Ammo storage

[Cal44]

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.

 

[poordevil]

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?

 

[Cal44]

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.

 

[chief38]

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.

 

[BennyS]

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.

 

[eddie234]

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

 

[flintsghost]

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.

 

[rburg]

We are high up on a hill so I NEVER get water in the basement.

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!

 

[Steely Dan]

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.

 

[hatchdog]

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!

 

[Dezfan]

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.

 

[vipermd]

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,

 

[AZretired]

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

 

[bp231986]

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

Ammo cans, doesn't get much better than that

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gmiller0737]

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!

 

[SMSgt]

These should be your guide.

http://www.saami.org/specifications...wnload/saami_item_202-sporting_ammunition.pdf

http://www.saami.org/specifications.../download/SAAMI_ITEM_200-Smokeless_Powder.pdf

 

[gm272gs]

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.

 

[gm272gs]

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.

 

[gdnagle]

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.

 

[PennGrizz]

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