Do you store you ammo in a safe, cabinet, closet, vault, etc?
I have too much "stuff" to just have laying around. Any economical ideas?
I have too much "stuff" to just have laying around. Any economical ideas?
Where, how do you secure your ammo?
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JD 500
Member
I keep mine in my safe. Built a small wood shelving unit from old drawers, and removed the rifle holders from one side of safe. Works much better now that I can segregate calibers.
Indiana George
US Veteran
In the safe,
on the closet shelf,
out in the barn,
on top of the fridge,
a couple boxes on the workbench,
in the glovebox of my truck...
on the closet shelf,
out in the barn,
on top of the fridge,
a couple boxes on the workbench,
in the glovebox of my truck...
rburg
Member
You left out the powder magazine.
Other than that I agree. So much ammo, so little time and space.
The more spendy ammo (.45acp,.44mag, .223, .308 is on bottom of safe. Joe
slowburninsteve
Member
I keep mine in individual military ammo boxes with duct tape on the sides with the caliber written with a Sharpie pen. Then all the boxes are locked away in an old metal moveable cabinet. I am looking into a better method as the box I need is always on the bottom!!!
Andy Griffith
Member
To save money on buying a full "safe," which I don't think is needed, find yourself a used JOBOX- not a knockoff, but the real thing.
Invest in a couple of more tamper resistant padlocks for it from your locksmith to use on it rather than your traditional hardware store master lock now made in China...
Now, anchor the box down the same way you would your safe, put about 300 lbs. of lead ingots in the bottom, and commence filling it with ammunition.
However, do not store blackpowder in any metal apparatus or metal safe unless it is a designated as a black powder magazine- which are specifically built for this purpose.
Black powder should be stored (if a "commercial magazine" like a store uses isn't available) in something wooden with at least 1" thickness that will "blow apart" according to NFPA regulations and suggestions for residential storage.
This may not be correct- I state that from memory, not from the book- so give me some slack if I am wrong.
Invest in a couple of more tamper resistant padlocks for it from your locksmith to use on it rather than your traditional hardware store master lock now made in China...
Now, anchor the box down the same way you would your safe, put about 300 lbs. of lead ingots in the bottom, and commence filling it with ammunition.
However, do not store blackpowder in any metal apparatus or metal safe unless it is a designated as a black powder magazine- which are specifically built for this purpose.
Black powder should be stored (if a "commercial magazine" like a store uses isn't available) in something wooden with at least 1" thickness that will "blow apart" according to NFPA regulations and suggestions for residential storage.
This may not be correct- I state that from memory, not from the book- so give me some slack if I am wrong.
Sgt Preston
Member
Sgt Preston here. I have 4 standard mechanics steel toolboxes (Craftsman) with padlocks on them. They are labeled 9MM, 38 Special, 45ACP & "mixed". The keys are hidden out of sight from my 4 grandsons. I keep the tool boxes in the walk-in closet in our bedroom. There are also fire suppression sprinklers in the ceiling of the closet. Year round temperature range in the closet is 65-80. Hope this helps. Sgt Preston USMC LLA
Ammo can's, with Ca. marked on the front on a stick on label. Stack on the floor under my reloading bench in rows by caliber. 90+% all reloads.
Landpimp
Member
in a 20ft Conex container
gr8AmericanBash
Member
+1
I am looking to get some .50 cal ammo cans to use, but all I have found around here are the .30 cal cans.
I have a closet in my basement.
And in this closet I have an old gym locker I picked up for $30 bucks a few years ago.
And in the closet in my basement, Behind the 15 doors in the old gym locker is my ammo all seperated into caliper, The 16 Keyed alike locks was the expensive part.
The basement is dry, But the place was built in 1952 and those doors are SOME UGLY doors.
So go find some old Gym lockers.
Peter
And in this closet I have an old gym locker I picked up for $30 bucks a few years ago.
