storing ammo for 20 years

jamesh319 · Jul 24, 2016

I live in a fairly high-humidity area on the eastern seaboard. My house is old and not air-conditioned or dehumidified. Fortunately, an ever-present sea breeze keeps things reasonably comfortable despite the lack of the aforementioned modern conveniences.

I got into target shooting about four years ago, during which I have stored my ammunition in their original paper packaging, inside plastic ammo boxes with desiccant packets. So far, the ammo has stayed corrosion free. (Some of it has been in the ammo boxes for more than 3 years.)

So here’s my question: If I wanted to keep a few boxes of ammo in good shooting condition for, say, 15 or 20 years, would my current storage method work? If not, what other method—short of storing the ammo in a climate-controlled room or safe—would you suggest?

As always, many thanks in advance for your comments and expert advice.

italiansport · Jul 24, 2016

It sounds like what you're doing is just fine to me !
Jim

Bob T · Jul 24, 2016

While I have never done it I have seen people here in SE Alaska who use those Seal-A-Meal type vacuum packers to seal powder, primers, and ammo for long term storage.

Ballistic147 · Jul 24, 2016

I see no problem with your storage system. I store most of my ammo in a cedar chest inside my closet. My house does have AC but no dehumidifier and no desiccant bags. I've got ammo that is 25+ years old that still shoots fine. I also use steel military surplus cans for the ammo that won't fit in the cedar chest. Yes, I've got over 15k rounds sitting around.

I don't care for plastic ammo cans. I've has the handles snap off and other issues although they do seem to seal well. The metal military cans seal good and will easily outlast me and can be had at the local gun shows for $15 for the larger 40mm cans.

TAC · Jul 24, 2016

I think 50 cal ammo cans are hard to beat! They have a good rubber seal, a tight clamp-down, latched lid, hold a lot of ammo, if loose, not in boxes, and they're easy to carry. Unless you fill one to the top with 2,000 rounds of 9mm, they get pretty heavy, around 60 lbs!

deyomatic · Jul 24, 2016

I am by no means an expert, but I'll share this:

For 30 years of my life, and I am sure before I was born, my father stored his ammo in a lower cabinet of the gun cabinet his father made out of, cedar, I believe, in a basement in New Hampshire. The cartridges were either in their original boxes or in some plastic cartridge containers. Add 8 years to that since he passed away and everything I have tried to shoot has shot just fine.

One day, on a whim, I took a hygrometer to that lower cabinet just to compare it to the humidity inside my home storage system. It was 67%...just like mine at home. I'm not that worried anymore. I use ammo cans and desiccant, but I'm pretty sure it'll be alright.

federali · Jul 24, 2016

I live on the south shore of long island, about three hundred yards from an inlet and five miles from the Atlantic Ocean. Soon after moving in, we discovered that we needed a basement dehumidifier. Everything within about 18 inches of the concrete floor, or about chair height, would get damp and moldy.
I quickly learned to keep my ammo and reloading components near the basement ceiling.

We now run a dehumidifier except in winter when its not needed. Some of my ammo is stored on the floor but in military surplus ammo boxes. Powder and primers are always near the ceiling. I've never had an ammo failure of any kind and I have some ammo going on 50 years old.

TAC · Jul 24, 2016

I bought up a lot of ammo, and re-loading supplies at an estate sale, in Warren, Michigan. It's a very normal climate, usually between 10 to 90 degrees throughout the year. Humidity, usually between 15 to 60 percent. No lakes/oceans near by, no apparent evidence of any leaks, or abnormal dampness.

Everything was stored in his basement, in cardboard, or open top wood boxes,

All the primers were corroded. about 10% of the brass had some slight green spots, and much of the bare leads bullets had some white oxidation on them. I had no idea how old this stuff was. My guess, possible about 20-30 years.

