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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - SHTF Storage methods? (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 2/6/2011 3:15:03 PM EDT
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I am debating on how I want to keep all of my ammo stored. Suggestions appriciated. *I tried searching under "storage", and nothing came up that answered this question*
For now, most of my ammo is on stripper clips packed tightly into .50 cal ammo boxes. I found I can store more ammo per can that way. I recently decided to start puting some of the ammo in cardbaords, and bandoliers; then packing per instructions on this site. (takes more ammo cans, with less ammo per can) Any preferences on how much of your stash to pack in bandoliers, vs. just stripper clips? And do some of you leave the ammo in the sealed factory boxes in the event of (hopefully never) potential sale, trade, barter situation? |
| I don't think it makes a damn bit of difference as long as it's kept dry. What about loaded into mags for that matter? The mag springs will be fine. I like ammo cans because they're water/ air tight and they're easy to move. They're big enough that you can store ammo loose, in mags, bandoleers, boxes, stripper clips, whatever. Toss in a pack of moisture absorber and quit worrying. |
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My 'Rainy Day' ammo is stored as follows:
On stripper clips in boxes in the bandoleers. Each bandoleer has a stripper clip guide safety pinned to it. These bandoleers are packed in .30 cal cans. I then drop in a dry dessicant pack and close the can. Note: I prefer to use .30 cal cans for 'grab and go' as they are lighter/more compact and thus far easier to carry. It's unlikely I'd every need the 1000 rounds a .50 cal can offers and it's weight limits who can carry it. .30 Cal cans are then marked with what the contents and date sealed. They are Zip Tied (around the can under the handle), and I add a carry strap clipped to the ends of the handle. The Zip Tie prevents me (or anyone else) from casually going into the can to get some ammo for whatever reason and acts as a visual indicator of the state of the seal. The Zip Ties I use are the large grey ones you get in the electrical department at Home Depot (long and wide). The carry strap is an idea I got from LTC Santose. It's basically a sling with two swivel clips on the ends. It makes carrying a can much easier. I even use this trick on my range cans. I'll see if I can add a photo tonight. ETA: These cans contain 'refil' ammo only. I have magazines that are kept loaded and 'ready' so the purpose of the canned ammo would be 'spare ammo' to refil the magazines. |
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Adding the desicants is a great idea, I decided to order some last night.
This is definatly a great site for solid feedback, thanks all. Forest and HS2, this is exactly the kind of info I am looking for. I'm looking forward to the pics with the sling idea. I guess I will have to place an order for .30 cal cans now, but it makes complete sense about hauling the weight of the .50's |
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Pics as promised.
One of the .223 SHTF cans (loaded with 75gr OTM): 
This is my range can with another sling: 
I'm out of those zip ties so I'm not going to open it for photos. If I remember to get some later this week I'll open it to show how the bandoleers are stored. |
Being in the heating/air-conditioning business, those are the same type of zip-ties used to attach flex duct to spiral. Just don't drop your side cutter pliers when heading out the door.
Did you get those slings at an Army surplus store? I am assuming they were used for misc. equipment at one time. Thanks |
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Being in the heating/air-conditioning business, those are the same type of zip-ties used to attach flex duct to spiral. Just don't drop your side cutter pliers when heading out the door.
I always have at least one knife on me. 
I just picked some similar ones in black tonight. Did you get those slings at an Army surplus store? I am assuming they were used for misc. equipment at one time. Thanks The OD one came with a surplus bag I bought. The black one I made from some 1" tubular strapping and spring clips, etc. I've made several they are pretty easy and inexpensive to make. |
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Wow thanks guys. I too was worried about storage as I am sitting on 5,000 rounds of 5.56 ammo, 2,000 rounds of .22 ammo, 500 rounds of 7.62 ammo, 500 rounds of .45acp ammo, 200 rounds of .17 hmr ammo, and 200 rounds of 9mm ammo. Plus some misc. 6.8 ammo and such.
This forum is great! |
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You can buy a tank of nitrogen and puff some into the ammo cans before sealing up.
