Facts and Fictions About Ammo Storage

Just as advances in medicine have increased life expectancy for people, improved technology in ammunition has added to its lifespan. Modern projectiles offer much greater stability than their keg-of-powder predecessors.

Nevertheless, ammo storage remains crucial, and it’s important to set your sights on tried-and-true methods that have held up over the years while shooting down various myths.Unlike milk and other perishable items, ammunition, contrary to popular opinion, does not have a fixed expiration date. Its longevity is largely determined by proper storage, with a cool, dry place significantly extending its life. When quality ammo is properly stored, it can remain effective for many years, especially if it’s purchased from trusted ammo manufacturers such as Armory Farm in South Georgia.

Despite Hollywood underwater gun battles to the contrary, most ammunition is water-resistant but not waterproof. That’s an important distinction. Exposure to moisture can adversely affect the primer and powder, subsequently impacting performance.

Ammunition should be stored in a dry area. Employing waterproof containers ensures it will remain dry.

Another myth that needs to be relegated to the world of fiction is that a round can be fired or “cooked off” in a hot car; cooking off refers to the primer in a round igniting due to ambient heat.

Gunpowder ignites at temperatures ranging from 570 to 660 degrees Fahrenheit. Lead melts at 621 degrees, while nitrocellulose, the third component of modern ammo, ignites around 320 to 338 degrees. Even in a car parked in the sun with the windows rolled up, the temperature might reach 212 degrees—high enough to boil water but not cook off an ammo round.

Although an ammo cook-off inside a vehicle is unlikely, there are some rules to follow when keeping firearms in vehicles during hot weather: crack the windows to increase air circulation and lower internal temperature, store in the trunk, or park in a shaded area, and limit storage time.