Have you taken steps to protect your ammo storage?
Are you treating it like the critical survival investment it is?
I sure hope so because…
If you can afford stock ammo, you owe it to yourself to store it properly.
You should treat your ammunition stockpile like you treat a precious metal.
Both investments that require good practices to maintain for the long haul.
If you don’t properly maintain your ammo, if you neglect it, your ammo’s useful shelf life can be cut short.
Which is a travesty, because ammo will be the lifeblood when SHTF.
Remember, in a long-term survival scenario, he who has the most firepower; often wins. Ammo is arguably the most important item you can stockpile.
It provides the ability to hunt, barter, defense your home and family, intimidates others, etc. And these are all critical survival and preparedness tactics.
But to rely on these survival tactics you must:
- Purchasing large quantities of ammo
- Store it for the long haul
It’s obvious, but worth saying again, “guns are worthless without ammunition.”
At this point, you’re probably asking a simple question –
How fast can poorly stored ammo become compromised?
Today, I’ll be covering the following ammo storage topics in detail:
- Is There REALLY An Ammunition Shelf Life?
- Old Ammo Vs. New Ammo
- How To Store Ammo The Right Way
- Best Ammo Cans On The Market Today
- More About Desiccants
- Ammo Storage Action Plan
**Note: If you just want our top recommendations, feel free to SKIP AHEAD HERE.
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IS THERE REALLY AN AMMUNITION SHELF LIFE?
Let me start out by saying ammo, does, in fact, have a shelf life.
But unlike food, that has a shelf life measured in days or weeks, ammo’s shelf life is measured in years and decades.
It all depends on how you store it.
If you store it right, ammo will easily outlive you, probably outlive your kids, and possibly even your grandkids.
In near ideal conditions, modern ammo will last centuries.
But if you store your ammo in improperly, degradation starts day one.
Slowly at first, but over a few years or decades, you may find your ammo useless.
And even if it still fires, the accuracy will likely be jeopardized.
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OLD AMMO VS. NEW AMMO
Modern materials, design improvements, and automated manufacturing processing have helped to improve the shelf life of today’s ammo.
And that’s great news for those of us who started stockpiling ammo over the last couple of decades.
When we talk about older ammo, I’m primarily referencing ammo that was manufactured pre-1930s. After the 1930’s smokeless powder was introduced.
Older bullets had a much shorter shelf life unless they were meticulously stored, and regardless they are quickly reaching the end of their reliable shelf lives.
Today, the risk vs. reward of shooting older ammo may not be worth it.
And the risk vs. reward equation keeps getting worse as each year passes.
The bottom line is your ammo stockpile is an investment in your future.
You want to protect this investment as long as humanly possible. So let’s learn how to do that.
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HOW TO STORE AMMO THE RIGHT WAY
Properly storing your ammunition is not complicated.
You only need to follow a couple of simple storage principles and take meaningful action.
Yes, that’s it.
Here’s the first primary storage principle:
Store your ammunition in a cool, dry, dark location.
Let’s break that down; if you keep your ammo in a
- Cool
- Dry
- Dark
place, you win.
Follow this, and you’ll extend your ammunition stockpile from decades to centuries.
Now, once we begin analyzing these principles, we discover there’s a bit more to it.
So let’s deep dive into each of these ammo storage principles.
Keeping Your Ammo Cool
You want to keep your ammunition cool. Not cold but cool.
You also want to avoid storage locations that are hot.
To be honest, constant warm temps or consistent cool temps is not the issue.
It’s the extreme temperature swings that are the real concern.
The integrity of ammo is compromised if it’s subjected to extreme temperature cycles. It’s hard on ammo to go from 100 degrees to 0 degrees back to 100 degrees, year after year.
Why is this bad?
These temperature swings tend to invite humidity.
And as we’ll discuss shortly, humidity is the real threat to your ammunition.
That’s why garages, attics, unheated cabins, and vehicles are such poor ammo storage locations.
Now it’s highly dependent on your local climate, but for most of us, these storage locations move through extremes temperature seasonally.
In winter, overnight temps can reach sub-zero degrees in garages, attics, etc. And in the summer, north of 100 F.
Ammo stored in these conditions for just a couple of years won’t hurt it much.
Your ammo won’t typically go bad in a matter of a couple of years.
But if left in these locations over a series of decades the temperatures swings will begin taking a significant toll on your ammunition’s shelf life.
So where should your ammo be stored?
