Inventory management

[Dahak]

I'm finally getting to the point with my pistol calibers where I have a stockpile large enough that I am hesitant to say the number, suffice it to say, I have done the math to make sure my shelving can handle the load.

So, once you get to this point, how do you handle inventory management? Having learned how to stock shelves at a very early age; I am convinced that first in, first out (FIFO) is in the 10 Commandments somewhere, but it feels like I am constantly repacking my ammo cans (50 rd boxes stacked in each can). Should I go to a FIFO on a per can basis, or reload all of my storage rounds, set those aside, and then shoot and reload and shoot again from a different set of brass?

How do you handle your inventory?

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I dump "em" loose in ammo cans. I scoop out what I need when I need it. No need to make it complicated.Tupperware containers and tubs work well too. Only ammo boxes I use are plastic and MOSTLY MTM brand as they are the best and last the longest. Heck, I even leave loaded shotgun shells in a 2 1/2 gal. bucket after loading.

 

[SLT223]

I dump "em" loose in ammo cans. I scoop out what I need when I need it. No need to make it complicated.Tupperware containers and tubs work well too. Only ammo boxes I use are plastic and MOSTLY MTM brand as they are the best and last the longest. Heck, I even leave loaded shotgun shells in a 2 1/2 gal. bucket after loading.

X2

When I do bulk I use .30 and .50 cans. I let the empty primer trays be the round counter. When I go to the range I bring one full can and one empty for spent brass. The spent brass goes from the can to the tumbler.

 

[kraynky]

I dump "em" loose in ammo cans. I scoop out what I need when I need it. No need to make it complicated.Tupperware containers and tubs work well too. Only ammo boxes I use are plastic and MOSTLY MTM brand as they are the best and last the longest. Heck, I even leave loaded shotgun shells in a 2 1/2 gal. bucket after loading.

I'm with you on bulk storage, and when I load shotgun shells, I mostly store them in net bags, like oranges come it. My plinker centerline ammo goes in plastic coffee cans, old mayo containers (plastic ones), & Tupperware etc. My good hunting rounds & self defense type ammo goes in cartridge boxes.

Test loads also go in individual divided cartridge boxes. ALL containers are labeled with caliber, load data & date. Then I keep a three ring binder, I got from Midway decades ago, keeps records of my favorite loads & which firearm they are mated too.

I'm a little concerned about my cabinet's weight capacity too. Brass is stored in large Tupperware containers & large ziplocks stored in a chest of drawers from a yard sale. Holsters are in another chest of drawers, leather in one drawer, kydex & nylon in another.

It's about time to inventory all of this mess & straighten out unloaded components. Old kitchen cabinets are a favorite of mine, and none of it matches, but who cares? It's my room and I'm the only one that goes in there (for the most part).

I have firearms inventoried on Excel, so that might be a good way to keep up with ammo & components. I'm open to suggestions too.

 

[robertrwalsh]

FIFO is good, but I also date my containers (small boxes and large ammo cans both) to help the process along. I save up expended brass until I have a few hundred in one caliber available and then load a new batch when I want some more in reserve.

 

[s&wchad]

Things happen, so I don’t build up large quantities of reloads anymore. I only work up enough for my short term needs.

Back when I was shooting a lot of skeet, I built up a good reserve of shells over one winter. The charge bar on my MEC 9000 start to hang up somewhere along the way, which caused it to drop sporadic light charges. By the time I realized the issue, I had about 15 flats of suspect shells that I wasn’t willing to use when shooting for score.

It took quite a while to burn those up in practice rounds. On the plus side, it instilled the good habit of always checking the bores of my O/U for stuck wads when loading the chambers.

 

[Johnnu2]

I never really paid attention to inventory management. Last year I decided to shoot some .38Spl wadcutters that I had loaded back in the day when I was shooting in a club league; that would have dated them back to the late 1970's approx. I had about 6 (cardboard) boxes (50 rounds ea.). Pulled two and went to the range; no issues with them, they fired and were accurate. Needless to say, I save the brass but with no expectation of reloading.... I have the other four boxes that I'll probably shoot in 2050 (I'll be about 106 yrs old then). p.s. all my ammo has always been kept in temp/humidity controlled environment (my house).
IMHO as usual,
J.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

As I've stated before. I shoot Greek 30/06 HXP in my Garands. Stored in hot warehouses. In connex boxes on ships. Moved with forklifts on pallets. And who knows what else............And yet.......It fires as if it was made yesterday! Keep it dry and lt will last almost forever.

 

[fredj338]

I only inventory powder & primers. I use an app on my phone. So if I am out & see something I might need I can check. Though today, im buying any sm pistol primers at any decent price. I dont keep 1000s of loaded rds on hand so I dont bother tracking them. I load a few 100 at a tme & repeat.

 

[GypsmJim]

A local school did a remodel and I picked up several steel lockers. They can be fitted with padlocks. I cut a bunch of "1 by" white pine, fitted to the inside of the lockers, and secured them with screws from the sides and back. Each shelf is for a different caliber. All the locks are keyed the same and I have the only key. They live in the basement.

I have Summer and Winter rounds. All are in plastic boxes. My range requires no jacketed bullets so I have always used wadcutters for the Winter indoor shooting.

