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Best Method for Storing Ammo?


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What is the best way to store ammo?

 

What special methods might be used for ammo that

* does not have sealed cases such as silver bear?

* has zinc coating such as silver bear

* has polymer coating such as wolf?

 

7N6 came in spam cans. What container works as good as spam cans?

Edited by tbryanh
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I was thinking about a lead container to shield from radiation. I am not sure if gunpowder still works if it becomes radioactive. The grease/clay sounds interesting, but I think we might both be getting a little overboard on this. I am hoping for a simplier solution.

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In all seriousness, for long term storage your chief enemy is moisture. If you really want it to last, buy a vacuum sealer and desiccant packs. Seal a few desiccant packs in with the ammo when you seal it, then put the sealed ammo in a sealed ammo can, with more desiccant.

If you want it to last long enough to be dug up in the year 42,000,000 and immediately used to kill a marauding dinosaur Mk 2, pack it with four times its own weight in desiccant, vacuum seal it, repeat fifteen times - then seal it in an ammo can packed full of desiccant, put that can in a large can packed with desiccant, pour a concrete foundation lined with steel, finish a steel-lined concrete room 4 cubic meters in volume, fill it halfway with desiccant, drop your ammunition in the center, fill it the rest of the way with desiccant, then seal the room with more steel and concrete. Surround the structure in four more layers of steel and concrete, with at least 1 foot of desiccant between each layer, then bury the structure under at least 10.7 million tons of granite.

To retrieve your ammunition, you will need a pocket knife.

Edited by Shandlanos
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As far as durability goes, lacquer coated ammo is the best; it will last far, far longer than silver bear. IIRC someone did a test at some point where they left golden bear, silver bear, polymer wolf and lacquer brown bear exposed to the elements. The polymer and silver bear both visibly rusted, the golden bear rusted a little, and the lacquer stuff was totally unaffected.

 

Golden Tiger is probably about as durable as the AK you're shooting it from with sealer on both ends and a lacquer case. It's the only stuff I buy for FMJ ammo. Of course, none of this matters if you're just gonna take it straight out of the box and shoot it from a bench at the range.

http://www.theakforum.net/forums/19-ammunition-reloading/164130-5-45-sealed-bullet-problem.html#post1507085

 

 

 

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I'm kinda weird, I store my ammo in metal ammo cans. yeah, I know that sounds strange, but it works for me.

 

 

1,000  rounds of 5.56 in S.A.W. can

1_000_rounds_5_56_in_50_cal_can.JPG

 

 

600 rounds of 5.45 in 30cal can

600_rounds_5_45mm_on_clips.jpg

 

 

500 rounds of .308 in 50 cal can

 

500_rounds_308_on_stipper_clips.jpg

 

 

1310 rounds of 7.62x39 in S.A.W. can

 

1210_rounds_7_62_ammo_on_clips.jpg

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What is the best way to store ammo?

 

What special methods might be used for ammo that

* does not have sealed cases such as silver bear?

* has zinc coating such as silver bear

* has polymer coating such as wolf?

 

7N6 came in spam cans. What container works as good as spam cans?

 

Silver Bear is the only thing I've ever had trouble with. If you are going to buy it, just go ahead and use it soon.

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I put my ammo in ammo cans with the dry packs.. Seems to work well.

 

The oxygen will continue to react with the ammo very slowly. So some VCI paper is a good idea for really long term storage. Surplus ammo normally has vci paper between the rounds.

These will treat a large sealed box for a couple years, sadly they are about $3 each and only come in packs of 50.

http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-15843/VCI-Products/VCI-Emitter-Disks-5-cubic-feet

 

And here is some milspec paper that is pretty much the same stuff.

http://www.uline.com/BL_266/VCI-Mil-Spec-Paper-Rolls

 

And here is a type that is made for multi metals.

http://www.uline.com/BL_267/VCI-Multi-Metal-Paper-Rolls

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SUMMARY SO FAR (My opinions/conclusions)

 

Looking at mil spec ammo, it appears ammo cans are typically used for brass-cased ammo, spam cans and VCI paper are typically used for steel-cased ammo, and desiccants are not used for either types of ammo.

 

Ammo cans apparently are not completely airtight, but this apparently is not a big issue with brass-cased ammo.

 

Steel-cased ammo must be stored in airtight containers such as spam cans, but vacuum-sealed bags (probably metalized film such as mylar), can probably be substituted for spam cans so long as the bags are placed in strong containers such as ammo cans.

 

Of the 5.45 ammos, Golden Tiger, with its lacquer coating and sealed primers and cases probably stores the best. Others with polymer coatings, sealed primers, and unsealed cases will probably store well too. Silver Bear, with its zinc coating might not store well.

 

It is not clear how mandatory VCI paper is.

Edited by tbryanh
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I use US military surplus ammo cans, desiccant (not boatloads and boatloads), and these:

 

http://www.amazon.com/ShieldPro-Humidity-Indicator-10-Pack-10-60%25/dp/B004B7E022/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1402434747&sr=8-2&keywords=humidity+indicator

 

I pack my ammo in my basement during the winter if I can because with my electric heater running in the basement my humidity seldom goes over 45% even trying like crazy to get some moisture in the house. I check the cans once a year and I've yet to need to replace the desiccant and all of the humidity indicators are around 40%. I've been storing my ammo like that for 4 years and it all looks exactly like new. Steel or brass, doesn't matter. The stuff in spam cans I leave in the spam cans.

 

In contrast, I have a few boxes of .45acp that are 10 years old and were stored only in a US military surplus can w/o anything else. It still looks perfect and fires fine when I dig a box out.

 

I'm not trying to prep a DHS amount of ammo for a thousand years of storage either. I think the vacuum sealer is probably the best approach but ammo cans are hard to beat for the cost, ease of use, and durability.

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18)  Is VCI Powder similar to Silica gel?

No, VCI Powder is a concentrated form of high tech VCI chemicals which vaporizes & forms a mono – molecular protective layer on the metal surface to be protected.  Thereby it protects the metal from corrosion where as silica gel absorbs a certain amount of water vapor only & does not protect from corrosion.

http://www.safepack.com/faq_general.asp

 

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sgammo has 700 round case - 7.62x39 Brown Bear - Barnaul 123 grain FMJ Mil-Spec in spam cans.

 

As far as I can tell Brown Bear in 5.45x39 exists but is rare. Not sure if it currently is available in spam cans or how well it compares to 7N6. Maybe in the future, it will be widely available in spam cans with a quality similar to 7N6.

 

post-44407-0-08680900-1402707728_thumb.jpg


sgammo has 640 round Sealed can - 7.62x39 122 Grain Hollow Point Tula ammo in spam cans.

 

Tula is probably not known for having the best quality ammo, but maybe in the future they will produce something decent in 5.45x39 in spam cans.

 

post-44407-0-53570900-1402708653_thumb.jpg

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I have most of mine in ammo cans. Then tins. With the amount I am reloading. I am to the point, I am using anything the seals. But, think about it. Anything that seals. Could be a jar, a jug, or a plastic bucket that paint came in. As long as it seals. You're good. I would suggest dry packs. Which reminds me. I need more.

 

Don't laugh to hard.

20140613_222135_zpsca9e7ce0.jpg

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Just make sure the seals are ok Max. I use the same thing.

 

That's a good point to mention. When I get my cans I ALWAYS wipe them down really good with Windex (with ammonia... I don't need superherpegonnercoccus from Iraqiserbistan) and pay special attention to the seals when I do... I have no idea how old any of my cans are but I'm VERY impressed with the seals. They've all been very nice.

 

Fear not, I let them air out for at least a week before I put anything in them.

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