AK Sponsor
Posted: 5/25/2010 3:11:10 PM EDT
|
Say I want ammo to be stored for up to 30 years. Which would be best?
(1) Buy Yugo surplus corrosive, already in a sealed can/crate of 1260. But it is also ALREADY 30 to 40 years old to start with. (2) Buy current production commercial (non-corrosive) in a sealed spam can (Wolf and Brown Bear come this way) (3) Buy current production commercial (non-corrosive) in boxes, place in a sealed military surplus ammo can (in good shape) with dessicant added. Do not open the ammo can after packing it. If current production ammo is the way to go, laquered or poly coated? Thanks! |
|
lacquer or poly doesn't really matter, IMHO.
New ammo, sealed in airtight cans, with a dessicant pack. If you can displace the air before you seal it, all the better. Some methods for that might be a vacuum pump on the plastic bags you're using and/or pack an ammo can with dry ice before closing it, or flood the can with nitrogen or some other inert gas if you've got some to use for welding or whatnot. After sealing, the most important aspect of storage is low, constant temperature. |
| Unless you plan on repacking each ammo can every six months with new desiccant packs, you better stick with the sealed spam cans. Ammo cans can have a pretty good seal, but most leak to some extent. For this purpose I think it may be best to stick with new ammo in the sealed spam cans, although I personally think the sealed cans of Yugo will still be good for decades more. The corrosive primers last almost indefinitely. Boxer primers can last like that too under ideal conditions. One thing to consider is keeping the ammo in an occupied building so it can avoid high humidity and temperature extremes. I keep mine in the attached garage that also has the furnace/air handler that has enough air leakage to keep it somewhat moderate in there summer and winter. |
|
Personally, I'd opt for the New production /current Golden Tiger or Wolf MCHP, then dump them loose in a ammo can ( the .50 will hold one k ),... and loose because I don't trust the paper packaging to not mess up the ammo while it falls apart, I'm not saying its gonna happen,but I don't want to find out 30 years from now that it did....( look at some of the 5.56 surplus sealed battle packs that had paper/box corrosion problems ) put a few new desi paks in AND a cut to fit piece of VCI plastic over the ammo, then latch/seal it up, Label the contents, ( so you don't have to check it later )
You can get VCI plastic here...http://www.polygunbag.com/gunbags.html...I have started to use the VCI for darn near anything metal that can corrode, I even drape some over the rifles in the safe, it does stop the corrosion. |
|
well, spam cans are a great method. spam cans have to rust out before they start to leak.
Second step would be storing them in mylar bags like food storage. Throw in O2 abs and desiccant bags (leave ammo in the box.) Third method is to store them in ammo cans and recharge the desiccant bags every 3 to 6 months, all three will require to place them in a controlled enviroment, not your garage. |
|
Quoted:
Unless you plan on repacking each ammo can every six months with new desiccant packs, you better stick with the sealed spam cans. Ammo cans can have a pretty good seal, but most leak to some extent. For this purpose I think it may be best to stick with new ammo in the sealed spam cans, although I personally think the sealed cans of Yugo will still be good for decades more. The corrosive primers last almost indefinitely. Boxer primers can last like that too under ideal conditions. One thing to consider is keeping the ammo in an occupied building so it can avoid high humidity and temperature extremes. I keep mine in the attached garage that also has the furnace/air handler that has enough air leakage to keep it somewhat moderate in there summer and winter. not to be a nit picky &%*& but the only difference between Boxer and Berdan primers is that Boxer has one flash hole while Berdan has two what matters for storage life is what the primer is made out of not how many flash holes the casing has. |
|
For the OP any of those plans will work for you -IMHO
FWIW- I store a lot of ammo in 50cal cans. I keep it in the original packaging and throw in a few dessi-paks before closing the can and label with a china marker (yellow contrasts best). I do nothing after that but stack it in a cool, dry corner of my basement. I have been storing ammo like this since the mid '90s so ~15 years so far + its' age before I got it (I like surplus). I open it only when I intend to use it and have had no problems so far with my storage method. It is always clean and goes bang. |
|
Ditto for this. The primary concern is cool, dry storage with minimal temperature variations. Keep in mind that many militaries surplus their ammunition after 20-25 years, even though it is in airtight, factory sealed cans. Even if you just store your ammo outside of an ammo can on a shelf somewhere under ideal conditions, it will be just fine for decades. How many of us have fired old ammunition with unknown storage history that worked just fine nonetheles?
1DD |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Unless you plan on repacking each ammo can every six months with new desiccant packs, you better stick with the sealed spam cans. Ammo cans can have a pretty good seal, but most leak to some extent. For this purpose I think it may be best to stick with new ammo in the sealed spam cans, although I personally think the sealed cans of Yugo will still be good for decades more. The corrosive primers last almost indefinitely. Boxer primers can last like that too under ideal conditions. One thing to consider is keeping the ammo in an occupied building so it can avoid high humidity and temperature extremes. I keep mine in the attached garage that also has the furnace/air handler that has enough air leakage to keep it somewhat moderate in there summer and winter. not to be a nit picky &%*& but the only difference between Boxer and Berdan primers is that Boxer has one flash hole while Berdan has two what matters for storage life is what the primer is made out of not how many flash holes the casing has. Not to be nit picky, but since you started it, I'll add that the flash holes aren't the only difference. The anvil for a Berdan primer is part of the case whereas on a boxer primer the anvil is a piece added to the cup after the primer material so that each primer contains its own anvil prior to being seated in the case's primer pocket. But, you're right that it is the primer compound that matters when it comes to storage longevity differences and not the anvil or flash holes. Back on subject though... Everyone is correct that stable temps are important. Degradation of organic compounds can be accelerated by exposure to moisture and oxygen. The spam cans help prevent this by sealing these elements out. But keeping the ammo in a storage area that holds a constant temp also helps to prevent this even if not in a spam can. With wide swings in temp you are basically turning each case into a mini airpump as the pressure inside them goes up and down with the changes in temp. These pressure changes cause minute leaks, even if only on the molecular level. This acts as a air mover that constantly brings in fresh oxygen and moisture to react with and degrade the compounds over time. This may only occur on some cases but if you don't know which ones were affected then your entire stash is suspect. Lower temps also help (think of storing food in a fridge) but even in higher temps stability is important. The best place would then be a cool dry place with a stable temp. Putting them in a sealed container can help but isn't really necessary if the storage conditions are good enough. The main reason spam cans are used is that it allows transportation and storage while the ammo is in its own little mini environment, so outside changes don't have as much effect. |
|
Buy a bunch of .30 cal ammo cans.
Pack 200rds in each can, along with 3 30 rd mags. (it all will fit...trust me) You can load the 30's as well for a total of 290 rds per can. Throw in some desicant packs. Now, you have "Grab and go" cans that if need be can be stashed outdoors in a pinch.....you know, house cathes fire and you are heaving stuff out.....or the JBT's are doing house to house sweeps...you get the idea. I find that storing the mags and ammo seperate is not a good plan. What good is one without the other?!?!?!? |
AK Sponsor