Lets talk storage!

[Fly-guy]

Wow, I feel really "cheap & dirty". I use paper lunch sacks per 100 boolits, then roll the excess sack around the boolits, "seal" the sack with masking tape and then use a sharpie marker for caliber, boolit type, alloy & date cast. The sacks of boolits are then stored under my bench in heavy cardboard boxes.

[Adam10mm]

I use the Uline "indestructo mailers" boxes for my commercial ammunition packaging and also some when I cast up a run of bullets to sell. I've got a bunch of different sizes but am trying to consolidate to a few.

[JesseCJC]

I use the small flat rate boxes to store my boolits. USPS shoe boxes for brass by caliber and ammo cans for loaded ammunition/mags.

[captain-03]

[Jim_Fleming]

After seeing Captain-03's posting... I'm not sure if I should turn bright green with jealousy... Or bright blue with envy!

[paul edward]

We live in a container rich environment. Just look at the containers that go in your trash or recycle bin and you will find all the materials for a storage system.

Before plastic, jelly jars were used for storage. I remember an uncle who had about fifty jars hanging from the the shelf in his garage. Lids were screwed to the bottom of the shelf. He sorted fasteners by type and size and could see the contents.

I have been lucky, as the other shooters that use the same range, tend to leave their empty brass and the boxes. Most considerate.

[Bullwolf]

I am cheap enough to clean out my empty clear plastic peanut butter containers with screw on lids, to use them for storage.

For the larger stuff, I will re-use clear plastic 2 quart, or 1 gallon mayonnaise containers.

I can tumble lube in the smaller plastic peanut butter containers, and I find the larger clear plastic containers with screw on lids nice for storing bulkier items. I also use them to hold hulls, brass, nuts, bolts, and screws in too.

A really handy tip is that you can use good old Hoppe's No.9 solvent to remove the glue and labels from the containers too.

I also find myself using small Ziploc® sandwich bags and the larger 1 gallon size bags to separate and store brass, small batches of loaded boolits, and lubed boolits in.

You can write on them easily with a permanent marker.

I really like using the plastic Dillon plastic AkroBins, but I am a bit to cheap to buy them.

Sometimes I even re-use the plastic inserts that come with a box of factory ammunition.

I also have bought a few of the 50 and 100 round plastic holding boxes for specific loaded calibers.

While they can be pricey, they are often just too convenient not to use them.

I use 5 Gallon buckets for wheel weights, but it seems like every garage does too.


I normally store my ingots in the open square plastic milk crates. They have nice handles to hang onto too.


I like using the 30, and 50 caliber ammo cans for airtight storage.

I also like the larger 20mm and 30mm boxes for the big stuff.

The airtight sealing lids sure are really nice if you have something you want to keep dry inside. (like a boolit mold)

- Bullwolf

[midnight]

Maybe I missed it but doesn't any one use 5qt ice cream pails? That's where most of my brass is stored. I've got an 11 course basement so I built two layer storage shelf units using 1x4s & 1x10 planks and hung them from the floor joists. Make them high enough so you don't bump your head. Vast anounts of storage space that doesn't use any floor space. I pity the 6'6" guy who buys my place when I'm gone.

Bob

[alamogunr]

Maybe I missed it but doesn't any one use 5qt ice cream pails? That's where most of my brass is stored. I've got an 11 course basement so I built two layer storage shelf units using 1x4s & 1x10 planks and hung them from the floor joists. Make them high enough so you don't bump your head. Vast anounts of storage space that doesn't use any floor space. I pity the 6'6" guy who buys my place when I'm gone.

Bob

I use the ice cream buckets for brass. I also use coffee containers, both plastic and metal. I use empty peanut butter jars and other plastic containers for boolets.

I'm a pack rat when it comes to books and magazines. I made one layer cases that I hung each side of the shop against the ceiling. I couldn't see taking up floor space since it was limited. One side has everything gun related, the other side is woodworking and shop.

John
W.TN

[Vinne]

Powder like 231 used to come in 3 lb cans with a screw tops (don't think they still do). After all if it keeps powder dry, why not any thing else. When empty, I could put about 1000 9mm 125 gr cast in each. It took me 5 months to get back to the house after Katrina with 7 foot of water in my area but when the can was opened the 9s looked like new, the can however, was shot on the outside and was not reuseable. For now I use 3 lb coffee cans and for loaded rounds ammo cans work great thanks to the seal. The 50 cal for 38s and 9s and the large cans with 2 handles for shotshells. All my ammo cans I recovered after the storm were a rusted mess on the outside but like new on the inside and saved everything inside them. They were well worth the price I paid for each one!!!!

[rbertalotto]

Aluminum , drop ceiling , ventilation / light box grills.............



Put two pieces together and you have a reloading tray / bullet storage tray.....And since it is wide open at the bottom, no crud collets.



I used simple duck tape to hold them together.

[Cerberus]

JD,
I use your boxes to store 30 cal. rifle bullets. I can get 65 into a box.

