammo cans to help the air in them dry as possible.
Thank you for your service. Stay sharp over there!
ArchAngelCD
Member.
bragood,
Thank you for your service, come home safely.
God Bless you and your family.
Thank you for your service, come home safely.
God Bless you and your family.
nambu1
Member
I keep my ammo, powder and primers in seperate 20mm ammo cans with packets of dessiccant in each can. I keep them in a little room under my front porch and they have been there for 10 + years and I have not had a problem.
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Ammo cans in the basement is ideal.
No need for desiccant packs.
Ever find one in a can of GI issue ammo?
I thought not.
rcmodel
No need for desiccant packs.
Ever find one in a can of GI issue ammo?
I thought not.
rcmodel
nicholst55
Member
Back in the early '80s, I used to draw a lot of ammo at Ft. Hood, TX. One of the magazines that we drew from routinely had 2-3" of water standing in it (sometimes more); sometimes water running down the walls. The ammo that we drew from that particular magazine was Winchester-Western 185gr WC .45 Match ammo, packed in 50-rd cardboard boxes, 1,000 rounds to the cardboard case.
The humidity was probably a constant 95-100% in that particular magazine; the cardboard boxes were swollen with humidity; the brass and bullets discolored where it touched the cardboard. And, I have absolutely no idea how many years that ammo had been stored under those conditions, but I would guess at least ten (10). That ammo shot just fine; the brass reloaded just fine, too.
My point? If that ammo functioned properly after an estimated 10 years under those far less than ideal conditions, your ammo isn't going to suffer from sitting in your basement for a year! Stick it in ammo cans and forget about it!
The humidity was probably a constant 95-100% in that particular magazine; the cardboard boxes were swollen with humidity; the brass and bullets discolored where it touched the cardboard. And, I have absolutely no idea how many years that ammo had been stored under those conditions, but I would guess at least ten (10). That ammo shot just fine; the brass reloaded just fine, too.
My point? If that ammo functioned properly after an estimated 10 years under those far less than ideal conditions, your ammo isn't going to suffer from sitting in your basement for a year! Stick it in ammo cans and forget about it!
charby
Member
I pheasant hunt with shotgun ammo that was made back in the early 1980's. I have had it for four years and before that it was stored in a humid Iowa basement in the summers and a cold basement in the winters. Never had a problem with it firing.
Some one gave me several cases four years ago and I'm finally down to the last case.
Some one gave me several cases four years ago and I'm finally down to the last case.
Jacka L Ope
Member
I also toss desiccant into my GI ammo cans used for long term storage. Certainly not a requirement but a precaution and could care less about the snickering.
Texastbird
Member
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2007
- Messages
- 280
Not to hijack this thread too badly, but my wife just got a "Seal-a-Meal" and I was wondering if vacuum sealing ammo in plastic bags would be good for long term storage in the damp conditions we have here on the Gulf coast?
cdrt
Member
Should work just fine. A little bit of over-kill but similar to the .50 Cal stuff we used to shoot that was made in 1942-43, then repacked in wooden crates with a sardine can type insert and then sealed. We opened them in the 1970s and that all shot just fine out of our M2 Brownings.
The seal-a-meal will keep the moisture out and you could then store them in just about any cool/dry space for an extended period...years in fact.
Texastbird
Member
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2007
- Messages
- 280
Great, I didn't know if it was overkill or maybe even harmful in some way. I tend to only reload what ammo I will need in the coming few months. But I was thinking about stockpiling some of my favorite rounds in long term storage. I know my son and I have purchased some older Soviet surplus in the sardine cans that have shot beautifully that are around fifty years old.
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
I think it is over-kill if you also use good GI steel ammo cans as you should.
They provide all the seal necessary.
But more importantly, provide excellent fire-fighter protection by containing all the fragments in the event of a house fire.
rcmodel
They provide all the seal necessary.
But more importantly, provide excellent fire-fighter protection by containing all the fragments in the event of a house fire.
rcmodel
Texastbird
Member
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2007
- Messages
- 280
"BRAGOOD", I forgot to wish you the best of luck and wanted to tell you we really appreciate what you guys are doing for us.
snuffy
Member
SALUTE!
