military surplus ammo cans

[rfuerst911sc]

As I slowly build my ammo stash of various calibers I'm thinking ahead to storage capability. Seems to me the military already has it figured out with metal ammo cans. These are available all over the net and local guns shows. So any down side to using them ? If the seal is decent and you throw in a desicant pack or two storage long term should be OK correct ? Storage would be in my basement. We do not have any mold issues or anything like that I consider it a dry basement. Having said that it is not controlled via HVAC so temp/humidity fluctuates with the seasons.
Anyone have a good website you have purchased from ? Or do you buy at local gun shows ? I guess shipping vs. paying local tax might be a wash ? My plan is to store anything from .22 to 12 gauge shotgun.

[HardDrive]

That's all I use. I picked mine up at a local army surplus. Cabela's sells fakes, but they are much thinner steel than the real ones. Only downside is that they are quite heavy.

[rfuerst911sc]

HardDrive do you tend to buy the same size ammo cans ? As an example buying all 30 cal would make it easier for stacking correct ? I will store .22 rimfire , 32 , 38 , 357 , 40 , 30-06 and 12 gauge. To your point weight is somewhat a consideration when they are full. That's why I'm thinking 30 cal boxes.

[Seahawk]

That is all i use as well for long term storage. Some of the cans I have my Dad got surplus 55 years ago!

Don't sleep on the plastic ones for taking to the range, etc.

[Mark Howard]

Concur with the ammo can storage. Also, try and store it on a concrete slab surface if possible. A buddy of mine used the ammo can storage technique and bought so much ammo he created a point load that damaged the foundation to his house. Floor joists sagged, drywall crashed, etc. make sure you spread them out a bit if a slab is not available.

[bmcuscgr94]

If buying military surplus check the rubber gasket and the can edge to make sure they are intact. I had one that had been damaged and I thought it was waterproof, it leaked.

[tabs]

Originally Posted by Mark Howard

Concur with the ammo can storage. Also, try and store it on a concrete slab surface if possible. A buddy of mine used the ammo can storage technique and bought so much ammo he created a point load that damaged the foundation to his house. Floor joists sagged, drywall crashed, etc. make sure you spread them out a bit if a slab is not available.

Geezus that has to be over a coupla tons of ammo?

[Mark Howard]

Yeah, he's a gun freak. I teased him one time that he had enough for an all night firefight...his reply "damn, I guess I need to go buy more"....so he did...

[rfuerst911sc]

I know a guy that said he stopped counting the rounds he had stored at 200,000 !!! I plan on having enough to take out a few zombies but we all need to do our part !!!

[gogriz91]

You'll want to somewhat routinely inspect the cases and throw a couple of bags of silica gel in them to keep moisture down.

[GWN7]

A cheaper alternative to ammo cans are plastic pails. You can get ones that are "water resistant". Contico Contico Plastic Storage St. Louis makes some nice 2 gal ones which when loaded you can still carry one. They used to make a very nice traditional ammo style can in two sizes. I have a couple. Best part of pails is no one knows what's in them.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Originally Posted by Mark Howard

Concur with the ammo can storage. Also, try and store it on a concrete slab surface if possible. A buddy of mine used the ammo can storage technique and bought so much ammo he created a point load that damaged the foundation to his house. Floor joists sagged, drywall crashed, etc. make sure you spread them out a bit if a slab is not available.

Ammo is HEAVY. This is easy to see happening, especially because it is typically stored for a long time and wood framing is prone to sagging over time. Steel, wood and concrete all behave differently. Since most residences are wood framed construction (well these days it's mostly sawdust / glue-lam stuff, but it behaves similarly) you want to make sure the floor has sufficient support underneath. Same goes for any heavy load (waterbed, wood stove, etc.) Sagging is very likely if a heavy load is left in place for more than a couple of years.

A slab is a good idea but make sure it's properly moisture protected. It'd be a shame to have moisture come through and corrode things. Details are important...

[Scuba Steve]

Yup, that's why I'm putting a pier directly under where a safe will go on our pier and beam house. You should have seen how banana shaped some of the floor joists I removed were, thanks to being undersized and the previous owners putting heavy furniture right in the center of the span.

[Arizona_928]

You can buy them by the pallet on gov liquidation.

[Scuba Steve]

Originally Posted by AZ_porschekid

You can buy them by the pallet on gov liquidation.

But wouldn't you have to outbid a cartel first?

[rfuerst911sc]

Originally Posted by AZ_porschekid

You can buy them by the pallet on gov liquidation.

I went on that website it's pretty cool but I doubt I will need 124 ammo cans.

[JavaBrewer]

Find a metal supply warehouse. They typically buy those pallets and sell individually for way less than a spoon dealer or related show. I picked up 10 or so that needed only some cleanup and fresh coat of paint to look new for $8 each.

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by Scuba Steve

But wouldn't you have to outbid a cartel first?

The cartel's get them full.