Storage of ammo

[Tallinthesaddle]

I keep several boxes of ammo stored in my Liberty fireproof safe, but it can't hold it all. I have purchased 3 or 4 of these Sentry hard plastic fireproof safes at Wal-Mart to hold more of it. I am not worried about the theft of it, I am concerned about what would happen if my house caught fire. I have a 24 hour alarm/fire system on my house and the fire station is only two miles down the road, but I can't be there all the time. Is this a good solution for ammo storage short of buying another safe?

[Rokyudai]

I will happily help put your mind at rest....

Send it to me and I will properly dispose of it for you.

By the way, welcome to the board!

[rm9792]

I was under the impression that if it gets hot enough it will just pop like firecrackers since there is nothing to contain the explosion. However if you have contained it in a safe or hard enough storage then you make a small bomb. The brass isnt real strong with out the support of chamber walls and the bullets dont travel very far or fast. When i was young and stupid I put some .22 in a fire and ran but all I heard was a small pop. I have probably 15k rounds, mostly .45, stored in ammo cans in a closet. Admittedly not the best way but it is too humid in the garage for me. I bought progressive reloading equipment and got addicted to pulling that handle.

[Commander Cody]

When I was In SE Asia we had fires with ammo boxes involved. After the fires were out we opened the ammo boxes to find that the lead had melted, powder burned etc. No projectiles ever exited the boxes. I keep all of my ammo in ammo boxes purchased at the local Army/Navy surplus store.

[AEA]

Most of mine is in my Liberty Safe and in metal ammo boxes (9mm, .45 ACP and .223).
However, I do have 12 30rd mags loaded with .223 that are in the pouches of my Tac Vest hanging in one of my closets........ready to Bug Out!

[jimlongley]

I was under the impression that if it gets hot enough it will just pop like firecrackers since there is nothing to contain the explosion. However if you have contained it in a safe or hard enough storage then you make a small bomb. The brass isnt real strong with out the support of chamber walls and the bullets dont travel very far or fast. When i was young and stupid I put some .22 in a fire and ran but all I heard was a small pop. I have probably 15k rounds, mostly .45, stored in ammo cans in a closet. Admittedly not the best way but it is too humid in the garage for me. I bought progressive reloading equipment and got addicted to pulling that handle.

When I was in the Navy a Gunner's Mate on the next ship was greiviously injured when a grenade fuse locker blew up. A single grenade fuse going off is about equivalent to a large firecracker, a whole locker in a chain explosion did devastating damage, mostly due to the confinement. A secondary explosion scared the pants off those of us involved in rescue and firefighting efforts, but it was mostly noise.