AMMO Storage Question

"In my opinion careless "storage" would be loose ammunition thrown randomly throughout my living quarters.
Leaving it in the boxes, on a shelf wouldn't be careless "

I would think that if there was no firearm around the ammo it would be a non-issue.
 
So I have....

a small room in the basement under the stairs, it has shelves, these shelves hold my hunting gear, target shooting gear, papers, magazines, and ammunition, in original boxes, some in plastic boxes, including flats of shotgun shells, rifle, and pistol ammo included.

In this same room are my rifles, shot guns, each with a trigger lock, each in a case, and each case has at leat 2 padlocks on it, also on the floor is a safe, which holds the pistols.

Now access to this room is by one door, that has a lockable door handle, key is kept in a location I only know about, I am the only licensed person in the house.

Based on all that I have read, and all that I can understand and interpert

I am good to go ??????????

Right ???

one wall is made of cinder block, one is drywall, with studs spaced every 6 inches, you have to be really skinny to get through, basement has very small windows maybe a 2 year old can get through them....

This should suffice

or

Do I go and buy a big metal box, that is lockable, stick it in the room as well and dump all the ammo into it, lock it, and then I really would have nothing to worry about, but talk about a waste of money, buying even more box's

What you all say....?
 
Careful Precautions

Hi, again:

Yes, I do have a law degree.

One of the reasons I gave such a long answer earlier is that I wanted to show how difficult it would be to get a conviction in a "simple" storage case. Crown attorneys are not supposed to approve charges unless there is a reasonable prospect of conviction, with the onus on the Crown to prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt.

So, in essence, if the evidence shows that the storage method might have been reasonable in the circumstances, and showed some care, then the Crown should not even bring the charge.

A deadbolted basement sounds fine to me. So does the locked cupboard under the stairs. Personal responsibility and common sense are sufficient. And if you don't have those, then maybe you should have a different hobby.
 
Ftaview said:
So I have....

a small room in the basement under the stairs, it has shelves, these shelves hold my hunting gear, target shooting gear, papers, magazines, and ammunition, in original boxes, some in plastic boxes, including flats of shotgun shells, rifle, and pistol ammo included.

In this same room are my rifles, shot guns, each with a trigger lock, each in a case, and each case has at leat 2 padlocks on it, also on the floor is a safe, which holds the pistols.

Now access to this room is by one door, that has a lockable door handle, key is kept in a location I only know about, I am the only licensed person in the house.

Based on all that I have read, and all that I can understand and interpert

I am good to go ??????????

Right ???

one wall is made of cinder block, one is drywall, with studs spaced every 6 inches, you have to be really skinny to get through, basement has very small windows maybe a 2 year old can get through them....

This should suffice

or

Do I go and buy a big metal box, that is lockable, stick it in the room as well and dump all the ammo into it, lock it, and then I really would have nothing to worry about, but talk about a waste of money, buying even more box's

What you all say....?
Click to expand...

You are GTG as is....you are over and beyond the storage requirements.

I personally would bar the window to protect my goods from theft.
 
/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Thanks

The only way your going to get through the window is if your like really skinny, and 10 years of age or younger, very small window......and even then I have it so it only slides open half way....

I like to have my ammo in way that I can see it, gives me a visual way of knowing what is left and on hand, do I need more, or not, and it also lets me see very quickly if any has gone missing......not that it could but, just in case.....

I would really hate to have to have it, all put into another box, piled one on top of another, and have to dig through a pile of ammo to get to a box of shells that might be on the bottom.....

I think, we have some very convoluted laws, and are at times way over the top.....

All I know is I feel safe with my storage and I am sure no one would be able to say it isn't so....

Cheers
 
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Just put it in a different room. When you go to the local shop do they store the ammo in locked cabinets. No. Except the big box stores. And the regulations for dealers is more stringent than owners.

I keep my guns(non-restricted) in my bedroom closet with trigger locks only. No safe. Restricted are in the small safe.

My ammo is in the basement stairwell. I keep the ammo in unlocked military surplus crates, with a latch. 2 unlocked doors seperate my guns from the ammo. This to me would be considered seperate. I have had a cop in my home to pick up a gun for destruction and he never said a thing.

Unless they give specific storage instructions like they do with restricted firearms, then It would be hard to show you have broken any rules.
 
