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  #1  
Old 12-25-2012, 10:58 PM
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Default Boxed or Bulk storage?

How do you guys store all the reloads you make up, do you put them in factory trays and boxes or do you bulk store them in ammo cans, baggies, empty powder bottles or what????

I haven't noticed any negative affects with bulk storage, other than some minor discoloration, even after 10~20 years for a few batches. However I sometimes wonder if the dissimilar metals making random contact could cause problems down the road.

Last edited by 125JHP; 01-18-2021 at 11:55 AM.
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Old 12-25-2012, 11:36 PM
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I boxed, then went to bulk & am now back to boxed. Boxing gives me one last look @ my ammo for defects. It also lets me know at a glance how much I have.
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Old 12-26-2012, 06:20 AM
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Empty brass in 1 gallon milk jugs, bulk ammo in 50 cal ammo cans. I load range ammo into plastick bullet trays I pick up at the range. Sure glad all those people buy factory ammo.
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Old 12-26-2012, 07:21 AM
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I boxed, then went to bulk & am now back to boxed. Boxing gives me one last look @ my ammo for defects. It also lets me know at a glance how much I have.
Yep. Caught more than one high primer this way.
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Old 12-26-2012, 07:24 AM
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Midway styrofoam boxes. I have different loads in the same caliber and this is the easiest way to keep them separate. I also use different colors on mailing labels to help identify them. For example, I have three different 45 Colt loads from 850 fps to 1400 fps.
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Old 12-26-2012, 08:44 AM
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I started with the Case-Gard plastic 50 round boxes in the 60's. After about 40 years and a dozen moves I got back into guns and reloading. All the loaded rounds I had carried over all looked and worked fine.
Went to 100 round boxes a couple of years ago, but they are pretty heavy for my hands now, particuliarly in .45. Thinking of going back to the 50's. I usually don't keep more than 500 rounds, per caliber, loaded and rotate them, so long term storage is not a consideration. At 76 nothing is long term.
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Old 12-26-2012, 08:50 AM
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Empty brass in 1 gallon milk jugs, bulk ammo in 50 cal ammo cans. I load range ammo into plastick bullet trays I pick up at the range. Sure glad all those people buy factory ammo.
Range picking brass and boxes. It doesn't get much better.
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Old 12-26-2012, 09:36 AM
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Handgun ammo in zip lock bags of 100rds, then in GI ammo cans. Precision rifle ammo, in plastic boxes in GI Ammo cans. Empty brass in 1 Gal. milk jugs with the top cut out.
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Old 12-26-2012, 10:01 AM
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Loaded rifle I put in 50rd boxes.. Handgun ammo I put in leftover 500ct bullet boxes, then transfer to 100rd boxes for range trips...
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Old 12-26-2012, 10:02 AM
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Uncleaned cases in old plastic cat-litter boxes (airtight seals), sorted by caliber. Cleaned cases in smaller boxes, because I only clean enough to load in that session. Fully charged reloads in 50 or 100 cartridge Dillon or Berry plastic boxes, because I too like the last chance QC for high primers or other abnormalities. I also put a small post-it in the box with bullet weight, powder charge, and date of reload. Helps me to keep a good rotation going.
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Old 12-26-2012, 10:14 AM
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All of the above PLUS, coffee cans, empty powder cans, and zip lock bags galore, usually for short runs and quick range trips.....

I use a Sharpie to let me know what is in the bag, box, jug or whatever though!
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Old 12-26-2012, 11:00 AM
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I use the red plastic coffee cans with the black snap-on lids. When I get ready for the range, I load them into range pickup paper ammo boxes. The coffee cans are stackable and convenient.

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Old 12-26-2012, 11:36 AM
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I prefer the plastic ammo boxes. They do a good job of keeping the rounds from getting dinged up.
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Old 12-26-2012, 12:54 PM
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Seems a lot of us follow the same play book.
My wife is always disowning "that guy" picking thru the garbage barrel at the range for empty boxes. I have boxes of boxes folded flat just so I will have the right size or caliber on the end label. If I was really ambitious, I would print my own labels on the computer, but we don't have that many rainy days in my part of Arizona.

Good thing when I was working I got a good supply of Folgers coffee containers, they come in handy. I also store brass in various stages of processing stages there. I use the styrofoam mushroom trays for sorting and batching. I always fill the plastic 50 rd trays to look for high primers before removing ammo from the bench and final packing method. Surprising how often one will show up no matter how careful one is seating primers (I usually use a RCBS hand priming tool), so i try to check it before production gets started.

