I inherited a bunch of ammo from 1967. It was stored in an unfinished attic that was over 100 degrees in the summer and below 0 in the winter. No storage cans, just the cardboard boxes.Took a sample of each caliber to the range and believe it or not, it was flawless.

In a SHTF scenario, never give an enemy ammunition. Store ammo in metal USGI ammo cans not plastic. Use Desiccant packs and oxygen absorbers to void the box of moisture. Once sealed, don't open the can unless necessary. Store on a shelf in a cool dry area. Ammunition can last longer than 50 years, when stored properly, and be just as good as just manufactured

I have for years bought my .22LRs in large packs and broke them up in lots of 50s then Vacuum sealed them in a normal kitchen vacuum sealer.When I got hunting I just throw a couple of them in my pocket. They should never get damp and I never open but one at a time. They stay shiny and new and never a misfire. Works for me ! Easy,simple and inexpensive.

Nice to see Canucks running and gunning with ARs too. Now you guys just need some 30 rd mags...

Ammo can, good rubber seal, dessicant packs. I have been told cat litter in a sock is gold.

When I went shooting with my friend, last November, the bullets we had had been in storage since 1969. They still worked 100%! :)

A pal inherited his dad's ww2 colt .45 that was in an oily rag with a full mag. He had the range owner clean and inspect it, bought a box of .45 ball and with the whole range watching , he emptyed that mag that was sitting for 60 years. He put it right back in the same rag for his son, hopefully for another 60.

I have used large street coloring chalk in several of my military amo cans for moisture prevention. Please make sure you ask your kid before using a new piece of their chalk ll!!

I fired pre-WWII 9mm and it worked perfectly. You could chew the clouds of smoke that came out of the gun it was so thick, but it worked the way it was intended.

White rice makes a great, cheap, and reusable desiccant, I've used this method with my firearms, ammo, and reloading materials for over 25 years.

Rod I just came across this video...been a ccfr member for a year or so now and never knew this channel, that opening video, you are a badass 👏🙌

If the M-2-a1 type ammo cans are used you can remove the lid. Commonly called 50-cal cans. Just open the lid completely and notice the hinges. They are split in two. Move the lid towards the hinge that is connected to the lid using an up & down motion. When you remove the lid you can see how it works. Removing the lid keeps the main part of the can from tipping over while loading the can.

Always glad to see your videos. Thanks for sharing!

Living in Victoria (damp air over fall and winter) I use new silica gel packets in my ammo locker/safe , but the thing with them is to change them out regularly to make sure they do their job. Also, the reusable ones (heat them in stove) are best option for expense.

you definitely can re-use the silica packs that came with a pair of shoes or in electronics, etc. You just have to do it right (and it isn't too tough). I save mine up, and when i have a decent size stash, I cut the tops off with scissors. If they are white/clear/pink/orange gel like BB's, I keep them. If they are powdery texture or clay, those get trashed. Now that you have some material to "recharge", here is the next step. Buy a SMALL amount of indicating gel on amazon that turns from blue to pink as it is used up. Leave it out and let it turn pink so you know it has been used up. Put that on a piece of tin foil (bend the edges up so it doesn't roll around) on a baking sheet. Next, pour the scavenged silica onto the rest of the cookie sheet. Bake for 2 hours, or until you gel you bought turns back to blue. Now you know the rest of the white gel is good to go. Store it in an air tight container until use (like a mason jar). When I want to use mine, I pour it into an altoid tin and tape it shut so i can easily move it around in the ammo can. I hope this helps you guys!

excellent advice! I feel for my fellow shooters in Canada with your absurd restrictions. Never the less keep on! Never give up!

I found your channel through looking for ideas on storing ammo.... i've been using mylar bags with oxygen absorbers.... great videos!

