Storing ammo for 20 years

[jamesh319]

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've been target shooting for about 4 years now, during which I have stored my ammunition in their original paper packaging, inside plastic ammo boxes with desiccant packets. So far, the ammo has been 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.

 

[gen3guy]

I think your current storage method will work. You are wisely taking precautions against humidity. Under those conditions, modern ammo should stand the test of time.

When my father died in 2008 I found a box of .22 Short ammo of his, that was at least 50 years old, had been in my brother's basement for at least 10 years. I took them out with my S&W Model 17 and they all functioned perfectly.

 

[Bozz10mm]

For long term storage 15-20 years, I would use some of the GI 50 cal cans with desiccant. They are sealed better than the plastic ammo cans. Or, what I have done is vacuum seal ammo in its original packaging, then store it in metal ammo cans.

The oldest I have is 3 years, so I don't know how well it will work over 20 years. Vacuum sealing removes the air and prevents oxidation. It seems like it would provide good protection for a long time. Especially if you are near salty air, humid conditions.

 

[Redlegvzv]

Military ammo is usually pretty old. Can't remember ever having a bad round. The OP is probably fine.

You have to in particular watch some rimfire ammo. Sometimes the bullet is kind of loose on the shell and can allow moisture contamination. Obviously this has nothing to do with military ammo.

 

[Louchia]

I store my ammo in Plastic storage boxes that have a foam seal around the cover. These are commonly found at home certers and other big box stores.
I also put a cup of rice in one of my wife's old stockings. Keep the rice in the box to absorb any moisture that does get in.

 

[Arik]

I live in a humid area too. Right now it's 97 hot and humid. I don't do anything special, I don't even use desiccant. I have ammo from the 50s, 60s, 70s....etc...have no idea how they were stored before but they all work fine.

The only thing I will say is that I do have air conditioning and.....your sea breeze may corrode ammo or any other metal. I don't know how it will effect ammo but I've seen NJ ocean side cars

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[H Richard]

I have quite a bit of my hand-loads over 30 years old. I do store in GI ammo cans and in my basement which is heated and cooled. I have some primers and factory ammo from the 40's and it all stills works just fine.

 

[AlHunt]

20 years is nothing for ammo storage. Your storage methods are more than fine, in my experience. I've got reloads I made 25+ years ago that have been in whatever box was at hand and stored in closets in whatever place I happened to live over the years. It all works fine.

 

[Rpg]

Folks get overly worked up worrying about ammo storage.

The vast majority of ammo is effectively sealed against moisture, just as wine is effectively sealed with a cork, and for the same reason.

The idea of vacum sealing ammo is fine for those with too much time on their hands, or are planning to take the ammo scuba diving. It is certainly unnecessary.

Store your ammo any way you like.

 

[kaaskop49]

When storing ammo, I find it important to NOT handle individual rounds repeatedly. I think we all used to do this when starting out in the shooting sports; there is no longer a need to open a box and inspect ctges simply for the heck of it. Finger oils can cause casings to discolor, especially the non-nickeled ones.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[jamesh319]

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.

 

[Kinman]

Over thirty years ago a couple of my friends and I wanted to make sure we would always have some ammo stashed away "just in case" We stored it in black sewer pipe, one end seriously glued, the other with a neoprene ring clean out type plug. One batch of 9mm stuff that I buried was the old Israeli steel cased/Berdan primed, I dug it up a couple of years ago and it looked like I had just buried it, immaculate.
Other stuff was the same way, in a humid area you might consider some desiccant bags, I have stored rice and beans for over thirty years and it is fine as well. No. 10 cans are good for over thirty years depending on what is in them and whether or not the cans were painted inside. I've got stuff that is over thirty years old that tastes the same as when it was canned, including beef, spam, tuna, etc.
Military grade ammo cans are amazing as long as they are kept dry and not sitting in any moisture, drainage is highly important. The local air base released a bunch of .22 hornet ammo that used to be carried in the B-52s for their survival rifles. When they switched over to ARs they dumped the stuff on the market, it got gobbled up real fast and was in excellent condition.

 

[27 Man]

I am shooting .38 Spl. reloads from the late '70s that I have stored in old GI 50 caliber ammo cans in the garage. Still fire just fine.

 

[Mehutch]

I did heaps of reloading for storage when President Clinton enforced the Gun Ban and there was a shortage of primers too. I loaded them in 1 gallon new paint cans and 1 pint cans that sealed very tight. Inside with desiccant and all rounds had primer sealed with finger nail polish, clear.

That was in 1994, I have opened and replaces the desiccant pads with new ones. Test fired some of my .357 Mag, 45 ACP, 44 Mag, 41 Mag, 45 LC all fired as expected, perfect. Same with my horde of primers for all calibers. Same with my pounds of different powders. All good.

I have started up with the reloads and take great care with my finish product. There were several years that I was not able to be home or to shoot. (I was not in lock-up, it was a job thing - Photojournalist UPI, AP, AFP).

I know I will not ever shoot all my thousands of rounds, but my son and grandsons will.

 

[Capttjk1]

I had some .380 ammo in my attic for well over 10 years. Here in the Houston area, it's very humid in the summer time. This ammo was just in their original boxes sitting in a plastic tub. They worked just fine when I tried them out about 6 months ago.

 

[GF]

"Folks get overly worked up worrying about ammo storage. "

I agree with that.
I have some 7.62 X 39R that's headstamped 1946 & I'm sure it's been stored in some rough places before it found my little ammo can.
I've never had a FTF with it, but having said that I do take care with ammo as far as heat & humidity goes.

Stack it high & deep boys.

GF

 

[Double-O-Dave]

Cool, dark, and dry are the optimal conditions for ammo storage. I've known many competition shooters who stored their ammo in old refrigerators and never reported any problems. Around 1977 while at Ft. Leonard Wood, we found an old 1911 that had been left in a desk drawer in an old building. The ammo in the magazines had a 1943 dated headstamp, and every round fired without any problems.

Regards,

Dave

 

[kaaskop49]

Cool, dark, and dry are the optimal conditions for ammo storage. I've known many competition shooters who stored their ammo in old refrigerators and never reported any problems. Around 1977 while at Ft. Leonard Wood, we found an old 1911 that had been left in a desk drawer in an old building. The ammo in the magazines had a 1943 dated headstamp, and every round fired without any problems.

Regards,

Dave

Great story, Dave! There's an expression for that... "a 1911." While I am not particularly fond of the 1911, it seems most folks are. Your episode, more than ANYTHING else, explains why. Good shooting!

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[samnev]

20 Year Storage

I lived on Long Island, NY near the water for 30 years before coming to Arizona. Humidity was very high year round. I also stored ammo in GI ammo cans for most of the time. Never had a problem with the ammo going bad.

 

[BigBill]

I have stored 1937 military surplus ammo for many decades in 50cal ammo boxes. Everything is in ammo cans. I can shoot most guns with no reloading.