So I have a small 10-gun safe (Naturally "10 gun" means 5), with a small shelf on top for ammo. Now, I have very little ammo, and it's already getting filled up. My safe is also in my basement, which tends to be a little humid sometimes (hence why I clean my guns every few months regardless of whether I shoot them--hoping froglube will be good for protecting them).

 

Now I have one 7.62x51 Surplus ammo can, but that's about full. Ideally, I'd like some sort of crate or chest that I could store ammo in, and would protect them during storage. I'm not sure what type of milsurp stuff is out there, but if there's a cheap decent solution, I'm all ears.

I could probably go with a bunch of milsurp ammo cans, but I think one container would be ideal. I also considered a tupperware box, but with the place I'm thinking of storing it, something that's a little bit lower-profile with respect to height would be better.

Grenade ammo can is pretty big but I keep all my callibers in separate marked ammo cans with some of your silica packs thrown in

 

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Grenade ammo can is pretty big but I keep all my callibers in separate marked ammo cans with some of your silica packs thrown in

 

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silca isn't a bad idea. I'm gonna start saving that stuff. It'll at least help.

 

Basically, idk if they have crate-sized "ammo cans" with the seal and all.

For factory ammo, I grab one box from the case and toss it in an ammo can with the rest of the ammo loose. Add a dessicant pack and close it up. I put a piece of painter's tape on the can and write what's in the can and the date it was closed up. For reloads, I throw in a piece of paper with the load date, load date, etc. instead of a box from the case.

you can go to harbor freight and buy these for $5 and change

 

I considered just getting more ammo cans. I know this Vietnamese dude at the Berlin mart sells really nice milsurp ones for a crazy-cheap price. If you have the patience to haggle with him, you can walk away with a bunch of stuff dirt cheap. I got a German flag, ammo can, surplus camo army jacket in nice shape, and something else (I forget what) for like $12. Odds are if he has any ammo cans, I can probably haggle for a little bit and get them for like $3 apiece lol.

But I'm surprised there aren't any larger crate-sized things available.

I considered just getting more ammo cans. I know this Vietnamese dude at the Berlin mart sells really nice milsurp ones for a crazy-cheap price. If you have the patience to haggle with him, you can walk away with a bunch of stuff dirt cheap. I got a German flag, ammo can, surplus camo army jacket in nice shape, and something else (I forget what) for like $12. Odds are if he has any ammo cans, I can probably haggle for a little bit and get them for like $3 apiece lol.

 

But I'm surprised there aren't any larger crate-sized things available.

Ammo gets heavy very quickly. I wouldn't want to move much more than a .50 cal can worth without wheels.

I have 50 cal cans lining the entire side of my safe(10 gun) from top to bottom... i still can fit 5 long guns and 6 pistols in the safe along with tons of mags... its all about organization. All my other ammo is stored in the factory cases in a closet.. kinda like out of sight out of mind..  time to order more ammo! and throw it in the closet to forget about.

Dude if you are storing your firearms in the basement with no dehumidifier you are crazy.  go pick yourself up a dehumidifier.  doesnt make sense to spend all that money on guns just to let them rust!

I have 50 cal cans lining the entire side of my safe(10 gun) from top to bottom... i still can fit 5 long guns and 6 pistols in the safe along with tons of mags... its all about organization. All my other ammo is stored in the factory cases in a closet.. kinda like out of sight out of mind..  time to order more ammo! and throw it in the closet to forget about.

 

Currently I have them stacked on the sides, good point though, if I were to have them all lined up in the rear of the safe, I could stack ammo on the sides.

Dude if you are storing your firearms in the basement with no dehumidifier you are crazy.  go pick yourself up a dehumidifier.  doesnt make sense to spend all that money on guns just to let them rust!

There is a dehumidfier. I should mention in case anyone doesn't know. I'm a college student, and live at home with a mom who hates guns, if it were up to me, the safe would be in my closet or something upstairs, but she doesn't really wanna look at it, soooo....

 

But you did give me a good idea. The safe isn't very close to the dehumidifier (But to be fair, the dehumidfier we have is insane. place it in the basement of our 3 bedroom home, and it'll such all the moisture out of the whole house in about a day.) But I think it might be good to pick up one of those little plastic containers that holds a large amount of silica gel or w/e, and place that in my safe to ensure it's dry there. Is that a good idea?

sounds like you should get a couple different things.. 

