Hello Mr. Rawles,
I just read your recent post on investing in full capacity magazines and was motivated to place several large mag orders. I already had at least 150 rifle mags, so I have quite a few mags around. I recently have been trying to get my preparedness storage organized so that items can be stored for long periods without being damaged. As part of this I have been vacuum sealing mags in my Tilia Food Saver with an oxygen absorber thrown in for good measure. These will then be stored in bins in my clean, dry attic. (I live in the Midwest – extreme hot & cold temperatures). Many of my AK mags are polymer, the steel mags I have given a coat of Break Free Collector before sealing. The AR mags are of course either aluminum or the new Magpul polymer mags.
Do you think this is a good idea, or is there a better way? What is your recommendation for long term mag storage? My indoor climate controlled space is at a premium for food and ammo storage, so I would love to be able to keep these in the garage or attic if possible.
By the way, your book “Patriots” was instrumental in my starting my prepping journey, six years ago. Your Brother in Christ – EWG
JWR Replies: Proper magazine storage depends a lot on your climate. If you live in a humid climate and you want to store your spare magazines in a garage or attic, then you should first heavily oil any steel magazines and store them in sealed ammo cans. Be sure to also include a large packet of silica gel desiccant in each storage can. In the less humid western states, just a light coat of oil will generally suffice. My favorite airtight containers for storing bulky but fairly lightweight items such as magazines are USGI 20mm ammo cans, which are available at most gun shows and surplus stores. They are also fairly inexpensive via mail order, but typically by the time you’ve paid for shipping, your cost will double.