Ammo will last a long time, if stored well. keep out of the extremes, avoid high heat, very low temps. A nice even dry space in the 50-60 degree range is great. Out in the garage in the heat of the summer and cold of winter will shorten the life. |
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Wow thanks guys. I too was worried about storage as I am sitting on 5,000 rounds of 5.56 ammo, 2,000 rounds of .22 ammo, 500 rounds of 7.62 ammo, 500 rounds of .45acp ammo, 200 rounds of .17 hmr ammo, and 200 rounds of 9mm ammo. Plus some misc. 6.8 ammo and such. This forum is great! Pick what you think you'll need for an emergency and pack away as above. The rest can be stored in .50 cal cans and such for class, range, or match use. For example the can I posted with the black strap is not a 'SHTF' can it's my 'range can' that has the ammo I'll use for practice on the range (the strap makes it easier to carry when I'm loaing up to go shoot). Most of the rest of my 5.56 is stored in .50 cal cans or 1 gallon paint cans. Which brings me to my next suggestion. With Ammo Cans (in great shape) being harder to find, and more expensive when you do, I looked for an inexpensive alternative. I found it in the paint section at Lowes. Lowes & Home Depot both sell empty (brand new) 1 gallon paint cans with lids. These cans are air/water tight, have a handle, and require a tool to open them (reducing temptation to 'borrow' emergency ammo for plinking). 
Above is some of my 6.8 SPC ammo. There is a range can (the one loaded with all the FMJ), and a can for my precision loads, and another for 'hunting/varmint' use. The Paint can contains my 'rainy day' ammo, which can be stored in boxes or bandoleers (though not as many fit in the paint cans). After this photo was taken I zip-tied a paint can opening tool to the handle (IIRC about $0.50 in the paint deparment) so they can always be opened (I always have a knife, but I don't always have a multitool or Swiss Army Knife on me). You'll also note all the cans in the above photo are painted Tan. In my house Tan/Coyote Brown shades are reserved for 6.8 SPC. I use OD for 5.56, orange for 12 gauge, etc. 
This makes finding and grabbing the right can quick and easy. I paint the cans with 2 coats of primer before putting on 2 coats of their final color. Markings are usually made using plastic stencil and a Sharpie (though with some I have paper stencils and use spray paint like the 12 gauge and 5.56 cans). I've beeb experimenting with theses cans for about a year now. I'll see about taking some photos of the other cans, I'll include a .50 cal can in the shot so you can judge size. |
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Ok here are the photos I promised.
One of the .30 Cal 5.56 'SHTF' cans. First break the seal and open the can to see this: 
That's a sealed (and loaded) 20 round magazine to the left, to the right is a Dessicant Pack Pull those out and you'll see 2 bandoleers (side by side): 
Here is one Bandoleer pulled out. I pulled out one carboard with 2 stripper clips full of 75gr OTM. Note the charger attached to bandoleer via safety pin: 
I also store 9mm as well, but in original boxes not stripper clips in bandoleers (9mm on right): 
Remember the 6.8 Paint can? Here are some more I've done (Note the openers zip tied to the 1gal can handles): 
Cans are primed twice, then two coats of Krylon in the appropriate color. Markings on these are done with Paint Pens (Sharpie makes them in a variety of colors and tip sizes, get them in a craft store). |
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I see what you are storing the ammo and such in, now where do we store the stored products after we have
them in sealed containers, cause of a SHTF scenario this could be like gold, so now we need to hide it from the bad guys, how ideas can we come up with when we sneak back to gather up the rest at a later date, cause alot of us have to much to carry on the first go around cause other needed items would me most important on a short notice scenario!!, again lets here some thoughts, or am I just talking out of my arse, thanks. Ron |
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I know many of us are prepared to bug out to the hills if SHTF. Can you imagine how crazy it would be even between like minded people. I bet there would be many, many cases of "friendly fire" without some way of identifying who is who. I am making preparations to everything I can to stay in and around my house. Stock up on supplies and get to know your neighbors.
On the subject of storage I have found that most ammo as shipped is not very good for long term storage, especially if you live in a humid climate. The best shipped ammo I have is Australian F4 7.62. It comes in trays that are see through for contamination verification and are also sealed on the top with a see through film. All ammo should be shipped like this. I want to buy some 7.62 DAG but wont know if it is any good until I open the sealed battle pack which defeats the purpose of the sealed battle pack. |
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Where to store the containers?
