Where do you guys store your ammo?

So far, I've been keeping it in an old filing cabinet in the garage. It's lockable, but not very secure.

This is California, however, so the humidity never gets very high, and the inside of garage never gets below about 40 degrees or above 90.

I'm running out of space, however, and need to do something else.

I'm thinking of buying one of the cheap Stack-On gun cabinets. The kind lockable with a key.

I don't consider those cabinets secure enough for firearms, but perhaps they would do for ammo. Mainly I want to keep kids out, and at least slow down burglars.

I have two small gun safes, but I have never stored much ammo with the firearms -- just what I might need for home defense.

What do others do?

Is there any value in storing ammo in the house given our mild climate?

(the gun safes are in the house)

Also, what about powder for reloading? Right now I have it stored with the ammo, but I don't have very much -- maybe 5 lbs total.

I lived in cal. for 48 years and never kept ammo any where else but in the house. Here in Yuma my ammo is in the house.

What is you concern about keeping in in house?

No real concern.

Right now the old file cabinet I use looks like krap so my wife would probably object to it being in the house.

In a basement closet - on shelves, but it's a finished basement with both heat and Central a/c so I do not have a humidity problem and the temperature is always between 68 and 70 F. We are high up on a hill so I NEVER get water in the basement.

I bought an inexpensive stack on gun cabinet and keep my ammo and powder in it. I keep it in the walkin closet with my gun safe. I also keep a Remington humidifier in both.

In plastic ammo cans. It's in my basement with all my hunting and gun stuff.

I store ammo in Military surplus 30 and 50 caliber cans in my basement. I stack them 3 to 5 high and have the concrete basement floor covered with old used bricks where they are so that the cans are up off the floor in case I get any water in the basement which isn't very likely.

The leakiest basement we ever had was on top of a hill. I have no idea why, only some bad guesses. Maybe it was because the house was built on bedrock.

To the OP: Just go out and buy another file cabinet. That will double your capacity. I did that up in the old house. But I had so much 22 ammo in the bottom drawer that if you pulled it out to the stop, it would tip forward.
As for not putting it in a safe, it tells me you haven't bothered to go into a sporting goods store recently. It could easily be worth more than your guns!

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Dick Burg

Right now mine is in my gun safe.

But, I only have around 1500 rounds of .40/.38/.357 plus a few hundred rounds of .22's and .30/.30 shells.

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Wake me when it's over...

I just built a new reloading room in my barn and needed a good ammo storage cabinet. I shopped around for an inexpensive safe that had a minimum 30 minute fire rating. I found this First Alert safe at Costco that gives both a 30 minute fire rating and seems to be pretty secure for theft also. As you can see, I have lots of room for more ammo, time to get reloading!

Ammo cans with desiccant packs inside my secondary safe equipped with a golden rod located in my heated and AC'ed garage.

Better safe than sorry.

Attached Images

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Molon Labe!

Cool and dry. I only store 3 boxes of prototype black talon in one safe. I could not fit my all ammo into all my safes. I need another safe already. File cabinets, stack on, any that will solve your locking problem. I do not know ca law, but there is not such thing as burglar proof, and "child" resistant would be the best you can do. Remember a child can be 20 yr old when he gets killed while attacking someone. Be Safe,

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I BACK OUR BLUE

I keep it in the house stored in GI ammo cans and the plastic "dry boxes" you can buy at Cabelas.

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Support your Police, & NRA

Ammo cans, doesn't get much better than that


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Aim small miss small

I keep all My ammo inside the house & Most is stored in G.I. Ammo Cans,Reloading Bench is in the Garage but other than empty brass & Bullets all powders/primers are stored indoors and when ammo is loaded it comes in the house,It gets hot here in Florida!

These should be your guide.

http://www.saami.org/specifications_...ammunition.pdf

http://www.saami.org/specifications_...ess_Powder.pdf

I'm in the steel ammo can camp.
They are convenient, strong, and stackable.

A standard M2A1 .50 caliber ammunition can will also hold 4,000 to 4,500 .22LR rounds, if they are in there "loose" and not in boxes. I usually put them in gallon ziploc bags, because I'm retentive that way.

The same can will hold 350 20ga. shotshells or 300 12ga. shotshells (of the 2-3/4" variety) - again, if they are stacked in there, loose.