Have a pallet of Chinese made 7.62x39 packed in double 550 round sardine cans in "1964", bought 20 yrs ago, and still opening one on occasion, and still looks, smells, and functions like new, 52 yrs later. Best bulk purchase I ever made

I don't know what planet you guys are from but a few years ago I was running a range ex at CFB Borden and some of our Ameican counterparts from Niagra Air Force Base were there. They wanted to try out our C7 and C8 rifles, I obviously let them, they did a Timmies run for all of us afterwards. Life is alot simpler when we all get along, drink coffee and respect family.

Sir you are an amazing individual , who has earned my respect and my gratitude thank you and your team so much for all your hard work ..

A well done video (subbed) and I have several thoughts on all of this. (and I apologize in advance for the long post) 1st off, there is no doubt that storing your ammo in decent conditions will only help prolong it. That being said, I also think people are putting waaaaaay to much thought into this. I (still) have ammo from the 70's that has been stored in nothing more than the box it came in. Been through 4 moves, stored in garages, basements, heat/cold, etc. Shoots fine, all goes bang. I know of guys from some of the forums that have shot 30-06 ammo from 1918 in the Garand (not a single FTF). It is my belief that ammo stored "decently" (and by "decently" I mean you don't live in a dank cave with an ocean view) will not only last your lifetime, but probably your grandchildren's also. If your into prepping and want to bury that stuff, or are obsessed with long term storage, then do what the preppers do, Mylar bags inside of a watertight container. Toss in one of those hand warmer packs before you suck out as much air as possible and seal it. The heat packs are cheep and will eat all of the oxygen and then extinguish itself. If your looking to use a desiccant type of stuff, I have found some great deals at Harbor Freight (it seems to be a hit & miss thing so keep trying) for around $5 for a nice size box of color changing silica gel and can highly recommend it (used it as part of an air dryer on expensive telescope lens/filter wheel) It will change from pink to blue as it absorbs moisture so you know when to stick it back in the oven and refresh it. Pour it in a cool whip container with holes in the lid and toss it in your safe, ammo locker, ect.

pretty happy to see the gallon of DampRid at the begginin,cuz it rock !! For the hunting cabine we was using a ''Saltier''you know a resto table salt dispenser , and full it once a year with DampRid powder and put it back on the gun vault shelf

In my opinion it's a bad idea to use ammo as a barter item. You give someone your bullets they know you have more and now have the tools to rob you

I have also fired pre WW2 303 and 9mm stuff my father had from his time in the Home Guard. It worked just fine. It's hadn't been particularly well stored was in a dresser drawer in a typical farm house. I have heard of ammo being stored inside ammo boxes with oven dried sawdust as the moisture absorbing medium. But that was a storage solution from the 1940's before you had moisture absorbing jell packs. I like the idea of vacuum sealed packs those then sealed in an ammo tin seems pretty fool proof.

Glad to see a Canadian firearms channel. Most channels on youtube are US so thanks for the video. I am actually gonna be starting a channel about my experiences with firearms and shooting. I recently acquired my restricted firearms license.

I concur about the barter idea. I just run mine in .30 cal ammo cans. Bag 1,000 rounds, throw in 6 dessicant packs, and hope you never need that many.

Cardboard layers in the ammo can is a good idea. Ammo is packed in cardboard sleeves when you open a fresh military can.."remember" !!!

Great info !!... I do almost the same thing for my ammunition with the RV Crystals, but I use the actual 'RV Catch-can' so the water captured doesn't shorten the crystal lifespan prematurely. (Crystals on the top rack, water collected & falls into the can below it) Store the Catch-can and ammunition in a large sealing rubbermade and it'll speed up the process for you. **Always amazed at how much moisture it pulls out of the air and collects! Peace!

Back in 2011 on active duty out at fort Bliss I cracked open a box of .50 cal ammo out on a range, shooting the M-107 Barrett, and it had a little slip of paper inside the ammo can that said Department of the Navy and was dated 1943. Shot just fine

I occasionally throw moisture absorbing packets in my ammo cans and change them when they change color (used up). It’s a good tip to throw them out after used.

I find the plug in rechargeable dehumidifiers are pretty good options. I've got one in each of my safe's and cabinets. A simple 12 hour recharge every month or so, and they are good for about 10 years or so. Something to keep in mind, when you store your firearms properly oiled and lubricated, these dehumidifying solutions seem to wear out faster.

