Have you taken steps to protect your ammo storage? Are you treating it like the critical survival investment it is? If you can afford stock ammo, you owe it to yourself to store it properly. You should treat your ammunition stockpile like you treat a precious metal. Both investments require good practices to maintain for the long haul. Taking good care of your ammo is one of the best ways in which you can make sure that the ammunition delivers the best result when you use them in real life.
Proper ammunition storage is as important as properly storing the guns that fire it. The care and maintenance of your ammunition will, in part, determine the functioning of your gun. Neglecting to safeguard ammunition is not only a waste of money, it can be hazardous as the likelihood of malfunction and serious deterioration increase. So, let’s talk about how you can properly store your ammo at home.
Humidity Control – Humid temperatures can be a primary cause of deterioration of ammunition. Excessive moisture reacting with brass casings and primer can lead to corrosion and the ammo being rendered unsafe to fire. When storing ammo, make sure that humidity levels are low. Storing ammo in an airtight ammo can be a good option if you have large quantities susceptible to trapped humidity in packaging. Keeping your ammo stored in a gun safe uncovered for a few days can help extract excess moisture and prime it. Make sure there is no moisture in ammo cans before sealing and storing the ammo. For long term storage, consider using a dehumidifier and desiccant packets to keep the ammo in good condition.
Label & Rotate Ammo – When you purchase ammo, label it in containers with the date of purchase. When selecting ammo for use, be sure to use the oldest ammo first to keep the stock rotating efficiently. For optimal performance try to keep ammo stores as fresh as possible. To avoid having to deal with the storage of large quantities of ammo, buy less, date the containers, and use the oldest ammo first. Another housekeeping detail for ammo storage is to mark all of the containers with the caliber of ammo in order to keep different calibers separate. This is meant for safety and effective organization of your ammo supplies. Finally, perform seasonal ammo checks to verify that the ammo is in good condition and replace any that appears deficient.
Secure Storage – Treat the storage of your ammo like you treat the storage of your guns. Keeping ammo in a secure gun safe environment will ensure that the ammo is protected from tampering and from humidity. Many gun vaults are temperature controlled environments and ideal places to keep ammo. Be sure to use an airtight ammo can for increased temperature control. The same precautions and responsibilities that come with being a gun owner extend to ammunition. Keeping live ammo under lock and away from children, pets, and harsh environments is an exercise in responsible ownership.
Store Supply in Ammo Can – When it comes to proper storage there’s no better place than the original container you bought it in. Keeping your ammo in their original box ensures less movement. With less movement, the smaller the chance your cartridges become scratched, dented, or dinged up. This also helps keep your ammo organized. That way, you know exactly which ammo and the number of rounds are in each container. However, keeping it in its original container isn’t always an option. Instead you can purchase an ammo container to keep your cartridges safe and unexposed. Ammo cans are specially designed to offer the best shelf life to your ammunition that you have at home. So, you can choose to invest in them and get the best resources out them.
Now that you are aware of a few good ways to store the ammunition, let’s learn more about some of the other aspects of ammunition.
How Long Does Ammunition Last?
Most manufacturers will tell you ammunition has at least a 10-year shelf life. The truth is that with proper storage, it will last a lot longer than that. The key to storing ammunition is to keep it away from high humidity in a temperature-controlled location. Humidity can cause corrosion of the brass cases and cooper projectiles—so much so that cartridges may not chamber or extract after being fired. If you live in an area where the average humidity is above 50 percent, you need to solve this problem by using a dehumidifier or finding another way to absorb moisture.
Fortunately, with regards to temperature, ammunition is much like humans; if it’s comfortable for you, then it’s good for the ammunition. Depending on where you live this means garage storage may not be optimal. Just like with your body, you want to avoid exposing ammunition to extreme heat or cold, and drastic temperature shifts. A dark, humidity-controlled basement is about ideal, just make sure you’re out of the flood plain.
What’s the Ideal Amount of Ammo to store?
How much ammo do you need? The answer to this question will be different for everyone. So, let’s make it simple. Calculate how much ammo your household generally shoots during a normal year. Include all the cartridges you have firearms for and add 10 percent. Going with the conventional wisdom of a 10-year shelf life, multiply that number by 10. Not only will this guarantee that your properly-stored ammunition will remain like new for the entire time you have it, but this also gets you through a two-term anti-gun presidency. For some, a 10-year supply of ammunition could take up a lot of space. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce the footprint of 10,000 to 20,000 rounds of ammunition. You can purchase metal army surplus, or more modern plastic, ammo cans and dump identical loads inside them.
So, here are the different ways in which you can elongate your ammunition lifespan and properly store ammo in your house. Make sure to follow all the points and do check out how you can conveniently store them without facing any extra hassles from now on.