Long term brass storage??

hogman · 04-02-2012, 20:46

I recently found a great deal on once fired large primer .45,In order to get the deal I have to buy 10,000. what is the best way to store this stuff for long periods of time? I was thinking 5 gallon buckets with some discarded tumbling media or kitty litter?

SARDG · 04-02-2012, 20:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by hogman

I recently found a great deal on once fired large primer .45,In order to get the deal I have to buy 10,000. what is the best way to store this stuff for long periods of time? I was thinking 5 gallon buckets with some discarded tumbling media or kitty litter?

What is "long term"? I was on track to shoot about 25,000 rounds a year (of various calibers), but '10,000' may only mean 6 months of brass.

hogman · 04-02-2012, 20:56

Was thinking about buying a lot of this brass to have on hand so maybe 1-3 yrs ?

PCJim · 04-02-2012, 20:56

I'm storing my extra brass in HD "Homer" 5gal buckets, no media or other inside the buckets, and in a Florida garage, non-a/c. I have no experience with LT storage, but my thought is that it will not deteriorate as long as no chemical vapors or animal pee can get to it.

GioaJack · 04-02-2012, 21:07

I have 5.56 ammo cans full of .45, 5.56, .38, 30-06 and various other calibers that were originally filled between 1969 and 73. No media, no humidity strips, no nothing... just brass.

I'm still loading all the brass, just open a can, dump the brass into the feed bowl and load.

As long as it wasn't originally corrosive primed brass stored out of the elements and away from chemical contamination will last longer than you.

Jack

hogman · 04-02-2012, 21:14

I am planning on using homer buckets as well. I live in Michigan so I was a little concerned with temp changes (basement storage) would some type of media be over kill or cheap insurance?

Hogpauls · 04-02-2012, 21:49

While everyone one above have good ideas, I think I might have the room you need to store those in my garage.

freakshow10mm · 04-02-2012, 22:30

Cool and dry place will keep moisture at bay. I toss in a desiccant for good measure. You can buy them from Uline.com.

I use 6 gallon buckets that I get from my day job. They have a twist top that locks in place. Toss a desiccant on top, put the top on, put in the basement. I live in the Keweenaw, so there's my temperature swing for you.

Basement storage is fine.

hogman · 04-02-2012, 23:05

Thanks for the tips. Dah up eh? I love it up dere!

freakshow10mm · 04-03-2012, 00:39

I'm born and raised in Wisconsin. I don't talk like the old Finn.

grenadier · 04-03-2012, 08:37

Gallon sized Ziploc (or whatever the Wal-Mart generic equivalent is) bag, and these bags are put in a cardboard box sitting in my closet.

I tumbled a bunch of .45 ACP brass before putting them into these bags, and took a peek today, and they're still shiny, even after 2 years of storage.

PhantomF4E · 04-03-2012, 11:37

If you are really paranoid about and corrosives clean decap and size in your order of preference. Get rid of the old primers make it all shiney clean and toss them in the bucket or can. I get my spare brass in ready to load condition and then store it. I have some brass, 9mm and '06 that has spent 30 + years in a damp S Florida garage. A few minutes in a tumbler and they would be perfect.

RustyFN · 04-03-2012, 15:35

I have a five gallon bucket full of 9mm. I cleaned it in the tumbler with Nu Finish car polish. The bucket has a lid so it sealed. The brass has been in there at least 2 or 3 years. I looked at it the other day and it's as shiny as the day it was put in.

shotgunred · 04-03-2012, 18:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by hogman

I recently found a great deal on once fired large primer .45,In order to get the deal I have to buy 10,000. what is the best way to store this stuff for long periods of time? I was thinking 5 gallon buckets with some discarded tumbling media or kitty litter?

I just store mine in 5 gallon buckets.

Quote:

with some discarded tumbling media or kitty litter?

I would think this would be a very bad idea. That would hold any moisture and speed up the corrosion of your brass.

byf43 · 04-04-2012, 05:42

Empty 5 gallon "homer" buckets or buckets from Lowe's.

I was given 2 of these buckets full of .308 brass, and the brass was dirty.

A couple of hours in the tumbler with crushed walnut shells, then into the other tumbler with red jeweler's rouge (for an hour), and this brass looks like new!!!
Toss back into the bucket and enjoy the shine!!

dla · 04-04-2012, 10:43

Just make sure it is dry so that you don't get any green stuff growing on it. Store it in anything water tight. Good for 100 years or so.

njl · 04-04-2012, 18:57

I saved my own brass for nearly 10 years before I started reloading. I just used store brand ziplock bags and stored the bags of brass in cardboard boxes. When I finally started buying reloading stuff, the tumbler was the first thing I bought...and all the brass was fine. Just make sure its dry before sealing it up.

Of course, if it's that good a deal, you could buy it and immediately resell half of it.

Kentguy · 04-05-2012, 06:40

hogman,

I've had a chance to see the way a couple of other reloaders store their brass and very one was very different but it all seems to work.

Two years ago a large store around here was going out of business, and I was fortunate enough to buy up a large quantity of their Rubber Maid/Tupper ware type of bins. I place whatever quantity in zip lock bags, toss them into one of these containers and shelf em. I see no reason why these won't last way beyond me.
That is how I store my brass.

upstech76 · 04-05-2012, 06:53

I store mine with a little WSF and 230gr of lead then place them in 50cal ammo cans.

hogman · 04-05-2012, 07:16

Thanks for all the great tips. Hoping to start packin brass soon. Just finished building my bench and still gathering all of the necessities. Hoping to have everything set up before the 24th as I have a lumbar fusion scheduled

byf43 · 04-05-2012, 08:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by hogman

Hoping to have everything set up before the 24th as I have a lumbar fusion scheduled

Been there. Done that. (L4-5, then C5-6/6-7, and a 'cage' inserted in place of the disks/vertabra.)

Good luck on the surgery!!!!!

hogman · 04-05-2012, 08:38

When did you have the back done and how do you feel now? I could be facing neck surg also. I'm pretty nervous about going under the knife. Does all that titanium make things fun at the airport?

byf43 · 04-05-2012, 09:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by hogman

When did you have the back done and how do you feel now? I could be facing neck surg also. I'm pretty nervous about going under the knife. Does all that titanium make things fun at the airport?

Injured my back in Sept., '91.
Went under the knife in March, '92.
I lost 1-1/2 years of work. (Thank goodness for good benefits!)
I've got 2-1/2 lbs of titanium rods in my back.
Still have 'some' pain, every day. Still, it's not like when I got hurt.
Advil (800 mg, 4 times a day). Tylenol. Aspirin. Every day.
No Percocet, Darvocet, Oxycontin. No narcotics. I have to 'function'.

Broke my neck in June. '01. Freak accident. (My then 5 year old son broke my neck!)
Drove myself to work for 2 days before the pain was so unbearable, that I had to see a doctor.
Dr. said it was a miracle that I wasn't paralized.
Severe nerve damage. (I prayed to die, the pain was so intense!)
I was off work until Oct. 1, '01.
Surgery and hospital stay was less than 24 hours.
Limited neck mobility, now. Prone position is impossible.
(No more High Power Rifle Comp. for me.)

I've got some GREAT orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons!!!

Good luck w/ your surgery!

hogman · 04-05-2012, 09:35

Wow , that is a lot of hardware. Glad to hear your doing ok now. My injury was aug of 11 I know it's gonna be a long road. Now you know why I'm stock piling brass