The biggest detriment to ammo is corrosion caused by oxidation. A desiccant and oxygen pack in a sealed can will store ammo longer than anyone's life span. One can get "MIMI LITTER" at Walmart (pet section) which is desiccant and some glove warmer heat packs (sports section) which are oxygen absorbers. Vacuum sealer machines are great but I would still use a moisture and oxygen packet in each vac sealed pack. Use metal military or military style ammo cans ONLY. Plastic boxes are OK for transport to the range but plastic cans always fail at the seal. the weight of contents deforms the lid when lifted breaking the seal.

As I watch your video, I am waiting for the delivery, of 1200 Czech S&B 7.62 x 39 rounds , made in the 90's, to shoot in my VZ 58.........great information, you have provided here. Puts my mind, to rest ,wondering what to expect. Now I know.....

Where you live makes a huge difference in how your ammo will degrade over time. The climate in the part of the U.S. I live in is fairly dry, and warm...not much of a winter. I found a box of Federal bulk .22LR in my garage, at the back of a shelf that was 30 years old. All 500 rds. fired perfectly...but with that said, I still store ammo with desiccant packs in .50 cal. metal mil-surp cans. Silica gel Kitty Litter in cheese cloth works great, and can be dried once a year to be safe by tossing them in the dryer on high heat for a cycle...or two.

what I do and I think it's pretty much common sense, instead of trying to dehumidify the room before storing the box close, I grab my hair blow dryer and blow the inside of the box and move the ammo around until it feels like it's dry free of humid, then close it up for storage. Also have a sock inside with baking soda which is known to retain humid.

I found a tin tackle box full of ammo, mostly 12ga paper shells, in my grandpas boat house. Right by the lake and he's been dead for 20 years. These rounds are at least 30-40 years old. After sanding rust off of the brass head, they all fired just fine. I still store in cans with desiccant, but I think ammo is quite resistant already.

I like the quality of this video

I have 7.62X51 Hiertenberger from 1976-1979, its almost vacuum packed and is neck and primer sealed and it still fires great! I pack up and store my ammo in ammo cans in the winter when the air is driest. I buy all sizes of ammo cans and buy defiant 8 oz desicant dry packs for $1 each and put the ammo in the can with a desicant pack so its sealed and any moisture getting in Will not harm the ammo. All the ammo in my GO-SHKIT is vacuum sealed with a food sealer i bought.IMI makes AMAZING 5.56 ammo sealed for long term storage, Wolf 7.62X39 is poly and lacquer sealed, I have Yugoslavian AK ammo sealed in metal cases in wood crates from the 60's & 70's cold war era, awesome storage ammo but its corrosive and drying up. There's other 7.62X39 surplus ammo NOT corrosive that is stored the same way, gotta hunt for it. Search online and do not pay more than $1.50 for a 6" by 3" dedicate pack.

Years ago when Canadian's were allowed to have fun we had 30 round banana magazines and 75 round drum magazines, I bought bulk ammo. I loaded up some of the metal ammo boxes and 30 plugs years later I go shooting with my boys and shoot without a single miss fire. Yes ... 75 round drum mags were a lot of fun!

Still.....a great video sir. Thank you.

Great tips!

Sealing the primer with the proper material(look it up) will DO WONDERS!!! Most military ammo is sealed both on the primer pocket and bullet. If the ammo is set right then sealing the bullet is unnecessary. But do seal the primer!! I use MARKRON!!! Also, put the ammo in a sealed ammo can, and dump a bag of rice on top!!!!

Very helpful information.

bailout box idea was great thank you very much great video

They also make a good small faraday cage.Use the biggest one you have and take the rubber seal off and run the liner with aluminium foil or some other premaid seal that u can find online cheap.Then when an EMP hits your gear is good.30MM mortar cans are the best size for this.C.B. radios and other communication devices as well as solar panels can be stored safely as well.

1 bullet, if used correctly, can get you coffee and food.

