Ammunition storage, factory loaded and hand loaded considerations

Hummer

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The three biggest enemies of ammo (besides politicians) is AIR AND HEAT and moisture. Per Frankford Arsenal Engineers I worked with they estimate the life of MILSPEC ammo that has never been subjected to AIR/HEAT is 125 years. Once a can has been opened the estimate is 75 years stored in COOL DRY CONDITIONS. This is why military ammo crates have a wire seal on them which tells the ammo surveillance people it is still good to go. At Aberdeen we tested from -65 below 0° to +140F. I had Australian Ordnance folks visiting Aberdeen tell me they tested to 175F as there are areas there that temps inside vehicle compartments get that hot. I was told the room could be taken down to -90F.


In our testing at Aberdeen we started the below 0 testing first. We came back two days later and the room was 140F and I understand now can go to 160F. Once we finished in high temp the remaining ammo was sent for destruction as it is no longer reliable.



This is why MILSPEC ammo has primer sealant (aka waterproofing) and mouth lacquer of military ammo.

Waterproofing ammo with sealant is done by the military for two reasons, it keeps moisture out of the inside of the case, it keeps the original state of the propellant from deteriorating and prevents GALVANIC ACTION. (see below)

Best I can tell the several of ammo companies no longer seal primers with the lacquer at the edge of the primers so you can do it yourself. You can do it with nail polish and a paper clip as follows:

For rifle I take a 20 round plastic ammo box and set it on desk and take a paper clip, open it up so you have a straight section and the remainder you hold onto. Dip the straight section in nail polish about 3/8" and then apply it around the edges of the primer and apply enough so it flows 360° around and remove the case and pull it across a piece of newspaper so the excess is removed that may get out of the groove. Replace it in box and go to next one. This is the ONLY use for newspapers if you don't have a puppy or parakeet.


For this reason most top flight US shooters don't load their match ammo till about two weeks before the National Championships. The main reason is brass and copper in contact can react and is known as Galvanic Action. Look that up and you will have lots to read and will really get your attention.


If you have to carry ammo in trunk put it in insulated carriers. Mine is carried on front floor passenger side. Obviously storing in attic is bad as well.

Don't hide your ammo in a stable as the urine from the animals will attack the cases unless they are in MILSPEC cans.


Also don't expose your powder to air/heat/moisture etc.


I now have a heat sealer and a roll of polyethylene sleeves. If I were going on a hunt I would seal five rounds at a time in these bags and upon arrival in-country open one maybe two bags at a time.


Bottom line is treat your ammo like your wife as if you don't we all know what that leads to haha.
 
Regarding galvanic reaction, do oxides of copper have any effect? Some of the black bullets are oxidized copper (rather than moly) that is said to minimize fouling.
 
Wyatt, are you in Pike County, Pennsylvania?

Sorry no info on oxides. The only reason I know about galvanic action is that I a took a fabulous course called "Corrosion Control and Prevention of Material Deterrioration at Rock Island Arsenal and it was a fabulous course. It was a week long and way too short. Information gathered there and been very beneficial.

I just put in a thread on graphite in regards to galvanic action.

To answer your question n o I am a ammo can aficionado/collector/lover and I even have some experimental 25MM cans which are same height/length of 20MM but they are several inches wider. I have some FN cans that held 5 200 rd belts of 5.56.

Once I went down and bought 100 50 cal cans for 75 cents each if I remember correctly. (last century)

Now that being said ammo cans are not reused in US as they are consider trash. They are only collected to be sold at PDO yards.
 
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I am a firm lover and user of ammo cans. I pick up as many as I can whenever I see them and store all my spare ammo in them. I was not aware of heatsealing rounds but I can see the advantage especially if you are going to a humid environment. Good idea for long term storage at home, too ---in ammo cans.
 
Very good. I used to live in Pike County, Pennsylvania but then again there are several states with Pike County.

I suspect that I could not get all my cans in my 2500 HD pick up.
 
I just put them in barrels after I load. I shoot 50K - 60K a year, so humidity etc. is not an issue for me.

This is 12K, about a day's worth of reloading.

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I live near a Red River Storage Facility (also know as the Midwest Depot). They are constantly blowing up stuff that they deem too old. How long that is I am not sure, but between them and JBSA facility next door, some days and nights it can sound like a war zone.
 
Is that COMBLOC ammo or loaded by Lake City. It is is Lake City it is excellent.
 
Is that COMBLOC ammo or loaded by Lake City. It is is Lake City it is excellent.

It maybe Lake City, but it won’t have a USA head stamp.
 
Right, sanitary headstamp. If you can buy some get all you can. The brass is the best you will ever find.
 
Not sure everyone got my reference to extremely large lots. That stuff is only sold or given to folks pre-approved by a certain government agency.
 
I was Lake City, loaded for the push into Cambodia (I think). If I had a couple thousand of those I would get a 7.62X39 rifle and feed it with that. I won't buy COMBLOC ammo.
 
Likewise. That damn lacquer they use on steel cases will melt and seize up a gun. You have to drive out the case with a dowel. Dirty stuff, too.
 
An SKS or AK doesn’t care what you feed it. I’ve never even purchased a brass cased 7.62x39 cartridge.
Likewise good guns get good ammo.
 
Due to all of this social distancing recently , I have been spending the last few days in fellow forum member , @Kawshik Rahman 's tea gardens .... where we both go out hunting every night with Kawshik's employees .
I brought along my 2 shot guns and my rifle , with me . Along with a duffel bag full of 12 Bore and .22 Long Rifle calibre cartridges.
2 nights ago ... we both decided to sort out some of our vintage shot gun cartridges , which we have been collecting for the last 60 years . These were some of the 1s which I had collected over the years , given to me by my clients after their shikars were complete and they were about to leave India to return home.
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>1 Eley Grand Prix 2.5 inch spherical ball cartridge
> 1 Eley Grand Prix 2.5 inch Rotex cartridge
>1 Holland & Holland 2.5 inch paradox cartridge
> 1 Brenekke Original Slug 2.75 inch slug cartridge
> 1 Winchester Western 2.5 inch spherical ball cartridge

Just out of curiosity , as to whether or not they would fire .... Kawshik and I both tried firing them from my Wischo 12 Bore 3 inch chamber multi choke semi automatic shot gun .
IMG_20191207_175344.jpg

On the very 1st attempt... only the Brenekke Original Slug fired . That German flake powder had a really good shelf life... I must say . All the other cartridges had missed fire .
So , we both decided to try something .
The very next day , Kawshik and I left the cartridges out in the hot sun for 4 hours .
Then , we proceeded to try them again . With the exception of the Eley Grand Prix Rotex cartridge ... they all fired properly , this time .
 
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