# How to Make your Ammunition Last Longer



## Moby76065 (Jul 31, 2012)

Do you folks put humidity absorbers in your ammo cases?

Would O2 absorbers be effective?


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## smaj100 (Oct 17, 2012)

Moby,

Me personally I store all my ammo, reloading components, powder and primers in the large 30mm ammo cans that I acquired over the years as an apache driver. Inside each can I use the closet sized moisture absorbing containers from lowes. They are easy to refill but last forever, unless I forget to latch a lid down after a reloading session.

I usually replace the contents once a year unless I think it should be replaced sooner.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_2538-994-FG...currentURL=?Ntt=moisture+absorbent&facetInfo=

Hope that helps.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

In sealed ammo cans, nothing else inside. Never any problems.


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

LincTex said:


> In sealed ammo cans, nothing else inside. Never any problems.


Same here, and some of it has been in ammo cans for about 5 years so far.


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## ZoomZoom (Dec 18, 2009)

I just keep it in a dry location. Never had an issue.

Years ago, I found a 30-06 round on the beach at a coastal military base. Based on its markings, it was from the Korean War era. I wiped it off and it went bang just as good as a new round.


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## d_saum (Jan 17, 2012)

Not too long ago, I found a bulk pack of remington .22lr in my shed that I bought when I lived in Colorado. It had to be at least 10 years old, and it was just sitting in the shed, on a shelf. With all the humidity here in NC, I was wondering if it would still be good, and lo and behold, it was. I had a few failure to fires here and there.. but even then, I'd run those rounds back through again, and they shot just fine the second time around. 

All my other ammo is stored in either shoe boxes or ammo cans, with nothing else and some of my old 20 gauge shotgun shells are well over 10 years old, and they ALWAYS fire.


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

I have shot alot of ammo that was over 50 years old. I would suggest you worry about something else as your ammo will be fine.


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

I've used WW2 stuff with very few issues.


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## FrankW (Mar 10, 2012)

Also the cardboard in ammo boxes will absord some humdity. so if u dont have a dessicant packet in a sealed ammo can but the ammo is in cardboard its like a little built in dessicent that, if the box is tight. should work.

I was looking for dessicant packets for awhile but realizing this i kinda gave up as my SHTF ammo is in sealed ammo cans.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

BlueZ said:


> Also the cardboard in ammo boxes will absorb some humidity...cardboard its like a little built in desiccant.


\

Baloney... if the ammo is in a dry place to begin with then you will never have soggy cardboard. If you notice the cardboard getting soggy, you need to move your ammo to a dryer location!!


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## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

> How to Make your Ammunition Last Longer


Hit what you aim at! One shot One KILL!

LOL could not resist.


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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

Sealed ammo is in a dry place, that has dehumidifier running all the time, other ammo is in the gun safe with dehumidifier inside.


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## stayingthegame (Mar 22, 2011)

Make every shot count - that's how to conserve ammunition - NEVER MISS!


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

I usually end up with my ammo stored in ammo cans and coffee cans with nothing never had a problem and some of the stuff is odd bal loadings I made early on before I decided on my standard loadings and those odd balls that still go bang are somtimes 20 years old and some of them weren't in a sealed container just plastic ammo boxes from midway. orginally stored in a converted chicken shed where temps ranged wildley. To a room in a old house that was poorly temp controlled stayed cold unless I was gonna be in there and fired up the wood stove. And some left there for a while with no climate control while I moved and even survived the house flooding (ammo was high and dry but it was extra humid in there) I have also fired old rifle ammo out of cardboard factory ammo boxes that was well over 50 years old and never stored special just stacked in teh bottom of a wooden gun cabinet. SOOO all that said I"ll not worry about t too much.

BUT if I"m putting ammo up that may say for instance be buried and taken out by my great grand kids I"ll vacuum seal with dessicant put it in a sealed ammo can with more dessicant, and put t in another container with dessicant and nitrogen packed. Because if it comes out under those circumstances (or even in ten yers) I would not want to have skimped in any way shape or form and have even a single round fail and cost an aspiring patriot his life. So don't worry too much but if you can take every precaution is my advice.


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## oif_ghost_tod (Sep 25, 2012)

The only true way to make your ammo last longer is to hit what you are aiming at the first time.