Traditionally, basements are popular ammo storage locations.
Why? Because basements are located below ground level.
Ground temperatures, change much less than air temperatures.
So while air temps will change from 0 degrees to 100 degrees seasonally, ground temps 10 feet below the surface tend to stay in a range of 20 degrees.
So for example, if soil temps 10 feet underground averages 50 degrees, it may rise to 60 degrees in the summer and drop to 40 degrees in winter.
This is significantly less variation than air temps.
And at 30 feet below the surface, temperatures swings become negligible.
At this depth, ground temps stay constant regardless of the air temps.
So we can take advantage of the earth and support the “constant cool” principle of ammunition storage.
That’s why basements tend to be popular ammo storage locations, but they have their downsides too.
Which we’ll cover next…
Keeping your Ammo Dry
Moisture (a.k.a. humidity) is even more dangerous to your ammunition than temperature swings.
Moisture is corrosive to metal. And ammo’s is made of metal (casings, primers, and the bullet).
Hence, moisture exposure will eventually rust your ammo.
It will begin with small amounts of surface rust, which you can sand off, and your ammo will still fire, but even this may affect your ammo’s accuracy.
And if this rust is allowed to fester it will eventually (over several decades) render your ammunition useless.
So we need to control moisture exposure to our ammunition.
But guess which part of our homes tend to have the highest humidity levels?
You’ve probably guessed it, basements.
Rain soaks into the ground. Ground contacts your home’s foundation. This ground moisture is dangerous to foundations if allowed to accumulate.
That’s why it’s so important to ensure your gutters and downspouts are working properly to avoid foundation problems (i.e. cracking, settling heaving, etc.)
Many homes have sump pumps to help manage basement moisture issues.
Basements and humidity are a big concern for your ammo.
When massive flooding occurs, which area will get wet first?
Your basement.
So from a moisture standpoint, basements present a bit of a problem. However, there are solutions to help manage these risks.
First, if you do store your ammo in a basement, don’t set it on the floor.
Keep it in cabinets or racks. The higher, the better.
That way if your basement does flood, your ammo will likely remain above the water level.
Another way to manage the increased humidity in basement air is to get a good dehumidifier.
This dehumidifier unit will continuously pull moisture out of a damp basement.
Keeping Your Ammo “In the Dark”
UV light is also a destructive force.
Over long periods of exposure, the sun’s harmful UV rays will break down nearly everything.
You’ve seen this process with vehicles. Leaving a vehicle out in the sun for years will deteriorate the exterior metal and paint.
Now compare that vehicle to one that’s stored in a garage when not in use.
Over long periods of time, UV ray exposure will take a toll on your ammo.
The good news is most indoor storage locations will do just fine.
So a closet, pantry, basement are all protected from UV rays. Plus, the inside of your ammo cans will be dark as well.
So if you store your ammo in a windowless location in ammo cans, UV rays will not cause you any ammo problems.
Organization Matters…A Lot
Good ammo storage takes organization and discipline.
Remember you’re potentially stockpiling your ammo for decades.
So it’s important to stay organized and maintain control of your ammo storage efforts.
It’s not set and forget. You must maintain a process.
First, you should label your ammo cans.
You want to identify what’s in your ammo can without opening it.
Labels will help quickly inventory your stockpile and save you time in an emergency.
If you need ammo right now for your 22 survival rifle, you want to avoid dumping out several ammo cans on the floor to find which one has your 22 LR’s.
So get yourself a quality labeler.
A labeler is one of my favorite prepping tools.
It comes in handy for more than just your ammo.
It’s also a perfect tool for food stockpiles and rotation practices. It also helps keep my gear and survival supplies organized.
I also label key areas of my home for emergencies.
I’ve labeled the main water shutoff valve, the natural gas shut off valve, etc.
As the head of the household, it’s my responsibility to know how to find and shut these components off in emergencies.
But for my family, it’s less intuitive.
But by adding labels, it’s easy to walk them through the process and for them to recall and find them in an emergency.
I can’t assume I will be available when emergencies happen.
Worth every penny for my peace of mind.
Next, create a desiccant check schedule.
Every few months, open up each ammo can and check your desiccants.
Create an email reminder, write it on a calendar, or whatever, just make sure you check your ammo storage regularly.
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BEST AMMO CANS ON THE MARKET TODAY
The third way to manage humidity is to store your ammo in ammo cans.
The key is to ensure the rubber gaskets are in good shape and create an airtight seal when latched.
