Pellet / ammo storage chest

[TCups]

I wish one of you clever machinist types would come up with a water-proof, air-tight (aluminum?) chest with gasket seals, a place to put some drying agent in the lid, and some type of valve & vent mechanism where one could purge the case with CO2 from a 12 gram cartridge when the lid is latched.  Purpose?  Long term storage of lead pellets and ammo in a dry, oxygen free environment.  Thinking of a small chest, that would hold, say, 10-12 standard military ammo cans.  Large handles on either end of the chest.  Stout lock hasp and hinges.  Whaddya think?  $200 project?  More?

[HILMAN76]

Not as a good idea as yours, but you can store ammo or pellets tins in sealer bags.

http://www.foodsaver.com/Product.aspx?id=c&cid=87&pid=392

[TCups]

. . . or maybe just 5-gal buckets with air-tight lids.  But I don't really want to un-box ammo, and the square military cans don't fit well in round buckets.  I have seen the larger garment storage bags that you collapse with a vacuum cleaner hose.  Maybe that might be an option.  Still, a secure chest that could be transported quickly if needed, or maybe even wrapped in plastic and burried . . .

[SDale]

Something that big would be hard to find on the shelf. A steel box would work. But it'd be heavy, especially when loaded up.

Actually, you wouldn't wanna purge with CO2. It expands and contracts too much.  Nitrogen or Argon would be better.  You can get Nitrogen from the Costco Tire department.  

As for dessicant, Year One sells dessicant bags made to be put in the compartments of a car during storage. Got that part covered.

A steel .50 BMG ammo can would work fine, just make sure the seal is good. Then drill & tap the lid for a shrader valve. Drop in your ammo and a dessicant bag, then pump it down with a Mighty Vac, and charge the can with nitrogen. The whole thing would cost maybe $20 bucks and some time.

If you want me to make you one for $200 bucks, PM me hehehe. I don't have any .50bmg cans but I've got a box full of .30 cal cans and a biiiiig cylinder full of Argon.

[daved]

How about a Pelican case fitted with a one way exhaust valve and separate fill valve?  They're air and water tight, lockable, and come in a huge array of sizes.  And rather than CO2, purge it with nitrogen.  The inert atmosphere would be even better than CO2, which still has O2 in it and is therefore reactive.  Later.

Dave

[RedFeather]

No pun intended but those garment bags suck. Eventually they will bleed back in. Been there, done that. Just get a foot locker and store the ammo boxes. My aunt gave me about a thousand rounds of Winchester M2 Ball in M1 clips which my uncle had stored in ammo boxes in a basement which flooded a bit on occasion. It was 1953 Korean war production. The brass was shiny as the day if left the factory.

[SDale]

Yup! Those would work pretty well too!

daved - 11/23/2009  9:33 PM

How about a Pelican case fitted with a one way exhaust valve and separate fill valve?  They're air and water tight, lockable, and come in a huge array of sizes.  And rather than CO2, purge it with nitrogen.  The inert atmosphere would be even better than CO2, which still has O2 in it and is therefore reactive.  Later.

Dave

[HILMAN76]

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/hyskore-silica-gel-dessicant.aspx?a=359233

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/used-us-81-mm-ammo-can-olive-drab.aspx?a=591950

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/used-40-mm-ammo-can.aspx?a=571926

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/used-30-cal-ammo-can.aspx?a=513915

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/mtm-ammo-cans.aspx?a=506871http://www.sportsmansguide.com/search/search.asp?r=Page%3a+%2fnet%2fcb%2fcb.aspx+KW+Box&s=SEARCH&a=search&k=ammo%2bcan" />

[onemountain]

I think I'm missing something here.. what's wrong with CO₂? A CO₂ powerlet shouldn't have any O₂ in it, should it? (Do they?) And why would CO₂ expand or contract any more (or less) than nitrogen or Argon or any other gas for that matter (for practical purposes)?

I'm confused..

[RedFeather]

Just curious, but why would you want to store ammo like this? Since most ammo has a looooong shelf life (at least, firearms ammo), it seems like you're going to a lot of work for little gain. Pellets you can spray with something like Sheath if oxidation is a worry. Besides, we're all going to H in a hand basket come Dec 23, 2012 (see discussion on Back Room).

[howie1a]

How about a pelican box yes that's the brand name  you can find them in dive shope they are water proof with a o ring seal and have a pressure release valve for flying they come in sizes from the size you would need for a camera all the way up to a suitcase size for a full set of dive gear, and they are very strong. howie

[daved]

Eric, the O2 in CO2 is an oxygen molecule.  Carbon Dioxide is one carbon, 2 oxygens.  So in any volume of CO2 gas, it's 2/3 oxygen.  On the molecular level, oxy is unstable, it's always looking for something to combine or react with.  Kind of like the typical male teenager :-).  Nitrogen and argon, among others, are inert, which means they're happy to just sit there and do nothing.  I don't know about expansion and contraction effects, but reactivity is the key here.  Metal rusts in an oxygen atmosphere, but not in nitrogen.  Nitrogen is also good for keeping food from spoiling, that bag of chips that's full of air when you open it is actually full of nitrogen.  And thus endeth the sum total of my high school chemistry :-)!  Later.

Dave

[onemountain]

So it's nitrogen that makes Lays so magically delicious? lol

Dave, I do have to take issue with your chemistry- the O₂ in CO₂ is not an 'oxygen molecule'. In carbon dioxide the oxygen atoms are both double bound to the carbon atom. It's not the same thing as having free oxygen radicals or molecules; CO₂ is actually pretty unreactive. I'm just thinking it should still be a good alternative to nitrogen or argon for those who don't have access to them but do have access to powerlets etc. Seal it, toss in a dit of desiccant, and purge with nitrogen, argon, or CO₂.

Just trying to be informative, not start anything lol.