Ammo in warm attic?

Trazor

Trazor

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Hi team, general knowledge would advise one to store ammunition in cool dry locations; however, that is not a secure option for me.

My safe is full and other than sitting in a closet where it could easily be taken, the safest 'out of the way' place is in my attic; however, it gets damn hot up there in the summer.
I am storing military surplus in its span cans and some 308 surplus sealed in plastic which is also inside its original wood crate.

Any comments on this idea? is this a no-go for fear of ruining the ammunition?

Looking for some experience on the issue, as a would be theif isnt going to crawl into my attic, but would definitely search the closets.
 
Trazor said:
Hi team, general knowledge would advise one to store ammunition in cool dry locations; however, that is not a secure option for me.

My safe is full and other than sitting in a closet where it could easily be taken, the safest 'out of the way' place is in my attic; however, it gets damn hot up there in the summer.
I am storing military surplus in its span cans and some 308 surplus sealed in plastic which is also inside its original wood crate.

Any comments on this idea? is this a no-go for fear of ruining the ammunition?

Looking for some experience on the issue, as a would be theif isnt going to crawl into my attic, but would definitely search the closets.
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You know the answer .. yes you will get some posts where granpa kept the ww2 308 ammo in the attic of the barn for 40 years and it was just fine .. but fine is a relative word :)

Get/make a wood box, dirty it up .. label it 75 MGB parts .. keep it in the closet .. is BC that bad for break and enters now?

Do not forget to vent the box at the rear, or leave some small cracks .. ( safe storage )
 
rocor98 said:
is BC that bad for break and enters now?
Click to expand...

Haha, its never been an issue; however, the more I gather/acquire, the more I think about it...

Attic would be an easy solution so Im curious if anyone has ever actually experienced any issues with ammunition stored in hot areas.

One would expect temperatures to quite high over in the middle east, even when ammunition crates were stored in bunkers etc... Hoping for actual negatives beyond the suspected hypotheticals.
 
I would think humidity would be a bigger issue than temp. I have never had any issues and my reloading components sit in a old bunk house. Which isn't climate controlled in any manner and I personally have never had any issues. Used some 40 year old powder the other day and it went bang. I wouldn't be too worried.
 
According to Rick Patterson, Managing Director of#SAAMI, “In fact as long as your ammunition is stored at normal room temperatures with low humidity, it can function reliably for decades.”

It takes more than just a warm day to detrimentally impact ammunition—SAAMI believes the breakdown begins around 150 degrees Fahrenheit. There are very few environments where stored ammo can reach those extremes, but the trunk of a vehicle is one of them.



Read more:#http://www.gunsandammo.com/ammo/how-to-store-ammo/#ixzz3dxchhgsV

So we are back to qualifying .... " damm hot up there " :)
 
At 150 degrees Fahrenheit you'd be dead. Or want to be. Highest record temperature in North America was 56.7C(134.1F) in Death Valley. Your attic won't get that hot. However, a lock on one of your closets will be a lot more convenient than hauling ammo up typical attic stairs.
In an case, its rapid extremes of temperature change that can cause grief.
 
The warming the powder gets, the shorter its life. Put in some reflective insulation on the underside of the roof and ventilation. Bingo, ammo storage
 
My rancher is slab on grade so no crawl space unfortunately.
I have whats considered a 'flat roof' so the tallest part of my attic (down the centre) is under 3' = No stair access, just an obscure access hatch which requires a ladder from my shop to access. This is why it would be ideal as an 'anti-theft' location.

My attic is vented, but being a really low slope means it heats up pretty well. Ill measure the temps but I doubt its getting anywhere near 150F... Its supposed to be a record setting weekend for highs, so Ill throw a thermometer up there and see what she gets to.

+1 to not having enough ammo to wreck my structural beams...one day...one day.

Thanks for all the advice team.
Curious is anyone has ever experienced the negatives to storing ammunition anywhere besides a 'cool dry' place.
Cheers
 
" Attics will get hot in places like Denver. 155F sound about right in peak summer. Here in Phoenix they have recorded temps of 185F+ in the attic.#" ( simple google search )

Depends on location .. venting .. etc ... when I worked in PEI in the 70's a lot of new construction was going passive solar .. they were melting liners in the storage basements .. they have very clear days .. different process, but they were getting good sun effect that far north . .. central Canada is lower, but lake effect wether would be a factor .. could be more direct sun effect in parts of BC
 
can you get power up there? put it in a bar fridge, can set up a timer and a thermostat in the attic to cycle it on and off every 15 mins or so when its above a set temperature in the attic, and set you fridge to the warmest setting it has
 
You really don't have enough ammo when it will fit in a bar fridge.

If you have power, put in a circulation fan to exhaust the hot air, princess auto has a variety of models that could work. You can also get a thermostat controlled switch.
 
You're overthinking this, put it in your closet and carry on. Don't put it in the attic, that's ridiculous, always climbing up to get it etc. walking on your roof joists and weight on them will likely cause gyproc screws to come lose and you'll see that, not to mention it's just not good for the ammo. There are no storage laws saying it has to be locked up, put it out of sight (not with your firearms) and carry on.
 
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Trying to post pic of coffee table that's not . Is costume built with rough lumber has two drawers that hold a total of 18 long guns between them . (stupid old guy ) Help needed . you'd love the thing . Know how to send pics to emails but for the life of me can't get them here .
 
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TPK said:
You're overthinking this, put it in your closet and carry on. Don't put it in the attic, that's ridiculous, always climbing up to get it etc. walking on your roof joists and weight on them will likely cause gyproc screws to come lose and you'll see that, not to mention it's just not good for the ammo. There are no storage laws saying it has to be locked up, put it out of sight (not with your firearms) and carry on.
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Its not for 'daily use' ammo, which I store in my safe. Its for the excess crates that wont fit in my safe.
A closet isnt ideal for anti-theft reasons.

So far, building a hidden back plate in my work bench out in my shop might be the best option...
 
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