That’s why I steer clear of used ammo cans. I don’t trust used seals. They are often dried out and cracked.
It’s not worth the risk to me. Fresh seals ensure a quality airtight seal.
Quality ammo cans will completely isolate the internal air (inside the can) from the external air (outside the can).
So let’s go over a few of the best ammo cans on the market today.
Solid Tactical 50 Cal Ammo Can
This excellent ammo can is both air and watertight and you can be confident because each is individually tested before being sold.
The Solid Tactical Ammo Can also come with 3 desiccant packs. That way, you can add your ammo immediately and the desiccant packs will remove all moisture from inside the can.
This can is tough as hell since it’s made out of steel and it comes with a money-back guarantee!
Redneck Convent Metal Ammo Case Can
This ammo can come with a “worry-free seal” that will ensure your ammunition stays dry and clean from dust dirt and debris. Giving you peace of mind protection.
This Redneck Convent Metal Ammo Can also come with a hinged lid with a locking latch for easy transportation. Its constructed from heavy gauge steel and a rubber gasket.
Finally, it comes in a classic camo green color which an ideal color in my opinion!
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MORE ABOUT DESICCANTS
Good ammo cans keep the air inside the can from co-mingling with the air outside the ammo can. Allowing for complete control over the air inside the ammo can.
When you isolate and control the ammo can air, you can now 100% control the humidity.
How so? Using something called a desiccant.
With Silica Gel Dehumidifier Desiccants.
Toss one of these desiccant canisters into each air controlled ammo can and they will remove the moisture from the air.
Silica Gel Desiccants use particle physics (osmosis) to attract air moisture particles.
By trapping the moisture into the desiccant, the remaining air inside the ammo can will be dry.
So the surrounding ammo can air that touches your precious ammo will be arid with little to no moisture.
And as we discussed earlier, moisture is what causes metals to corrode.
So by removing moisture from a controlled box of air, you eliminate ammo corrosion.
It’s simple math.
- No moisture equals no rust
- No rust equals no corrosion
- And eliminating ammo corrosion, extends your ammo’s shelf life, reliability, and accuracy
In this process, you’ll occasionally find desiccants that need a recharge.
I like these particular desiccants for four reasons.
1 – First, they’re designed for up to a 3 square foot area.
3 square feet is more than enough for a regular-sized ammo can.
So I can standardize on one desiccant style and size for all my ammo cans.
I prefer to use universal parts and components whenever possible.
It’s always a headache to use several styles of desiccants and then have to keep track of backups for each can. No thanks.
2 – Second, they include a color code.
If you see an orange color, they are still doing their job.
If it’s no longer orange but clear, it’s time to recharge them. This color-coding makes it stupid simple.
Open your ammo can, look at the desiccant color, note the ones with clear color, and replace.
Easy peasy.
3 – Third, they are rechargeable.
They pull moisture from the air continuously until they “fill up”.
At some point, the desiccant can no longer draw more moisture from the air because it’s reached its moisture capacity.
It’s at this time that the color turns clear. But they are not one and done.
You get to reuse them over and over again.
These desiccants just need 3 hours in an oven at 300 degrees to reset them.
So these amazing desiccants are a nice little investment and worth every penny.
4 – Fourth, they don’t use cancer-causing chemicals agents.
They don’t use the nasty chemical Cobalt Chloride.
This chemical has become classified as Group 2B, which states Cobalt Chloride is possibly carcinogenic to humans.
No way I’m handling a carcinogen and putting them in my oven.
With these desiccants, you never have to worry about that.
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AMMO STORAGE ACTION PLAN
1 – Decide on a cool, dry, dark, and safe location.
Put a bit of thought into your ammo storage site based on what we discussed earlier in this article.
The best advice I can provide is where NOT to store your ammo.
Don’t store your ammo in:
- An unheated/cooled garage
- An unheated/cooled attic
- Your vehicle
2 – Purchase high-quality ammo cans and put all your ammo into them.
I recommend you dedicate each ammo can to only one caliber size for sound organizational practices.
Don’t mix and match.
Then label each ammo can so you know exactly what’s inside without having to open it.
3 – Add fresh desiccants to each ammo can.
4 – Create a master schedule and reminders to check your ammo can’s desiccants.
Then just replace and recharge as necessary.
See that wasn’t so hard!
Here’s a short video overview of your ammo storage plan:
And finally, it’s a good idea to keep all your ammo cans stashed away in a large gun safe. That way everything is double secure from intruders, fires, or kids.
