Where to store ammunition in an apartment

[mikemyers]

I found lots of old discussions about where to store ammo, but most were quite old, and almost all referred to someone with a house. So, I'm posting a new thread.

Let's say someone with several (5 to 10 or so) guns wants to store a reasonable amount of ammunition is a good place. People have suggested a gun safe might not be the best place. Typical choices might include a shelf in a closet, a drawer in a chest-of-drawers, a kitchen cabinet, and maybe near a reloading bench if the person has one. Are there better reasons to use one of these instead of another? To simplify this further, let's assume there are no kids living there, as if there were, I assume the ammo should be locked up.

I'm thinking of a reasonable amount of ammo, not enough to feed an army. This is for someone who might go to the range reasonably often, and might have three to five boxes of ammo for each caliber. Maybe more, but not a LOT more. It doesn't need to be a place that is quickly accessible.


My best guess is an empty drawer in a chest of drawers, so it's safe, out of sight, and won't get exposed to extreme temperatures.

Any thoughts?

(My own answer used to be the bottom of a gun safe, but apparently that's not such a good idea. I'm planning on emptying out a drawer somewhere, and organizing the ammo there.)

 

[gulogulo1970]

Get an USGI ammo can as big as you need. Put the ammunition in it with some desiccant and put it in the coolest place in your apartment. Should be fine kept that way for years.

They'll fit in a drawer, too.

 

[roscoe]

You can get lockable steel lockers that can be screwed to a stud in the back of a closet. Bass Pro Shop, Cabelas, Dick's etc. all sell them for ~$100. If you only put one or two 3" screws through the sheetrock to the stud, it still provides some protection and the small hole can be filled easily without the landlord ever knowing.

 

[WrongHanded]

Stack-On sheet steel lockers work well.

 

[rpenmanparker]

If the guns are locked up, why does the ammo have to be? Not counting states that require that.

 

[bullseye308]

That would depend on your definition of a “reasonable” amount. If it’s just a few hundred I’d go with mtm boxes(or original if you don’t reload) and store on a shelf. If it’s a few thousand I’d use ammo cans and stack in a corner.

 

[George P]

I'll vote for the drawer or a shelf in a closet, perhaps in a nondescript shoe box or two so any casual glance won't give it away (as in the super visiting when you're not there)

 

[rpenmanparker]

I keep about 5,000 rounds on the floor of the closet in my study in the original shipping cartons from Freedom.

 

[bersaguy]

I found steel ammo cans fit very well in a file cabinet. Set them in sideways, label the top. Doesn't advertise "ammo inside" and most are lockable.

 

[rpenmanparker]

Why are we hiding ammo? I don’t hide my guns. I lock them up for safety. But it isn’t necessary for ammo except in some states. Locking ammo up is just hiding it IMO.

 

[John Joseph]

If you use a locking file cabinet, put them in the bottom drawer to avoid gravity playing a nasty prank.
Also I would not store the ammo in ammo cans inside a filing cabinet.
Why? it makes it easier for a thief to remove your ammo(you're giving them the container with a handle to cart it all off!)
If you must use an ammo can I'll suggest a Fat .50. Fully loaded with ammo these things take a gorilla to lift.
A thief would first have to unload much of the ammo just to lift the can out of the drawer----that will take time and most grab and dash artists don't like hanging around.
My thoughts, anyway.

 

[rpenmanparker]

Ammo purchases are not restricted in many places. So why would the theft of ammo be any more of a risk than the theft of your TV? Any more of a risk of it happening. Any more of s risk to the public if it did. You don’t lock down your TV...do you? I don’t get this whole concept.

 

[bersaguy]

The filing cabinet was just a convenient place to put my ammo when I lived in an apartment. I was broken into there, my guns were in a stack on steel locking cabinet. They tore it out of the wall and we're able to pry one end of the door open, getting two pistols, they apparently couldn't get it the rest of the way to get the long guns out. Never did touch the ammo though. I have the guns in a proper safe now, the ammo is just stored in ammo cans in a closet these days. I still like to transport my long guns in a soft guitar bag when in public, I still don't like to advertise after that experience

 

[ontarget]

I read on here a while back of storing this type of thing in paint cans. You can buy new clean cans at the box stores (Lowes) and fill with ammo, or whatever, put the top on and maybe smear a little paint on the side. Place it on a shelf and nobody would ever give it a second glance.