Shelves are my solution. If you want to hide them, well that's a topic for the Survial Forum or perhaps GD. Personally I don't see a need, if the house is secure the ammo (along with everything else) is safe. If the house is not secure then I have bigger issues than just some cans of ammo
I have heard of people storing ammo in cans under their beds if they didn't have a storage room or basement. I have shelves from Home Depot in the basement I use. They are plastic and each shelf is rated for 500lbs. Nice strong (and relatively light) but they do bend just a bit under full load. I'm planning on redoing the shelves with Concrete Block and 1X10s This would remove the wasted space between the top of the ammo can and the next shelf. It should allow me to store twice as much in the same space. |
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This is what I use for ammo storage shelving. 3600 lb capacity. I have had these for years and they are loaded FULL of 30 & 50 cal cans plus Spam cans of 30-06. At a rating of 600lbs per shelf you cannot overload them with ammo. After years of keeping my stash on them they show absolutely no signs of bowing. I don't put mine against a wall so I can easily identify my ammo and remove it from either side. I paid about $79 for mine at Sam's Club. These are truly the best shelves to store ammo. http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100655787/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053
Edited to add. I use these in my climate controlled gun room in the basement. I don't know what building codes list as weight limits but I would not use this at capacity on any level of a home except the basement. 3600 lbs is a lot of weight on floor joists. Also these units come with clear rugged shelf liners so the ammo cans do not scratch the unit or snag on the steel mesh when loading or removing ammo cans. Don't waste your time building something that's going to cost you more in the long run and will make you ammo less accessible. Just my .02 |
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Been away for a few days...
Great ideas posted here, thanks to all who posted. Thanks Forest for going through the trouble of posting all the pics. Loved the pics of all the full bandos!
Can't wait until my bandos show up in the mail, I know what I will be doing over the weekend. |
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Hide all your ammo in plain sight. Just clean out your old paint cans.
Benjamin moore white for 5.56 Dutch boy Sky Blue for .40 Pratt & Lambert Sea Green for 9mm Unless the bad guys are looking to steal your paint your all set. The poor mans ammo can. Air tight and can take a good amount of abuse. |
There was a thread (a long time ago) on here about making your own spam cans for long term ammo storage. One poster was using the paint cans with a dessicant AND sealing the rim with some high grade epoxy
It was full of win........just score the epoxy with a razor knife and open.......
The local stores want $5 for a new gallon can though  nice ammo cans still aren't THAT rare!
ETA: I just found these for 2.67 ea  case of 34 cans
economy of scale I guess... Amazon.com has the Valspar 1 Gal for 2.42 ea |
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I just store mine in U.S. Ammo cans.
I have some in bandoleers, some in their original boxes. I don't really think desiccant is needed, but it can't hurt.
The bandoleer packed cans have desiccant, The cans I open frequently or take to the range with me do not. All cans are labelled so I don't have to open them.... unless I just want to.
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I think I need to stock up a bit more on ammo ha... Although in the last month I've gotten 1500 rounds of 5.56 and have another 1k coming next week.
Back to the post though, I just buy .50 cal cans used in good shape from gun shows and keep them in my bedroom closet. I have wooden floors so I put carpet down and the cans on top. |
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I think I need to stock up a bit more on ammo ha... Although in the last month I've gotten 1500 rounds of 5.56 and have another 1k coming next week. Back to the post though, I just buy .50 cal cans used in good shape from gun shows and keep them in my bedroom closet. I have wooden floors so I put carpet down and the cans on top. If you are sitting them on a wood floor, I would buy a 1x12 shelf board from Home Depot and sit them on that - with or without carpet. This will help disperse the weight of the individual cans. In my picture, my cans were sitting on foam floor panels on a wood floor..... I was re-organizing and moved them to find that the wood floor under the mats was warped from the weight.
Luckily its not too bad and the mats cover the problem. (Besides, they are in the ManCave... so, just adds character. )
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I got my idea from currahee web site: http://www.everycitizenasoldier.org/id15.html.
Basically you keep 50 cal boxes loaded with twice your basic load of rifle/pistol ammo, some spare batters for your weapon lights, and a cleaning kit for your weapons. Say you have to leave all of a sudden you can just grab one box and have everything you need ready to go, instead of trying to carry multiple boxes loaded down with lots of ammo. I keep several " go boxes", so the rest of my ammo is just for training and I see no point in loaded it in bandoleers or magazines, and just store the rounds loose (for space saving purposed, but keep the lot numbers just in case). The odd ball calibers I own are just kept in the factory boxes loaded in 50 cans. Edit: I will try to get some pics tomorrow. |
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I got my idea from currahee web site: http://www.everycitizenasoldier.org/id15.html. Basically you keep 50 cal boxes loaded with twice your basic load of rifle/pistol ammo, some spare batters for your weapon lights, and a cleaning kit for your weapons. Say you have to leave all of a sudden you can just grab one box and have everything you need ready to go, instead of trying to carry multiple boxes loaded down with lots of ammo. I keep several " go boxes", so the rest of my ammo is just for training and I see no point in loaded it in bandoleers or magazines, and just store the rounds loose (for space saving purposed, but keep the lot numbers just in case). The odd ball calibers I own are just kept in the factory boxes loaded in 50 cans. Edit: I will try to get some pics tomorrow. Exactly what I do. I have 4 mags loaded up with Gold Dots, 2 extra mags empty, a bando with 150 rounds of LC M855, 3 pistol mags loaded with gold dots and 75 more rounds in a box. After that its just spare parts, a cleaning kit, a knife and sharpener, spare batteries and a bag of cash. Oh and some .22 Gold Dots, you never know when you'll need .22 bullets. |
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I like the old paint can idea, what crook would think twice about looking in old paint cans?
