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storing ammo, original boxes or ammo cans?

Jayne

Private
Full Member
Minuteman
Mar 1, 2006
7
0
RTP, NC
I've been trying to clean up my ammo storage and make it a little more sane.

The one thing I can't decide on is if I should leave the new factory ammo I have in it's original packaging or break it down into 50 cal ammo cans?

1000 rounds of .45 fits really nicely in a can and it takes about half the size of having it in the 50 round cardboard boxes. Same with FGMM308 in the huge 20 round cardboard boxes takes up over 3x the space vs just emptying them all into a can.

For resale it makes sense to keep it original, but I have no intention of selling it. Same for carrying it on airplanes or shipping it, original wins, but again I'm not going to carry 1000s of rounds of ammo on a plane or shipping it anywhere.

So why shouldn't I break down the packaging?
 
Re: storing ammo, original boxes or ammo cans?

all my bulk pistol ammo is in ammo cans, all the match ammo in plastic 100 rd boxes. this has worked well in over 20 years of shooting, less mess and garbage to bring to the range and save time on reloading mags without having to open boxes plus save a ton of room in the garage too.
basically go for it.
 
Re: storing ammo, original boxes or ammo cans?

I use nothing but MTM ammo boxes. I have tried several other ones, and they all break. I have never broken an MTM box. If you have 500+ rounds of the same ammo, I'd go with ammo cans.
 
Re: storing ammo, original boxes or ammo cans?

I put ammo in zip top freezer bags by so many, say 50 or 100, and put them in a can. The freezer bag can be written on with a sharpie for quantity, caliber, and load info. Some of my bags are 53 rounds, three sighting shots and 50 for a match.
 
Re: storing ammo, original boxes or ammo cans?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Iamironman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I use nothing but MTM ammo boxes. I have tried several other ones, and they all break. I have never broken an MTM box. If you have 500+ rounds of the same ammo, I'd go with ammo cans. </div></div>

^^^ This! Don't waste your $ on Berry's boxes. MTM is the only way to go. Have a ton of ammo cans myself but use boxes more than anything. I agree with all of the responses btw and it did take a while to break the habit of keeping the original cardboard/styrofoam, but once you get enough ammo loaded and ready to go, a bunch of cardboard boxes is a PITA. Just make sure you LABEL EVERYTHING. It won't be long and you'll have 40k rounds of brass laying around in large plastic tubs, just waiting for you to load it up....bullets for 17 different calibers...dies for a bunch of odd-ball cartridges...it's a slippery slope and there's nothing wrong with that.
 
Re: storing ammo, original boxes or ammo cans?

.30 and .50 cal ammo cans is the way to go. Like the other poster said, ziplock up different stuff if you don't have enough of it to fill a can. If I do fill a can, I take a 3x5" piece of cardboard and write all the ammo specs for reloads or if it's factory I tear off one of the box tops and throw that on top of the ammo so I know what the ammo is and have a lot number.
 
Re: storing ammo, original boxes or ammo cans?

There is something to be said for keeping factory ammunition in the original packaging, on the off chance that you want to sell it, for instance. Nobody will buy your stuff if it looks like it could be reloads. For flying, don't worry about it. Those agents don't have a clue what original packaging looks like, so any plastic is acceptable. Travel to Africa is a lot different because, it used to be 5 pound limit, when I went, but now it is a certain number of cartridges. Now, they don't even care if it is packed separate, put it in the gun case, if you want.

But, what are you planning for, civil unrest, or what? BB
 
Re: storing ammo, original boxes or ammo cans?

I've got a bunch of MTM and Plano boxes and store bulk in 50 cal and 30 cal cans. Store 12ga. trap, sporting loads in a couple machine gun cans I picked up. Mostly use the ammo cans for dry storage(throw a dessicant pack in each one) and carry my range ammo in a range bag. Don't keep much factory packaging except for shotgun boxes anymore.
 
Re: storing ammo, original boxes or ammo cans?


OK, I broke down all the .45, .223, 9mm, .17hmr and my .308 bulk handloads. Instead of a random assortment of cardboard taking up tons of room, I now have it all in 13 full cans (it's 2 rows deep):

ammo_boxes.jpg


The 12 gauge is pretty well packed in it's original cardboard so I just left all the clays ammo alone and just boxed away the slugs and other random stuff I never actually use.

Didn't show up in the pic right but they're all labeled and inside I did end up using lots of ziplocks to sort out the smaller batches of reloads.

I didn't break down the federal match 308 boxes, that's harder to do but it's coming as I have 3 boxes left on that shelf.

If the garbage guys look inside our recycle bin and see all those ammo boxes.... I better bag that up before they call the cops on the psycho with the ammo hoard.
 
Re: storing ammo, original boxes or ammo cans?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BuzzBoss915</div><div class="ubbcode-body">There is something to be said for keeping factory ammunition in the original packaging, on the off chance that you want to sell it, for instance. Nobody will buy your stuff if it looks like it could be reloads. </div></div>

That was one of the reasons I thought of keeping it, but the reality is that if we're selling my ammo to cover costs we've got some major problems going on in our financial life. Savings comes first, toys come last.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
But, what are you planning for, civil unrest, or what? BB </div></div>

No, this is just my stockpile for classes, range trips, hunting or what have you. If I see a deal I pick it up even if I don't "need" it currently. Compared to some people my stash hardly counts at all.
 
Re: storing ammo, original boxes or ammo cans?

I keep all of the ammo that I loaded myself in the MTM boxes. If I have a lot of new brass that I am not going to use just yet, I will do all the necessary case prep work on them and prime them. I then vacuum seal them and put them up until I am ready to use them.
 
Re: storing ammo, original boxes or ammo cans?

That's where I am different because I don't horde and don't compete. Well, that is not entirely accurate, since I am involved in competitive hunting contests. Anyway. All my ammunition is for hunting and I am very careful with it. I only have a couple hundred sorted, culled and processed cases for each rifle and most of them must be fireformed. 200 cases will last the life of the barrel.

I was not thinking of selling ammo to cover costs. I meant that we sometimes sell rifles and may have no continued use for stored factory ammunition. Nor did I suggest that you might sell rifles to cover costs, but some of us do buy and sell and trade for our own reasons. BB
 
Re: storing ammo, original boxes or ammo cans?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BuzzBoss915</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> All my ammunition is for hunting and I am very careful with it. I only have a couple hundred sorted, culled and processed cases for each rifle and most of them must be fireformed. </div></div>

That makes sense. My hunting ammo is still in individual boxes off to the side.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
I was not thinking of selling ammo to cover costs. I meant that we sometimes sell rifles and may have no continued use for stored factory ammunition.</div></div>

Another good point. I've not branched out into the more exotic calibers yet, I can't imagine I'll not have a .45/.17/223/308 and a 12 gauge in the stable somewhere and there isn't enough 9mm to worry about not being able to pawn off on friends.

That said, I have a 300wsm being built, but I don't foresee having 1000s of those rounds lying around so it will fall into the hunting ammo category. I do have 100 pieces of 300wsm brass ready to load up, if the rifle ever shows. Damn barrel makers being backlogged.
 
Re: storing ammo, original boxes or ammo cans?

Hopefully, you might understand competitive predator hunting and body count? My wife never did. But, it is an accuracy game, just a little shy of benchrest in application, mainly because the cartridges are a lot more powerful and mine are mainly of the "Improved" variety. My storage issues are quite a bit different than yours; like what's in the freezer. BB