How much ammo can you get in a 50 cal can? How do you store it - inside the factory box or do you dump them all.

Is there any point in getting the 30 cal cans?

I have a few cases of 9mm and .45ACP and am wondering if it is worth breaking down the cases and storing the ammo in a can. Right now they are factory packaged cases and I just keep them in the basement, off the ground. I don't have a humidity problem in my basement and I run a de-humidifier in the summer.

Comments appreciated.

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18-4, 15-4

you could place it in the ammo can..or not....ammo will keep years and years with no particular care...i and many others here have shot ammo 75-100 years old...and it works fine

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

If you decide to place it in the ammo cans, be sure to keep it in the factory orig boxes in case you have an ammo problem or there is a recall you have the lot number etc to rely on.

Keep the factory boxes. As you run out of space, just buy more cans.

You can pack 1000 rds. of WW white box 9mm in a 50 cal can. 1000 rds. of WW white box 5.56 made by IMI will fit in one, as will 800 rds of LC11 in their original boxes. 1000 rds of .22LR in 100ct plastic boxes will fit one quite well.

Like kennyb stated , if kept cool and dry, it will keep almost forever. If the ammunition was purchased in a sealed case, I'd leave it in that case.

I use the .30 cal cans for component bullets. You would need a "fat 50" can for Winchester Short Mag cartridges.

I use both the 50 and 30 cal cans...gotta love em!

I store all types in it from bulk 5.56 to bulk .45 acp which comes in plastic bags. I also store boxed ammo in their box in them just for convience. If pipe breaks or dampness keeps boxes in good condition. I mostly use them for when I want to move my ammo it is a lot eaiser then moving each box on the shelf. Amount per can depends on caliber, box size and how you pack them. Just pack by trial and error, if thats what you want to do and as was stated above buy more when you run out of room they can always be used for other things if you use you ammo and don't want to replace, they are waterproof, I've stored everything from papers to powder in them.

I have started using new 1 gallon paint cans. you can buy corrugated shippers sized perfectly for the gallon pails. Pop a couple of silica gel packs in the top and they are good forever (I guess). Pluss, you would be amazed how much easier it is to organize and stack the ammo when all of the containers are the same size. As far as lot tracking, I cut the panels from one of the factory boxes and tape them to the lid of the pail and to the top and one side of the shipper. If a pail is a mixed lot, I put a panel from each lot that is in the pail. I bought some epoxy lined gallon cans with lid and handle from ULine for under $4 each. Much cheaper than surplus ammo cans.







Once I open a bulk can, I have enough of these style plastic cases to hold the contents of one pail of each caliber. Pails and plastic cases are obviously reusable. Shipper can be re-taped many times.

How much can you keep in a 50-cal can? As much as you can fit into it.

Personally I like keeping my ammo in its original box, but if you are really tight on space the paint bucket method might make sense. While I do not think that the bulk storage of ammo will do any harm, I like the fact that ammo in its original boxes are always more salable just in case you can't take it with you.

Idle minds are dangerous things. In my early years I spent many a pleasant evening restacking 22s, one up, one down. I've even wondered how much space is wasted in a 550 pack buy just dumping them in versus the more conventional way of stacking.

I adhere to the handloaders convention of just dumping the finished rounds into the .50 cal can as I finish them. I've also wondered how much more I could stuff in if I stacked them properly. It goes for 9mm, 38s, 357s, 44s you name it. The one thing that holds me back from trying is time and weight. A full box of reloaded 38s or 44s is pretty heavy as it is. Same goes for a .50 cal can of .45-70s.

I agree with the above conclusion that new, factory ammo needs to be boxed as its loaded into the ammo can.

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Dick Burg