All joking aside military surplus ammo cans are best. I trust them because they are designed to protect from dirt, sand, water, rough handling, and any other abuse they could encounter during war.

I do not foresee conditions worse than that.


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## FrankW (Mar 10, 2012)

LincTex said:


> \
> 
> Baloney... if the ammo is in a dry place to begin with then you will never have soggy cardboard. If you notice the cardboard getting soggy, you need to move your ammo to a dryer location!!


I am sorry you dint understand what I wrote.

It has nothing to do with them getting soggy.

When you close the lid whatever moisture is in the air inside your can will travel into the cardboard, if the can remains unopend for a while.

it does not mean the cardboard will get soggy in any way, I dont know where that came from.

Not unless you putt pudddles of water in your ammo can.

If you keep the can closed it will only have to absord a small amount.
As a result the air insude the can will become dry.

Similair principle to a dessicant. 
but alot lkess capacity per volume
but since you ahve so much of it in the can it will work quite well.

rice is also a dessicant for the excat same reason.

its a carbohydrate and as such attract moisture from the air.

Dessicants are best for this.. but i decided to give up on them since i have a ammo can full of boxes as long as I leave it closed the air will turn and then stay dry insdie.

I dont know how to explain it any better than tihs.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Yes, I misunderstood. I don't think the cardboard will "hold" the moisture like a desiccant would (it can release it). But yes, as long as you aren't storing you ammo when it raining (or a really humid day), you should be OK!


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

cnsper said:


> Hit what you aim at! One shot One KILL!
> 
> LOL could not resist.


Yep. Shot placment is the key to making ammo last longer...


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## JohnVenice (Aug 27, 2010)

I'm not too concerned. At one point I loaded 50 pieces of .357 brass with magnum primers, set them open end down in a Styrofoam ammo block and put them on the shelf until later. Upstairs hallway, no air-conditioning, no heat in that part of the house, West-middle Ky.(hot in summer, cold in winter, high humidity.) Ten- twelve years later I finished loading them (with the same can of powder, on the shelf beside them) because I had to clean up some loose ends and make room when I moved to Florida. They sat in a metal ammo can outside (in the shade next to the house) for several more years before I got around to taking them to the range. There was no detectable deterioration of primer or powder. Not that I recommend this but it is comforting.


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## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

I've stored ammo different ways but I prefer to store it in ammo cans in cool dry places. I've never used the moisture absorbing packs but then where I've lived it's never been that humid. I store primers and powder in ammo cans as well. Over 30 years ago I was given three different brands of large rifle primers and some of them were old, especially the box of CCI primers that had a lot number 170 which I'd guess is from Jan,1970. When I have used them I've not had one fail to fire. In all the years I've been shooting I've only had one round that failed to fire and it was out of a new box of Remington 30-06.


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## Renigeid (Dec 26, 2008)

Never worry about it. A lot of mine is in sealed ammo cans but a lot, some 40 years old, is just stored in a dry place. Jim


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## prepperware (Jul 28, 2012)

My experience is that military ammo that has sealed bullets and primers are less of a concern to be damaged by time. Especially if it is kept in a sealed container ( ammo can / heavy vinyl packing etc) But I had a brick of Agulia 22lr and it is over 10 years old and kept unsealed and in a closet. I bet there was a 40% + FTF in every box. The bullets were not tight in the casing and I'm assuming moisture or oxidation worked it's magic. I have 22lr that is over 20 years old kept in a ammo can that is like new in performace. I noticed that these bullets were much tighter in the case and they have that Remington wax like lube that I think helps seal as well..


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## headhunter (Nov 21, 2008)

Old ammo is usually good. A lot of the military is laquer sealed, I've shot some of the father-in law's .30 Luger (purchased when he worked in the CCC's surveying) and some of his .303 Savage. 
Handloaded ammunition may form a bond between the case and the bullet. Some speculate it may be because of the powder residue from previous firings. This maybe evidenced if you have some older reloads and turn your seating die in a half turn. Most rounds nothing will happen, however, there probably will be some the that exhibit stiffer resistance to reseating and an audible "snap". By reseating you have taken care of the problem.


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## sears7007 (Mar 1, 2010)

I thought when I saw "how to make ammo last longer" about the maxium ONE SHOT ONE KILL !!!


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