Ammo Stash: Storage Methods

Keeping your arms safe and secure is the most important lesson any shooter can learn. Keeping your ammo safe is a close second. It isn’t as simple as storing lures in a tackle box or wrenches in a toolbox. You need to take extra precautions to keep your ammo safe. Ammo is expensive, plain and simple. It may cost you a pretty penny to replace wasted ammunition.

Follow these steps and keep your ammo supply safe and ready for action.

Proper Storage

All ammunition has a shelf life, but depending on how you store it, you can keep your ammunition safe for years and years to come. Make sure you take ammunition out of your truck and bring it inside. It may seem easy to keep your ammo in your car or truck, but people that leave their ammunition in their vehicles are prone to potential problems. Over time environmental factors like heat and moisture can take a toll on your stockpile. If your ammo is heated up, its reliability can be lost. Ammunition contracting and expanding during temperature changes will affect the chemical properties of the gunpowder and priming. The three main factors you’ll want to stick to are…

• Dark
• Cool
• Dry

For extra protection consider vacuum sealing your ammo. This will keep them as dry as can be and ensure that no moisture gets in. As always, proper storage also means keeping ammunition away from children. Stick to these and you’ll already increase your chances of preserving your ammo.

Label Properly

Proper labeling avoids confusion when it comes time to shoot. Reckless storage and labeling of your ammunition can result in safety hazards and damaged firearms. Never mix shell sizes and ensure each cartridge type is individually labeled.

When the incorrect ammunition is used, the cartridge could become lodged, explode, and cause serious injury to the user or a bystander. Just because it might fit in your gun, doesn’t mean that it’s the right caliber.

Keep you and your family safe by properly labeling and storing your ammo. If you need to stock up on more ammo, learn more here.