doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com ammo storage ideas

I generally have 20-30 flats of shotgun ammo and keep it in my detached garage. I would to secure it better and would welcome ideas for some kind of locked storage locker or box or something. Where do you folks keep your ammo?

I don't know what you're specifically looking at temperature wise in NY in the Summer but out here in Arizona you're ammo would be cooked in no time as it can get easily to 120 degree in a garage in the Summer months. I'd recommend at the least you get your ammo into someplace that is dry and cool year round.
Jim

Italiansxs would you please explain what you mean by cooked. In my experience 120 degrees would not affect a load very much unless you are shooting it while it is that hot.

Do you have a cellar/basement? Mine is relatively uniform in temp year-round and I keep it down there. I put it on pallets to elevate it off the concrete floor even tho the floor is dry.

I think it's considered best to use wooden ammo cases if you're going to lock it up. Easy enough to build.

Garage is in the shade and doesn't get particularly hot in the summer. Garage is also the most convenient place to keep it so I don't have to tote it into the house (I buy about 20 flats at a time) and down a flight of stairs to the basement and then haul it back out to put in my car when I go shooting, as I do 2 or 3 times a week.

I be glad to explain:
When ammunition becomes overheated over a period of time it is my understanding it causes the powder to break down. This breakdown can have a severe impact on pressures. 120 degress is the outside temperature here I don't know exactly how hot it gets in the garage. Therefore it is generally recomended that ammunition be stored under cool dry conditions. I don't think it's necessary to explain the 'dry" part.
We store canned good in cabinets in the garage. If we forget to remove some before the Summer months they will be ruined for sure and have to be discarded.
Jim

HOS,

You may want to consider picking up one of the metal storage racks like is used for portable propane bottles. They are lockable and cannot act as a pressure vessel. You might check with one of the larger suppliers & see if they have an old cabinet that is out of service, or fabricate your own, if you are handy.

I have been using shotgun shells in the Imperial Valley and in Southern Arizona for 50 years, and with air temps sometimes approaching 120 degrees the ammo temps coming out of the back of the truck can be up to 185 degrees. Yes, I have a digital thermometer in the truck and I have checked cab and shell temps after the truck has been parked for a while. The shells always work just fine in those temps.

I store my shells in a garage in the sun, and it probably gets to 130 in there on a hot summer day. Shells are fine.

Copied for the Firearms Training Academy Site:

Proper Care and Storage of Ammunition


Ammunition should ideally be stored in a cool dry environment where there are no unusual variations in temperature and humidity. Extreme high temperatures, such as those found in the trunk of a car or an attic should be avoided for long term storage. We also recommend that you store the ammunition in it's original carton to aid you in identifying the ammunition at a later date. Once you become familiar enough with the different calibers and brands this wouldn't be necessary. If you desire to store a larger quantity of ammunition you may wish to investigate the commercial ammunition cans. Always wipe your fingerprints off the cartridges. No this is not for some devious reasons, the Acids, salts and other chemicals contained in fingerprints can cause corrosion which could affect the reliability of the cartridge.

A picture is worth a thousand words

I use two door wall lockers



Merry Christmas

Mike