Brass and bullets storage

[skl1]

Anybody have what they think is a great idea for storing all their bags of brass and boxes of bullets. It only has to be a better idea than stashed in all the drawers under the workbench plus laying on the garage shelves and floor in the boxes they arrived in...it's small quantities of lots of different cartridge cases and various bullet weights for various calibers. I've tried stacking bins/baskets but have trouble pulling out only the items I want if they're on the bottom. Anybody done a complete re-org and what is your system.

 

[DarinC]

My brass is in coffee cans or ice cream buckets labeled under my bench, so nothing new there. But I really like my bullet storage. I left the drywall off a section of wall in my loading room and put up 2x4’s between the studs making shelves. Everything is easily visible and assessable in a place that is 100% normally wasted space.

 

[spife7980]

plus laying on the garage shelves and floor in the boxes they arrived in...it's small quantities of lots of different cartridge cases and various bullet weights for various calibers.

Damn. You shot me down right out of the gate.


For small stuff I have a pile of them along the back of the counter. For the big stuff I just stack the boxes they came in on the floor along the wall as thats more controlled than tens of hundreds of little bags.

Now *queue* the huge ammo locker guys that need forklifts*

 

[rustyinbend]

I use Akro Bin stackable storage ... got it everywhere. Easy to organize and label. Buy it on Amazon ... they make a bunch of sizes, and you can stack it, or hang it on a wall. They even make a rolling bin holder.

 

[DIBBS]

Load those suckers up and put em in ammo cans....

I use square milk crates which lock, but you cant (I can't) use more than about a third of the crate with lead. I lable the outside of the crate with contents on yellow waterproof painters tape.

 

[Steel head]

I individually catalog, package and serial number every piece then put in my freezer with the hooker parts.

 

[spife7980]

I individually catalog, package and serial number every piece then put in my freezer with the hooker parts.

 

[skl1]

You guys kill me! "Shot me down right off the bat..." and "hooker parts...".

And thanks for the recommendations.

But you guys are terrible enablers--the answer I was looking for is, "You should buy that Harbor Freight 44x22 rolling tool cabinet; that'll completely organize all your gear. If it doesn't, buy another one."

No, but seriously, will look at the milk crates and the bins. Like the bullet storage between studs, but won't pull my drywall and insulation. Still, might come in handy if I finish the basement.

 

[TheOfficeT-Rex]

I individually catalog, package and serial number every piece then put in my freezer with the hooker parts.

I tried that, but I got tired of vacuum sealing every piece of brass.

But you guys are terrible enablers--the answer I was looking for is, "You should buy that Harbor Freight 44x22 rolling tool cabinet; that'll completely organize all your gear. If it doesn't, buy another one."

I also tried this, and it's great for die storage and tools and such, but you can't really fill the drawers with more than a thousand or so bullets before they dont run so smooth and try to pop off the rails when you open them. I keep brass in the drawers, bullets stacked up in their boxes on the floor along the wall, or on top of the safe if it's really something special.

 

[spife7980]

or on top of the safe if it's really something special.

Thats where loaded ammo goes

 

[2aBaC̶a̶]

What kind of quantities are we talking?
I put up the adjustable shelving above the bench and use small clear bins from home depot. The key is adjusting the shelves to only stack 1 or 2 bins high. Any more and like you said its a pain to get the bottom ones.

 

[skl1]

I tried that, but I got tired of vacuum sealing every piece of brass.



I also tried this, and it's great for die storage and tools and such, but you can't really fill the drawers with more than a thousand or so bullets before they dont run so smooth and try to pop off the rails when you open them. I keep brass in the drawers, bullets stacked up in their boxes on the floor along the wall, or on top of the safe if it's really something special.

Good input. I really am thinking of buying one of these. Mostly for hand tool storage, but I thought the big drawers at the bottom would soak up some of the brass and bullets, and maybe even some of the smaller scrap metal from the lathe.

 

[Alpine 338]

I use recycled battery racks. Lead Batteries are heavy, just like bullets. The racks are made to support a ton of weight.

You can often find the racks where they recycle or sell used batteries. Often they will sell them at scrap metal prices, as many are sized to take unique batteries, and often stackable. The pictured three shelf rack has about 400-lbs in just steel. I put 4x4s on the bottom just to make the bench height perfect for my presses.

My reloading bench is bolted to the top with a sheet of 1-1/8" plywood, then topped with a 1/2" of melanin MDF. Rock sold, especially with all the weight of the bullets. When I pull the handle on my press, my electronic precision scale doesn't fluctuate.

 

[skl1]

What kind of quantities are we talking?
I put up the adjustable shelving above the bench and use small clear bins from home depot. The key is adjusting the shelves to only stack 1 or 2 bins high. Any more and like you said its a pain to get the bottom ones.

Probably 3000 or 4000 pieces of brass; unfortunately in boxes/bags of 20, 50, 100, and a couple of 500 pc bags, and 75 to 80 boxes of 50 or 100 bullets.

The low quantity/high mix thing is killing me. Also, all the half full bags/boxes. Too many little experiments.