 

[rpenmanparker]

Still no one is saying why ammo needs to be either hidden or locked up.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

 

[bassjam]

(My own answer used to be the bottom of a gun safe, but apparently that's not such a good idea. I'm planning on emptying out a drawer somewhere, and organizing the ammo there.)

If you already have a gun safe, and are just keeping a handful of boxes of ammo around, there's nothing wrong with keeping it in your gun safe.

Past that, as long as what you are using is sturdy and the ammo is in a "cool dry area" just about anything goes. I used to keep ammo stacked in milk crates in my bedroom closet. Then I moved it to a sturdy metal bookshelf. Now it's organized on a 7' tall grey metal utility stand that's bolted to the wall to keep from tipping over. It's sitting right next to my gun safe.

 

[FL-NC]

If it is in an apartment that a human can live in comfortably, there are no special storage requirements for ammo. In afg we stored ammo and explosives in 40' shipping containers in temps ranging from freezing to over 100 degrees, with no ill effects. So to me its just a matter of finding space. In other words, wherever.

 

[BSA1]

Get an USGI ammo can as big as you need. Put the ammunition in it with some desiccant and put it in the coolest place in your apartment. Should be fine kept that way for years.

They'll fit in a drawer, too.

I love USGI Metal Surplus ammo cans. I use both 30 and 50 caliber ones. They stack great and are very portable (50 caliber cans full of ammo are on the heavy side). They are great for grabbing and going to the range.

In addition to ammo I keep finding other things to put in them. Extra magazines, optics, misc. shooting stuff like staple gun, paper targets, etc.

Just put them on the floor of your closet alongside your shoes. Sit them in the dark corner of the closet beside some shoe boxes and they may not even be noticed.

I read on here a while back of storing this type of thing in paint cans. You can buy new clean cans at the box stores (Lowes) and fill with ammo, or whatever, put the top on and maybe smear a little paint on the side. Place it on a shelf and nobody would ever give it a second glance.

Good idea but used paint cans might look out-of-place in a apartment. Why use new empty cans though? Just clean out the paint in used cans.

 

[edwardware]

1) Cool
2) Dry
3) Don't sag the floor.

Everything else is gravy. Pick a closet where you won't stub your toes on it.

 

[bluejeans]

I don’t recommend doors or shelves for bulk storage... ammo is heavy. The floor is good wherever you won’t stub your toes. I like ammo cans.

You can get lockable steel lockers.... screwed to a stud in the back of a closet.... put one or 3 screws..... without the landlord ever knowing.

As a landlord, please don’t screw anything to the wall of you closet.. you know it’s against the contract and it does matter. Especially for something heavy like ammo.

If you consolidate your ammo to cans/containers or store it anywhere other than the safe, be sure to pull out one box of each caliber to keep with its respective gun... else it is useless.

 

[Caliper_Mi]

50-cal size ammo can(s). Store in cool dry place.

If you want it locked, the cheap "boxes that lock" as have been suggested, are a good option and then I'd call the ammo cans optional. The big thing is that the storage container be able to vent pressure in the event of a fire and not burst. Contrary to urban legend, loose ammo in a fire will NOT result in bullets flying around. The burst cases may fly around a bit but the rapid release of large volumes of hot gas is the biggest concern.

You'll also find that definitions of "reasonable amount of ammo" vary greatly. Anywhere from one to three (or more) zeroes at the end of that number...

 

[reddog81]

Where ever is convenient. I'm not sure why a gun safe would be a bad idea other than there's not enough room.

In a dresser drawer might work, but ammo is heavy and anything I would consider a reasonable would probably prevent the drawer from moving or break something.

Ammo cans in the bottom of a closet would be easier. Label the tops or sides of the cans so you know what is in each one.

 

[TJ AK-74]

You may also consider not placing ammo cans near anything that may need to be moved or accessed to make a repair, such as a closet wall that backs up to your shower. If your shower valve fails and maintenance or a plumber needs to cut through the wall to make repairs, I wouldn't want to need to move a stack of ammo cans while they're there or need to find somewhere else to hide them.

 

[ATLDave]

Ammo is heavy. If you're past a 3-5 boxes, be careful about putting it on shelves that are not heavy-duty, or in something like drawers in a piece of furniture that could tip over.

Keep it away from moisture and temperature extremes.