 

1) a big crate type storage box..  something you can put a lot of shit in..

 

2) a bunch more 30 or 50cal ammo cans.. 

 

3) dehumidier for the safe with the guns

 

then you can put your ammo in the sealed ammo cans and stack them in the big crate type box with the dehumidifier in the safe to keep the guns in better shape

 

 

personally, i have all my ammo in a closet on shelves (that are surprisingly not bowing yet)..   but your housing situation may not allow for an entire closet being taken up by ammo boxes

 

 

edit - just saw your response about dehumidifier..  still good idea to get some silica packs and put them in the ammo cans and maybe a small portable dehumidifier and put it in the safe anyway)

get one or two of these for your safe, no need to put in the oven like some of the others to dry out, just plug in and recharge it and should be good for a few weeks. Or get a goldenrod

 

http://www.amazon.com/Stack-On-SPAD-100-Wireless-Rechargeable-Dehumidifier/dp/B001F0IH22/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1396559982&sr=1-1&keywords=stack+on+dehumidifier

I keep my ammo in the cases and on the pallets it all comes with. Stored in concrete bunkers within the berms that surround my compound, and I'm good.

 

Nice!

But seriously, I use a variety of ammo cans, with desiccant packs in each (mostly these: http://tinyurl.com/mjqfpxh. )

One container will rapidly become unwieldy, and way too heavy. All the cans are labeled with brand, caliber and grain.

Keep them all stored in a secure place (locked closet or cabinet) and you should be good.

sounds like you should get a couple different things.. 

 

1) a big crate type storage box..  something you can put a lot of shit in..

 

2) a bunch more 30 or 50cal ammo cans.. 

 

3) dehumidier for the safe with the guns

 

then you can put your ammo in the sealed ammo cans and stack them in the big crate type box with the dehumidifier in the safe to keep the guns in better shape

 

 

personally, i have all my ammo in a closet on shelves (that are surprisingly not bowing yet)..   but your housing situation may not allow for an entire closet being taken up by ammo boxes

 

 

edit - just saw your response about dehumidifier..  still good idea to get some silica packs and put them in the ammo cans and maybe a small portable dehumidifier and put it in the safe anyway)

 

I actually like that idea. I'm not sure why I didn't think of that, i'll get a surplus ammo crate, and just put ammo boxes in it. Part of it is aesthetics (I think it would be cool) and also I feel having a crate for it would be a good way to keep that stuff together.

But seriously, I use a variety of ammo cans, with desiccant packs in each (mostly these: http://tinyurl.com/mjqfpxh. )

One container will rapidly become unwieldy, and way too heavy. All the cans are labeled with brand, caliber and grain.

Keep them all stored in a secure place (locked closet or cabinet) and you should be good.

My main problem is that there is no electrical outlet near the safe, I think the nearest one is on the breaker, about 20 feet away.

Extension cord?

 

Sent from an undisclosed location.

 

 

you can go to harbor freight and buy these for $5 and change

 

Yep...bought a bunch of those when they were on sale and now have not only calibers but brands separated and tagged with painter's tape.

I've always wanted a 20mm can for the sake of it

Hey Kaiser where is the guy at Berlin? Is he outside, in the back near the fence?

Hey Kaiser where is the guy at Berlin? Is he outside, in the back near the fence?

Yup! I haven't been there in a while, but he used to be there. Maybe he doesn't sell there anymore, I haven't checked, but that's exactly where he'd set up.

Thanks bud, Ill be back home in about a month and Ill check if hes still out there.

Locking office file cabinets.  No one will know what's inside.

Nothing stores ammo better then ammo cans IMO! It's what they were designed for. Heavy duty steel with rubber gaskets keeps the nastyness out. Throw in some dessicant if you feel you need to. Plus it makes the ammo easy to move. If you start loading up a huge box with ammo, you will have to remove the ammo anytime you need to move the box. Also , ammo cans stack nicely. I line mine up in the utility room with some nice P-touch labels on them so I know whats what.

If you have a really good dehumidifier, you have nothing to worry about IMO.. Just store them is whatever is more convenient.

If you have a really good dehumidifier, you have nothing to worry about IMO.. Just store them is whatever is more convenient.

 

 

Yeah, I turned the dehumidifier back on a few days ago (before the creation of this thread),  and in about a day, the humidity was down to about 20% in the basement. The dehumidifier we have is crazy haha.