Ammo storage

BrownR said:
Hey guys I picked up one of these ammo field boxes, I was wondering if I can store my ammo in here in my house. Or does it need a hole for breathing ??
I can’t member if it needs “air flow” for storage or if it needs and has to be fully sealed like the box I bought
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If it's a cardboard box, there's no fully sealed state, as cardboard is not impervious to moisture and such, even if the box is a case or a flat. Cardboard is cardboard. In fact, in a very high humidity environment, the cardboard boxes would be a liability in trapping/retaining moisture. The MTM boxes or a Magnum/Plano polymer ammo container with the rubber seal are all great for storage, like what you pictured. Princess Auto had the 50 cal boxes on sale for $7.99 each not that long ago (about a month ago). I believe they have a current sale on the metal cans.

Others keep ammo in their original boxes in ammo cans or in a cabinet or safe in an environment which is dark, cool and dry. Ammo is generally pretty resilient and there are folks who report that they successfully shoot 60-80 year old ammo (way before the advent of common place air conditioning) with no problems. Some folks take all their ammo out of the boxes and put them in the MTM cases or the polymer or metal ammo cans.

The biggest thing is keeping it away from direct sunlight, quick changes in temperature, and obviously moisture. Many people who keep ammo in a cabinet/safe have some sort of desiccant tin/Golden Rod solution handy, or control the room the ammo is stored with some sort of dehumidifier. Even if it is not that elaborate, keeping it dry and cool goes a long way in and of itself.
 
thegazelle said:
If it's a cardboard box, there's no fully sealed state, as cardboard is not impervious to moisture and such, even if the box is a case or a flat. Cardboard is cardboard. In fact, in a very high humidity environment, the cardboard boxes would be a liability in trapping/retaining moisture. The MTM boxes or a Magnum/Plano polymer ammo container with the rubber seal are all great for storage, like what you pictured. Princess Auto had the 50 cal boxes on sale for $7.99 each not that long ago (about a month ago). I believe they have a current sale on the metal cans.

Others keep ammo in their original boxes in ammo cans or in a cabinet or safe in an environment which is dark, cool and dry. Ammo is generally pretty resilient and there are folks who report that they successfully shoot 60-80 year old ammo (way before the advent of common place air conditioning) with no problems. Some folks take all their ammo out of the boxes and put them in the MTM cases or the polymer or metal ammo cans.

The biggest thing is keeping it away from direct sunlight, quick changes in temperature, and obviously moisture. Many people who keep ammo in a cabinet/safe have some sort of desiccant tin/Golden Rod solution handy, or control the room the ammo is stored with some sort of dehumidifier. Even if it is not that elaborate, keeping it dry and cool goes a long way in and of itself.
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This is the one I bought, I didn’t get the link quick enough after posting

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/...e-box-case-holds-6-8-boxes-grey-0752472p.html
 
BrownR said:
Hey guys I picked up one of these ammo field boxes, I was wondering if I can store my ammo in here in my house. Or does it need a hole for breathing ??
I can’t member if it needs “air flow” for storage or if it needs and has to be fully sealed like the box I bought

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/...e-box-case-holds-6-8-boxes-grey-0752472p.html
Click to expand...

You would be perfectly fine to store your ammo in that container as is. No hole for breathing needed. As thegazelle stated, store in a cool, dark, dry area with minimal temperature fluctuations. I would also throw in a dessicant pack for good measure.

There is a lot of factory ammo that is sold in similar containers as well as all that surplus stuff that used to come in the "tuna can" which were certainly air tight and sitting for decades with no adverse affects to the ammo.
 
pirate604 said:
You would be perfectly fine to store your ammo in that container as is. No hole for breathing needed. As thegazelle stated, store in a cool, dark, dry area with minimal temperature fluctuations. I would also throw in a dessicant pack for good measure.

There is a lot of factory ammo that is sold in similar containers as well as all that surplus stuff that used to come in the "tuna can" which were certainly air tight and sitting for decades with no adverse affects to the ammo.
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Ah ok, I was just checking as the rpal/pal instructor was telling me a little different about storing ammo. But I was and thought it needed to be sealed 100% as well. That’s good, I’ll take my ammo out of the cardboard boxes and toss them in my case. What is a desiccant pack ??
 
BrownR said:
This is the one I bought, I didn’t get the link quick enough after posting

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/...e-box-case-holds-6-8-boxes-grey-0752472p.html
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That one you listed for $15.99 at CT is for 30 cal. Check Princess Auto and look up 50 cal ammo poly box. It's $13.99 regular price. I won't hotlink it as PA is not a site sponsor. But if there is a PA near you, you are already saving $2.00 and getting a much bigger box. They keep out moisture and are lockable. Go on their mailing list to ensure you get notified at the next sale of these. I use the 50 cal boxes for all sorts of ammo and they stack as well.
 
thegazelle said:
That one you listed for $15.99 at CT is for 30 cal. Check Princess Auto and look up 50 cal ammo poly box. It's $13.99 regular price. I won't hotlink it as PA is not a site sponsor. But if there is a PA near you, you are already saving $2.00 and getting a much bigger box. They keep out moisture and are lockable. Go on their mailing list to ensure you get notified at the next sale of these. I use the 50 cal boxes for all sorts of ammo and they stack as well.
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I’m actually over a hour from princess auto and was in CT so I figured this would work to store some ammo. I don’t have a bunch of ammo yet. Starting small being new to the sport
 
BrownR said:
Ah ok, I was just checking as the rpal/pal instructor was telling me a little different about storing ammo. But I was and thought it needed to be sealed 100% as well. That’s good, I’ll take my ammo out of the cardboard boxes and toss them in my case. What is a desiccant pack ??
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A dessicant packet is that small packet you may find in the pockets of new jackets and other things. It looks like a sugar packet that says "do not eat". It pulls the moisture from the surrounding air to keep things dry.