I tend to like the individual box method for marking the load particulars and counting rounds, but often also use a sharpie to mark the load on a few cases and maybe a head-stamp/primer color/mark too. Bulk storage is preferred when I have a larger quantity of a load.

Last edited by 125JHP; 01-18-2021 at 11:58 AM.
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Old 12-26-2012, 01:47 PM
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I am another one of those guys that scrounges through the garbage can at the range so most of my handgun loads are boxed. The only exception is .45 ACP loaded in moonclips for the 625 which are kept ready to go in Crown Royal bags. My .223 loads are stored in large food storage bags, 180 rounds per bag (enough for 6 mags) and kept in .50 caliber surplus ammo cans.
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Old 12-26-2012, 01:58 PM
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Everything goes into Midway or Cabela's plastic boxes, color coded by caliber.
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Old 12-26-2012, 02:04 PM
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Scrounging is a reloaders life! Boxes and brass at the range, all kinds of containers from the kitchen and wherever! I generally store loaded rounds in store boxes and also use several plastic flip boxes. I have brass in all shapes and sizes of containers!
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Old 12-26-2012, 02:17 PM
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For bulk storage I like the boxes for storing baseball cards. I usually use the 200 and 300 card size for my 9mm and .45. For higher end rifle rounds where I've trimmed, bumped, neck sized, trickled, etc., I use the aftermarket factory plastic boxes.

Jeff
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Old 12-26-2012, 04:48 PM
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Well, I am completely befuddled with my system. I use plastic ammo boxes but the problem is they are different brands and colors. I have bought them here and there.
I use Blue painters tape to record the load data on each box. Problem is it is all confusing now as I have too many.

I need order in my life. I am tempted to sell them all and buy nice new ones and have one brand, and one color for each caliber. Then I come up with a new caliber or load and use a zip lock.

Maybe Krylon Plastic Paint will give me some therapy.


There was a thread on this and I ain't looking it up.

Here is just the empty pile!

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Old 12-26-2012, 04:55 PM
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All of the above as well.

Also use the smaller snap lid bins from Wally's & the grocery store. The ones from Wally's hold about 200-ish rounds of .45ACP. Completely full they're a handfull.

My inventory is honestly a mess. I've labelled my fat 50 ammo cans but I really have no idea how many rounds of what I've got. Actually found a little bin under the bed with about 250 rounds of .357 Magnum cased LSWC target loads that I'd completely forgotten about. Made my day.

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Old 12-26-2012, 05:30 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rule3 View Post
Well, I am completely befuddled with my system. I use plastic ammo boxes but the problem is they are different brands and colors. I have bought them here and there.
I use Blue painters tape to record the load data on each box. Problem is it is all confusing now as I have too many.

I need order in my life. I am tempted to sell them all and buy nice new ones and have one brand, and one color for each caliber. Then I come up with a new caliber or load and use a zip lock.

Maybe Krylon Plastic Paint will give me some therapy.
What I do is I number durable things... Ammo Cans, Magazines, and plastic bullet boxes and then keep a column in my inventory spreadsheet that lists what ammo is in what # plastic box. At $4 each, color and style don't matter since they can get reused for various calibers. I also use the blue tape to mark the load.

My 30 cal ammo cans are 300 series and 50 cal cans are 500 series the new jumbo cans are 400 series. I use tape to mark the current occupant calibers. Most Magazines have an ID # and any malfunctions with that mag get logged. I find sanity in order.
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Old 12-26-2012, 06:45 PM
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I box mine in plastic cases for the most part. Can't see going through the trouble of reloading and just tossing them into an ammo can I guess...
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Old 12-26-2012, 06:50 PM
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...
There was a thread on this and I ain't looking it up.
...
Security!

SECURITEEEE!!!!!

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Old 12-26-2012, 06:51 PM
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Scrounging is a reloaders life! Boxes and brass at the range, all kinds of containers from the kitchen and wherever! I generally store loaded rounds in store boxes and also use several plastic flip boxes. I have brass in all shapes and sizes of containers!
Yes indeed. I started reloading to reduce the cost and try to look the part (since I don't really spend any less than I did before).
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Old 12-26-2012, 08:34 PM
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Quote:
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What I do is I number durable things... Ammo Cans, Magazines, and plastic bullet boxes and then keep a column in my inventory spreadsheet that lists what ammo is in what # plastic box. At $4 each, color and style don't matter since they can get reused for various calibers. I also use the blue tape to mark the load.