[Sonnypie]

I "dumpster dive" at the range.
People toss the plastic racks and boxes in the cans.
I use them for my reloading bench.
I got 3 - S&W 40 boxes last trip and the plastic racks fits my 45's and '06 brass just fine.
I use them for racking, stacking, sortin, and snortin.
I have been using them to collate my 45 boolits. I put the boolits in a tray nose down (or nose first, if you will), then put a small piece of oak board on it and hold the whole works together and turn it right side up.
When I take the rack off, I have a bunch of soldiers standing at attention in rows of 5's. Works like rackin pool balls.

I'm about to embark on tumble cleaning my brass with SS media. Since it is a wet method of cleaning, I figured I'd rack the cases mouth down in the cool Federal box racks I got standing on my head in the trash can. The racks are perfect in that they have a cross bar bottom that will allow air to circulate to dry the brass.
I'm going to use the R/O filtered water as a final rinse. So I expect no spots.

[dromia]

I use the little plastic boxes that business card come in, easy to get or cheap to buy and holds nigh on 100 30 calibre boolits. See through and stack easy.

[HiVelocity]

Being retired; money is tight. When it comes to storing brass, loaded ammo, you name it, I have a tendency to look at everything.

1- For all of you that load 45 ACP and just can't find the boxes you would like. Contact the training/range officer of your local police/sheriff's department and find out when they're qualifying. The .40 caliber ammo boxes with inserts that NO ONE wants? Well, they'll hold 45 ACP Just fine, try it. I buy the cheap peel and stick 1 1/4" X 2 1/4" address labels and place them over the 40S&W info on each end.

Also, ask for the shotshell empties. Many departments use only high brass 12ga buckshot and normally throw all the boxes and spent shells in the garbage. I have a 25 gallon bag full, once fired.

2. Check your sandwich shops for small and mid-sized pails. Deli's and sandwich shops get everything you can imagine in an assortment of containers. Normally, I get them just for the asking. 2qt, 3qt oddballs work great if you decide to water quench your CB's with a piece of carpet or terrycloth in the bottom.

I'm always interested if anyone has any more thrifty idea's.

HV in SC

[Just Duke]

Had some scraps left over from the tool cabinets we made from Baltic Birch.
Sealed, sanded and 2 part laquered.
Pictured are 500 grain S&W's that get double stacked in the taller boxes post adding cardboard spacers.

[MRsmalltalk]

For the larger stuff, I will re-use clear plastic 2 quart, or 1 gallon mayonnaise containers.
hi where did u get 2 quart, or 1 gallon mayonnaise containers. thanks

I can tumble lube in the smaller plastic peanut butter containers, and I find the larger clear plastic containers with screw on lids nice for storing bulkier items. I also use them to hold hulls, brass, nuts, bolts, and screws in too.

A really handy tip is that you can use good old Hoppe's No.9 solvent to remove the glue and labels from the containers too.

I also find myself using small Ziploc® sandwich bags and the larger 1 gallon size bags to separate and store brass, small batches of loaded boolits, and lubed boolits in.

You can write on them easily with a permanent marker.

I really like using the plastic Dillon plastic AkroBins, but I am a bit to cheap to buy them.

Sometimes I even re-use the plastic inserts that come with a box of factory ammunition.

I also have bought a few of the 50 and 100 round plastic holding boxes for specific loaded calibers.

While they can be pricey, they are often just too convenient not to use them.

I use 5 Gallon buckets for wheel weights, but it seems like every garage does too.


I normally store my ingots in the open square plastic milk crates. They have nice handles to hang onto too.


I like using the 30, and 50 caliber ammo cans for airtight storage.

I also like the larger 20mm and 30mm boxes for the big stuff.

The airtight sealing lids sure are really nice if you have something you want to keep dry inside. (like a boolit mold)

- Bullwolf[/QUOTE]

[Bullwolf]

Hi where did u get 2 quart, or 1 gallon mayonnaise containers. Thanks

Most grocery stores carry mayonnaise in large containers. You can try a bulk foods store if there's one is close by like Costco. Your local Walmart or Grocery Outlet may even carry them.

The catch is you have to eat (use up) whats inside the plastic jars first, then clean it out and reuse it.

Many of my friends do the same thing (clean and re-use) mixed nut containers as well as peanut butter, and mayonnaise plastic containers.


- Bullwolf

[Jtarm]

Whatever I can find: plastic buckets, coffee cans, zip lock bags, margerine tubs.

My dad was in the dairy packaging business and gave me a big bunch of rectangular one-quart plastic tubs about 30 years ago,. The few that have stayed indoors are still with me, though the lids are cracked.

[1eyedjack]

I like to use brewed tea bottles with the 30mm screw on lids .I powder coat bullets and size on my APP press have a shelf that the tea bottle sits on under the sizing die with the die inside the neck of the bottle. Bottles are clear, free and resealable hold about 200 9mm 125grain bullets .just about all I want to pull off that back shelf .Gatorade bottles have the same 30mm cap