Desicant for long term ammo storage

[durango#95]

Don't know if any one uses it, but it is ideal in a sealed ammo can, ect.
It is NOT cheep, but if any one is looking for some on the cheep side PM me.
I use it in cans with my welding rod to keep it moisture free for prolonged storage.

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[treemanx]

What is this exactly? I dont know that Ive ever heard of desicant before? Might be interested if get some more info. Currently, my "small" ammo supply is inside a humidity and temp controlled safe. Is that not good enough for long term storeage, or is desicant just another good option?

 

[PeakResources]

From wikipedia:

Silica gel is a granular, vitreous, highly porous form of silica made synthetically from sodium silicate. Despite its name, silica gel is a solid.

Silica gel is most commonly encountered in everyday life as beads packed in a semi-permeable plastic. In this form, it is used as a desiccant to control local humidity in order to avoid spoilage or degradation of some goods. Because of poisonous dopants (see below) and their very high adsorption of moisture, silica gel packets usually bear warnings for the user not to eat the contents. If consumed, the pure silica gel is unlikely to cause acute or chronic illness, but would be problematic nonetheless. However, some packaged desiccants may include fungicide and/or pesticide poisons. Food-grade desiccant should not include any poisons which would cause long-term harm to humans if consumed in the quantities normally included with the items of food. A chemically similar substance with far greater porosity is aerogel.

I've heard piano stores may have extras that can be picked up cheaply. Note that silica gel must be "recharged" every onece in a while. You put it in the oven for a few hours to drive out any moisture, and then it's good to go suck up more moisture again.

I use it along with a goldenrod in the safe, and typically throw one in ammo cans to keep humidity low.

Durango, what is your source for cheap stuff?

 

[tionico]

ANyone know about the pros/cons of using nitrogen packaging for long term ammo preservation? I've got impermeable foil/plastic bags (used for packaging coffee and tea, which I handle), and the bag sealer and nitro pack unit. It floods the package with dry nitrogen before sealing it... in other words, no oxygen in the bag, and it is TOTALLY tight to anything. BUT--- anyone know whether the nitrogen gas will react with gunpowder or primer? I know nitrogen is one of the elements in both...... just don't want to do anything stupid or dangerous..... I know the nitrogen will preserve food product in the sealed bag for years..... until it is opened. thinking of doing the same with smaller lots of ammo. Say, four boxes per sealed bag..... open them as needed.... the rest keep, well, forever? Way past any time I'll care about.

 

[durango#95]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desiccant

The little packs you find in the box your TV came in

 

[MrNatural]

Best way to store ammuntion long term is in steel ammo cans.

For dessicant, just find some gypsum wall board (i.e. sheetrock) scraps. Check your local builders supply yard or a local building site. Gypsum is very hydroscopic (i.e. absorbs water).

Peel the paper off one side and cut into pieces about the size of a pack of playing cards. Bake in the oven at 170 degrees for an hour or two to drive off the moisture. Put one of these in your sealed ammo can and your ammo will stay dry a LONG time.

Simple, cheap and very effective.

 

[tionico]

Mr. Natural, that is great stuff... funny, I've observed that gyproc will absorb moisture, and that it can be driven off easily. But hey, you've got it down to a practical science. thanks. I can think of quite a number of other ways to use this...... larger pieces in larger cabinets, etc.....

the ONLY downside to steel ammo cans is, that should the goons come round knocking us up and demanding our arms and ammunition, we play dumb, they search, a steel ammo can will attract instant attention, and disappear along with their abominable selves. But then, hey, hows one going to insure against EVERY possible scenario....

thanks again, this bit is great

 

[toys]

you can use them, but i would keep them separated from the brass/ammo since anything that can absorve moisture will give off moisture.

you can also add a air nipple and purge w/dry nitrogen. those cans are somewhat h2o proof, but not sure how air tight they are.

 

[CEF1959]

When I lived in a hot humid climate, we put grains of rice in our salt shakers to keep the salt from absorbing moisture and caking up. I wonder if a cup of rice in an ammo can would do the same thing.

 

[billwright]

From wikipedia:


I've heard piano stores may have extras that can be picked up cheaply. Note that silica gel must be "recharged" every onece in a while. You put it in the oven for a few hours to drive out any moisture, and then it's good to go suck up more moisture again.

I use it along with a goldenrod in the safe, and typically throw one in ammo cans to keep humidity low.

Durango, what is your source for cheap stuff?

There is a web site called SilicaGelPackets.com
it sells these Desiccant products. I have purchased from before and received a "reorder" coupon for 20% off... just use the code 20OFFNOW and you should get a 20% discount. I do not think there is any limit on how many of you can use it, so enjoy!