Thanks for your service.
Your plans for storage will be fine. Give each gun a good heavy coating of rust preventative oil before putting them in the safe. The powder and primers will be fine in the basement as well, just be sure the caps are on tight. Primers aren't affected by humidity, just high temps.
The theory that ammo cans with smokeless powder in them are bombs, is foolish. The ammo cans aren't enough of a pressure containment to provide critical mass for detonation. Yes, you can make bombs using smokeless powder. But the vessel is heavy wall steel tubing, not sheet metal.
Thanks for your service.
Your plans for storage will be fine. Give each gun a good heavy coating of rust preventative oil before putting them in the safe. The powder and primers will be fine in the basement as well, just be sure the caps are on tight. Primers aren't affected by humidity, just high temps.
The theory that ammo cans with smokeless powder in them are bombs, is foolish. The ammo cans aren't enough of a pressure containment to provide critical mass for detonation. Yes, you can make bombs using smokeless powder. But the vessel is heavy wall steel tubing, not sheet metal.
earplug
Member
Water runs down hill
Water runs down hill into basements.
While ammo can be stored in a water tight container. Firearms stored in a basement are subject to flooding.
Leaking pipes, washing machine malfunctions etc.
My important firearms are stored above ground level.
Water runs down hill into basements.
While ammo can be stored in a water tight container. Firearms stored in a basement are subject to flooding.
Leaking pipes, washing machine malfunctions etc.
My important firearms are stored above ground level.
Halo
Member
Well I don't have the PhD in physics that you apparently do, so was simply passing along a caution I have seen printed in pretty much every reloading guide I have ever read.
So OP, please disregard my foolish advice!
The dessicant packages you save from whatever sources are no good for keeping moisture out of your gun by the time you save them. You can revitalize the dessicant by warming in an oven about 140 degrees for several hours.
You can buy new, sealed-in-the-package dessicant from various sources online.
You can buy new, sealed-in-the-package dessicant from various sources online.
snuffy
Member
Neither do I. But I do have common sense, a commodity in low supply on the internet. A weak sheet metal ammo can will burst well below detonation pressure, which it would need to be considered a bomb.
My point is; it would shield the contents from the high heat necessary to ignite the contents. In a total burn down of a house, nothing is going to prevent powder from burning. But enclosed in an ammo can, it would be nearly impossible to ignite the powder inside.
I checked 3 sources of reloading books/manuals. Hodgdon, Hornady and the lyman 48th. Hodgdon says;
°"Storage cabinets should be constructed of insulating materials and with a weak wall, seams, or joints to provide an easy means of self venting."
°Obey all regulations regarding quantity and methods of storing. Do not store all powders in one place. If you can, maintain separate locations. Many small containers are safer than one large container.
Nothing was said about ammo cans.
Lyman says it about as close to telling us not to store powder in a strong container.
Caution: "In case of unintended ignition it is imperative that the storage container have one or more weak walls that will open out at very low pressure to vent gases before they can cause damage. Using a strong enclosure may cause a burst of considerable force causing property damage or personal injury."
Hornady has one paragraph about powder, no precautions about storage. Just a brief description about the properties of smokeless powder, followed by a burn rate chart.
You are right in that powder stored in an ammo can would burst at a higher pressure than if the bottle/keg were NOT in any container. But it wouldn't be a bomb.
I'm not about to try it to see what happens. I much prefer to be on the outside looking into a jail!
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Point:
In the event of a fire, GI steel ammo cans are designed to "pop" the spring latch partially, or melt the lid seal and release gas pressure before they can blow up.
While still remaining closed enough to contain ammo case fragments, flying primers, and such.
Ever notice the "wings" on the side of a .50 cal ammo can lid that cover the gaps on the sides when the lid is unlatched?
That is one of the reasons they are there.
rcmodel
In the event of a fire, GI steel ammo cans are designed to "pop" the spring latch partially, or melt the lid seal and release gas pressure before they can blow up.
While still remaining closed enough to contain ammo case fragments, flying primers, and such.
Ever notice the "wings" on the side of a .50 cal ammo can lid that cover the gaps on the sides when the lid is unlatched?
That is one of the reasons they are there.
rcmodel
- Status
