Storage in ammo can - in boxes better than loose?

[wakproductions]

If I were to store 9mm in an ammo can, is it better to keep the ammo in the individual cardboard boxes? Is there any disadvantage to dumping the ammo out of the individual boxes to have them just loose inside the can?

 

[jagee]

My borderline OCD kinda freaks out when I don't know exactly how many rounds are there. I like the boxes because I can count by 50's easily.

That being said, I do have 1 ammo can full of loose stuff, and I use it to fill the boxes so i can count them.

 

[OHOIAN]

It is a lot easier to grab a box or two for a range trip if they are in boxes. I store mine in MTM type plastic boxes inside 20MM ammo cans.

 

[red_zr24x4]

Before i had very many 45Colt I would leave them in the box in the can. Now, I just dump them in the can as I reload them.

 

[Phase2]

Boxes, cans or boxes in cans all work. Boxes are more organized. Loose rounds in cans allow you to store more. Do whatever you want. Just keep them dry.

 

[t-squared]

I put them in cheapy ziplok style freezer bags a hundred rounds at a time and store the bags in ammo cans. Makes it easy to know how many I'm taking on that range trip and they take up zero room in the range bag once I've emptied them. I "label" each bag by dropping a post-it note in it with the load info.

 

[bobjones223]

I put them in cheapy ziplok style freezer bags a hundred rounds at a time and store the bags in ammo cans. Makes it easy to know how many I'm taking on that range trip and they take up zero room in the range bag once I've emptied them. I "label" each bag by dropping a post-it note in it with the load info.

+1 on this!

With that being said I did pick up a bunch of MTM plastic boxes off of here to store my ammo in. I will admit it was an impulse buy but I got a good deal on them so no worries on my end. What I found was once I got them all loaded up and put in ammo cans they took up two to three times as much room so keep that in mind when considering how you store them. You will need twice as much room and ammo cans if stored in boxes.

 

[Sling10mm]

Commercial stuff I keep in the boxes and store in ammo cans. Bulk reloads for plinking at the range I just dump in the can and keep a post-it note in with them to keep track of the quantity.

 

[Hawkeye7br]

Tupperware.

Air tight. I've seen steel challenge & USPSA shooters show up with this and I first thought it was just lazy. Then I realized it was time efficient.

 

[87iroc]

I have a ton of empty ammo boxes(MTM type) as I realized they wasted too much space in the can. I just load and dump in a 50 cal can for 9 mm. My 357 is like that...but most everything else is in boxes as I don't load that much of it.

 

[anvil]

I always think worst case scenario,,heat/ fire damage. NO plastic or paper. Separations with homemade metal dividers, bulk /loose filled. Further separations can be made with smaller metal tins, or stripper clip loads ( stripper clips will hold variety of ammo not made for it)

 

[MarkC]

Another suggestion, whether you use the can as a bulk container, or put factory boxes in it, or put the rounds in in Tupperware:

As I'm getting older and use more medications, I save the anti-moisture silica gel capsules from bottles of tablets. When I store rounds in sealed containers (.30 and .50 ammo cans, in my case) I drop five of them into the can to soak up moisture.

My personal preference is to use the factory boxes in the cans; I don't reload, and, like one of the comments above, my OCD likes it better when I can easily count the rounds.

 

[KittySlayer]

My personal preference is to use the factory boxes in the cans; I don't reload, and, like one of the comments above, my OCD likes it better when I can easily count the rounds.

Same criteria for me.

Another benefit of factory boxes would be if you need to sell some Ammo for quick cash factory boxes may bring more cash for the perceived value.