As far as desicant packs are concerned, I think not. If you store ammo with these desi packs you had better be 100% sure the can is air tight, if not, the desi pack will absord any moisture it can grab from the air resulting in a puddle of water in your container. |
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There was a thread (a long time ago) on here about making your own spam cans for long term ammo storage. One poster was using the paint cans with a dessicant AND sealing the rim with some high grade epoxy
It was full of win........just score the epoxy with a razor knife and open.......
The local stores want $5 for a new gallon can though nice ammo cans still aren't THAT rare!
That is my thread. The local Lowes sells paint cans for $3 and change (less when you have one of their periodic coupons!) Here is the thread: Alternative Method of storing Ammo for long time periods |
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Do you buy ammo already on stripper clip? No. I haven't seen ammo sold on stripper clips for well over a decade. I bought the stripper clips and bandoleers from an online vendor, then while watching TV loaded the ammo onto the stripper clips. Make sure you get the charging devices (aka 'the spoon' ) and include it with the ammo or putting the ammo on stripper clips will just make for pretty storage but will be a PITA to load into a magazine. |
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There was a thread (a long time ago) on here about making your own spam cans for long term ammo storage. One poster was using the paint cans with a dessicant AND sealing the rim with some high grade epoxy
It was full of win........just score the epoxy with a razor knife and open.......
The local stores want $5 for a new gallon can though nice ammo cans still aren't THAT rare!
That is my thread. The local Lowes sells paint cans for $3 and change (less when you have one of their periodic coupons!) Here is the thread: Alternative Method of storing Ammo for long time periods I'm glad you caught that to get the credit...............that was a good thread. Heads up to everyone here... Sportsmans Guide has free shipping right now over $99 (coupon SH698) and some awesome military storage containers, not just ammo cans. HERE Check out THESE BAD BOYS |
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I think I need to stock up a bit more on ammo ha... Although in the last month I've gotten 1500 rounds of 5.56 and have another 1k coming next week. Back to the post though, I just buy .50 cal cans used in good shape from gun shows and keep them in my bedroom closet. I have wooden floors so I put carpet down and the cans on top. If you are sitting them on a wood floor, I would buy a 1x12 shelf board from Home Depot and sit them on that - with or without carpet. This will help disperse the weight of the individual cans. In my picture, my cans were sitting on foam floor panels on a wood floor..... I was re-organizing and moved them to find that the wood floor under the mats was warped from the weight.
Luckily its not too bad and the mats cover the problem. (Besides, they are in the ManCave... so, just adds character. )
I never thought of that... Thanks for the heads up. |
What about this for SHTF? US Army Surplus air cargo container. Air tight, water tight o-ring sealed and they have a pressure relief valve. I got a couple of these for $10 each at a flee market near me. Just need to re-pack all of my SA .308 that I have stored in .50 cans right now ( like 1200-1300 rounds of it  ), as I dont want to store the cans with-in storage containers
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| I keep all my ammo in the factory boxes and then use the food saver and vacum seal them into my own battle packs. Depending on the caliber it will be 50-400 rds. Then place them in an ammo can. I use mostly .50cal cans but have some .30 cal for the grab and go stuff. I store it all in a cool dry place. For longer term storage in a less than ideal location (ground, water, etc) I use the same procedure and then coat the ammo cans or PVC with tar and wrap in plastic and recoat with tar. Overkill, maybe but it works when you need it too. I have been doing this for a very long time and the last test capsule was submersed in a lake at a depth of 12 feet in 1989 before I departed for Panama. In 2003, I recover it and ALL contents were dry. I used some of the 22lr to collect dinner that day. |
[ARCHIVED THREAD] - SHTF Storage methods? (Page 1 of 2)
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