Just for kicks weigh it before and after you recharge it to find out how much water it had.

You can vacuum seal in your ammo cans by adding a few oxygen absorbing packets they can be found at stores that carry canning stuff. Been using them for years.

Great video!! Thanks

When I was in the cadets back in the early 1980's we were shooting ammo produced back in WW1.

Good presentation. Excellent port-rail of storage cans. Any military ammo can will work however the larger the can the heavier it becomes. As an instructor I never advocate using ammo as barter. Once you barter away most of your ammo, you have depleted your best defense. I make packets from wife's worn nylons and fill them with MINI LITTER cat litter from Walmart (pet section) and small hand warmers (palm size) from sporting goods section of most any store. (once the can is closed, the warmer starts to work and when all the O2 is used up the warmer packet stops oxidizing.

I have thousands of rounds of ammo- 6.5CM, 308 W, 308 Marlin, 30-30, 223/5.56, 12G/20G ( for all my rifles) and still reloading to my stock, told my wife that if anything happens to me nothing is to leave our house and that she had everything she needed to stay alive. Be my luck, done everything needed to survive and I'll be the one stuck away from home.....@ work. Stay alive people :)

Ain't nothing you could ever have that'd make me trade ammo for it. It's crazy to give somebody something they can use to attack you, especially 'at distance'.

I use ammo from 1905 in my Swedish Mauser M/96 6,5 mm from year 1899 (torpedoobullet, brasscase from Eskilstuns Gevärsfaktori) works 9 of 10. Sometime the brasscase cracks in the camber because the brass is old but the bullet hits its target anyway

i have my ammo in my gun cabinet with a damp trap from dollarama in it to absorb the moisture. also have one in the part with my guns and it actually does absorb the water!

Awesome video

I found some old shells in my great grandmothers house and I’m guessing this ammo was used in the civil war about 200 years ago. I used it and it worked just like new!!!

I don't have a lot of money to buy ammo boxes, so I wrap my ammo boxes (50 round boxes) with cellophane (saran wrap) to prevent air/moisture corrosion . I secretly have too much for the state of Florida. We have anti-hording laws here, AND the state is afraid of us preppers. . . and don't want us too prepared. I do the same with my reloading supplies. (hehehe hahaha).

I'm not sure I would barter with ammo. Bail out boxes, I like that idea. Good video.

Had some ammo 40 cal ammo for nearly 19 years. All good to go👍🏼

A decent water resistance test of your ammo can is submerging under the water surface for about a day or two test. Load the box with some weight and submerge it completely. Then turn that box upside down and right side and left side up several times, while being submerged. Leave the box under water for several days. Then see what the result in terms of waterproofing and rust resistance. All other tests are compromise.

Toss in deciscent packages they absorb and hold moisture,you find small little of bags of the buggers in most electronic equipment while in shipment.or kitty litter in a sock, and just wanted to add thankyou for sharing your knowledge base, theirs room in my fox hole for true Americans like you!!!

I have a whole house dehumidifier seems to work great.

I work on tugboats and I was taught not to use petroleum products on rubber seals because it will Damage the seals over time and can even make them expand so , I’ll back ya up on that .

Gold & silver make more sense to buy that cup of coffee. Very helpful information about proper storage of ammunition.

my grand pa had ammo from second world war. In mid 80's i was a little kid. i never seen any miss or problems with it.and he kept it in in a cloth bag and bag in a tin. but he would clean them in a rag before use ,Thats it.

Another concept for making vacuum packed ammo packages is to put one combat load in each vacuum package. A combat load is 6 magazines. Each magazine holds 30 rounds. 6 x 30 = 180. Just put 180 rounds in a package so each package is one combat load. Here's how it works. Each soldier has two ammo pouches. Two mag pouches is the typical American equipment make-up. Each pouch holds three magazines. Add the magazine that's in the rifle and the first combat load is seven magazines, or, 210 rounds to start. All additional combat loads would be put into the pouches so all other combat loads are six magazines, or 180 rounds. So you can make some 30 round packages and a lot of 180 round packages. During an emergency you can easily know how much ammo you have at a quick notice. Itcs easy to have an idea of ammo supply to meet whatever your needs might be. All to determine if your supply can meet a demand.

when i was in the British army cadets they really couldnt be bothered giving us good ammo, we were young not going to get shot at and rarely used lived rounds, we shot surplus ammo they had stored away and one of the boxes i received on exercise was over 50 years old. functioned identically to any other round i shot. mind you the sa80 varient we used was still a piece of shit gun and jammed regardless.

