What constitutes 'stockpiling' of ammo?

C

Capt_Vin

New member
This morning, just like I do twice a week, I went down to my club's rifle range to as we call it, 'scrap the brass barrel' for any .223 brass I can grab and use for reloading. Usually, I get anywhere from 100-150+ empty brass casings. Today, I happen to 'strike gold', the range was being used by a couple of area LE agencies for their yearly rifle qualifications and it was .223 and 6.8 brass galore. I think I got in excess of 800 today!!!!!!

Anyway, I tried to stay out of their way while I picked the brass I wanted out of the barrel (shooters toss all sizes plus shotgun shells in the 25 gal. plastic drum) when one of the cops came over and asked what I was doing with all the brass. I told him I collect it and reload it cuz it is cheaper than buying it new and this way, I can customize my loads. We started talking and he told me he is a die-hard deer hunter and recently started to reload himself. So, we chatted about the 'sport' (reloading) for a few, then he asked me how many rounds I usually have on hand at home and I gave him a quick run-down of my cache of ammo. He looked shocked when he heard and jokingly said "What are ya waiting for, world war 3?" And I told him that shooting is my families 'sport' and we usually burn thru alot of ammo on any given saturday or whatever day we come to the club. Well, he told me that he keeps about 500 or so rounds on hand at home, but then he told me, for what it is worth, not that he cared cuz everyone he knows that reloads does it, but there is a little known federal law that prohibits 'stockpiling' live ammunition in the home. I asked him what the law defines 'stockpiling' as and he said anything over 550 rounds. I was like "wow".
So, I came home and after putting the brass in my workshop, I hit the 'net to look up this law but couldn't find anything. The only thing close I could find was some dumb law here in NY that says a person can not legally own more than 20 guns (any combo of rifles or handguns) registered to them or stored in their house at any one time.
My question: Is there any state or federal laws that dictate or regulate how much ammo you can legally have?
 
550 rounds?

I highly doubt it.

There was a news story about a year ago in California... some guy had about half a million rounds of 7.62x39 stocked up in his garage, and his house caught on fire. The fire department wouldn't put out the blaze as a result of the massed ammo.

No charges against him for "stockpiling" though, and that's in California.

I tend to have between 5 and 10K centerfire rounds at any given time, and another 2-5K rimfire rounds as well. My rule, is "enough to shoot one particular gun all weekend."
 
While I certainly appreciate jokes about WWIII, I think it is no ones business to how much ammo I have in my home.

Even the worst mass murderers only get to use a few hundred rounds before it's all over, so what's the point of a 550 limit?

I think I have a right to 'stockpile' ammo. While the liberals (including media) will paint me as some kind of psycho, if and when there is a major emergency, I WILL be prepared to defend my life and that of my family. They won't.

I was watching 'Cops' once and they were inside some guys house who had stopped a home invader with his gun. The cops held the guy's gun up to the camera (it was tactical-looking semi-auto pistol with a laser and flashlight). The cop held it up and said, "Who needs something like this?"

I almost jumped up and said WTF!? Number one, the guy DEFENDED HIS HOME (and himself) from a home invader. Number two, the cops got there 5 minutes later (not their 'fault', just reality). If he didn't have that apparently 'too-tactical' pistol, the cops would have been taping off the murder scene of the poor homeowner! Would they have felt better if he used a .22 instead?

Give me a full-size combat handgun (or any that does the job!) any day. If I'm alive to hear the cop complain about it, that's all that matters.
 
There is a law that states you can't have more than 20 firearms in a house in NY? :eek::eek::eek:

Link please.....

The ammo stockpiling rumor is bunk- pure bunk in most places. There are a few ordinances about the quantity of powder that you can posess but that's about it.
 
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I'm going to assume that he's full of it. If he weren't how would you be able to buy a 1000rds at a whack. A very wise judge once told me that he's shocked at how many people he'd seen ticked for offenses that only existed in the imagination of the officer. But he's not the only one with issues. Nobody should be babbling about how much of this or that they have in their home. Not a good move. What if there had been a local ordnance that you weren't aware of? You would have just given officer friendly the PC to get a warrant to search your home and you could bet that they would have taken every firearm you own and left you to sue to get them back. I'm as pro LEO as the next guy on here but next time it's name rank and serial number only!
 
Not sure if this helps but a few links:
http://www.bradycampaign.org/media/release.php?release=985

More realted:
considered hazardous material?

