Ammo storage

[Aggar]

Looking at a different idea for ammo storage as we are doing some renovations. I currently have a lockable metal cabinet that can’t hold the weight. Has anyone built their own storage cabinet? I found this online and thought of doing something similar but totally enclosed and lockable. Any ideas and input would be appreciated.

 

[Magyars]

A buddy made one for his ammo cans out of 2xs, not sue if they are 2x8 or 2x10.
Seems sturdy enough to hold all of his...3 levels.

 

[Aszerigan]

I have an entire wall in my garage framed in 2x3's and 3/16" ply. Seven shelves, each holds 20 ammo cans with whole cases on the top shelf. Center support on the outside. Been up for years, no sagging at all. It was cheap to build - the ammo cans were the most expensive part.

 

[Aggar]

A buddy made one for his ammo cans out of 2xs, not sue if they are 2x8 or 2x10.
Seems sturdy enough to hold all of his...3 levels.

I’m thinking like the pic above but make it 2 ammo cans deep and 2 wide and have a shelf in there for other items.

 

[firecadet613]

I have an entire wall in my garage framed in 2x3's and 3/16" ply. Seven shelves, each holds 20 ammo cans with whole cases on the top shelf. Center support on the outside. Been up for years, no sagging at all. It was cheap to build - the ammo cans were the most expensive part.

Is your garage heated and cooled or just an attached garage, insulated and getting some benefit from the house?

I'm thinking of doing the same, but my insulated and attached garage probably goes from 40° to 80° depending on the season.

 

[Aszerigan]

Is your garage heated and cooled or just an attached garage, insulated and getting some benefit from the house?

I'm thinking of doing the same, but my insulated and attached garage probably goes from 40° to 80° depending on the season.

Its a detached garage, and isn't insulated that well. On a concrete slab, never really gets below 40 for very long. Also, I don't worry too much about long term storage. Every can has desiccant in it, so temps don't bother me too much.

I know people that store Reagan-era ammo in a Conex box in the middle of a field. No issues there either.

 

[arty8]

I store my ammo like the army, in a steel ammo can, with some dessicant, and since I'm crazy, I tape a humidity indicator card to the inside top.

Humidity is what kills ammo, not temperature.

 

[Lilboog82]

question about ammo storage. I watched a YouTube clip about a gun safe that went thru a house fire and the safe had both firearms and ammo inside.

should you or shouldn't you store ammo(any amount) in the same safe as you store your guns? say you can only afford one safe at the moment, should you store any ammo/powder in it at all?

I would be worried about the powder cooking off inside the safe and creating an oven, say if there ever was a fire around the safe. the safes are somewhat fire/heat resistant but that wouldn't really matter if it starts out inside the safe.

then on the other hand I would want the ammo/powder to be safe and secure. I wouldn't want thieves to just be able to walk in and just walk out with ammo cans in hand with no trouble at all. I mean the cost of ammo nowadays I would want some kind of protection other than a ammo can.

just a thought when watching that YouTube clip and was wondering what the good people of indygo have to say about it.

 

[Creedmoor]

What would be the reason to store ammunition in a safe/vault?

 

[Creedmoor]

question about ammo storage. I watched a YouTube clip about a gun safe that went thru a house fire and the safe had both firearms and ammo inside.

should you or shouldn't you store ammo(any amount) in the same safe as you store your guns? say you can only afford one safe at the moment, should you store any ammo/powder in it at all?

I would be worried about the powder cooking off inside the safe and creating an oven, say if there ever was a fire around the safe. the safes are somewhat fire/heat resistant but that wouldn't really matter if it starts out inside the safe.

then on the other hand I would want the ammo/powder to be safe and secure. I wouldn't want thieves to just be able to walk in and just walk out with ammo cans in hand with no trouble at all. I mean the cost of ammo nowadays I would want some kind of protection other than a ammo can.

just a thought when watching that YouTube clip and was wondering what the good people of indygo have to say about it.

I know two people that have had home fires and both had safes on the first floor. Both safes ended up in the basements with the homes being a total loss. Both stored ammo with there firearms.
One friends safe had a few MG's in it and after sitting in a few feet of red hot coals for XX amount of hours and then more than a few days sitting in a few feet of water just about everything in those safes was worthless.
The end result learning to me was, no ammo stored in safes/vaults and install safes in a garage
so if it does catch on fire, the water will run out the garage doors.
I suggest you use good ammo cans on good shelving in the garage, yard barn or a conex.

 

[firecadet613]

I know two people that have had home fires and both had safes on the first floor. Both safes ended up in the basements with the homes being a total loss. Both stored ammo with there firearms.
One friends safe had a few MG's in it and after sitting in a few feet of red hot coals for XX amount of hours and then more than a few days sitting in a few feet of water just about everything in those safes was worthless.
The end result learning to me was, no ammo stored in safes/vaults and install safes in a garage
so if it does catch on fire, the water will run out the garage doors.
I suggest you use good ammo cans on good shelving in the garage, yard barn or a conex.

As much as folks are worried about theft, being on a slab of concrete may not be that bad after all.

And @Lilboog82 if all you're ammo can fit in a safe.... you don't have enough!

 

[Gingerbeardman]

2x4s on edge with 5/8 plywood on top, one can deep, would hold forever. Probably even two cans deep. Might bolt to the wall just for tipover safety. You could get a local welder to fab some extruded metal doors for the front to fancy it up and add a lock if desired.

 

[Creedmoor]

As much as folks are worried about theft, being on a slab of concrete may not be that bad after all.

And @Lilboog82 if all you're ammo can fit in a safe.... you don't have enough!

The nice part of concrete is you can easily quick bolt it to the floor. I would also suggest it goes in a corner of that room so it sits in a corner that the opening side of the safe is next to a wall and the back of the safe is against the other wall.
Seems its pretty easy to flip a safe on the floor and pry open the outside sheet of steel on the door front of so many safes on the market. Its tough to flip a safe over if its quick bolted to the floor. My

 

[Mij]

The nice part of concrete is you can easily quick bolt it to the floor. I would also suggest it goes in a corner of that room so it sits in a corner that the opening side of the safe is next to a wall and the back of the safe is against the other wall.
Seems its pretty easy to flip a safe on the floor and pry open the outside sheet of steel on the door front of so many safes on the market. Its tough to flip a safe over if its quick bolted to the floor. My

Yep, no where to get a pry bar in there. A true safe isn’t real easy to tip. It can be done, but will take a couple or more guys. And they are very expensive. Low center of gravity. But the gun cabinets the big box stores call safes certainly are. High center of gravity. Can be tipped relatively easy. Bolt it to the floor, concrete or wood. I know this has nothing to do with ammo storage but the thread has moved over a bit. Luck.

 

[Creedmoor]

Yep, no where to get a pry bar in there. A true safe isn’t real easy to tip. It can be done, but will take a couple or more guys. And they are very expensive. Low center of gravity. But the gun cabinets the big box stores call safes certainly are. High center of gravity. Can be tipped relatively easy. Bolt it to the floor, concrete or wood. I know this has nothing to do with ammo storage but the thread has moved over a bit. Luck.

Ever see what a man with a bit of education along with a Johnson Bar and a locomotive jack can do?

 

[Mij]

Ever see what a man with a bit of education along with a Johnson Bar and a locomotive jack can do?

Well…..yes I have. Either one of those are a force multiplier. But still I do understand what you’re saying.