7 Common Ammo Storage Errors and How to Avoid Them

Owning a gun isn’t worth much if you don’t have ammo to go with it. You may run out and have no way to use your firearm. That’s why many people recommend keeping at least 1,000 rounds of ammo that aren’t used for practice.

However, that also means you’ll need to store that ammo at home. The question is, do you know how to do that right?

You need to store your guns and ammo the right way if you want to stay safe. Avoid the seven common ammo storage errors below when storing ammo at home.

1. Picking the Wrong Ammo Storage Containers

It’s not wise to store your ammo in any container you have lying around. Even though ammo is well-made, that doesn’t mean it can’t get damaged and cause problems when you try to fire.

Your container needs to protect your ammo from the elements. Make sure your container choice is well-made and durable. It should be able to withstand the harshest conditions you’ll experience outside, even if you keep your ammo indoors.

The containers you use should also be the correct size. It’s tempting to cram as much ammo in a container to save space, but that can lead to more significant issues if you aren’t careful. Buy an extra container to avoid any unexpected problems.

2. Keeping Everything in One Place

Keeping your ammo in one place is another big mistake you don’t want to make. It’s tempting to do this since it’s convenient and less work. But what happens in the case of theft and a burglar steals all your ammo and guns?

If you want to be safer, keep your ammo in separate places. Have several areas in your home for your guns and ammo if you can.

This will help prevent burglars from finding everything you have and give you less walking distance to get to your ammo storage location if you ever need it.

This will also help you organize your ammo. Take the 6.5 Creedmore brass found here, for instance. You can label your container to let you know exactly what’s in each container.

3. Not Securing Everything

Even if you have nobody else in your home, the last thing you want is an unlocked container with your ammo. You never know who will enter your home when you aren’t there. You’re making it easier for everyone by storing your ammo in unsecured containers.

Ideally, keep your ammo in a container that has a lock. You can do this by putting a lock on the container or buying a container with a keypad.

While this may not prevent everyone from accessing your ammo without permission, it makes it much harder and will likely deter most people from trying.

4. Not Accounting for Temperature

Ammo may seem like it will be fine in every condition, but that’s not the case. You have to remember that you’re dealing with explosive chemicals. You never know what will happen if it’s in the wrong environment.

One of the most significant environmental issues for ammo is the temperature. The temperature for storing ammo needs to remain constant and not too hot.

Extreme heat will cause your ammo to degrade. That can lead to it not firing when you need it, or in worse situations, misfires that cause injuries.

5. Exposure to Humidity

Humidity is one of the biggest causes of ammo degradation. You should avoid storing ammo in locations where this happens. That means avoiding basements and other places where moisture tends to accumulate.

This is important because moisture will corrode your ammo. It can cause a lot of corrosion on your round casing, which makes it harder for guns to fire.

On top of that, moisture can seep into your rounds and dampen the gunpowder. Wet gunpowder doesn’t burn, so your guns won’t fire if you fire any rounds heavily impacted by moisture.

If you can’t avoid putting your ammo in places with higher humidity, think about using a dehumidifier. This will remove the moisture from the room and keep your ammo in better shape.

6. Keeping Ammo in the Sun

Even though the best way to store ammo is in a container, not everyone goes that route. They leave their ammo lying around everywhere. In some cases, they leave it outside or close to the window.

Doing this is a major mistake. The UV light from the sun can damage ammo. On top of that, you never know when it will rain and corrode your ammo.

Exposure to UV light can damage the plastic on your ammo casing. That makes it weaker and more prone to malfunction when fired in a gun.

Even if you have your ammo in a container, avoid exposing it to light. Keep your ammo away from windows and in the dark as much as possible.

7. Not Using Silica Desiccant 

Even if you keep your ammo in a place that doesn’t have much moisture, that doesn’t mean moisture will never get into your storage containers. This is a problem if you hold your ammo for a long time and don’t use it.

Silica desiccant helps in this situation. These products are the small bags you see in many product packaging. These packets reduce the amount of moisture in a container over time, which means less moisture will impact your ammo.

The packets are cheap and free if you take them from your other packages. Keep them around for both short and long-term ammo storage.

Don’t Make Common Ammo Storage Errors

It’s your responsibility to do things the right way when choosing a way to store ammo at home. You must keep it out of the wrong hands and quickly available if you ever need to use it.

Luckily, there are many common ammo storage errors that you can learn about before you start storing ammo. Keep the problems above in mind to create an ammo storage strategy that works.

Check out the blog to find more helpful posts.