I keep my silica gel packets, they work great in tackle boxes, keeps hooks from rusting. Just need to change them out every now and then

I use ammo containers with a cloth draw-string bag filled with rechargeable desiccant that changes color with moisture absorption.

great video, however I have a few of the ammo cans and one thing I would like to mention is that they are not one hundred percent air tight they will leak air in them especially in travel I thought was that to took extra caution but when I opened the can after a year moved from one elevation to a higher one year later ammo was totally ruined and if you have seen what moisture does to ammunition you know what I mean.

Moisture and oxygen will degrade ammunition over long term storage. One can make desiccant packs using "mimi litter" from Walmart (cat litter silicon jell crystals) and old socks or nylon stockings. Two table spoons per 50 cal ammo can. Sportsman's glove warmer packs (1 per 50 cal ammo can) will eat up what oxygen is in the can when closed and sealed.

I have ammo that I reloaded in the late eighties and early nineties that shoots fine. I keep it 50 cal and 30 cal cans in a temp controlled basement room with a dehumidifier. i keep the damp-rid in my gun safes.

Ammunition last longer than 50 years if kept in a cool dry place.

Good video .

I heard a comment by a KZfaqr who said you don't need more than you can carry that's gun too. Of it doesn't hurt to have lots if you bug in.

I store ammo in vacuum sealed in food grade mylar bags inside of food grade plastic buckets with runner O-Ring tops. It ensures the ammo stays dry no matter what the same way long term storage food is. Super cheap, the buckets I het them at Lowe's and the mylar bags I het from Amazon.

You can get water collecters at the $ Store in the area of house wares.

i found that i had a box of unprotected cheap norinco 7.62x39 in my south fl attic for over 25 years and they all fired fine when i shot them

Industrial vacuum packers are very large and very expensive and often need repair work and have uncommon parts. I would suggest a cheap foodsaver vacuum packer from Costco and just check them once in a while to see if they get blown .... ie. leaks.

Keep it dry and away from humidity at it will be good to go.

haha, outerbanks solar winds. Great guy.

I got a k98 from my Grandvather with 80 jear old ammo from second Word war And it warks well

I have used powder to reload rounds that was my granddads from the early 1950s People told me, That will never work throw that stuff away and it worked fine all the way down to the last grain of powder Later on a guy gave me three pounds of winchester 296 saying it was old but he was not sure how old and he did not want to use it for that reason Yes I will dispose of it for you it must be dangerous like people say :P Wow now I have enough winchester 296 powder for my 357 mag that will last me a lifetime now and what was funny was it is in the new plastic containers not the old tin ones like they had back in the 70s an 80s so it must be from the late 90s I think LOL I have loaded ammo I have had since 1994 and tested them recently to find they are just as accurate and powerful as they were when I loaded them 24 years ago and I never used any silica gel packs Just keep stuff in a cool dry place and you will be fine is what I tell people as that has worked for me my entire life

Regarding Vacuum Sealing... Please Note: the ammo is in a vacuum; no oxygen. The primer and powder need oxygen to fire. Depending on how well the bullet is sealed to the brass will determine the time for oxygen to reoxygenate the bullet. So vacuum sealing is ok but expect some time for bullets to re-oxygenate prior to use. (Saw somewhere and makes sense. Would make an interesting test\video. )

