Jim,
What is the best way to store handgun ammo? I have a military surplus ammo can with a good rubber seal on it. However would it be a good idea to wrap it in plastic before putting it into the ammo box.
Also is there anything I should keep it away from while in storage. Thanks, – Motor Oil Man
JWR Replies: The two crucial things to remember for storing ammo in milsurp cans are:
1.) Use an ammo can with a nice soft gasket, and,
2.) Drop in a commercially-made silica gel packet (or a homemade equivalent) in the can if you live in a humid climate. This will dry the air that is sealed inside the can.
Some additional guidance:
DO NOT coat cartridges with oil or grease. This can cause a dangerous pressure condition if you forget to remove the lubricant before loading and firing a cartridge. As has been documented by the good folks at Box O’Truth, the oft-mentioned risk of “deadening primers of loaded cartridges” with oil or oil vapors has proven to be erroneous, with some recent scientific tests. BTW, I must admit that I was guilty of spreading this dezinformatsaya myself, until reading the test details.
Plastic wrapping the boxes has little utility, that is unless your expect the ammo’s cardboard boxes to become collector’s items in a few decades. (Wrapping the boxes will keep them looking pristine.)
Just be sure to keep your ammo cans in a fairly dry place, so that the exteriors don’t rust. (For this, salty water is the worst offender.) If left in puddles, ammo cans will eventually rust through, given enough time. In a humid coastal (high salt) climate, it might just take a scratch through a can’s paint bring its eventual ruin.