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Posted: 8/28/2016 6:51:14 PM EDT
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I live in a small house in norcal bay area, so throughout the year the temp swings from lows in the 40s to highs of around 100.
Would prefer to store indoors but simply no room. So that leaves the uninsulated garage or under the house. Let's focus on the garage for the moment. Assuming I store in ammo cans, off the floor, and with desiccant packs, I am confident that the ammo will go bang for a long time in these conditions. What I am more concerned about is more subtle degradation. Will storing in the garage through the year in these conditions make the ammo any less accurate over time? I don't have a bunch of match grade stuff but a mix of cheap wolf gold, 5.56, and then my "match-esque" ammo is stuff like federal gtv, hornady steel match and fiocchi vmax. I know a lot of threads on ammo storage but most focused more on the WILL IT WORK and less on the HOW WELL it will work angle. Thanks |
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I am no expert but my thoughts would be having the ammo even if it's in NOT ideal storage conditions is better than not having it at all.
I'm in a similar situation. I just try to rotate it. As I buy new stuff, I put it in the back and use ammo that has been stored for a while already. This way you can keep an eye on the condition of it as you use it and will notice if some of it starts to look funky or grow fuzzy green mold on it etc. :) |
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I have ammo that was, and still is, in a storage shed, going on 20 years now. In the hot, cold and humidity of Arkansas weather. Still shoots great. I have a 2700 rd case of South African 5.56 from the early 80s stored there for this time as well. I need to start using and replacing it with newer stuff...
I just checked to see if any was still out there,, and found some for $625 for 900 rds... geeze,, I think I paid $300 for the case back in the 90s...Suppose to be great stuff, but didn't know it was that great,,, |
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Quoted:
I have ammo that was, and still is, in a storage shed, going on 20 years now. In the hot, cold and humidity of Arkansas weather. Still shoots great. I have a 2700 rd case of South African 5.56 from the early 80s stored there for this time as well. I need to start using and replacing it with newer stuff... I just checked to see if any was still out there,, and found some for $625 for 900 rds... geeze,, I think I paid $300 for the case back in the 90s...Suppose to be great stuff, but didn't know it was that great,,, Or you could sell it and make a bundle and use that money to rotate your stock with twice as much ammo!!! |
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Literally, no.
Closets and under beds are full to the brim with stuff already. House is tiny. Was thinking under house on some metal pallets on the theory that it will be cooler in the summer but in the winter that area turns pretty soggy and I'd prefer to not give the ammo cans THAT much of a workout. I think it will have to be the garage. Quoted:
You dont have space on the floor of a closet? Thats where I store mine, then just put the wife's dress shoes on top of the ammo cans. Under the bed is another great spot. |
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That's sort of what I was thinking... Bay Area gets hot but not AFRICA hot...
And as hot as it feels in there on the hottest summer days probably take awhile for anything to really xfer into the ammo. It's not like metal objects get too hot to touch or anything like that. Quoted:
pretty sure that doesn't exist at your moderate temp swings. I would worry less about Internet rumor Quoted:
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What I am more concerned about is more subtle degradation. pretty sure that doesn't exist at your moderate temp swings. I would worry less about Internet rumor |
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You said it gets soggy under the house. I would avoid that condition and store off the floor in the garage.
Those temperature swings won't affect your ammo. Dampness to the point of soggy will eventually lead to corrosion. So I vote for the garage in your circumstances. |
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Quoted: You said it gets soggy under the house. I would avoid that condition and store off the floor in the garage. Those temperature swings won't affect your ammo. Dampness to the point of soggy will eventually lead to corrosion. So I vote for the garage in your circumstances. |
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Quoted: None at "home" temperatures, but lots of theories on the net Quoted: Quoted: At what temperatures do we begin to see accelerated degradation of ammunition? Has anyone compiled any hard data on this? None at "home" temperatures, but lots of theories on the net |
| I was told that the most damaging thing on ammo is fumes from solvents and petroleum products. I was told these things could damage the brass over time. I keep my ammo in the garage but I always store my ammo in air tight ammo cans or in their sealed rubber battle packs. I still have bunch of SA ammo in rubber battle packs from 1980's and they still shoot fine. |
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I was thinking more like ammo that stays in the vehicle. It gets pretty toasty in a black vehicle in the summer. Quoted:
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At what temperatures do we begin to see accelerated degradation of ammunition? Has anyone compiled any hard data on this? None at "home" temperatures, but lots of theories on the net The bigger concern with surplus or "military" loads is that many use some form of ball powder which can be temperature sensitive. That doesn't mean it degrades at high temps, but that if you shoot it while it's been heated up, say sitting out under hot sunlight, it can cause a spike in pressure. Being at higher pressure will probably affect the accuracy or at least POI. I've never heard of smokeless loads accuracy being affected due to storage over time. I'd like to learn about it if it is an issue. |
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