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I was wondering if it was okay to store ammo (handgun and 223) in army surplus metal ammo cans in the garage? Spring is coming then summer with the wonderful summer heat. My garage is on the west side of the house and will get full afternoon sun. I do not have any dehydrator packages or what ever you call them nor am I sure they're needed inside the cans.

Anything I should be concerned about?

Thanks

Storing ammo in heat over a long period of time, can cause it to degrade...so say others that know better than I. However, in my own experience I have never had or noticed any ill effect with storing ammo in my hot garage. I addition to that, a lot of the ammo I bought and shot in the past was in excess of 30 years old when I obtained it, and I stored this ammo in my garage for years before shooting it, with no ill effects. I once had some WW2 Brit. .303 that would hang fire one round a box, that could have been caused by storage in heat, or by just the fact that it was 50 years old.

I would think humidity would be more of an issue than heat. Make sure they stay dry.

I've lived on the gulf coast all my life 42 years, I've stored bullets in sheds, garages, un plugged campers, ans even on the back porch . I've never really seen any issues unless the bullets are directly exposed to the environment. If you plan on never shooting them, then they should be put in air tight cans. If you are just buying in bulk and shooting as needed, follow what the grocery stores do fi-[abbreviated profanity deleted] (first in, first out)

Footnote, my old paper shotgun shells don't like the humidity of the garage.

NewGunGuy3 wrote:I do not have any dehydrator packages or what ever you call them nor am I sure they're needed inside the cans.

Two points.

First, if you are running air conditioning the humidity should be lower in the house. So fill the ammo cans and seal them in the house to minimize the moisture content. If it is hot and humid in the garage and you fill the ammo cans there, all you are doing is sealing in the moisture.

Second, get a bag of "Fresh Step Crystals" (hereinafter "FSC") from Walmart. An 8 lb. bag is about $20. The FSC is made from silica gel, which is simply a dessicant. Note the other varieties of Fresh Step cat litter are made form other ingredients, so you only want FSC.

If you layer in a half-inch of the FSC and cover it with a piece of cardboard, thaqn place the ammo on top and seal the ammo can, it will stay dry for your lifetime and more.

I chuckle ecery time someone ask about this. Do you think the military puts their ammo in AC buildings! I have over 150 cases of ammo in my garage

cajunautoxer wrote:I chuckle ecery time someone ask about this. Do you think the military puts their ammo in AC buildings! I have over 150 cases of ammo in my garage

AC, well no.. BUT we put it long term storage facilities that do not see ultra high or low temps though, nor wild temp swings.. In the short term, sure we store it where ever we are at.. hot cold, wet, dry.. what ever. in 1990 my company shot .50 cal 4x1 that had been stored since the closing years of WWII

As for the garage storage the OP asked about, as suggested package inside the house with the AC on for several hours.
Or
Go to a equipment rental place and rent a dehumidifier for the weekend.. place it and ammo in a small room. Run for the weekend, pack up Sunday.. Store where ever you want. Silica-gel in packets INSIDE the storage cans is a great idea as well.

Week or a month sure. Long term, I wouldn't. But I have a box of shotgun shells working on ten years now in the garage. So when I get a chance to use them, I'll find this post and let you know.

I think storing anything firearms related in your garage is a bad idea. It's the most easily broken into part of a home and the least detected. How many alarm systems even include the garage?

This may change your mind about storing ammo in your garage.

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=CMz1tXBVT1s[/youtube]

At least, if you're going to store ammo in your garage, make it harder for the burglars to get in.

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=Bwd3KRK13Gs[/youtube]

That's a problem with older garage doors. Mine do not have the flip down lever seen in the video but rather a pin that has to be pulled straight down. I have the pull cords wrapped so they can't be grabbed by a device.
I also have motion detectors in the garage.

NewGunGuy3 wrote:Anything I should be concerned about?

In this market? Yeah. You should be worried about theft.

Ammo at 25 cent to a dollar plus per round is an asset worth protecting and preserving. Yes the government does not climate control all of their ammo. They also store guns that way. I prefer to keep guns and ammo indoors. But, If I had enough to fill a bedroom I would have to adjust somewhere...