In my mind, ammo in my house is safe storage.
House has a lock on it, if someone really wants they could take their time and get into almost anything.

My ammo is mostly in my closet, any gun I own with a mag is loaded and sitting next to the gun in my safe.
Shotgun has a few rounds loose and ready to go into my outlaw if needed as well in my safe.

We should be able to keep our ammo out of reach from children and in reach for ourselves.
I want my guns and ammo ready for anything if needed.
Sometimes the good old baseball bat is just not as useful.
 
667 said:
Great... Now define "careless" and "reasonable" and we'll all know exactly where we stand.

I figure my house is just one big container. It even has a lock or two on it.
My ammo is kept on a shelf in the basement of that big brick container...
Click to expand...

I just had this exact debate in another thread on rifle storage vs. ammo storage. Be prepared for the backlash it's coming! :)
 
Safe Storage of Ammo?

WARNING: Keep out of the reach of children.
I think that is printed on most ammo boxes. Simply out of reach and/or out of sight may not cut it. Even if there is only adults around. Locking the ammo in some sort of container, closet, cabinet, cupboard or room would be considered safe storage in anyone's opinion. Of course, a gun safe would also qualify.
 
Some people complain of the subjective wording but you should actually be happy its that way. Its subjective but still specific enough in the basic requirements. You can't have an all encompassing requirement for safety of ammo the same way you can't literally define in every case what criminal neglect would be. Its dependent on the situation.

A single man living in an apartment probably wouldn't have to be too worried compared to someone living in a house with children and with windows in many rooms that would be easily broken into or something. That and the subjective nature leaves wiggle room in it. Its hard on those who aren't versed in law but as one person above with a degree pointed out, if you have a brain its on your side as much as anyone's if you're genuinely in the right.

Often people are taken advantage of simply because they don't understand the rights or protections the law affords them and they ignorantly give them away to those who make a living from knowing them inside out. With a sharp brain and good lawyer and some common sense about your possessions you shouldn't have any problems.

Words like "reasonable" and "without lawful excuse" are there to make it so the government doesn't just get to say arbitrarily that you're guilty. More definitive language would probably end up going against the interests of firearm owners if anything. Lose some of the wiggle room for bold and unequivocal statements.
 
I had an experience about 20 years ago, where I had just come back from shooting in the rain, my ex started on me that we were late for a function. I left a shotgun on the table in my basement with the intention of cleaning the next evening. During the next day, before I got home from work, neighbourhood kids ended up playing in my basement. When I got home, I discovered one of the little troublemakers had managed to access the top of a 6' shelving unit to get at a box of 12 gauge ammunition and tried to mate the ammo and the shotgun. I've always kept my ammo under lock and key of some sort since that day. While its not mandatory to keep it locked up, I know that someone not authorized can't easily access my ammo.
 
or without reasonable precautions for the safety of other persons.
Click to expand...

The way I (as a reasonable person) read this is...don't store it in the oven/furnace/toaster or where kids will get at it. As we do not have any kids...I have ammo all over the house. Charge me, I'll fight this one.
 
Ftaview said:
So I have....

a small room in the basement under the stairs, it has shelves, these shelves hold my hunting gear, target shooting gear, papers, magazines, and ammunition, in original boxes, some in plastic boxes, including flats of shotgun shells, rifle, and pistol ammo included.

In this same room are my rifles, shot guns, each with a trigger lock, each in a case, and each case has at leat 2 padlocks on it, also on the floor is a safe, which holds the pistols.

Now access to this room is by one door, that has a lockable door handle, key is kept in a location I only know about, I am the only licensed person in the house.

Based on all that I have read, and all that I can understand and interpert

I am good to go ??????????

Right ???

one wall is made of cinder block, one is drywall, with studs spaced every 6 inches, you have to be really skinny to get through, basement has very small windows maybe a 2 year old can get through them....

This should suffice

or

Do I go and buy a big metal box, that is lockable, stick it in the room as well and dump all the ammo into it, lock it, and then I really would have nothing to worry about, but talk about a waste of money, buying even more box's

What you all say....?
Click to expand...

You have done better than some already. A couple of small changes might help. A 'double key deadbolt' on the door woulld prevent someone from opening the door in the event they did mandge to gain entry and a metal supply cabinet (the kind offices use to lock up pens, stickys and such) would be great for the ammo. Large, steel and locking. Won't stop determined, but will stop casual theves.
 
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