All the boxes are dated and I also have an Excel file that shows the load. When I go to shoot I simply pick the first box at hand.

I have had 30 year old reloads that were just fine, so I don't see the need to FIFO.

 

[SLT223]

I only inventory powder & primers. I use an app on my phone. So if I am out & see something I might need I can check. Though today, im buying any sm pistol primers at any decent price. I dont keep 1000s of loaded rds on hand so I dont bother tracking them. I load a few 100 at a tme & repeat.

What app would this be?

 

[Charlie Foxtrott]

If weight gets to be a problem.

Then it is time to get some cabinets from

Strong Hold | Heavy-Duty Industrial Cabinets and Workplace Storage

I have some of their twelve gauge cabinets. I do not think that you can put enough weight in them to hurt them.

 

[zeke]

In order to have an adequate stock pile, ya gotta lose track and forget you already had some.

 

[Twoboxer]

Long ago I decided to keep the bulk of my inventory in components rather than finished rounds. Many components have multiple applications, and that flexibility is lost once they become part of finished ammo. (22LR is of course tracked as finished ammo.)

It's also easier to track component inventory against your storage goals . . . in my case a two year supply covering 3 pistol calibers and 6 rifle calibers. When components drop below that level, I am ready to place an order. That order may wait a bit for a sale, or it may include components that are close to needing re-ordering in order to minimize unit cost, shipping, and hazmat costs.

Finished ammo inventory is dependent on the amount I am comfortable reloading in a single batch. Pistol and 223 rounds destined for an AR15 range 500-1000. 223 bolt and other rifle rounds usually 100-200. When I remove some ammo for use, I know how much is left, and mentally schedule a reloading run as/if necessary. Fresh reloads are boxed as they would be transported to the range, and labelled with production date and each component used.

This way I have enough finished ammo for any upcoming shoot plus a minimum of 2 years' component inventory.

 

[MyDads38]

My ammo is stored in 30/50 cal ammo cans (metal & plastic) and MTM Utility/Ammo crates. The cans/crates are marked with caliber on the outside. Factory ammo stays in original boxes and reloads in MTM 50/100 round boxes with load data and date. Except for a few boxes I keep out to shoot, the rest is stored in a closet.

Brass is stored in 2 1/2 gal Menards buckets w/lids. Cal is marked with label on top of the lid. Buckets are stacked 4 high in the corner of my reloading room. Powders are stored in a Stack-On Ammo cab and primers in a pantry cab in the reloading room. Bulk bullets are stored on the floor under my reloading bench.

I don't keep a large inventory of reloads on hand, depending on cal, 500-1,000 rounds. As mentioned above, I can reload whatever I want/need; so I just keep an eye on my components.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I used to put nice stick on lettering on ammo cans to tell what was inside, when I got above 20 cans I went to a piece of paper stuck in the latch with black, blue, green or red marker. The color give me a reference as to which can of 45 ACP or 223 I want to use. The tags say cartridge and cast or jacketed (H.P. or FMJ, or S.P.), and boxed or loose! Cans are stacked along garage wall 3 deep. (somewhere around 90 30 & 50 cal cans and 12 20mm cans) If my wife drives into the cans, it will damage her car!

In the loading room, I store large quantities of projectiles on the bottom shelf, but at the farm house those particle board shelves all warped! When wee moved, I replaced all the particle board with 3/4" plywood! The bottom shelf is up off the concrete, so there are 4 extra 2x6 supports, that hold up the load, (at times 80,000 cast bullets!) This has worked well for 5 1/2 years now.

Ivan

 

[H Richard]

I store most of my reloaded ammo in 50 cal or the newer Fat Cans. Since some calibers I seldom shoot anymore it has some age on it, but wouldn't hesitate to use it even some 30 year old stuff. I have enough .222 and 22-250 loaded to make another good Prairie Dog trip, but somehow doubt if I will do it. I have some 45 acp from my days of 3 gun bullseye, and it seldom gets used any more. I have several lots of .22 RF match ammo that was specific to a couple of match guns, but some of the guns have moved on now.

I guess I'll have to make a concentrated effort to shoot more of it up. I don't worry about rotation.

 

[roberth]

In order to have an adequate stock pile, ya gotta lose track and forget you already had some.

Yes...and then you can say

OH, that's where that is, I was wondering where that went.

Make sure you act like it walked off on it's own.

 

[zeke]

Yes...and then you can say

OH, that's where that is, I was wondering where that went.

Make sure you act like it walked off on it's own.

This is how future generations find bulk boxes of the "one and only original Speer 45 200 gn flying ashtray" . Then they can move on to the loaded Marlin 444 rounds using 250 gn Nosler partitions.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

This is how future generations find bulk boxes of the "one and only original Speer 45 200 gn flying ashtray" . Then they can move on to the loaded Marlin 444 rounds using 250 gn Nosler partitions.

No. The way education is going, a future archaeologist will say: "Why did he buy a gun that was only good for 444 rounds of fire, when the same company made one good for 4570?

Ivan

 

[Leslie Sapp]

In order to have an adequate stock pile, ya gotta lose track and forget you already had some

Just ordered a Dillon "C" powder funnel that I may already own but can't find.....