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Cache Your Ammo

UncleSarge58

UncleSarge58

.410
To be Truly Prepared for Emergency Survival, Ammunition for your Firearms is a Necessity.
The Only Sure Way to Ensure that You Have the Proper Ammo & Enough of it to Protect & Provide for Yourself, Your Family & Your Property is to Establish a Long Term & Secure Ammo Cache.
I Have Recently Began Reloading for my Various Caliber Firearms on a Regular Basis (Every 2 Weeks)
I have Also been Buying Ammo when I find it available at a Decent Price.
My Goal is to Acquire/ Accumulate 500 rounds per Weapon.
The Best Way that I have Found to Store this Ammo is in Surplus Military Ammo Cans.
They Are Very Well Built & Water Tight. Very Soon (In the Next Few Weeks) & Before the Next Election,
I Plan on Burying them in Various Strategic Places on the Property.
To Ensure that they Will Not Rust, I am going to Wrap them In a Heavy Trash Bag
& Seal them Tightly W/ Duct Tape.
This Way I Will Have Several Ammo Caches In Place & Ready for Future Use.
So Far I Have 6 Ammo Boxes Filled & Have Approx. 300 Rounds Per Gun Ready to Cache.
So, If You Want to Be Fully Prepared, I Suggest that All who Read This Forum, Do the Same.
Remember the 6 P's - Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.
Like the Boy Scouts Always Said - Be Prepared.
UncleSarge58
 
You know what they say…

1) opsec

2) if you are burying your guns you should have already dug them up for the fight.
 
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spray bedliner or undercoating may be more durable/reliable than trash bags. ive been thinking about doing this with some resealable 55 gallon barrels ive gotten from work. also if you want to be sure they need to be buried deep enough not to be picked up by metal detectors, and under something to fool ground penetrating radar. ive got a couple drainage tiles running across my property, ive thought a lot about digging down and hiding them underneath the tiles
 
For long term survival and serious and honest defensive purposes, I think 500 rounds (per weapon) is inadequate. Unless of course you have a lot of weapons that you have 500 rounds for.

But several things I'm not sure you have thought about.

1. Temperature.

While the chemicals in ammunition is relatively stable, excess temperatures decrease the long term shelf life considerably. I think the military bases their "optimum" temperature between 65-70 degree's and it has been shown that extended 100 degree's temps will degrade most ammunition to 15 years. Not saying that all ammunition will be a misfire, but testing has shown a noticeable and significant increase of FTF's from long term high temp. storage in the litter box.

2. Black plastic bags attract and hold even more heat, and also make a "greenhouse" effect by trapping moisture and not letting it evaporate. If you wrap your cans with plastic, expect it to retain moisture underneath of the plastic. While the can and seal should keep the moisture on the outside of the can, is still causing an increased risk by wrapping them.

And another result of excess moisture + low air circulation usually combines to make mold.

3. Frost lines and water table/drainage
Not sure where you live, but depending on your physical location, the water table and frost line (below earth) varies. I think for my region, the frost line is 18 inches deep, but considering the varying altitudes here, can go much deeper.

4. Even sealed pvc pipe can retain moisture (see #2).

Just a few random thoughts.
 
UncleSarge58 said:
To be Truly Prepared for Emergency Survival, Ammunition for your Firearms is a Necessity.
The Only Sure Way to Ensure that You Have the Proper Ammo & Enough of it to Protect & Provide for Yourself, Your Family & Your Property is to Establish a Long Term & Secure Ammo Cache.
I Have Recently Began Reloading for my Various Caliber Firearms on a Regular Basis (Every 2 Weeks)
I have Also been Buying Ammo when I find it available at a Decent Price.
My Goal is to Acquire/ Accumulate 500 rounds per Weapon.
The Best Way that I have Found to Store this Ammo is in Surplus Military Ammo Cans.
They Are Very Well Built & Water Tight. Very Soon (In the Next Few Weeks) & Before the Next Election,
I Plan on Burying them in Various Strategic Places on the Property.
To Ensure that they Will Not Rust, I am going to Wrap them In a Heavy Trash Bag
& Seal them Tightly W/ Duct Tape.
This Way I Will Have Several Ammo Caches In Place & Ready for Future Use.
So Far I Have 6 Ammo Boxes Filled & Have Approx. 300 Rounds Per Gun Ready to Cache.
So, If You Want to Be Fully Prepared, I Suggest that All who Read This Forum, Do the Same.
Remember the 6 P's - Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.
Like the Boy Scouts Always Said - Be Prepared.
UncleSarge58
Click to expand...


I appreciate your concern for my well being, but I'm not about to break my 70yo back digging holes out in the north 40 to bury ammo or anything else in. :rolleyes:
 
UncleSarge58 said:
To be Truly Prepared for Emergency Survival, Ammunition for your Firearms is a Necessity.
Click to expand...
here is a conversation we had along those lines. http://www.mossbergowners.com/forum/index.php?threads/outside-the-home-storage.10682/#post-139957

As far as numbers per weapon, whatever one can accumulate is the right answer, I don't have a number that is enough. Like any consumable there is never too much. I have been reloading for some time so I have been collecting as much components as I can.Not really buying any factory rounds these days.
even picked up a few of these , haven't used one yet but it looks like something one can do in a camp and put a few in a pack





 
oli700 said:
here is a conversation we had along those lines. http://www.mossbergowners.com/forum/index.php?threads/outside-the-home-storage.10682/#post-139957

As far as numbers per weapon, whatever one can accumulate is the right answer, I don't have a number that is enough. Like any consumable there is never too much. I have been reloading for some time so I have been collecting as much components as I can.Not really buying any factory rounds these days.
even picked up a few of these , haven't used one yet but it looks like something one can do in a camp and put a few in a pack





Click to expand...
When I was a kid my dad used to reload shotgun shells with a loader kit like this. He used to make some mean steel shot that brought down more than a few geese.

Nothing has really changed in the last umpteen years that would make any of the older reloading stuff obsolete. I can see how a light kit like this could come in handy if a press broke or you have to relocate and keep supplies light.
 
I personally like the handheld lee presses. They'd probably last almost forever.

p_749013749_1.jpg
 
UncleSarge58 said:
My Goal is to Acquire/ Accumulate 500 rounds per Weapon.
Click to expand...

ONLY 500 rounds per? That is my MINIMUM stocking level!
:D


AFTER the SHTF, ammo will be a "currency", able to be traded for other supplies. Lead will be more valuable than gold, but gold could probably be melted down and used for bullets... ;) First homes "raided" for supplies will be the ones with the "Nobama" signs out front during the last election! :cool:
 
Not sure is want to give a stranger the means to kill me and my family with a barter of ammunition.
 
For what its worth, SG Ammo currently has "spam cans" of x39. No sealing or packing required. Spray the entire can with undercoat. An chuck it in a hole, lol
 
500rds for Each Center Fire Weapon:
9mm Semi Auto Hi Cap Pistol 500rds
.357 Pistol & Rifle = 1000rds.
.30-30 Lever Action +500rds
.308 Bolt Action +500rds
.223 Single Shot +500rds
500rds in Each Gauge for Shotguns:
20GA Pump Action +500rds
12GA Dbl Barrel +250rds
12GA Semi Auto +250rds
2000rds 22LR for Bolt Action Rifle & Single Shot Pistol
500rds 22WMR for Bolt Action Rifle
Plus 5lbs Triple Seven & 500 Cast Lead Boolits for 45cal. Muzzle Loader
Also Have Lots of Lead, Alloy, Powder, Primers, Dies & Bullet Molds for Each Caliber.
Total Round Count = 7000rds For Ammo Cache
Also Have a Few Boxes of Factory Ammo for each Gun, Besides Cache Ammo.
I think that this Should Be Sufficient to Maintain Survival in our Heavily Wooded Mountain Terrain.
US58
 
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Good luck with the .22 Mag. I'd be happy to get my hands on a box of 50 for mine. And I don't have anywhere near 500 for my 30-30 either. But I pick up a box when I find it. 7.62x39 is ballisticly compatible though. My opinion, and take it with a,grain of salt. Get a Mosin, its a good, accurate, cheap, no-nonsense bolt gun. And cheap to stock ammo for.
 
Already Have 250rds for the 22Mag & Believe it or Not a Local Pawn Shop Regularly Has Ammo In Stock & at a Reasonable Price Too. Already Have 500rds of 9mm On Hand + 500pcs Brass. 22LR Covered Too. Just Need to Re-Load some More Rifle Ammo. (.223/.30-30/.308/.357)
Have about 300+ for Each On Hand Now.
Have Enough Brass For All, But, Will Need to Buy More Bullets for the .308 & .223.
Think I've Got the 20GA Covered Too. Still Need to Buy More 12GA
& Both WalMarts Near Here Always Have Bulk Packs in Stock.
So Far So Good & Besides Re-Loading Is Fun & Relaxing.
UncleSarge58
 
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