I keep thinking I just need to load up all the bullets I thought were inaccurate and shoot them anyway. But I keep thinking the .224 55 grainers that didn't shoot in the .222 might shoot in my next .223.

 

[lightman]

I use a combination of things. New Lapua brass stays in the plastic box that it comes in until I load it. Then it stays in MTM boxes, either 50 or 100 round. Other excess brass stays in plastic Folgers coffee cans. I have a storeroom adjacent to my loading room thats heated and cooled and has shelves on the wall. You can substitute any other plastic container that you use around the house if you don't drink coffee. Square containers use available space better but round is what I have for free! I recently bought several medium size MTM or Plano dry boxes to keep my primed pistol brass in. You can also walk through Walmart and look at all of the plastic storage boxes.

Bullets stay in their original boxes and stacked on shelves in my loading room. I have shelves on my loading table and also some free standing ones next to my bench. Bullets get heavy quick so make sure your shelves are sturdy enough.

You didn't ask about loaded ammo but I copied an idea from member on here making shelves from cinder blocks and 2 X 8's. This is also in my storeroom and fit 30 and 50 caliber ammo cans very well.

 

[Threadcutter308]

I individually catalog, package and serial number every piece then put in my freezer with the hooker parts.

Aren't you running out of room yet ?

Slacker.

 

[lightman]

I use recycled battery racks. Lead Batteries are heavy, just like bullets. The racks are made to support a ton of weight.

You can often find the racks where they recycle or sell used batteries. Often they will sell them at scrap metal prices, as many are sized to take unique batteries, and often stackable. The pictured three shelf rack has about 400-lbs in just steel. I put 4x4s on the bottom just to make the bench height perfect for my presses.

My reloading bench is bolted to the top with a sheet of 1-1/8" plywood, then topped with a 1/2" of melanin MDF. Rock sold, especially with all the weight of the bullets. When I pull the handle on my press, my electronic precision scale doesn't fluctuate.

View attachment 7578976

I like the table. I think you got me on the Berger bullets!

 

[Steel head]

Aren't you running out of room yet ?

Slacker.

Just bought 8 new freezers

 

[Threadcutter308]

Just bought 8 new freezers

I heard there was a backlog (of freezers)......

 

[Steel head]

I heard there was a backlog (of freezers)......

There is now

 

[Skg_Mre_Lght]

I buy the plastic shoe boxes from the Dollar Store to separate and store brass.

I have a couple of antique barber shop cubby displays that have about 30 cubbyholes in each that hold boxes of bullets, primers, and dies. The cubby holes are big enough to hold a couple of 500 count .224 boxes apiece. Powder kegs go on the shelves in the gun room.

 

[RixsterNaz]

Does heat affect bullets or brass? I live in Arizona and my garage will reach up to 110 degrees during the summer where I store my bullets and brass. My powder and primers are stored in doors during the summer. Would it be best to store my bullets and brass in doors too?

 

[MarshallDodge]

In the closet off my reloading room, the Mormon family before me build a sturdy rack for canned goods. It works fantastic for 100 and 500 count boxes of bullets.

On the back of my reloading bench I built a cabinet that hold the empty ammo boxes, ready to fill, and sometimes I fill them with processed brass that are ready to load. Under my bench I have the the cardboard boxes that the flats of fruit come in. Costco usually has them when you check out and you can grab a stack. They are great for separating bags of brass and are surprisingly sturdy.

I bought the cheap version of the gorilla racks off Walmart.com and they work great for boxes of loaded ammo. I have had as much as 300 lbs of 9mm, 223, 12 gauge, and 22LR on the same rack and it didn't care.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

I use Akro Bin stackable storage ... got it everywhere. Easy to organize and label. Buy it on Amazon ... they make a bunch of sizes, and you can stack it, or hang it on a wall. They even make a rolling bin holder.

View attachment 7578503

^^^ these.

 

[Mike Casselton]

Open storage is a huge no-no on the Gulf Coast of FL.
That is, unless you like corrosion.
Between having a south facing garage, the high humidity and being less than 12 miles inland from salt water, corrosion is a huge issue.

My empty brass stays in its MTM box in wall cabinets.
Loaded ammo goes into a 36x72 Hon office supply cabinet with extra shelving.
They will literally hold a ton of weight without the shelves sagging.
The Hon cabinets can be bought cheaply if they are used.
Also, if you have minor security issues, the cabinets can be locked.

Industrial Storage Cabinet - 36 x 18 x 72

Attractive enough for the office; tough enough for the warehouse. Heavy-gauge steel construction. Locking doors. Adjustable shelves have 150 lb. capacity each. Optional Cabinet Dollies make cabinets mobile for easy cleaning. ULINE offers over 42,000 boxes, plastic poly bags, mailing tubes...

www.uline.com

 

[Punkur67]

I bought some closet organizers and plastic Bins

 

[1moaoff]

For just brass look at bottom of pic. Buy them 12 at a time . Those are about the size of a shoe box, can easily stack 3 high.

For bullets I use much heavier versions for 2500 to 3000 qty.. ammo cans also work great for the bullets due to weight.

 

[Maxduty]

 

[Maxduty]

Shoe boxes from target. 10 for a dollar too