Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association
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  1. #1
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    Default Good way to store ammo?

    Like many people, I've been stocking up on ammo, and it's now well beyond what my safe can hold. I have a number of filled metal and plastic "air tight" (hopefully) ammo boxes that each have a silica moisture absorber in them, with a pad lock on the ammo box. Right now this ammo is in my finished basement, on a shelf in our storage room. My wife is giving me crap about it.

    Two questions for those that are more ammo-knowledgeable than I am:

    1) Can I store this ammo in a detached space (un-heated, un-air conditioned) like a shed without it being damaged? I would recharge and replace the moisture packs as needed.

    2) I have young children in the house and would prefer not to have cases full of ammo in a place they can get to as they get old enough to explore. The shed I referenced is locked at all times and is hooked up to my central-station-monitored alarm system. Short of buying another large safe for inside my house to store cases of ammo in, is there a better way to keep it out of small hands without damaging the ammo long-term?

    Thanks...

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    Altoona, Pennsylvania
    (Blair County)
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    Default Re: Good way to store ammo?

    As long as it's dry (and secure), you will generally be all right.

    Very few places in the US will reach the temperature extremes necessary to rapidly degrade ammo.

    Just as examples, I've shot ammo that had been stored in bunkers in the middle east for years, with no issues. In a place where the average daily temperature was over 140 in the summer months.

    I've shot WW2 era ammo that went bang every time (and clocked significantly faster than today's commercial equivalent), and a buddy of mine has shot ammo that was loaded for WW1, that had a better than 90% "go bang" rate. I don't know how that ammo had been stored for 80+ years, but the condition packaging suggested that it was less than ideal.

    Storing ammo in the safe isn't a bad idea, but you will quickly have more ammo than space.
    PREPARE FOR BATTLE

  3. #3
    Join Date
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    Darlington Township, Pennsylvania
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    Default Re: Good way to store ammo?

    I'll agree with DPB: if the ammo is in sealed ammo cans, it'll probably be fine, even without the dessicant. You might even do more harm than good by opening the cans every few weeks to replace the dessicant, so just seal them up, and leave them be until you're ready to go to the range, or the zombies attack, whichever comes first!
    Kevin Singleton, Potawatomi - {ZRT - Sector 4}

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
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    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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    Default Re: Good way to store ammo?

    I don't have any empirical data, but when it comes to storing most anything, cool is better than hot.
    Toujours pręt

  5. #5
    Join Date
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    south western PA, Pennsylvania
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    Default Re: Good way to store ammo?

    Quote Originally Posted by gunga View Post
    Like many people, I've been stocking up on ammo, and it's now well beyond what my safe can hold. I have a number of filled metal and plastic "air tight" (hopefully) ammo boxes that each have a silica moisture absorber in them, with a pad lock on the ammo box. Right now this ammo is in my finished basement, on a shelf in our storage room. My wife is giving me crap about it.

    Two questions for those that are more ammo-knowledgeable than I am:

    1) Can I store this ammo in a detached space (un-heated, un-air conditioned) like a shed without it being damaged? I would recharge and replace the moisture packs as needed.

    2) I have young children in the house and would prefer not to have cases full of ammo in a place they can get to as they get old enough to explore. The shed I referenced is locked at all times and is hooked up to my central-station-monitored alarm system. Short of buying another large safe for inside my house to store cases of ammo in, is there a better way to keep it out of small hands without damaging the ammo long-term?

    Thanks...
    Ammo stores best and longest if kept in dry (least mositure), least new air exchanges (sealed water tight containers), in stable "cool" temps, below 60 degrees and above freezing.

    IF you are storing ammo for extremely long term storage, safe from little idle hands or from possible future government confiscation. I would suggest getting a shovel and burying ammo underground in water proof containers. Stored in such a stable enviroment ammo shouldn’t have a shelf life at least not in your life time with any quality ammo kept in such long term storage conditions. Your grand children should be able to shoot it, IF they are still allowed to own firearms in the future.

    IF you store ammo (long term) in uncontrolled environments such in your NON-climate controlled shed with a possible 100 degree or more temp swings.
    I would not expect to have any long term "reliable" ammo. Some may be faster or slower due to degradation of materials, that would be possible from other similar ammo stored in climate controlled areas. I consider long term storage 25 years or much longer.

    NOTE same rules applies to long term food storage for similar reasons. Combination of oxygen, mositure and temp changes degrades quality of stored materials.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Good way to store ammo?

    Gloria: "65 percent of the people murdered in the last 10 years were killed by hand guns"
    Archie Bunker: "would it make you feel better, little girl, if they was pushed outta windows?"

    http://www.moviewavs.com/TV_Shows/Al...he_Family.html

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2008
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    Coraopolis, Pennsylvania
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    Default Re: Good way to store ammo?

    i make my own battle packs by using my Food Saver and Vacum sealing ammo in the bags with a small desicant pack.
    Μολὼν λαβέ

  8. #8
    Join Date
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    Default Re: Good way to store ammo?

    That's not a bad idea.

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