And in the closet in my basement, Behind the 15 doors in the old gym locker is my ammo all seperated into caliper, The 16 Keyed alike locks was the expensive part.
The basement is dry, But the place was built in 1952 and those doors are SOME UGLY doors.
So go find some old Gym lockers.
Peter
I bury mine in the flower bed of my Obamaite neighbor.
feralmerril
Absent Comrade
After 50 years of accumilateing, experimenting, etc. I couldnt start to get my ammo in two safes. Sorry, but mine is stored on gorilla racks in my garage. Unless I am in the garage working, garage is locked. If I posted a picture it would appall some of you. I was loading yesterday and found primers from the late 60s & early 70s. It still goes bang.
feralmerril
Absent Comrade
Mine looks similar to preds, but I aint near that organised.
Stainz
Member
I bought a digital safe from Harbor Freight store - less than half price. It's ammo only in there. I beefed up it's shelves with plywood between the folded sheet metal for stiffening. The top locking chamber has .22 rimfire, other levels going down, have .45 AR, .38, .44, .45 Colt, etc. It isn't air tight - so there is no explosion hazard, a local FD requirement. Small sealed metal ammo cans have other loads in them - all revolver ammo. Several have .45 ACPs on moonclips, too. I could go years without making more ammo - it's a sickness - I'll likely make more today.
The FD chief said, as did a local gunstore salesman - who actually was trying to sell me a huge fireproof safe - that a sealed safe shouldn't contain much live ammo at all - it can be an explosion hazard. Better to 'burn' in a metal container that can breathe - which can enclose projectiles, etc.
Stainz
The FD chief said, as did a local gunstore salesman - who actually was trying to sell me a huge fireproof safe - that a sealed safe shouldn't contain much live ammo at all - it can be an explosion hazard. Better to 'burn' in a metal container that can breathe - which can enclose projectiles, etc.
Stainz
I store all I can in two gun safes. There are probably ten thousand rounds, counting .22lr and .22 mag, .45 acp, 7.62x39, and some shotgun shells in this safe. I have another safe, in another location, with about the same amount of ammo. I also have a good bit of ammo in pickups, tractor tool boxes, and in convenient-to-hand spots around the two houses we live in.
I found an ammo can with about 200 rounds of .45acp and a few rounds of 7.62x39 on the back of my pickup last week, under a bunch of junk. It had been there over a year, and I had forgotten it. It seems to be none the worse for having been exposed. I guess the military ammo cans protect it pretty good when they are sealed down tight.
There is a four pound can of Unique, two one lb cans of Unique, and two one lb cans of Bullseye on the shelf above the ammo. I store my primers in ammo cans separate from the powder. I am going to have to remove some of the shotgun shells and replace them with the 2000 rounds of .38 special and .45 Colt I have loaded recently. The shotgun shells just take up too much room, and they seem to have been available through the panic anyhow.
I found an ammo can with about 200 rounds of .45acp and a few rounds of 7.62x39 on the back of my pickup last week, under a bunch of junk. It had been there over a year, and I had forgotten it. It seems to be none the worse for having been exposed. I guess the military ammo cans protect it pretty good when they are sealed down tight.
There is a four pound can of Unique, two one lb cans of Unique, and two one lb cans of Bullseye on the shelf above the ammo. I store my primers in ammo cans separate from the powder. I am going to have to remove some of the shotgun shells and replace them with the 2000 rounds of .38 special and .45 Colt I have loaded recently. The shotgun shells just take up too much room, and they seem to have been available through the panic anyhow.
GatorFarmer
Member
The best answer to that question came from a guy on another board. He put his in ammo cans, and then used the ammo cans as a bed frame, simply throwing his mattress over them.
I just use Rubbermaid tubs. It took me three days and a sore back to move it all when we moved. Good luck stealing it.
I just use Rubbermaid tubs. It took me three days and a sore back to move it all when we moved. Good luck stealing it.
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