Bailey Colbert
New member
You have to have a fireproof safe. A little expensive but it really serves the purpose.
How do you store your ammo?
- Thread starter tynman
- Start date
SocialAnarchist
Moderator
Bailey,
The cost of a fireproof safe for the ammo stores some of these guys claim to have would be out of this world.
The cost of a fireproof safe for the ammo stores some of these guys claim to have would be out of this world.
22-rimfire
New member
I wouldn't worry about preserving ammunition should you have a fire. In a real fire, consider the stash toast regardless of your lined sheetrock boxes, safes, and so forth.
Tynman I like the box you posted good price and with wheels.
One thing I would suggest to add in the case is one of these Remington rechargeable dehumidifiers.
I use one in my safe and two more in my mortar cans I use for Primers and 5.56. When the window turns pink you plug it into a wall socket and come back in 4 hours and its new again. http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/2-REM19946
One thing I would suggest to add in the case is one of these Remington rechargeable dehumidifiers.
I use one in my safe and two more in my mortar cans I use for Primers and 5.56. When the window turns pink you plug it into a wall socket and come back in 4 hours and its new again. http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/2-REM19946
I have one of these for storing all my ammo:
http://www.grainger.com/product/GRE.../N-996Z1z0r4kw?search_type=keyword&s_pp=false
I bought it several years ago at Home Depot, and the price then, was under $200.00
It's very stout and well-made. Very secure as well. Dust proof and lots of room inside. It measures 48x24x24.
It is not fire rated or proof. But, that didn't concern me. With all my ammo inside, it weighs in excess of 1000 lbs.
http://www.grainger.com/product/GRE.../N-996Z1z0r4kw?search_type=keyword&s_pp=false
I bought it several years ago at Home Depot, and the price then, was under $200.00
It's very stout and well-made. Very secure as well. Dust proof and lots of room inside. It measures 48x24x24.
It is not fire rated or proof. But, that didn't concern me. With all my ammo inside, it weighs in excess of 1000 lbs.
Last edited:
One of the guys on a local board came up with some ammo cans for $8 each. I bought 20. I keep most of my ammo in those now. I used to keep a set of shelves in the garage, but I don't go shooting as much anymore. It spent longer on the shelf, so humidity was starting to get to it.
I never kept it in the safe.
I never kept it in the safe.
WilliamDahl
New member
The only ammo I keep in the safe is the ammo that is already in mags. On top of the safe, I keep a few hundred rounds of each caliber, but anything over that I keep in steel ammo boxes in a single layer on the floor of my closet under the bottom rack of clothes. That space is not normally used for anything else anyway.
I store my ammo in GI ammo cans with desiccant packs. I got the magnet labels from ammocanmagnets.com
http://i1348.photobucket.com/albums/p728/garyhmann/IMG_4643_zps79e3e9c5.jpg
http://i1348.photobucket.com/albums/p728/garyhmann/IMG_4643_zps79e3e9c5.jpg
I put pistol rounds in sandwich sized zip-lock bags, in 100-250 counts depending on the cartridge, and the bags go in 50 caliber ammo boxes. Large rifle cartridges get put in 20 round plastic or card stock boxes and then are stacked in 50 caliber ammo boxes.
The ammo boxes get stacked on shelves in a 12 gauge 72" double door steel cabinet that is built into a closet, The cabinet is not fire resistant, but I have automatic fire extinguishers throughout the area.
I opted for this method simply because of the volume of ammunition I store these days. I had to add some supports in the basement because the floor around the safe and ammo cabinet started getting a little "spongy".
The ammo boxes get stacked on shelves in a 12 gauge 72" double door steel cabinet that is built into a closet, The cabinet is not fire resistant, but I have automatic fire extinguishers throughout the area.
I opted for this method simply because of the volume of ammunition I store these days. I had to add some supports in the basement because the floor around the safe and ammo cabinet started getting a little "spongy".
Ammo is not particularly hazardous or dangerous in a fire. They've done extensive testing for fire fighter training. The videos are very interesting, and I was surprised at how little damage a burning pallet of ammo can do to its surroundings.
As for burglars, let them steal the ammo! How much ammo can you carry, and how fast can you run with it?!!!