The lead bullets, and brass shells, not being loaded, likely were more bare than loaded ammo, which usually has a trace of some kind of lubricant, or wax on them, which could protect them to some degree. The primers were bare, no pressed into brass shells. They were the worse of everything, very nasty looking. I tried a few, they did work, but I disposed of them. I didn't want to be my life on them!

chief38 · Jul 24, 2016

Ammo manufacturers always say "cool & dry". If you are going to use an air tight ammo can or similar, I'd make SURE to pack the ammo in it on a very dry day. If you do so on a humid day, there will be more moisture packed inside with your ammo. I suppose until you do get A/C just store it in the driest and coolest part of the house and hope for the best. The other thing you could do is to store the majority of it at a friend's or relative's home that is a/c'd if they have no objections. Keep some at your place for daily use.

TAC · Jul 24, 2016

chief38 said:
Ammo manufacturers always say "cool & dry". If you are going to use an air tight ammo can or similar, I'd make SURE to pack the ammo in it on a very dry day. If you do so on a humid day, there will be more moisture packed inside with your ammo.

Good point! I forgot to mention, I toss in a dried-out packet of desiccant.

BKDinTexas · Jul 24, 2016

I am currently using powder and primers purchased in 1997. They work as new. Always stored in an air conditioned house, but not in an airtight can with dessicant. Cool and dry is the ticket.

DWalt · Jul 24, 2016

As long as it is kept dry, there are more worthy things to be concerned about other than ammunition storage conditions.

robertrwalsh · Jul 24, 2016

I have shot 80-year old milsurp 9mm largo that I expect had very indifferent storage for about half of it's life. I was just starting to get some misfire problems with it. 20 years is nothing for modern ammo if it is even halfway properly stored.

jamesh319 · Jul 24, 2016

Thanks to one and all for taking time to reply to my question. Needless to say, but I will anyway, this is an invaluable site.

Brasky · Jul 24, 2016

Purchase anmo cans with good seals, add desiccant, and rest assured your ammo will last as long as you will

Fishslayer · Aug 2, 2016

TAC said:
I think 50 cal ammo cans are hard to beat!

Tupperware for men.

TAC · Aug 2, 2016

Fishslayer said:
Tupperware for men.

Yes, for the man that likes his ammo fresh and crisp!

I use the smaller Tupperware for taking ammo to the range. Works great! But the 50 cal ammo cans, can hold 2,000 of 9mm. I don't think Tupperware could do that.

Maddog 521 · Aug 2, 2016

I consider ammo manufactured in 1996 to be new ammo. I have some from the 40's that I'm shooting up without any problems.

Harkrader · Aug 24, 2016

Yes, but sealed containers would be better.
After someone in the gunzine press said ammo should be "rotated" AT LEAST every year, I loaded up some Vietnam-era 1911 magazines in the late '70s, with WWII ammo along some Hi-Power magazines and Vietnam-era ammo, and threw them into a locked drawer. For twenty years. I did NOTHING to them when I retrieved them, and ALL fired with no issues at all. Many showed discoloration but no serious corrosion.

I lived in SE WI at the time, where summer humidity hits 75% and more in summer, and we did not have air conditioning.

I even loaded an 1875 Remington cap-and-ball and did no more than run hot wax over the chamber mouths and the percussion caps, and left them for the same period. ALL fired the first time after 20 years.

I've used WWII ammo that was 50 years old and spent at LEAST 20 years in my safe, and had no issues. I still have some, and hope to shoot it when it is 100 years old. If I don't live that long, and I probably won't, my children will. If I could, I'd BET it will fire with no problems.

patrickd · Aug 24, 2016

I think people obsess needlessly about ammo storage. I have a few hundred rounds of 8X56R with a Nazi headstamp dated 1938. To date with no special type of container ever, not one single round has ever failed to fire. Same thing with the 1000 or so 3006 Lake City dated 1953. Not one has ever failed to fire. That said, the best container for ammo storage ever invented is the US GI ammo can. They simply cannot be beat.

storing ammo for 20 years

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