Which is the best way to store reloading materials?

P

Pond James Pond

New member
As components or as complete cartridges?

I ask this partly because of a thread about corrosion in cases filled with VV N140 (which have been playing with in some of my loads recently) as well as the fact that there are legal limits on what I can keep at home.

So, when thinking longer term (in case shortages arise here for example), I don't have the luxury of hoarding as described in some TFL threads.

Therefore, if you were in my shoes and had to decide how you were to keep a stock of shooting material for a possible dry spell, would you use up some of the "stock limits" for components, or some of the "stock limits" for complete ammo?
 
Complete components in my opinion. If you have access to a vacuum sealer as used in food storage would work great and if you have a spouse its a great selling point on how you can save move vacuum sealing the ammo, I mean food so it doesn't spoil:D
 
Some of both.

I keep enough loaded ammo at any given time that I can shoot for a while without having to worry about running out. But I also keep a healthy amount of components available as well - partly because I try to keep from running out of components, and partly because I don't like the idea of everything being dedicated to loaded ammo - that limits what I can and cannot do with my components.

Any regs telling me how much of a product I choose to keep on hand are likely going to be ignored anyway.
 
mostly components, with a reasonable stash of loaded ammo for everything I shoot. Sometimes your interests will shift and if you overload you could have a lot of components tied up in ammo you're no longer really interested in shooting. It does happen.....
 
Either way is fine...unless you're talking 100 years and are keeping it all for your grand kids. :D I once found a hardly used box of 100 large rifle primers I had in a box down in the basement from when I moved. My basement gets very clod in the winter, and extremely humid during the summer. The pipes leave drip lines on the basement floor it gets so humid down there. Anyway, when I discovered them I was tempted to toss them out but I figured I'd try them. I couldn't tell any difference at all and this was an opened cardboard box with 100 lots of primers...no plastic wrap or anything. I think we worry a lot more then we need to. Storing safely is much more important than storing in a manner that may protect it over time in my opinion.
 
If you have a limit attached to both, I would max out both. Which ones I would use in the meantime would depend on what I could easily replace them with at the time. US-style green ammo cans work well for long-term storage.
You mentioned storage at home; does that mean you could also have more ammo/components stashed at either another family member's house or or a self-storage facility?
 
You mentioned storage at home; does that mean you could also have more ammo/components stashed at either another family member's house or or a self-storage facility?
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You can have all the bullets are brass you want.

Restricted components are the bang parts: powder and primers.

They need to stay at the registered address along with guns and any ammo.
 
Some folks may not realize that Mr. Pond is from across the Pond and the rules are different.
What about loaded ammo limits? Can you have, for example, 1000 rounds per cartridge type AND those powder primer limits? If so, then I'd max it out and keep it maex out cycling through so all inventory is fresh. (If allowed, of course)
 
Yeah...

If you've got a sports-hooting licence such as mine you can keep 1000rds per sporting firearm up to a max total of some 4000rds, again off the top of my head.

I've never come close to either so far!!
 
Then again,long term storage can have different meanings.
In a cool dry place,five years is reasonable to me,components or ammunition.
Longer than that under extreme temp or humidity variables I would store just the components for the simple reason that I could inspect powder and primers but not the inside of the case.I've shot WW2 ammo and never gave it a thought
it was nicely packed though and stored in a cool environment.
 
"...legal limits on what I can keep at home..." Likely how you're allowed to store powder and primers without having a magazine too. If political idiocy or retail shortages are an issue, max out what's legal. Just be sure you have a cool dry place for the powder to live.
1000 rounds per sporting firearm isn't a lot. Cases of milsurp ball can hold more than that.
 
I would go with components and keep re-stock as you drop below the allowed limits.

I would keep a limited number of your favorite loads built up just so you can good shooting without re-loading.

If you keep tuning loads and are not satisfied with what you have then the less made and the more in components
 
Back to storage,

What's worked for me,
Ammo cans with good seals, I use silicone grease on the seal to help with the sealing, and so it doesn't break down the rubber in the seal over time.
Petroleum grease WILL break down the seals in US ammo cans.

If I intend to haul that can around in the vehicle, store it in the garage where it's not climate/humidity controlled, I use the MIG welder nozzle (no welding), ARGON GAS to evacuate the oxygen/moisture from the can,
And I toss a 'Dry' pack in there, just in case the can leaks at some point.

Without oxygen or ventilation, the ammo 'Seems' to live a good long time.

I don't know about using propellant that corrodes from the inside, haven't experienced that myself, but now that you brought it up, I may do some spot checks for it...
 
As components or as complete cartridges?

I ask this partly because of a thread about corrosion in cases filled with VV N140 (which have been playing with in some of my loads recently) as well as the fact that there are legal limits on what I can keep at home.
Click to expand...

I am of the opinion it is better to to keep the gunpowder out of the case until needed. I size, trim, prime cases and leave them around. No problem, and I don't expect any problems. Gunpowder deteriorates and deteriorates in the case. I have experienced this, friends have experienced this. Last week over at a friends house and we were discussing this. He has had case neck splits on ammunition reloaded in 2009. I smelled the bottle of AA2520 he used back then, neutral smell, it has crested past middle age. He is loading ammunition with that stuff, murdering Bambi's with it, and his intention is to shoot the stuff up before it has been in the case six months.

Not a bad idea.
 
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