Dessicant with ammo

CLINTF

Like many other firearms enthusiasts I have been using dessicant bags/ cans around my firearms for a long time. I just came up with the bright idea of dropping a few bags in to my ammo cans/ boxes. Anyone know of any problems with dessicant and ammo being stored closely?

moonshine

I do it no prob. here.

lts

ditto on no problem. i use the little bags that are used in packaging electronics, shoes, etc., the price is right and the size/shape is ideal for ammo cans. i put them in an open plastic bag in the can just in case it becomes saturated.

Mobuck

I put 2 ounce bags in each ammo can for long term storage.

beantownshootah

Yeah, the "problem" is that the dessicant will absorb moisture from the air in your ammo can, potentially causing the ammo to last longer than it would have otherwise.

As a result, you'll have less incentive to shoot the ammo and buy more ammo, contributing to the ongoing economic decline in this country. [;)]

OK seriously, there is absolutely nothing wrong with putting dessicant in your ammo cans, with the only realistic downside being that the dessicant will use up a little bit of the space in the ammo can that otherwise might have been used for more ammo.

Realistically, ammo cans are "dry boxes" that shouldn't let in moisture. So long as the can is nearly full, and you don't seal the can in a swamp or other super-humid place, the amount of moisture in the air in the can should be minimal anyway.

Many rounds (eg Milsurp ammo) are already lacquer sealed against moisture as well, meaning they should be impervious to humidity anyway.

The point is while it certainly can't hurt, putting dessicant in the ammo can probably isn't going to help all that much.

I doubt if you did the controlled trial of two similar boxes of ammo, one with and one without dessicant and otherwise stored properly and under identical conditions, that you'd ever notice any difference in performance between the two, even after many years.