Ammo storage temperature ranges

[lpstopper]

Can i store Ammo in My car in extreme heat, and extreme cold? Obviously i dont mean like desert heat or alaska cold, but normal US temps. Is it bad for the ammo?

[IrocGuy]

I see an episode of MythBusters...

[gloc_copper]

I carry at least a couple hundred rounds of practice ammo in an ammo can in my trunk year round (for SWAT training) and have never had an issue..but it usually gets shot up in a matter of a couple of months, so its not exactly long term.

[David Hineline]

Normal US temps run from desert heat to alaska cold, so that confuses me a bit.

Only problem I ever has was lead bullets in a black pickup the heat would melt the bullet lube run down and contaminate the powder causing squib loads.

[M1garand]

It depends on how long you are talking about.

While I was attending LE sniper course, our instructor pulled out 3 rounds that he had inside of the vehicle and he said it has been there for a year or two. All three of them failed to fire.

I usually have few boxes of ammo inside of my trunk and I rarely let them sit inside of my car more than few months, so I haven't had an issue.

[reils49]

Can i store Ammo in My car in extreme heat, and extreme cold? Obviously i dont mean like desert heat or alaska cold, but normal US temps. Is it bad for the ammo?

Yes you can, but I would not store ammo at extreme temperatures for an extended period of time. For long term storage you want a cool, dry area out of direct sunlight. Ammunition can last a long time, if it's stored properly. During parts of OIF we were using .50 BMG rounds that were manufactured during the Korean War, and possibly WWII.

Just out of curiosity, why are you storing ammo in your car?

[Blackdog F4i]

Can i store Ammo in My car in extreme heat, and extreme cold?

Yes.

Is it bad for the ammo?

Yes.

Now to clarify.

Cold isn't a big deal. Heat is. Heat can break down powder. How bad and how long is a function of the formulation of the powder. How bad is a function of what you require from your ammo.

If it's precision ammunition that you are going to be someone's life on, then store large quantities in climate controlled conditions. If you are just storing 50-100 rounds for a month or two, you are going to be OK. Just shoot it up when you train and replace the trunk stores when you are done.

If it's blasting ammo, pistol ammo or CQB carbine ammo don't sweat it. It's going to take a lot of heat or a long time to mess it up bad enough that you would notice.

I store powder, primers and loaded ammo in my attached garage. The climate in there is within 10 degrees of the house most of the time. I store match ammo for a couple months in my squad car. I have never seen a zero shift I could attribute to the age of the ammo.

[Blackdog F4i]

Just out of curiosity, why are you storing ammo in your car?

I don't know many sworn officers with assigned vehicles that don't squirrel away some extra ammo.

[lpstopper]

I don't know many sworn officers with assigned vehicles that don't squirrel away some extra ammo.

What he Said. I got a couple boxes of shotgun shells and a mag in the door. Most people have at least 2 mags in the door + a couple boxes of ammo in the doors/trunk.

[HeadDoc]

I buy ammo in bulk when I get a good buy then break it down into smaller amounts and vacuum pack it with a food storage vacuum sealer. If you bang it around much, it'll lose its seal but it works great for the stuff I stack in the spare room. It keeps out moisture and the brass doesn't oxidize. Plus, it's already in ready-to-use size bags so I can grab it for a trip to the range. It might not work so well for ammo kept in the trunk, but you could always shoot that up every couple months and get out another vacuum pack from the stuff you bought when you got a good price.

[DOAcop38]

don't vacuum pack( good idea though) but I put at least an extra 50 rd ammo box in a ziplock freezer bag,along with the silica packs I keep from buying tennis shoes, in the bag) I do the same for all my ammo ,at home or at work, including the extra 16 rounds of 00 slug and buckshot in my patrol"war" bag. at home, most of the ammo is kept in surplus 50 cal ammo boxes,also with the silica baggies to keep moisture out

[reils49]

I don't know many sworn officers with assigned vehicles that don't squirrel away some extra ammo.

I have a stash of ammo in my troop car and locker, but I don't really think of this as "storing", I view it the same way as the ammo I keep on my duty belt. My work ammo isn't usally around long enough to meet my definition of storage between ranges and the amount of deer we shoot. Maybe I have a different definition of "storing ammo", (i.e. I store ammo in my basement in ammo cans, not my car).