You can also fill an ammo can full of water and freeze it. A block of ice this size will keep your cooler cold for DAYS.

I remember the days when one could get ammo cans for $5.
Those were the days, apparently.

I saw them recently going for $19.99 at a Cabela's. Wow. Twenty bucks and there's nothing in it.

Yep the $5.00 days are gone but not forgotten. I just bought 8 more new .50 cans from GM for $14.00 each free shipping BP has the Friday for $10.00 each.

I keep my ammo in the .30 or .50 metal cans still in their original boxes for ID purposes, but do have some plastic .30 size containers. Or they stay in the crate until use time, still sealed in their spam cans. Stacked in the basement on a nice reinforced shelf. Can't bend down much anymore so I don't store them on the floor but would if I could. OBTW I have too many crates of surplus to put in a safe and not required around here. After a hot fire even stored in a safe ammo might be questionable after the heat, if a fire could scorch a stock there is a lot of heat there.

I don't worry about burglars around here we're allowed to protect ourselves. If its a portable container it can be taken and the heaver a object is the more a thief wants it. They figure weight=more money. If you want a nice steel box that will hold a lot look at Lowes Better Built Site Safe Jobsite Box. There not as big as the picture makes them look. I wanted to buy one of these when they first got them in at $178 now there almost $300. Large, steel and will hold a lot. double locks can be put on them and kids will take awhile to get into, loaded with ammo they won't just pick up by hand and carry away. Just have to make sure you stack so you can get to what you need.

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Psalm 23:4

No kids or any visitors to worry about. I keep ammo in my walk in closet. Have a hundred rounds of CCI ammo stacked up

Pics of my zombie apocalypses - 401K stash (not my operational load - reloads). Old dead freezer chest. In the garage. Climate is not that much a factor with this setup. A shelf in the closet will work until the weight exceeds capacity. There is no such thing as too much ammo.

I keep mine in GI steel ammo cans spread all over the house because of the quantity I've accumulated. My powder supply for reloading is kept either on the shelf or in some storage cabinets in my reloading room.

I found a high school stand up metal locker,it has 5 doors with plenty of room to divide diff. calibers and all doors lock,I just bought off e-bay five locks with same key...it takes up hardly any room and the doors have slots for air flow.if you can't find the five door type,buy any locker and add your own shelves.

Reloads are organized in plastic 100rd pistol/50rd rifle MTM cases with load info then stacked on shelving in a locked closet. Factory loads same thing tossed on a shelf and good to go. This stuff takes too much room in my safe. I have humidity problems being close to the beach but this has worked fine for years.

I store the majority of my ammo in ammo cans and store them in a "gang box"..Very secure, lockable and bolted down to the concrete ..
Similar to this model..
RIDGID 48 in. x 24 in. Storage Chest-2048-OS at The Home Depot

At first, I reused commercial boxes then I bought MTM boxes and finally I just keep them in 100 round lots in Acro bins marked with a paper tag. All on shelves in a 4x7 bookcase.

It sounds like a filing cabinet would be your most convenient solution. One possible solution might be to beef up the locks on your filing cabinets. I used these ABUS filing cabinet locks for years with never a concern and I've got four grand kids,

File Cabinet Lock, Filing Cabinet Locks, File Locking Bar

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'I know nothing'.. Sgt. Shultz

It sounds like another filing cabinet would be the most convenient solution to what you wish to do. One though is that you can beef - up the locking system on what filing cabinet you buy. I used a filing cabinet for storage of ammo for years with an electric dry rod installed, but added an additional lock to the cabinet similar to the type shown here. I never had a concern even with four grand kids.

https://www.google.com/search?q=locks+for+filing+cabinets&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&client=firefox-a#q=locks+for+filing+cabinets&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&tbm=shop&spd=2350267931904656108

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'I know nothing'.. Sgt. Shultz

I like GI storage cans and dry boxes inside the house. Ammo would be fine with gradual temperature swings as long as condensation is not an issue.

For you reloaders with bulk powder supplies... I wouldn't put primers and powder together or inside anything that can build gas pressure if ignited. You might blow up a good chunk of your house and perhaps a fireman or two with it. Keep these inside a cabinet (preferably not metal) that can't hold/build up pressure if the worst were to happen.

I've kept my ammo inside an old file cabinet in the garage for 30 years and have never had a problem.

