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storing ammo

Rex MahanRex Mahan Member Posts: 529 ✭✭
edited April 2012 in Ask the Experts
I've been buying some surplus ammo and was wondering if anybody has advice on storage. I put it in surplus .30 and .50 ammo boxes, and was wondering if that is good enough for long term storage (over one year). Would it be a good idea to put silica packs in each box or should it be okay as is?
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    Rex MahanRex Mahan Member Posts: 529 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Do ya'll think it is alright to stor ammo in Military cans with the seal, but in a garage that gets hot and cold?
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    p3skykingp3skyking Member Posts: 25,750 ✭
    edited November -1
    Probably not good for it if you sealed it on a day with high humidity. Temp and moisture are the worst enemies of ordnance.
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    charliemeyer007charliemeyer007 Member Posts: 6,579 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If you would be ok there so will your ammo. Cold is much better than hot.
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    beantownshootahbeantownshootah Member Posts: 12,776 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Rex Mahan
    Do ya'll think it is alright to stor ammo in Military cans with the seal, but in a garage that gets hot and cold?


    Ideal storage would refrigerated, bone dry, and vacuum packed.

    Needless to say, most people's storage isn't "perfect", but "good enough".

    Speaking as someone currently storing a truckload of ammo in cans in an unheated garage, I think it will be OK.

    Note that cold doesn't hurt ammo, only heat does, and even then you really need to see pretty hot temperatures over an extended time to affect the ammo. If you can keep the ammo in a corner adjacent to the inside of your house to help keep it from getting too hot, that might help.

    You do want to make sure there is some dessicant in the cans to keep the ammo dry. Heat and moisture is a bad combination.
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    Riomouse911Riomouse911 Member Posts: 3,492 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I keep mine in ammo cans on the bottom shelves in the corner of the garage where it stays the coolest..but where I live it can get hot (and even chilly) inside there at times. So far I haven't had any issues.
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    gotstolefromgotstolefrom Member Posts: 1,479 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Beantown hit an important note, the desicant. It is easy to do and the desicant can be dried for use as you need it.

    ( A good label at the can's latch keeps them from being opened by your nephews and such -- just looking. )

    EDIT- I use old prescription bottles and put about ten holes in them with a hot nail. Buy a 'gallon' jar of desicant and fill 'em up, and drop one in each can. If/when it changes color inside the can it has absorbed it's moisture ...dump that on a tray and refill with 'new/dry desicant'. Put the tray in the oven at 200~ until the color changes back. Let it cool off, then put it back in your jar of 'dry desicant'.
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