Congratulations!
You are now on your way to protecting your ammo storage investment the right way.
The way that maintains your precious ammo investment for years, decades, and centuries to come.
Remember: Prepare, Adapt, and Overcome,
“Just In Case” Jack
P.s. Do you know where the closest nuclear bunker is from your home?
There are a lot of natural nuclear shelters in the US that are absolutely free. And one of them is near your home.
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Paul says
Jack, I was wondering if it would be proper ammo storage with a silicone pack inside a plastic bag,like a seal a meal and stored in a cabinet would be ok. Thank you Paul
Just In Case Jack says
Hey Paul,
I would use mylar bags and not thin weak plastic. Here’s a post that goes over using mylar bags for food storage and I can’t think of any reason why this wouldn’t also work for ammo. Personally, I like my ammo cans but sealed 5 mil mylar bags with oxygen absorbers would technically perform the same function I suppose.
– Jack
Shaun says
That’s fine if you pack them in another container to protect the bags from light and elements.
Robert. Ayres says
Great info thank you, all info facts help and make prepping much less work !
Just In Case Jack says
You bet Robert. Thanks for the encouragement.
Mongoose says
Just vacuumed pack. In orginal boxes I do 500 rods 9mm per bag . 10 boxes of 50 Winchester NATO. Just like money and lock it in 5ft by 3ft by 2ft safe bolted from the inside to my basement floor.
Daniel Hartong says
Just as an FYI some companies when you purchase a “quantity” crate of ammo come with 1-5 boxes of ammo in mylar with airtight seal so you can just break out 20-200 rounds depending on the quantity and caliber of ea package. Nice part about those they usually also carry a “warranty” so that if you do break out a “sample” package and find any leakage or bad ammo you can get it replaced. Some also include an ammo can. It may be heavy grade pvc, but if it is it’s as thick as your sewer pipe and strong enough to give no worries, you can even get those at Harbor Freight or Walmart.
Michael says
Actually, smokeless powder was introduced in 1890 but still great info here!
Look on Amazon for Zcorr products. They make moisture resistant bags that fit in .50 cal and .30 cal ammo cans to give you even more protection.
Just In Case Jack says
You are correct Michael about the invention of smokeless powder, however, mass manufacturing of it was not established until the 1930’s. Here’s more info for those interested.
And here’s Zcorr products on Amazon.
Freeheel says
Smokeless powder was invented much earlier in 1846. It was perfected and used nearly exclusively in ww1 in rifles, pistols and large caliber artillery. Improved military rifle powder (IMR) and Cordite were both used. The ball powder developed in 1933 is yet another type of smokeless powder. It became popular for its quicker burn time than stick powders. But it neither replaced nor became the “powder that ended black powder”. That had already occurred long before.
Oxygen absorbers are not very efficient for ammo storage. Simple desicants are much better at controlling moisture levels in ammo cans. Oxygen absorbers don’t hurt but they really don’t help either. Oxygen absorbers need a small amount of moister to work so putting oxygen absorbers and desicants together negates any usefulness of the oxygen absorbers. Additionally oxygen absorbers cannot be recharged so they are more expensive in the long run.
Obviously only steel cased ammo rusts. Brass, nickel plated, even aluminum cased ammo will degrade with exposure to oxygen but moisture is the real problem here. Much more ammo is brass cased than any other type so desicants are more effective.
Lynn says
We store ours in a old lockable freezer. It does not work but we leave it pluged in and locked so it looks just like any other freezer. We use the absorbers in the boxes and in the inside of the freezer as well. We have only color coded our boxes so if it does get broken into the lables do not give away the contents.
New to Prepping says
What are your thoughts on “in the box or out of the box” inside an ammo box. I recently dumped all my ammo out of the 50 round boxes into a single ammo box thinking that I could get 1k rounds per box in the case we needed to bug out. That ended up weighing about 28lbs. To much to carry, on top of a bug out bag. Now that box is my range supply until it is gone. So here is the dilemma more ammo=more wieght. What would you think is a fair amount of ammo you would want to bug-out with and if you were setting a drop zone would you leave it in the 50 round boxes or dump it in the ammo box.
Just In Case Jack says
Ammo is heavy – no doubt about it. Took much ammo on a bug out will slow you down. So my suggestion is to really look at all your bug out bag items. What’s in there that’s a luxury you don’t need? Here’s our post on bug out bag weights for more tips.