 

[LE6920]

buy a five pound bag of this

at Bimart for $5.99 on sale, put a hand full in nylon stockings, put in sealed ammo can and be done. You can get free nylon stockings at the Nordstrom women shoe department, just have your wife grap a hand full of the try-on stockings, so they don't think you are a cross dresser - not that there is anything wrong with cross-dressing.................

Enough silica in one bag for a lifetime.

this is the same thing but more $$

http://www.petco.com/Shop/AlternateImages.aspx?FamilyID=6678&sku=

 

[RockKrawler]

I use a vacuum sealer for long term storage of ammo,and just store it in ammo cans.
Have been doing this for almost 20 yrs,so far nothing has failed to work.
RK

 

[tuckerha]

I bought one of those spam cans. Does anyone know how well the ammo will keep if the can remains sealed?

 

[pdxjohann]

PeakResources, Mr. Natural, RockCrawler, I love the way you think practically (and cheap.) Elsullo and Doc UP do think that way too - resourceful first. LE6920, perhaps you can clue me in on the high thigh holster for that one Saturday a month.

Rice works, used silica bags must work too. How about those food storage methods working as well.

 

[markw76]

I bought one of those spam cans. Does anyone know how well the ammo will keep if the can remains sealed?

A long time IF the seal is good and IF it was very dry when sealed. I've seen some come on the market that a percentage were not so well done, tarnished rounds and corrosion. The seller usually lets you know if its a major seller.


You can also recharge silica gel/dessicant/dessi-packs in the microwave, but its best to finish in a toaster oven. The microwave drives off the moisture but it mostly just makes the little packets damp on the outside and they'll re-absorb the moisture. Don't get the packs too hot though. Some are made from paper, others from Tyvek, which doesn't tolerate the heat as well. Tyvek is usually white, paper can be white or brown.

 

[littlecars]

I would bag the nitrogen idea. Not that it would not work, but it is not practical or safe. for it to work it would have to be 100% N2. That means that you would have to remove the "air" before adding the N2. If you had a sealed container with an air fitting on the side this would not work. you would simply be adding N2 to the air already inside. not removing any moisture that is in there.

For it to work you would have to have a constant purge. That means a air fitting and a vent hole. There would have to be a constant pressureized supply of nitrogen pushing in and a constant vent going out. This would work great but would be extremly dangerous. It would slowly dilute the air around the container and eventualy there would not be enought oxegen in the air for you to live. it is a compltely pain free way to die. Nitrogen in know throughout industy as a "silent killer". About 78% of the air you breath in N2 therefor when the air around you is dilute with more N2 you slowly sufficate. you cant see it, smell it, feal it, taste it, you will just get tired fall asleep and die.

So dont use nitrogen to preserve ammo.

 

[markw76]

You can get non-liquid 100% dry nitrogen in pressure tanks. Utilities use it to purge normal air from cable runs and conduits. Cheaper just to get some cowhide gloves and some dry ice, drop a small chunk in and let it evaporate. As the temperature comes back up, the humidity goes down, and the cool gas sinks into the container unless you stir it around too much. Carefully place your stuff in the ammo can and close it up.

Better yet, get a group buy going of the little desipaks, 1 per packed ammo can. There must be several hundred in a 5 gallon bucket and they're cheaper that way.

 

[littlecars]

Using a block of dry ice would not work very whell. If you put dry ice in a sealed container there is still air in it, with air comes humidity. the humidity cannot disappear!!!! for it to work there has to be a way for the air to excape. that is why you would have to have a constant purge, with a vent. this would require a large amount of N2 that would have to be constatly replenished. thiw would not be practical with a block of dry ice.


The 100% non liquid is what I am talking about. Very dangerous. I use it almost everyday. I am a Automation Tech at a oil refinery. we use it for a lot of thing, to purge electrical boxes, condiut, heaters, boilers, tanks, vessels. we have a 6000 barrel (1 barrel = 42 gallons) tank of liquid we get filled about every 10 days. we convert it to dry ( I forget the conversion factor but it is something like 360:1) so we use a lot of N2. Thats 12,165,480 cubic feet of it every 10 days. I have dozens of hours of hazwaper training. and a bunch of N2 training. My profesional advice is only to use nitrogen if you are trained to handle it and are constantly montering the oxegen level. I would also never ever consider using it indoors.

Take my advice or leave it, but dont say I didnt warn you.

 

[BlvdKing]

buy a five pound bag of this

at Bimart for $5.99 on sale, put a hand full in nylon stockings, put in sealed ammo can and be done. You can get free nylon stockings at the Nordstrom women shoe department, just have your wife grap a hand full of the try-on stockings, so they don't think you are a cross dresser - not that there is anything wrong with cross-dressing.................

Enough silica in one bag for a lifetime.

this is the same thing but more $$

http://www.petco.com/Shop/AlternateImages.aspx?FamilyID=6678&sku=

This stuff seems like the way to go, and it gives me an excuse to go to Bimart!