ammo storage

[gaseousclay]

can any of you recommend a decent storage container to use for my ammo? I see a lot of the milsurp ammo cans at various stores but from what I can tell, none of them can be locked. does anyone make a decent ammo can that is durable and lockable?

[stobes21]

Well, they aren't made for ammo specifically but any office supply store will sell a variety of lockable file boxes that would certainly fit the bill. Some are even water and fire resistant. Something like this would hold quite a bit of ammo, is lockable, water resistant, and has a half hour fire rating. $100 or so at an office supply store.

[plpenn]

along the same lines you can get something a little smaller at Walmart.

Or grab a plastic tool box from Lowes that you can put a pad lock on....

[Ron991]

[Red-Leg]

I use ammo cans as well. If you're concerned about locking things up, a construction job box would be a great way to secure the cans. I'm not terribly concerned about securing individual cans.

[_JP_]

A gun safe does just that.

[cb91710]

I use ammo cans as well. If you're concerned about locking things up, a construction job box would be a great way to secure the cans. I'm not terribly concerned about securing individual cans.

This.

I think those recommending document containers are underestimating the amount of ammo a typical gun owner has.

I order ammo once or twice a year.... and it's a $1500+ order. 1000 or more rounds of each caliber, 9mm, .357, .45, .32, 5.56, and .22lr

[gaseousclay]

A gun safe does just that.

technically you shouldn't store ammo and firearms together

[cb91710]

technically you shouldn't store ammo and firearms together

+1

Either a 2nd safe if you want the fire protection, or a heavy gauge job box.

Personally, I'd gravitate to the job box. You can get a large one in a heavier gauge steel than a safe for much less, and while you don't get the fire protection, the steel box will do a much better job of containing the exploding ammo than a cheap safe (which won't afford more than 15-30 minutes of fire protection).

[slugg77]

Ammo cans all the way.

[huntingdan]

I don't know how durable they are, but MTM makes a polypro ammo can with a hole for a lock. Just being made of plastic isn't what I like, I usually use the metal milsurp cans.

[stobes21]

This.

I think those recommending document containers are underestimating the amount of ammo a typical gun owner has.

I order ammo once or twice a year.... and it's a $1500+ order. 1000 or more rounds of each caliber, 9mm, .357, .45, .32, 5.56, and .22lr

Sure, you couldn't store that quantity in a document container, but you couldn't store that quantity in a mil surp ammo can either. The OP asked about an alternative to mil surp cans and those document boxes are similar in size to slightly larger.

If you're in need of something to store many thousands of rounds than a safe would work, as would a locking steel cabinet like what they use in chemistry labs. The chem lab ones frequently come with pretty good locks and are usually marked flammable for safety too. You'd just have to make sure the shelves of the cabinet are strong enough to hold the hundreds or even thousands of pounds of ammo you're talking about.

[cb91710]

Sure, you couldn't store that quantity in a document container, but you couldn't store that quantity in a mil surp ammo can either. The OP asked about an alternative to mil surp cans and those document boxes are similar in size to slightly larger.

If you're in need of something to store many thousands of rounds than a safe would work, as would a locking steel cabinet like what they use in chemistry labs. The chem lab ones frequently come with pretty good locks and are usually marked flammable for safety too. You'd just have to make sure the shelves of the cabinet are strong enough to hold the hundreds or even thousands of pounds of ammo you're talking about.

All of my ammo is stored in ammo cans.

What I was referring to is that, for $100, you're getting ONE document container that might hold a little more than an ammo can.
By the time I bought enough document containers to hold as much as my ammo cans, I'd be ahead buying a job box.

Then the ammo cans can go in the job box so you have the convenience of relatively small quantities in containers that are handy to grab and head out to the range or hunt.
The document containers are heavy even when empty, and much larger... not so convenient for prepping for a trip to the range.

Agreed, they are not a bad idea for storing the hollowpoint home-defense ammo.

[_JP_]

I agree that the amount of ammo you want to keep on hand can dictate your storage options. For me, it's not the amount of ammo as mich as the amounts of gunpowders for reloading.

[noelekal]

Old white, steel medical cabinets and lockers stow all my ready ammo and reloading components. Mil-surp .30 and .50 caliber ammo cans stow the reserve stocks.

[Benbo]

If I'm not mistaken, the firesafe document safes have something in them that can give off moisture. One of the reasons it doesn't burn up so fast. Some people even have problems with documents rotting in them. Not the best conditions for ammo I would think.

[5savages]

technically you shouldn't store ammo and firearms together

Unless you're storing them both on your hip.

[Deltaboy]

You can use a pad lock and lock 30 cal ammo cans.