I'm also fascinated by the lengths people go to to protect ammo from humidity, when I've never seen evidence of it causing problems. If ammo is loaded properly, it should be pretty water tight. I've still got vintage Egypt 1950's 8mm Mauser ammo, in boxes that are falling apart and disintegrating. Never had a misfire. I've hunted in the rain, stayed wet for multiple days and even dropped pistol ammo in the water, and these are handloads. I'm still shooting some ammo I loaded in the 80's. I store it on a shelf, in the gun cabinet, or in a filing cabinet. Had some in the attic in wooden crates. I really think you'd be hard pressed to have issues with humidity causing ammo problems.
As for burglars, let them steal the ammo! How much ammo can you carry, and how fast can you run with it?!!!
I'm also fascinated by the lengths people go to to protect ammo from humidity, when I've never seen evidence of it causing problems. If ammo is loaded properly, it should be pretty water tight. I've still got vintage Egypt 1950's 8mm Mauser ammo, in boxes that are falling apart and disintegrating. Never had a misfire. I've hunted in the rain, stayed wet for multiple days and even dropped pistol ammo in the water, and these are handloads. I'm still shooting some ammo I loaded in the 80's. I store it on a shelf, in the gun cabinet, or in a filing cabinet. Had some in the attic in wooden crates. I really think you'd be hard pressed to have issues with humidity causing ammo problems.
Yes I agree with u on all that. And if the ammo is in a fire do you really want to shoot it anyway. The guns are harder to replace then the ammo. I'm not so worried about fire or someone steeling it. I have small kids and I am just starting to teach them about gun safety. So they are at the age where " look what I found!!! And dad showed us how it goes into the gun let's go try he won't mind" cause 90% of my guns are locked up in the safe but I do have 2 for home defense hidden without the safety of a safe. So that is my biggest worry about the ammo.
But with the humidity just in case it does do anything to the ammo I put 10 or more moisture absorb packs in with it. I had them for when I bought my safe and used them until I got a dehumidifier. So they were just sitting on top of my safe anyway.
But with the humidity just in case it does do anything to the ammo I put 10 or more moisture absorb packs in with it. I had them for when I bought my safe and used them until I got a dehumidifier. So they were just sitting on top of my safe anyway.
I have several bricks of 22LR that won't feed because the lead is so oxidized from the humidity in the garage. Boxes are not "falling apart and disintegrating", but the ammo is crap now. Some of them I can't even shove into a revolver. I've had jacketed ammo turn green over time- it usually cleans up and functions, even though most people wouldn't try to fire it.
Yes, I've hunted in the rain, too, I've had guns fully immersed in salt water, washed ammo in the laundry, etc. And the ammo still fires, because the powder and primer aren't affected, but metal corrosion over time is another issue, entirely.
It may sound silly, but I now keep it all inside, and in ammo cans to protect it from humidity.
It's not the inside that needs protection from moisture, (the cartridges are air/water tight), but the outside. I have had to tumble ammo that was stored in a humid environment, the brass was corroded and and when they were loaded in a magazine there were a few feeding problems, although not all that bad.
Now I tumble my loaded ammo in corn cobb treated with polish, this actually leaves a very thin film over the rounds that helps keep the brass and copper/lead separated from oxygen and humidity. This combined with air tight storage results in ammo that can be stored for a good long time, In the summer time when my swamp cooler runs a lot, bare copper and brass will begin to darken in just a couple days if left out, it will also badly rust an unprotected firearm in short order.
Last edited:
I have one of these for storing all my ammo:
http://www.grainger.com/product/GREENLEE-Mobile-Storage-Chest-WP23622/_/N-996Z1z0r4kw?s_pp=false
I bought it several years ago at Home Depot, and the price then, was under $200.00
It's very stout and well-made. Very secure as well. Dust proof and lots of room inside. It measures 48x24x24.
It is not fire rated or proof. But, that didn't concern me. With all my ammo inside, it weighs in excess of 1000 lbs.
I have a large moisture desiccant container inside.
http://www.grainger.com/product/GREENLEE-Mobile-Storage-Chest-WP23622/_/N-996Z1z0r4kw?s_pp=false
I bought it several years ago at Home Depot, and the price then, was under $200.00
It's very stout and well-made. Very secure as well. Dust proof and lots of room inside. It measures 48x24x24.
It is not fire rated or proof. But, that didn't concern me. With all my ammo inside, it weighs in excess of 1000 lbs.
I have a large moisture desiccant container inside.
Last edited: