In the 1960s my dad would buy .22LR by the case. A two years ago I found he still had a five bricks of cci mini mags in the basement. Took some to the range and it shoots perfect.
Plymouth roadrunner same story with some ammo my dad had. he got tens of thousands of rounds when his friends gun shop went out of business in 73. he shoots about 50 rounds a year. his house was always cooled by an ac in the summer. after he moved his closet was hot and humid. two years later the ammo was crap. but by the time the ammo was bad he only had a couple hundred rounds left due to giving it away.
Plymouth roadrunner yeah really / i never gave a thought I've had bullets in cardboard for twenty years plus without any indication of dating at all zero malfunctions / but as it happens thanks to shortages i have put some up in ammo cans . I got down to 100 22lr and didn't want to shoot any cause couldn't find 22 at reasonable prices but seems to be almost back to normal
Me too I've got what everybody calls Winchester white box bulk .22LR ammo trash still in the boxes and air tight tupperware containers and this ammo is 5 to 10 years old and just been kept dry in 2 of my closets !!!! I just started shooting again now on a bi-weekly schedule since all this pandemic crap going on !!!! And well this .22 ammo is shooting just fine with no hiccups whatsoever !!!! The key is to just keep your ammo DRY and in a cool controlled environment !!!!
better idea is to buy desiccant cat litter. it's cheaper and you get much more. just pour into the coffee filter, fold it over a few times and tape or rubber band it. boom!
No. Regular cat litter is dry clay and does not outright absorb moisture. You would need to find gel silica cat litter. Walmart sells 4 and 10 pound bags of silica cat litter. Mimi cat litter is the brand I use, if they do not sell in store then order online and have sent site to store. Whether it is reusable is still a question though. But at $4.32 for a 4lb bag lasting well over a year for someone who has a lot of ammo such as me I think I can deal with buying more ever 16 months.
Absolutely! Clay type oil dry also. The easiest way for me is to take old socks that I lose the matches to, throw the dessicant in them, tie a knot in the sock and voila, you're done. Sometimes I pack a lot of ammo at one time and this is a time saver. Also, never put anything rubber or anything suseptible to melting in heat, such as a 'hair tie'. lol He was dead on about one thing... ammo cans! I used to sell army surplus and have hundreds of cans left over from when they were cheap. We bought the 50's, 30's and 20mm's by the pallet. However, it does pay to test every can you're gonna put ammo in. The easiest is let Ma nature do it for you if you're not in a hurry. I leave mine outside. When I need one, if I open it and it has rust or is wet, I don't use it. I have a few damaged cans and I take the seals off of them and put on the good ones that leak. Also you can fill the can with water, turn it upside down for a few hours and see if it leaks.
I was gonna ask "why not just put dessicant in a sock? " And I'm pretty sure that dessicant is microwavable, so you can just throw the whole thing into the microwave when necessary.
no need to pour it out on cookie sheet, the metal containers are made to just go straight inside the oven. 60 minutes at 300- 350 degrees then turn heat off and let it cool with canister inside over, will dry out even the crystals in the very center.
Just tape it in the coffee filter. Don't need the pill bottle. That's just extra work. You could make different sizes for what you need for your ammo storage using the coffee filters. Find a cool dry area in your house if you have one. This doesn't hurt to do. I also use the small packages from shoe boxes and stuff like that. 😀👍
Even when both have gaskets, the steel cans are far more water-resistant (can take some submersion without leaking) and air-tight than the plastic ones.
If you are sealing it in with the ammo, why bother using a pill bottle (assuming you're not going to be constantly jostling the can to need the protection for the pack)? Why not dump the silica directly into the filter and just tie it off? Heck you in theory could just pour the silica directly into the ammo container if you don't plan on ever opening it and having to refresh the silica. I believe the main reason some desiccant units have plastic containers, is because the desiccant pellets used in them basically melt as they absorb the moisture, and the container is there to collect the fluid for disposal.
The silica packs with plastic containers last longer. Though not as effective. Silica absorbs moisture from all directions. The pill bottle idea makes it last longer at the cost of some effectiveness. Silica can actually absorb moisture from surrounding silica. That being said the top would max out and the silica under it would slowly absorb from the surrounding silica and eventually cut itself off from being able to absorb moisture. Your coffee filter idea is actually the best way to do it and thats how I store ammo long term. More silica surface area exposed means more moisture absorbed. Coffee filter ball and I glue it to a Gatorade bottle cap so it has a base. Cheap and highly effective. In theory you can pour it right in the bottom of the can, but being right on the metal if outside temperature fluctuates to much it could cause the silica to expel moisture and cause condensation inside the container which defeats the purpose of the silica. Best to make sure it is not touching anything metal.
Sir, a coffee filter with desicant will certainly work, but bear in mind the rubber band itself will be subject to the elements. Personally, I take old but CLEAN socks with desiccant (cat litter) and simply tie a knot at the end and be done with it!
I use the desicants that come in medicine bottles and the plastic energy drink containers. They hold about 200 rounds each and fit many bottles into an ammo can. Wish I could post a pic here
I was told by a major firearm’s supply outlets which starts with “B” not to use desiccant near my primers. Since the entire bottom of a rimfire is primer it would be a good choice, however, maybe not so great for centerfire ammunition. I would love to be proven wrong.
I use a vacuum seam method with the gel packs - (pack): What I do is put a (silicon desiccant pack 0.5g) into each box if ammo and then I vacuum seal it and fold the bag down (like rapping a birthday pres) and tape it down with painter's tape: I bag them a 2nd time with pack's where they will sit flat like 10, 20, and another (silicon desiccant pack 1.0g) or what already sealed boxes I make the bag's extra long so I can reseal them and use them several times without the need to make new bag's all the time (me 10 time's use) then I put them into my ammo storage boxes with another (silicon desiccant pack 150g) more pack's for long term storage (I like plastic 81mm grenade boxes with seal's am slowly replacing my metal ones): I had a flood once and my ammo wound up in 40 ft of water and I had no problem's with any of my ammo: I buy all of my stuff on sell in bulk: The sealer that I use can seal up to 16" wide bag's I always buy roll's of 50ft +: I use the same process to store loaded magazines I have to have 11" wide bag's for my P/PS-90 magazines on 1st sealing of them the mags they are12.5" long in their boxes with a (silicon desiccant 0.5g) into each box into bag's I've sealed for the size of the box then 5 at a time in a second bag with (silicon desiccant pack 1.0g) I always store mag's in the boxes that they came in: I know my method seam's a little extreme but that is just me.? If you made it this far: Walmart.com
The metal ammo cans will hold up to being submerged in water. I've seen the plastic leak at about 3ft submerged Just a thought, u may not want to cycle out all those old metal cans
in a sealed ammo box.. let's say the steal boxes... I go ahead and load the can up and put the home made desiccant pill bottle into it I'm wondering how often I should take that out out of the box and cook it to dry it out and reuse it and put it back in should we do this every month every 6 months every year every 5 years??? Please respond
David Guptill Jr that depends on how often you shoot ammo from that can, if it's often enough you just check it each time you shoot some & take note of when it looks saturated, then pop it in the oven when you're home. If you're storing the ammo for shtf though, I wouldn't put the cardboard boxes in the ammo can but rather just toss in ammo, desiccant pill bottle thingy, & close it up. The seal in the ammo can will keep stuff getting in & a healthy dosing of desiccant will be more than enough for almost indefinite storage.
MIMI LITTER in pet section at Walmart. About $5 a bag. Re: note about ammo cans. Plenty of videos on you tube showing plastic cans fail when submerged under water. Plus, every time you pick one up the lid deforms letting air into the container. Metal ammo can for storage. Not bigger than 50 cal. (gets too heavy)
It wouldn't work as well as cat litter or silica, at least depending on the type of rice used. Silica is about 50% more effective than plain white rice and cat litter is about 37.5% more effective. Instant rice/oatmeal/couscous is still about 25% more effective though because the starchy layers have been cracked. If you want to preserve an investment, it's best not to go too far cheaping out on the materials.
Billy Calder I under stand that.. but moisture molicule is very small... if u have a small tare in the. seal the moisture WILL GET IN.. my gut after dealing with automotive Air conditioning. is that the desiccant bed that is inside of a receiver drier on an automobile was told to ask during class years ago that if you had a perfectly flat surface the size of a football field, that this desk and bag inside the receiver drier absorbs enough water that it would take up the water off of that football field and I were talking a perfectly level surface sounds too far-fetched to me but that's what they told us back when we were in school that's how much that desiccant bag can actually absorbs
Whatever you're talking about is 100% wrong go get yourself a FoodSaver vacuum sealer vacuum seal your ammunition that way they are there's no moisture no nothing as far as moisture oxygen or anything in that back once you get your ammunition vacuum sealed and you can get yourself a ammo can and put oxygen eliminators in your ammo can which will vacuum seal the animal can on the inside also so now you're double sealed no moisture no nothing make sure you lubricate the rubber gasket on the ammo can also and make sure you put oxygenators in there such as a hand warmer cuz it will burn the oxygen up now you're double vacuum sealed so we got to do very simple
In the 1960s my dad would buy .22LR by the case. A two years ago I found he still had a five bricks of cci mini mags in the basement. Took some to the range and it shoots perfect.
dsnake457 sch CCI is crimped tight.
I have an old brick of Federals that has been stored in a coffee can in the gun cabinet for 20 years. They still fire, work like new.
I got a bag of desiccant at Hobby Lobby and use old nylon stocking material to contain it.
It is more flexible in tight spaces than a plastic bottle.
I have Federal 22lr I bought back in the mid 1970's I forgot I had.That stuff still shoots and was stored in a closet in it's original cardboard box.
That's an awesome story! Thanks for watching!
Plymouth roadrunner same story with some ammo my dad had. he got tens of thousands of rounds when his friends gun shop went out of business in 73. he shoots about 50 rounds a year. his house was always cooled by an ac in the summer. after he moved his closet was hot and humid. two years later the ammo was crap. but by the time the ammo was bad he only had a couple hundred rounds left due to giving it away.
Plymouth roadrunner yeah really / i never gave a thought I've had bullets in cardboard for twenty years plus without any indication of dating at all zero malfunctions / but as it happens thanks to shortages i have put some up in ammo cans . I got down to 100 22lr and didn't want to shoot any cause couldn't find 22 at reasonable prices but seems to be almost back to normal
Me too I've got what everybody calls Winchester white box bulk .22LR ammo trash still in the boxes and air tight tupperware containers and this ammo is 5 to 10 years old and just been kept dry in 2 of my closets !!!! I just started shooting again now on a bi-weekly schedule since all this pandemic crap going on !!!! And well this .22 ammo is shooting just fine with no hiccups whatsoever !!!! The key is to just keep your ammo DRY and in a cool controlled environment !!!!
Rice is also a good Desiccant, bake it dry, when cool pour it in the ammo-can, next time you open the can change it out, rebake and use again.
better idea is to buy desiccant cat litter. it's cheaper and you get much more. just pour into the coffee filter, fold it over a few times and tape or rubber band it. boom!
That works as well!!!
No. Regular cat litter is dry clay and does not outright absorb moisture. You would need to find gel silica cat litter. Walmart sells 4 and 10 pound bags of silica cat litter. Mimi cat litter is the brand I use, if they do not sell in store then order online and have sent site to store. Whether it is reusable is still a question though. But at $4.32 for a 4lb bag lasting well over a year for someone who has a lot of ammo such as me I think I can deal with buying more ever 16 months.
Absolutely! Clay type oil dry also. The easiest way for me is to take old socks that I lose the matches to, throw the dessicant in them, tie a knot in the sock and voila, you're done. Sometimes I pack a lot of ammo at one time and this is a time saver. Also, never put anything rubber or anything suseptible to melting in heat, such as a 'hair tie'. lol He was dead on about one thing... ammo cans! I used to sell army surplus and have hundreds of cans left over from when they were cheap. We bought the 50's, 30's and 20mm's by the pallet. However, it does pay to test every can you're gonna put ammo in. The easiest is let Ma nature do it for you if you're not in a hurry. I leave mine outside. When I need one, if I open it and it has rust or is wet, I don't use it. I have a few damaged cans and I take the seals off of them and put on the good ones that leak. Also you can fill the can with water, turn it upside down for a few hours and see if it leaks.
I was gonna ask "why not just put dessicant in a sock? "
And I'm pretty sure that dessicant is microwavable, so you can just throw the whole thing into the microwave when necessary.
Bob in the West I never thought of using the Microwave. Thanks bob.
no need to pour it out on cookie sheet, the metal containers are made to just go straight inside the oven.
60 minutes at 300- 350 degrees then turn heat off and let it cool with canister inside over, will dry out even the crystals in the very center.
10 minutes in a frying pan with low to medium heat works well too. Of course you need to stir it to get them all to dry out.
Yea just remember to pull all the ammo from the can or u might have a mess on ur hands lol
Just tape it in the coffee filter. Don't need the pill bottle. That's just extra work. You could make different sizes for what you need for your ammo storage using the coffee filters. Find a cool dry area in your house if you have one. This doesn't hurt to do. I also use the small packages from shoe boxes and stuff like that. 😀👍
Even when both have gaskets, the steel cans are far more water-resistant (can take some submersion without leaking) and air-tight than the plastic ones.
Ammo, in a dark ammo can doesn't care about pretty. It only cares about being dry. This is a very good idea for long term storage.
If you are sealing it in with the ammo, why bother using a pill bottle (assuming you're not going to be constantly jostling the can to need the protection for the pack)? Why not dump the silica directly into the filter and just tie it off? Heck you in theory could just pour the silica directly into the ammo container if you don't plan on ever opening it and having to refresh the silica. I believe the main reason some desiccant units have plastic containers, is because the desiccant pellets used in them basically melt as they absorb the moisture, and the container is there to collect the fluid for disposal.
The silica packs with plastic containers last longer. Though not as effective. Silica absorbs moisture from all directions. The pill bottle idea makes it last longer at the cost of some effectiveness. Silica can actually absorb moisture from surrounding silica. That being said the top would max out and the silica under it would slowly absorb from the surrounding silica and eventually cut itself off from being able to absorb moisture. Your coffee filter idea is actually the best way to do it and thats how I store ammo long term. More silica surface area exposed means more moisture absorbed. Coffee filter ball and I glue it to a Gatorade bottle cap so it has a base. Cheap and highly effective. In theory you can pour it right in the bottom of the can, but being right on the metal if outside temperature fluctuates to much it could cause the silica to expel moisture and cause condensation inside the container which defeats the purpose of the silica. Best to make sure it is not touching anything metal.
Sir, a coffee filter with desicant will certainly work, but bear in mind the rubber band itself will be subject to the elements. Personally, I take old but CLEAN socks with desiccant (cat litter) and simply tie a knot at the end and be done with it!
use the microwave to dry out the desiccant. it is faster. the beads will turn back to blue when dry.
first glance thought that was tom Arnold
I got a 5 lbs bag of kitty litter on eBay for $7.00 & 100 coffee filters for $2.45 stapler I had folding envelope inside some kitty litter done.
Absolute genius!
small ziplock bag with holes poked in them works too. not everyone has empty prescription bottles laying around.
I use the desicants that come in medicine bottles and the plastic energy drink containers. They hold about 200 rounds each and fit many bottles into an ammo can. Wish I could post a pic here
Thanks dude, good info!
I was told by a major firearm’s supply outlets which starts with “B” not to use desiccant near my primers. Since the entire bottom of a rimfire is primer it would be a good choice, however, maybe not so great for centerfire ammunition. I would love to be proven wrong.
any .22s that fail from moisture are the cheap ones that have a loose fit bullet to casing. otherwise they stay good for many years
If ammo has been compromised via humidity, can it be saved by putting in in a sealed can with desiccant ?
An education..Thanks
I use a vacuum seam method with the gel packs - (pack): What I do is put a (silicon desiccant pack 0.5g) into each box if ammo and then I vacuum seal it and fold the bag down (like rapping a birthday pres) and tape it down with painter's tape: I bag them a 2nd time with pack's where they will sit flat like 10, 20, and another (silicon desiccant pack 1.0g) or what already sealed boxes I make the bag's extra long so I can reseal them and use them several times without the need to make new bag's all the time (me 10 time's use) then I put them into my ammo storage boxes with another (silicon desiccant pack 150g) more pack's for long term storage (I like plastic 81mm grenade boxes with seal's am slowly replacing my metal ones): I had a flood once and my ammo wound up in 40 ft of water and I had no problem's with any of my ammo: I buy all of my stuff on sell in bulk: The sealer that I use can seal up to 16" wide bag's I always buy roll's of 50ft +: I use the same process to store loaded magazines I have to have 11" wide bag's for my P/PS-90 magazines on 1st sealing of them the mags they are12.5" long in their boxes with a (silicon desiccant 0.5g) into each box into bag's I've sealed for the size of the box then 5 at a time in a second bag with (silicon desiccant pack 1.0g) I always store mag's in the boxes that they came in: I know my method seam's a little extreme but that is just me.?
If you made it this far: Walmart.com
Thanks for sharing your method!
The metal ammo cans will hold up to being submerged in water. I've seen the plastic leak at about 3ft submerged
Just a thought, u may not want to cycle out all those old metal cans
Here you go. Rice
I found pill bottles work well too
Got 100 desiccant packs on EBay for 20 bucks
WHY NOT PUT HOLES
THROUGH CAP??
in a sealed ammo box.. let's say the steal boxes... I go ahead and load the can up and put the home made desiccant pill bottle into it I'm wondering how often I should take that out out of the box and cook it to dry it out and reuse it and put it back in should we do this every month every 6 months every year every 5 years??? Please respond
David Guptill Jr that depends on how often you shoot ammo from that can, if it's often enough you just check it each time you shoot some & take note of when it looks saturated, then pop it in the oven when you're home. If you're storing the ammo for shtf though, I wouldn't put the cardboard boxes in the ammo can but rather just toss in ammo, desiccant pill bottle thingy, & close it up. The seal in the ammo can will keep stuff getting in & a healthy dosing of desiccant will be more than enough for almost indefinite storage.
Put in tygon bottle with dry ice till all oxygen driven out.
Great video
MIMI LITTER in pet section at Walmart. About $5 a bag.
Re: note about ammo cans. Plenty of videos on you tube showing plastic cans fail when submerged under water. Plus, every time you pick one up the lid deforms letting air into the container. Metal ammo can for storage. Not bigger than 50 cal. (gets too heavy)
Thanks
Store them in a Mason jar with one piece of soapstone in each jar!
I wonder if rice would work?? If a phone or camera hits the water, folks put it in a bag of rice to dry out.
Yes, it certainly could. Thanks for watching!
It wouldn't work as well as cat litter or silica, at least depending on the type of rice used. Silica is about 50% more effective than plain white rice and cat litter is about 37.5% more effective. Instant rice/oatmeal/couscous is still about 25% more effective though because the starchy layers have been cracked. If you want to preserve an investment, it's best not to go too far cheaping out on the materials.
Neat video..
Liked them subscribed
I just got an gold rod and boom all good..
But your tips are good!!
How often do you need to refresh the pill containers ?
If you never open the case, I wouldn't. If you do, then I'd swap them out.
Yeah assuming you don't break the airtight seal, you should never need to.
Billy Calder I under stand that.. but moisture molicule is very small... if u have a small tare in the. seal the moisture WILL GET IN.. my gut after dealing with automotive Air conditioning. is that the desiccant bed that is inside of a receiver drier on an automobile was told to ask during class years ago that if you had a perfectly flat surface the size of a football field, that this desk and bag inside the receiver drier absorbs enough water that it would take up the water off of that football field and I were talking a perfectly level surface sounds too far-fetched to me but that's what they told us back when we were in school that's how much that desiccant bag can actually absorbs
I put the desiccant pellets in a old soxs.. and tie it up and it's good to go .. heheeh
Go to your local Dollar Store and get a few. One dollar each. Easier.
Where can I purchase the dediccant?
Thank you 😁
****desiccant
eBay
Whatever you're talking about is 100% wrong go get yourself a FoodSaver vacuum sealer vacuum seal your ammunition that way they are there's no moisture no nothing as far as moisture oxygen or anything in that back once you get your ammunition vacuum sealed and you can get yourself a ammo can and put oxygen eliminators in your ammo can which will vacuum seal the animal can on the inside also so now you're double sealed no moisture no nothing make sure you lubricate the rubber gasket on the ammo can also and make sure you put oxygenators in there such as a hand warmer cuz it will burn the oxygen up now you're double vacuum sealed so we got to do very simple
Put rice in the bottom of the box