My 30 cal ammo cans are 300 series and 50 cal cans are 500 series the new jumbo cans are 400 series. I use tape to mark the current occupant calibers. Most Magazines have an ID # and any malfunctions with that mag get logged. I find sanity in order.
I wanted a label maker for Christmas but didn't get one My Wife told me to buy it myself. She knows by now it would have been the wrong one, I want to label my mags also.
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Old 12-26-2012, 08:36 PM
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Security!

SECURITEEEE!!!!!

Hey, I found it on my first try!

Do you have enough reloading equipment?
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Old 12-26-2012, 08:46 PM
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Most of mine are stored in the Plastic Boxes from Midway and some in factory boxes,None stored loose.
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Old 12-26-2012, 10:53 PM
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Handgun ammo goes in pint Ziplock freezer bags, with labels I make on the computer.
This all then is packed into GI .50 cal ammo cans.
Precision rifle rounds live in the flip top plastic cases.
Clipped .30-06 for the M1 is bagged in quart ziplocs and then stored in the .50 cal cans.
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Old 12-26-2012, 11:05 PM
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Pistol ammo goes into ziplock bags(100per).Rifle go into case guard plastic boxes.Shotshells go into into recycled factory boxes and they all go into large Rubbermaid containers.
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Old 12-29-2012, 08:10 PM
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Pistol rounds go into quart sized Zip-Loc bags. I do 130 per bag as this will get me through most IDPA matches and also a good range session.
I stick on labels I download and print and then the bags go into ammo cans by caliber.
Rifle ammo goes into plastic boxes or scrounged factory boxes, again with stick on labels.
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Old 12-30-2012, 01:17 PM
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I usually just keep loading until my ammo cans are full!

I store my 9mm in .30 cal ammo cans and .45 in .50 cal cans.

They each hold about 1,000 rounds.

I do have plastic MTM boxes for some rifle but the bulk stuff (.223) goes in .30 cal cans as well.

I keep my .357 mag ammo in MTM plastic boxes for the most part but only because I have lots of different loads/bullet combos for this caliber.

I don’t worry about any small dents on the nose of the bullets from bulk storage.

I am much more careful with handling my lead bullets prior to loading as the trailing edge of the bullet is critical to good accuracy, the nose of the bullet doesn’t seem to matter much.
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Old 12-30-2012, 01:33 PM
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Quote:
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I wanted a label maker for Christmas but didn't get one My Wife told me to buy it myself. She knows by now it would have been the wrong one, I want to label my mags also.
Consider the Brother "P-Touch". I use one, and it does everything I want it to. The labels also have a plastic covering to keep the labels a clean, shiny white, Like they should be

As for the original post, I have zillions (that's a million billion) of MTM plastic ammo boxes. Since I cast most of my own bullets, I settled on MTM because their boxes are tall enough for storage of loads using long heavy cast bullets. The cheaper ones I've bought in the past, like Berrys were too short to accommodate even a simple Keith 44 magnum.
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Old 12-30-2012, 02:00 PM
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If I buy anymore of the plastic ammo boxes then I want to try the Smart Reloader boxes that have real hinges instead of the flap of plastic that eventually cracks.
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Old 12-30-2012, 02:18 PM
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I use "all of the above". I recycle old factory boxes, buy the plastic ammo boxes and use bulk storage like Folgers coffee cans and others. Wal-Mart sells some very nice plastic stacking storage units in various sizes that work very well for storing components such as bulk brass and bullets.
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Old 12-30-2012, 02:19 PM
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Many years ago I HAD to use 50 cal ammo boxes with all the rifle and pistol shooting that I did ...........now I can get away with just the factory ammo boxs and about ten plastic 100 round ammo containers for my metalic reloading.

I try to keep 500 rounds on hand for each caliber be it rifle or pistols. A lot more for the 38 and 357 mag since the family members like to shoot these at the range and out in the bad lands hoping for Mr. Wabbit.