From this site: (not sure where he gets his numbers and info) http://www.survivalblog.com/2006/09/stockpile_fire_safety_consider.html

Smokeless Powder:
At present, few local and state governments set limits on storage of small arms ammunition, or reloading components (Shell casings and projectiles are not counted, just powder and primers). However, the federal government through the NFPA has set limits.
Transportation in private vehicle: 20lbs – 50lbs in a magazine with walls of 1” thickness
Storage in private residence: 20lbs – 50lbs in a magazine with walls of 1” thickness
The NFPA does not seem to have any limits on the quantities of primers stored or transported; however, certain states do impose limits such as Massachusetts, where it is illegal to posses more than 1000 primers without a license. However, the license is reasonably priced.
Other states impose possession limits on small arms ammunition; the most draconian was again Massachusetts, with a limit of 10,000 rounds of rim fire ammunition, 10,000 rounds of center fire, and 5,000 rounds of shotgun ammunition. While neither a federal, nor a preponderance of state regulations could be found. It should be expected that quantities exceeding these will likely garner significant attention from authorities. You should check your local laws regarding this matter.
 
I think it is a media creature, if you made the news for some reason, your two bricks of .22 ammo would be a 1000 round stockpile of ammunition. Thousand rounds? heck! says goofy goober, is he gonna fight world war 3? A stockpile is a designation that is applicable to a situation, not a quantity, IMO. You store ammo in any quantity in one place, then it is your "stockpile" where you go to get ammo. Big deal. I was aware of restrictions on storage of black powder, considered an explosive. Smokeless is a flammable substance, only perhaps explosive in tightly confined spaces where the gas pressure can build up. I guess if they can regulate gasoline or kerosene storage they can regulate that too, but for safety in fires, nothing to do with your ability to use it for what it is intended for, right?
 
I hit the 'net to look up this law but couldn't find anything.
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Probly 'cause no such federal law exists.

As mentioned, there is a limit on black powder (over 50? lbs, you need to have an approved magazine, at the minimum, maybe an explosives storage permit/license, I forget the details, as I have no use for that much BP, so...)

Local laws on guns, ammo, and what constitutes "hazardous materials", and the limits on those do vary, and do exist in some places.
 
What constitutes 'stockpiling' of ammo?
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When you have so much ammo in your closet you now have to go the the spare room closet to get you socks and undies. Then again, if you have a spare closet that is just more room for more ammo, my cloths can stay in a box next to the bed.:D
 
Odds are that a cop engaging in "friendly chat" with a gun hobbyist is fishing for an arrest, and there are no "innocent questions" in the conversation. I wouldn't be terribly surprised if the cop in question in this thread couldn't tell one end of a reloading press from another. The best advice for any gun owner who's the target of probing questions by a police officer is to clam up. Are you SURE that your rifle's muzzle brake is legal?

Check PDF page 73, document page 49, of this anti-gun paper for a summary of Federal law on ammunition. No limit on quantities.

Of course, a cop being unfamiliar with gun law is not a particularly stunning notion.
 
What constitutes 'stockpiling' of ammo?
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Two answers to that question.
1) Nothing, you have the right to own ammunition, no limits placed on it by the law I am aware of at this time.
2) Whatever limit some slimy politician can squeeze through the legislature, be it local, state or Federal.
 
Half a million rounds burned up :( Shniffle Shniffle
There was a news story about a year ago in California... some guy had about half a million rounds of 7.62x39 stocked up in his garage, and his house caught on fire. The fire department wouldn't put out the blaze as a result of the massed ammo.
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What a waste....I hope it was wolf or someting crappy.
 
Right now, all i stockpile is quality .22lr ammo, since thats about all i shoot anymore.

I need to order up a few cans of 7.62x39 and x54 for my commie guns. It seems that supliers are running low.
 
To me when you have to build a garage to house your ammo supply I am talking about a 20x50' or larger just to store ammo then I think you are hording. Untill them na you are just a recreational shooter.
 
I think it is a media creature, if you made the news for some reason, your two bricks of .22 ammo would be a 1000 round stockpile of ammunition.
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yep...i think if you're ever singled out for any reason(rightly or wrongly),anything in the triple digits would be called "a stockpile".:rolleyes:

nevermind i could easily shoot 1000 rounds(quadruple digits:D) in a day at the range.

more than two guns and you have "an arsenal".:barf:
 
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