Primer is a mixture of different salts (salts by definition are a combination of a cation (a positively charged ion) and anion (negatively charged ion)). Thermodynamically, they are unstable, and hygroscopic, meaning they absorb water. In water, the ions interchange in a combination of ions that confer more stability, thereby rendering primers and gunpowder inert. Thus, I throw away the cardboard (paper is about 4-6% water) and vacuum seal just the bare bullets in 300 round packs for the 5.56 because I have 10 magazines in circulation. I also try to maintain their temperature. They stay in a closet. I do the same for my 9 mm (150 per pack). .308 and 7.62 x 39 as well, (300 per pack). Im just waiting on the Army 6.8 to be mass produced, price will go down, and bam, I have a long range round to start hoarding too. Im not a prepper, but I am now. Im a chemist. I just read that the Atlantic Ocean is dying. The bottom of the food chain, plankton, are 90% gone. Thats what krill feed on. Krill are eaten by little fish, bigger fish eat that, and so on, right up to us. 2 billion people starved out. Im just gonna hole up in my private land. I built a solar panel array, bought a fucking God ugly cybertruck, water catch and purification system, the works. Guess my family will be living off of hog meat and vitamins. Shits gonna be crazy boys.

Don’t sell or trade ammo. It’s likely to come back and bite you. Unless you really trust the person.

hi Rod, great video as always! i just got a couple of these metal milsurp ammo cans, but found out that they don't have any locking points as the plastic boxes do. how do you recommend locking them without having to put them in a gun safe? any ideas would be appreciated!

I use the modern plastic ammo type cans. They have the same type of open/close fastener . Do these work well too ? Thanks for the video rod. Good stuff.

If someone lives in say Arizona or Nevada where there is not really humidity. Do you think gel packs are really necessary?

I use vacume food saver bags in small batches.

I wouldn't worry to much about it too much .ammo in ammo cans or coffee cans in the garage is perfectly fine conditions for storage .

Some people vacuum seal ammo, which I imagine is one of the best if not the best way to store ammo as long as it is kept in a cool environment. I don't personally vacuum seal any of my ammo but I do keep it in a temperature and moisture controlled space. I do think vacuum sealing is a method to seriously consider though.

Nice video

OBX is for the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Not sure about the rest. Enjoyed the video and you trying to pronounce the name was funny

What do you do with the boxes the bullets come in? I've removed mine and placed them in zip lock bags. I also dropped in desiccant packs. Duh. Well, now I'm going to follow your instructions, dry and repack all my ammo. My primary handgun is a 45, and I can barely lift the can. CRAP! So I've been reconsidering going back to my 9mm.

I bought a 6.5 UK in1973 it was Italian arm rifle. He gave. Me 2 cardboard boxes of ammo that set on a self in his bedroom like a boxes of shot gun shells. They were packaged in the 30. Only had a few not. Fire right a way so you waited something's up 5 or 6 seconds. Not bad for for 40 year old ammo. The buiiet was stainless steel look like it was 4 inch Long .he said th hey would shoot the pins that held the tracks together on tanks and it would push them out and the track would come apart and come off the tank

Unless I we're a loader, I wouldn't barter my ammo. Even then, it would only be for brass, lead, powder & primers. It would also have to be a "secure" transaction. I had a like minded individual tell me once, you don't need guns if SHTF, if you have ammo, the guns will come. Yeah, I'm sure they would, and not in the peaceful way he was eluding.

Hey, another great video, just a couple comments. The silica gel packs all contain the same material,the difference would be the package that encloses it. I would think ALL silica packs could be recharged but be aware of the outer pouch material as far as melting in the oven. Better yet, go to Walmart and get a few kilos of silica gel kitty litter ..same stuff build your own containers and recharge at will. I would think anything over 100 deg C for an hour should do it. If you like damp rid, like in the video you should also be able to recharge it with heat , its also just calcium chloride, the pellets you put on an icy sidewalk to melt the ice,and the same calcium that is put on dusty roads to pull moisture out of the air,dissolve itself in this moisture (deliquescent) and keep the dust down. Just saying :)

i have some 30-06 from ww11 also some 8 mm Mauser made in turkey both still shoot just fine , keep it dry and cool it will last forever