Outdoor Ammo Storage

cote_b

cote_b

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Just wondering if it is safe to store sealed spam cans of surplus ammo and Nork .223 / .308 in an outdoor shed over winter. I'm being hassled by the family to get some of my ammo out of the house so I was wondering if this would be okay and not ruin my ammo.

Thanks
 
Cool and dry are supposed to be the best storage conditions from what I've heard.

Still, I wouldn't want to store ammo anywhere that goes below freezing, or has fluctuating temperatures and humidity.

What are the odds of you banishing your family to the shed instead?
 
How much ammo do you have that this is an issue?

Spam cans and crates are pretty small, can you not tuck them away in a corner in the basement? If security from little ones is a concern there are large plastic storage toolboxes that take padlocks.
 
There is no issue keeping spam cans in the crates in the shed, as long as span cans are sealed, they will stay dry and be fine.
 
I don't even have that much to tell you the truth. I guess there is concerns that it would become a safety issue during a fire, which I have adamantly debunked as not being true, but yet the pressure is mounting to remove all but a small amount of ammo ( for easy access to range trips or hunting) and put it in an unheated shed indefinitely. Not very happy about it, but aslong as I'm still living at home I don't know what much else choice I have.

Luckily I am young, graduated and looking for a job somewhere else so hopefully I can hold off on this for now and be moved out soon enough to avoid having to do this.
 
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Ahhh, not your place. You don't have a choice but do as asked. I would store in the shed as a last resort, the ammo should be OK but temp fluctuations are supposed to age it prematurely. Can you store it with a friend with a PAL?
 
Yeah, I think I might just refer them to this thread and show them how most agree that it would ruin my ammo and that it should stay inside.
 
Would "the family" mind living in the shed? :p

On a serious note, some of that surplus ammo gets stored outdoors for years before we get our grubby little paws on it. I don't know if that will ease your mind or not. I presume that's why some of it is packaged in spam cans. :)
 
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As for the shed fill your boots and don't worry about the temp.

How do you think the ammo was stored before you got it? It was not in a temp controlled warehouse, it was in an unheated military magazine for decades then an unheated sea container for years then for the months you have owned it in a heated area. Below zero will not hurt it. 99% of the time since the ammo was made it has been "outside" so to speak.

Shawn
 
cote_b said:
Yeah, I think I might just refer them to this thread and show them how most agree that it would ruin my ammo and that it should stay inside.
Click to expand...

seriously? worried about sealed containers outside? what, is your ammo the family pet? needs to stay warm and out of the cold?
Have you ever seen WW2 footage? do you think they had nice warm bunkers for their ammo while they froze their asses off in the trenches?
It may suck to have to store stuff outside, but if its sealed..nothing is going to happen to it.
 
I store my ammo in the cold room. It get very cold in there. The shed is just the next step. I wouldn't be too concerned it is surplus and was most probably stored in similar places anyway.
 
get the ammo out of there they dont want it in the house so remove it its no big deal if you can store it in the shed
 
If the ammo is in sealed container, there is no problem. The worst ennemy is humidity. Like others said, surplus was not stored in temp controled warehouse......
 
hoochie said:
seriously? worried about sealed containers outside? what, is your ammo the family pet? needs to stay warm and out of the cold?
Have you ever seen WW2 footage? do you think they had nice warm bunkers for their ammo while they froze their asses off in the trenches?
It may suck to have to store stuff outside, but if its sealed..nothing is going to happen to it.
Click to expand...

no, but the ammo they had that had gotten as far as the frozen trenches would be fired within days or weeks, not long enough to be a concern
 
scott585 said:
no, but the ammo they had that had gotten as far as the frozen trenches would be fired within days or weeks, not long enough to be a concern
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How do you think it got to the trench? It didn't teleport there.

It was shipped via train to the port, from the port to Europe via ship, from the port in Europe to field expedient stores/ammo store and distrubution point via truck, from the distribution point to brigade CQ via truck, form the brigade CQ to the company CQ via truck, from the company CQ to platoon CQ via truck and then to the trench via solider on foot.

You are absolutely right, definitely not in the elements at all. lol

Shawn
 
I store ammo in new .50 Cal ammo cans purchased from CanadaAmmo. I put the ammo in the cans and add some silica cat litter in old womens pantyhose, to soak up any moisture. Then I sit the ammo can near the fireplace with the lid open to ensure it is dry (not too close to the fire of course). Then I spray the rubber gasket with an aerosol silicone spray (away from the fire, so it doesn't ignite) then seal up the cans.
 
shawn said:
How do you think it got to the trench? It didn't teleport there.

It was shipped via train to the port, from the port to Europe via ship, from the port in Europe to field expedient stores/ammo store and distrubution point via truck, from the distribution point to brigade CQ via truck, form the brigade CQ to the company CQ via truck, from the company CQ to platoon CQ via truck and then to the trench via solider on foot.

You are absolutely right, definitely not in the elements at all. lol

Shawn
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and was likely fired within a single season of manufacture, so no temperature cycling.

i have seen ammo, made in the same year (1955) in the same plant, stored in 3 locations after being sold surplus for 20 ish years, the stuff stored in a big tupperwear container in a shed outside had about a 10% failure rate, 10% hangfire rate, and the rest shot erratic groups, the stuff stored in the basement of an occupied house, and the stuff stored in a shop with insulation and limited heating durring winter (above freezing most of the time) both shot ok, but had a few rounds go click, bang

its not a big deal short term, but dont count on ammo stored that way for a decade, it will probably go bang, but i wouldnt bet my life on it
 
rugersr22 said:
I store ammo in new .50 Cal ammo cans purchased from CanadaAmmo. I put the ammo in the cans and add some silica cat litter in old womens pantyhose, to soak up any moisture. Then I sit the ammo can near the fireplace with the lid open to ensure it is dry (not too close to the fire of course). Then I spray the rubber gasket with an aerosol silicone spray (away from the fire, so it doesn't ignite) then seal up the cans.
Click to expand...

Use young womens pantyhose, if they will give it to you
 
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