Some times I get lazy and we take a "Brick" or two out.
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Old 12-30-2012, 05:06 PM
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If I buy anymore of the plastic ammo boxes then I want to try the Smart Reloader boxes that have real hinges instead of the flap of plastic that eventually cracks.
I have yet to have one crack, and MTM is U.S. made to boot! I did see that they changed their hinge design in my last batch, but it certainly wasn't because I was complaining, some of mine are over 20 years old with out a single crack.
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Old 01-01-2013, 03:46 PM
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Rifle ammo in plastic ammo cases, Handgun rounds I use the seal a meal in 100 count bags.
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Old 01-01-2013, 04:30 PM
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50 round military style cardboard boxes that are stacked in 50 Cal ammunition cans. On average I will have approximately 8000 of 9mm and 45 Cal each on hand. Storing that much the 50 Cal cans are the best option for me. Storing that way you can get 1200 of 45 ACP in a can and 1400 of 9mm.

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Old 01-04-2013, 01:19 AM
Wee Hooker Wee Hooker is offline
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Plastic coffee cans (with a band of Duct tape for labeling) works for bulk brass and ammo. I used to use a variety of plastic and cardboard box's for loaded pistol ammo for 20 years but it got confusing and unorganized after a while and expansion into reloading for 13 different calibers.. Recently I started to use Pint Sized, zippered Freezer bags. Cheap, easy to fill, easy to see contents, holds more (75-80 vs 50 for most pistol cals), and one size fits all. The bags pack nicely into coffee cans for storage and disappear into range bags when needed.
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Old 01-04-2013, 05:49 PM
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I wish the old man could come back from his grave and sue Federal for using his idea. He passed away in early 1980, before they even gave any thought to using milk cartons for ammo boxes. He craned out a bunch of shotgun shells in 12 and 20 gauge. He'd just get the empty gallon milk cartons (before jugs) and after washing them out, he'd carefully stack his finished shotgun rounds all the way to the top. Then he'd fold in the top to lie flat and seal it up real good with a cheap candle They stacked pretty good that way. Now along comes Federal and used the little 2/3 pint cartons for 550 packs.

Those, even if not reloaded, do fit pretty well in the milk cases the dairy's used. If you select the more fibrous ones (not the cheap plastic) You can put a bunch in one (as much as you can lift but not comfortably). The advantage of those is they stack well.

One of the problems all reloaders run into is space. There's just not enough of it in the tiny corners our wives begrudgingly allow us.

And like so many others here, I use ammo cans. I still buy them when I see them cheaper than market. At least if the gasket is good. So its where I dump my reloads as I finish with them, or just as often in a bowl and then to the ammo can after inspection. I work slow and use a single stage press so it takes more than one evening to fill a .50 cal can.

Another item that was touched on above was the use of Zip-Lock gallon bags. Use the brand name ones the're much thicker and better. The one thing you can use if you can find them are the zip lock bags computer electronics are shipped in. Often the new computers have cables and other junk in similar bags. The difference is they use really thick plastic bags. You need to keep your eyes open for good trash like that. They're not dirty, just quality because the contents can't be damaged or dumped without a lot of trouble.

Once I was at an auction. Its been maybe 25 years ago, and I discovered I was bidding against one of my friends. Of course I stopped when I realized it. After the buddy won the lot of stuff, he came over and asked me what I wanted so badly in all that surplus stuff. I told him the bags (chemical warfare bags). He was shocked I wanted just that item enough to bid on the entire lot. He wanted the other stuff, so he gave me about 25 of the bags. They're even thicker and tear proof.

So if you run low in an ammo can and need to start another run, dump what's left in a sturdy baggie and then dump the new ones in the can. then if there's space, put the baggie on top to use first. All these things we've learned over the years need to be shared.

In the 2008 drought some sellers brought out all kinds of ancient ammo to try to pander on the masses. The guy at our show was even selling old Super-Vel ammo. Too good to let the unwashed masses see. So I bought up a bunch of it, even the plastic wallets of 357s. Maybe some day I'll try to score a big profit on the collectible stuff. Hope I don't up and die and have my sons shoot it up as range ammo!

I wonder if all the stocks of old ammo were scared out of closets and back rooms the last cycle. I'm not seeing them this time and I'm a little worried.
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Old 01-04-2013, 06:11 PM
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I store loaded ammo in boxes, either the factory boxes if they're sturdy enough, or the Dillon 100 round plastic ones. That way, I can keep track of the specific load, the date I loaded it, and if I have some kind of problem, I can inspect that particular lot and take corrective action.

Empty brass in whatever's handy.
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