If you know your bug out route ahead of time, I highly recommend you set out some survival caches. This is ideal for putting allowing to grab more ammo if it’s needed at strategic points along your bug out.
Even paper that seems dry contains moisture in it. For example, I have a fireproof safe for some of my most important documents. However, if I leave the safe sealed up for a month or longer and then open it, the papers have a musty smell and feel slightly damp. This is trapped moisture from the paper.
So I always take my ammo out of it’s the boxes before it goes into my ammo storage containers.
Jerry says
Jack : What about burying ammo ? Any thoughts ?
Just In Case Jack says
The main thing you must control if you bury ammo is moisture. You have to seal up the container used really well to prevent any groundwater/moisture from entering. Here’s a post we did on survival caches awhile back that discusses how to bury PVC containers, etc.
If burying it, I’d take it out of the ammo boxes (they contain moisture), I’d put the ammo in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers. This would remove any moisture from the bags, and if you bury the ammo deep enough, it will be in a nice cool, temperature controlled environment – which helps with shelf life as well.
Jeff says
Hello Jack!
Which household containers would you suggest intead of steel ammo boxes?
-large mason jars with ruber seal?
-plastic lunch containers that has rubber seal?
-small rubbermaid containers?
-washed and cleaned old paint cans?
Let me know what you think?
If you have any alternatives?
Thanks!
Just In Case Jack says
Honestly, any container will work if it seals properly. The problem with old steel ammo boxes is the seams and the lids are often not made for “airtight sealing”.
Because the most important issue for ammo self-life is the container must have an airtight seal. Plastic ammo cans don’t have side seams and the lids have rubber gaskets. That’s why you can get an airtight seal.
And if you have an airtight seal, you can add desiccants to the container and remove all humidity from the air – which expends the life of your ammo (prevents rust, etc).
Also, don’t leave the ammo in its prepackaged boxes. The boxes are paper material and have trace amounts of moisture in them. Sure a desiccant will capture some of that moisture but might as well not add that moisture to your airtight container in the first place.
Steve says
What about the seals and their exposure to dessicant over long time periods. Should some grease or armor all be applied to the seals before putting away in storage. Just a thought. Also, ozone generated by a fridge or freezer nearby will surely ruin any rubber material in time. What is your opinion on this?
Richard V. Traylor says
For those that may question long term storage in a garage, I inherited a 50 cal surplus ammo can that was filled with 45 ACP ammo and was stored in an unheated/non AC garage for a good ten years and didn’t have any misfires or accuracy problem with the half of it I fired. Non of the ammo was discolored or corroded and the seal seemed to be pliable on the can when I opened it. The fact that no one continually opened and close the can could have been a factor, but who knows for sure? At any rate, I store all of my ammo in the same surplus military ammo cans and haven’t found a problem with any of it I use. I do follow the advice though and store the bulk of mine in the basement and a small supply in my gun cabinet. And BTW, some of that ammo that was stored in the garage ammo can was dated made in 1944 45 acp ball ammo in original boxes and I received it in 2003! That goes to show after almost 6 decades in storage, ammo can still be lethal and effective!
Jason says
Hey Jack, your article is fantastic, I just got hung up on this line: “No way I’m handling a carcinogen and putting them in my oven”, but handling lead and ammunition and even shooting can have harmful effects.
What do you think about vacuum sealing your ammo?
Just In Case Jack says
Vacuum sealing ammo seems like a bit of an overkill to me.
Joe says
It’s cheap, its fast
If you already have a vacuum sealer, do it-
I Vac-pack my reloads in bags, then put them in ammo boxes. I’ve even started doing this to bulk loose ammo that I purchase.
Super simple to write a date on a paper and slip it in the bag.
Watch out for rifle rounds poking through the less expensive vac bags.
Eli Richardson says
It was nice of you elaborating on basements being the most humid area of the house. My brother recently bought a gun, and he wants to store it properly. I will let him know that his ammunition will be harmed by moisture if he stores it in the basement.
Shaun says
I just use a seal o meal with o2& h20 absorber packs.
vf says
In a gun safe with a golden rod dehumidifier(in its original carton) should work,
Nottodayfbi says
If I vacuum seal my ammo (with desiccants) and guns and put them into the ground, would I still have to change out the desiccants every month? My real question is is there any way for me to store a cache and leave it for 30-40 years? I have around 15 guns, (3 AKs, 6 ARs, and 6 pistols) I also have almost 9,000 rounds.