Remember this post? That was where I picked up these:
Well that was about three years ago and, dang it, I need more…fortunately this guy still has a few hundred left and I picked up another 25:
Do a Facebook Marketplace search for AMMO CANS in Missoula and you should find ’em.
What am I using them for? Well, over the last few years I’ve been stocking up on magazines. I’ve got sealed cardboard cases here of Magpul P-mags and those cardboard boxes dont last forever, don’t stack well, and are subject to damage. I transfer the mags to the ammo cans, stencil a number on the side, slap a hangtag on them, update the spreadsheet, and set ’em down for the Deep Sleep.
Given that it’s an election year, I’ll probably pick up another case of Pmags and some AK mags. And…they need a nice place to spend the next decade, so there we go.
Oh…and I got in on a group purchase with some local LMI to the tune of 30,000 rounds of CCI 9mm ball ammo. Came out to $0.22 ea, shipping included, so I’ll tuck my share of that away in one of these also.
Well done. Providing a proper and secure repository for your merchandise goods will go a long way towards keeping that product and it’s retail wrap packaging in good shape for future sales appearances. Everyone passes on the dented cans if there is another “better looking” product available. Should you have to man the tables and open up a merchantile business at a gun show, or out of the back of a white van, you will have well cared for, presentable merchandise for sale/ barter. Lay in a supply of those little adhesive price stickers, and tied hanging tags for guns, etc, along with any other business stationary or supplies. If you should desire to activate as a shop or merchant in any manner you will be equipped and set up to conduct business. The smithsonian curators and archeological digging researchers will thank you for preserving well all of those items from America’s retarded episodes of past history. Stay frosty under optimal storage conditions.
The PA108 (“fat .50”) cans are nice for storing AR magazines and pistol magazines. Thirty 30 round US GI mags will fit perfectly, with enough room to toss in a few desiccant packets.
They’re usually reasonably priced as well, especially if you’re anywhere near a military training post as they’re the standard packing container for M27-linked 5.56mm.
Ammo cans are definitely the way to go for storing both ammo and critical weapons parts like magazines, spare parts and special tools. A friend had a fire in his attic a few years back that resulted in no fire damage to his gear that was stored in the basement, but lots of water damage and water-related damage due to cheap particle board shelving collapsing when it got wet.
We ended up having to disassemble and clean rust from magazine springs and bodies, repackage many supplies, toss some stuff and break down some ammo to salvage the cases and projectiles as that ammo had been thoroughly soaked and was not sealed.
After that he started taking the idea of ‘secure storage’ a lot more seriously. Ammo cans for everything that can be fit in an ammo can, dunnage (pallets or cinder-block-and-board shelves) under everything, a basement water alarm, more smoke detectors and fire extinguishers through the house…
I think I’ll be filling another PA108 or two with D&H magazines before November, and one with G17 magazines too. Just in case.
Ammocanman.com has some really nice ammo cans of any flavor with free shipping.
I wish I woulda saw this post earlier, Harbor Frieght had a coupon for 1/2 off their ammo cans today..
Have noticed the HF cans made a exponential leap in quality. Now they are the go to value alternative for noncritical storage. Remember the cans are not designed to be stacked in storage as gasket compresses and can fail. Store in either supplied crates or shelved for deep sleep. The tall cans Proximity Fuses came in were perfect and I should have taken every one I could lay hands on
to reinforce CZ’s suspender and belt philosophy, we put in a pack or two of desiccant in each can because when SHTF it’s not always going to be dry and sunny.
There is usually a guy selling really clean USGI cans of all sizes at the Post Falls, ID gun show. Cheap, too. I think $5 each. I haven’t been to the show this year. It happens every other month, IIRC. He is back by the bathrooms. Has a lot of interesting GI surplus stuff. I got a new-in-case set of Knight’s rail covers for $2 last year.
My ammo is in a combo of USGI and MTM cans. I’m old, steel is heavy. My mags are in the tote bins you get at CostCo. The US made ones with the yellow lid. Sturdy and stackable. My field gear is in them as well. Duct tape labels work for me.