The 30 year old stuff shoots just as well as the new stuff.

But this is California, so the garage never gets below about 40 or above about 95 and the humidity isn't high.

I think I'll just get another lockable file cabinet and use that.

Dave

I've been keeping my ammo in my gun safe but I'm running out of room.

Got most of it in plastic dry boxes with tins of silica gel. I don't really believe the silica gel is necessary, but it's another layer of protection. I keep a few months shooting supply on a shelf in the spare bedroom. (no kids around to get into it)

While waiting for our house to sell (it did, finally) and planning a move, I've worked at two large LGS's.
I now need a Conex box, maybe two, to house the ammo I've somehow accumulated.

New house will need floor joists about 10" on-center.

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Ret'd LEO
SWCA #2275

You need a poured concrete basement.

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Dick Burg

I added a lockable door knob to the closet in my reloading/gun room and keep my ammo in there in ammo cans. It's not the most secure, but it's better than nothing.

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5

GI 50cal cans. Stored in garage. Here in Wi temps range from -10 to 90 F but never an issue.

10" on center will not work for subflooring, as they are 48" x 96"..
Use joists 16" OC and add extra joists 8" OC as needed, your installer will thank you..

Sandusky 72 Steel Storage Cabinet With 4 Adjustable Shelves Black by Office Depot

Sandusky® 72" Steel Storage Cabinet



There are cheaper versions out there but are all about the same. each shelf can hold up to 180lbs.

For storing small supply's I picked up 2 plastic ammo boxes from Harbor Freight they are about 6 bucks apiece, waterproof seal on the lid, good for taking to the range. For larger amounts I have 50 Cal military boxes. My son ended up with them when he got out of the Army artillery

I've got some old file cabinets that I found on Craigslist for less than $20.-. They work fine for ammo as long as you remember to fill the bottom drawers first before loading a top one and pulling it out. I don't have any "little ones" around so I didn't get the kind with locks, but those are available too. Not much for security but I don't worry about that much. (actually don't worry much at all, never did any good. I finally adopted Alfred E. Neuman's philosophy, "What me worry?"

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Minimize the variables

PERPLEXED

I KNOW they are called ammo cans, BUT, I have concerns keeping ammo in these METAL cans or any other such rigid metallic confinement containers. I'm not including the plastic "dry boxes".

My worries are when they are used to store ammo in the house, say a closet, and there's a fire. I'm NOT worried about open stored ammo because when they bake off all they'll do is pop and perhaps help the fire a long a bit. I'm worried that using the metal cans has just created an IED. I don't know what pressures are required but some of those cans seal pretty well and they are fairly strong.

Looking for thoughts as I NEVER latch the lids on metal cans containing ammo in fear of creating a problem.

There is no sense in worrying about things that you can not control. Being prepared for a fire is one thing, but worrying about what cartridges would do in a fire is a lesson in futility. I would think that if anything the metal cans would help fragments from exploding cartridges from going everywhere. In order for it to become an IED, you would need a good amount of cartridges in it and they would have to all go off at the same time, which isn't going to happen. Stop worrying about some possible event and live life man.

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5

Thanks for your response but I kind of disagree. I can control whether I've created a dangerous situation. From the SAMMI spec on storage

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...60157871,d.cWc

If primers are loose or in bulk, having contact one
with another, one primer exploding can, and usually will, cause a violent, sympathetic explosion of all primers so situated. In other words, one primer exploding for any reason under these circumstances will normally cause all of the primers to explode in one violent blast.

A 30 or 50 cal can will hold a BUNCH of handgun ammo and the chain reaction of primers going off igniting the rounds in a confined space is exactly one of my concerns!

Looking for some science

This might help some.


SAAMI

Thanks LadyT!

I've watched that video but. unless I missed something, all the tests are in cardboard or other non-confining packaging. I'm not concerned about that. I understand that behavior.

My concern is when the ammunition is placed in a tightly sealed metal enclosure (ammo can) and heated to ignition temperatures. Does it now resemble a pipe bomb? I don't know the pressures that can actually develop inside that can. That's the question I have.

I think the individual cartridges will explode/ignite in the box some at the same time but will not have the effect of a large pipe bomb. Since the powder is separated by the cartridges, you will not have the same effect if all the powder is dump inside the ammo can.