New gun safe , store ammo in or out ?

[natescout]

I just bought myself a new gun safe , (stackon elite, half hour fire rating). My question is do i store my ammo in or out, if there's a fire will the ammo cook off inside the safe and destroy my guns. I dont have kids so leaving the ammo out is not a problem. Appreciate any advice , thanks

 

[Carlos Cabeza]

It makes it heavier and harder to move. There are pros and cons to in or out but I have ammo inside my safe fwiw. Don't worry too much about the "whatifs" in life, just make sure your wife or GF unplugs the curling iron after use.

 

[Kindrox]

I store mine inside. With ammo prices the way they are, a full ammo can costs as much as a basic pistol.

 

[a1abdj]

Small amounts are OK.

Don't store large amounts in a safe, as it can create an explosion hazard in a fire. Flimsy locking metal cabinets are fine as they will vent themselves.

 

[dcoop]

I store over 5K rounds in mine of which 3K are .22. I see no problem with it.

(Safe is in the basement)

 

[CoRoMo]

...just make sure your wife or GF unplugs the curling iron after use.

True that! I've come home too many times to find my wife's curling iron sitting fire hot all day while we were both at work.


I keep ammo in a couple designated drawers, but only because I don't have a good safe yet. I'd keep it all in there no problem.

 

[theotherwaldo]

There's no room in my safes for ammo. Should I buy a security box just for ammunition?

 

[Sinixstar]

There's no room in my safes for ammo. Should I buy a security box just for ammunition?

I might go with something like a metal locker type device, just for peace of mind, and convenience. Something you can put some shelves in and organize, that's also going to be lockable. I personally don't think I would get anything too expensive or too hardcore just for ammo though.
Perhaps something along these lines:

http://www.mailboxes.com/product.as...And+FINISH='GY'+And+ASSEMBLE='U'&Previous=yes

Bolt it down, put a padlock on it - and while it may not be as secure as a safe - it's going to take at least some level of effort to break into. Just don't store it in the garage right next to the bolt cutters.

 

[crazy-mp]

(Safe is in the basement)

:banghead:
That is the worst place to put a safe. If your house does ever catch fire there is a pretty good chance that the floor will fall in and your safe will be burried in burning debris. Personally I would put it along an exterrior wall if at all possible.

 

[CB900F]

Fella's;

It's possible to find an ex-military, commercial, or school system double door metal locker for $25.00 to $50.00 in most places of the country. Store ammo in that, save the expensive space for guns.

900F

 

[Kind of Blued]

If it's a fire resistant safe, it may be the only logical place to keep your ammo in case of a fire.

Unless you have any openings or holes in the safe large enough for gnomes or trolls to gain entrance, keeping your ammo in the same place as your guns isn't unsafe in my mind.

Watch out though, my house is infested with the buggers. They keep stealing my guitar picks.

 

[CU74]

If you have room in your gun safe for ammunition storage, you don't have enough guns in there........

 

[ServiceSoon]

That is the worst place to put a safe. If your house does ever catch fire there is a pretty good chance that the floor will fall in and your safe will be burried in burning debris. Personally I would put it along an exterrior wall if at all possible.

As opposed to keeping it on the main floor so when the floor falls in the safe is dropped 15 feet? I would be more concerned about storing a safe in the basement and it flooding.

 

[dcoop]

Actually it is in the corner of the basement on a platform I built. (in case of flooding)

To be truthful, if my house burned the least of my worries would be my guns, they can be replaced.

 

[wally]

Initially I also kept the ammo in the safe, but eventually I had to remove it to make room for more guns

--wally.

 

[natescout]

should i worry about the ammo cooking off inside the safe ?

 

[a1abdj]

If it's a fire resistant safe, it may be the only logical place to keep your ammo in case of a fire.

should i worry about the ammo cooking off inside the safe ?

Yes.

Your average gun safe claims to maintain an interior temperature up to 350 degrees in a fire. In most cases, this is a lie, but let's assume it's true.

Certain ammo can begin to cook off in the 280 degree range.

If your ammo is packed tightly together and all starts to cook off at once, your safe will not be able to vent the explosion, and may create a dangerous situation. Even if the safe doesn't cause a big explosion, it's possible that the explosion would be big enough to tear the safe open.

Ammo cans are designed to vent, and any thin metal locking cabinet would as well. Explosions are caused by the dangerous build up of pressure. You want that pressure to relieve itself before getting to explosive levels.

 

[zoom6zoom]

I only keep the "grab and go" mags in the safe. Don't want large amounts of ammo in a sealed metal container, even if there was room.

 

[MAKster]

Inside your safe is the most expensive square footage you own. Why take up such valuable and limited space with bulky ammo.

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

That is the worst place to put a safe. If your house does ever catch fire there is a pretty good chance that the floor will fall in and your safe will be burried in burning debris.

Help me out here. You're saying that if the house is on fire, the floor will fall in. But, you saying that you shouldn't put the safe in the basement. You mention next to an exterior wall, but how does that keep the floor from falling in?

 

[dcoop]

Inside your safe is the most expensive square footage you own. Why take up such valuable and limited space with bulky ammo.

I bought a big safe

 

[22-rimfire]

I see no problem with storing ammunition in a safe. But frankly I couldn't fit it in one anyway. So I don't. I prefer metal shelves.

As far as fires go, it is all a matter of degree. Your safe will fall to the lowest place in your house or beneath your house in a major fire. It will be covered with burning debris and the contents will most likely be ruined due to the heat even if it is a fire proof safe.

Envision a full basement.... safe is upstairs because you don't want it in the higher humidity environment. House catches fire and it's a total loss which is typical if you live in the country. The safe will be lying in your basement covered with red hot burning coals and debris for days. Stuff does not go out immediately even with the fire department there. They eliminate the problem, but things will still be HOT and stuff may re-ignite.

One place for a safe is to keep it in a location where it may be forceably removed in the event of a fire. Think chain or cable and a winch on a vehicle like a heavy truck Just remember a burgler could use the same chain or cable to yank it out of the house. There is absolutely NO TIME in a house fire to make more than one or two trips inside to get "stuff". People die in fires.

Another possibility is a separate room in the basement with the room encased in concrete. But you have the humidity issue there.

 

[lance daugherty]

I bought a cheap walmart safe and turned it on its side and stored my ammo. I have a liberty safe for all my guns. That way my wife doesnt complain and the kids are safe.

 

[tpaw]

Is there a limit as to the amount of ammo you can store before any kind of license or permit is needed? I heard there was?

 

[RPCVYemen]

I would think long and hard about storing powder or ammo in an airtight safe. Ammo "cooking off" is no big deal - despite the mental pictures, bullets don't go flying. On the other hand, if you confine that rapidly expanding call of gas, it can be quite destructive.

This obviously depends quite a bit on the amount if ammo, but power and ammo should really be stored in something that vented or relatively flimsy - something that will blow out under relatively low pressure. For large amounts of powder, I think the suggestion is actually a wooden box.

Mike