If you are and amazon prime user, seach "ammo can" under warehouse deals. I recently was able to get the MTM 50 cal can 3 pack with tray for about $45 shipped to my door. It was clearly brand new and un used. You will eventually need more ammo cans and this is the cheapest route.
 
BrownR said:
Ah ok, I was just checking as the rpal/pal instructor was telling me a little different about storing ammo. But I was and thought it needed to be sealed 100% as well. That’s good, I’ll take my ammo out of the cardboard boxes and toss them in my case. What is a desiccant pack ??
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Those are the little packs that come with a number of things - to keep out moisture. They work well thrown into a sealed ammo tin. For larger containers, a desiccant tin would be of help - that covers more cubic space and it is reusable (just reheat it when the visual indicator says it is saturated). Those are available at Lee Valley Tools or any other reputable hardware place. The golden rod plugs in and continually works to keep moisture down. Lots of options.

Everyone does what they are comfortable with. For me I store part of my ammo stash in a safe that is converted to ammo storage with custom shelving and such (it looks pretty swank if I have to say so myself, and I have zero handy skills, so quite the accomplishment). The rest of my ammo are in the aforementioned polymer containers and each have individual combo locks. Each one has a desiccant pack.

I do keep them generally in the original boxes as 1) if I need to resell, factory boxed ammo can fetch more than the equivalent loose stuff and 2) I am a bit OCD for details, so I keep all the lot numbers on a spreadsheet and where possible, find out from that lot number what the original date of manufacture is and I record that on the box and in my spreadsheet. That way if there's a recall, I will know. But moreso to be aware of which ammo is the oldest and use it accordingly. Even when I buy used ammo (which I do nowadays) - used meaning second hand previously owned, not used as in shot - I always get the lot numbers and look up the dates. As I also don't know how the former owners have stored it, those almost always go into the polymer ammo cans rather than my safe, with a few desicant packs.

I have bought ammo that is only a few years old off people and you can tell by the stressed cardboard on the box and the banana spots on the ammo that likely it was kept in a moist basement, garage, shed, etc. where it wasn't temperature and humidity controlled. Thankfully those experiences are far and few between and most people keep their ammo dry and cool.
 
ALSO, Don't bother taking the ammo out of the boxes it came in. I'm guessing you mean the colourful 50 round boxes, Not actual cardboard boxes. Boxes made of 'box-board' (like cereal boxes) are fine, while the 'actual cardboard' has corrugations and air-space that can hold ambient moisture.
Just 'dumping' ammo into the can will result in damaging (even tiny dents are damage) the bullets and introducing in-accuracy. Smooth bullets are good, dents are bad.
 
Buck1950;19488226...Just 'dumping' ammo into the can will result in damaging (even tiny dents are damage) the bullets and introducing in-accuracy. Smooth bullets are good said:
It's true, there's a reason the manufacturer goes to all the trouble of packaging the ammunition like that. However, we are talking relatively minor damage, and it might not matter to you if it's not high-end rifle ammunition. Ease of storage and transport, etc., might be more important you you.
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Ahhhhh I guess I’ll leave to grab a couple of them as I can’t seem to find my stash of those packets I’ve kept lol, but yes this ammo box I bought will do me for a bit as I only have one rifle at the moment. I’m planning to hit a local gun show in drayton in June maybe I’ll keep my eyes open for a bigger container. Unless I come across some that are big and cheap as well. Store them in the large container and then use this one I just got for carrying some rounds to the range and such when shooting. I’ll check out PA online and see what they’ve got
 
I use surplus 50 cal metal ammo cans, a lot more sturdy than the plastic containers and easy to stack. They sometimes go on sale at PA for $6-10 each and if you order enough you get free/almost free shipping.
 
Yea I’m gonna keep my eyes open for when they go on sale and maybe order a few and save on shipping. Likely cheaper then the fuel driving my truck a hour to go in store lol
 
for longer storage, say on a shelf, you can also wrap each 20 or 50 round box in plastic wrap. seals out moisture for all but the longest storage times.
 
bogozzo said:
for longer storage, say on a shelf, you can also wrap each 20 or 50 round box in plastic wrap. seals out moisture for all but the longest storage times.
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Oh now that’s a GOOD idea that I would have never thought about !! I’ll keep that in mind for sure thanks ��
 
Casual acquaintance at the club uses a refrigerator he modified with extra wire racks
Wires up the light to be on all the time as well as the little fan that's inside.
Hasp and a lock and he has lots of storage
 
DVX said:
Those are fine, but those plastic ones aren't waterproof like the actual military ammo cans are, despite descriptions (I've bought a few of those on Amazon), FYI.
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Oh ….. Have you tried them with water ? It does have a rubber seal on the lid when closing
 
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