dangun
Member
I love the smell of burnt gun powder.
Posts: 517
Location: SW Florida
|
Post by dangun on Jul 29, 2014 20:50:08 GMT -5
I have been experimenting with different way to store ammo for years. I have read just about everything I could find on the subject and one method caught my attention. I planned on storing my ammo vacuum packed. I even bought a Food Saver vacuum packaging outfit just for that purpose. Then I read were several people tried it and several months later the ammo was ruined. Supposedly because all the air was sucked out of the ammo.
Being the skeptic that I am and my love for experimentation I had to try it. I loaded up 200 9mm rounds all the same powder, primer and bullets. The rounds were all crimped normally. 100 were vacuum packed and the other 100 placed in an ammo can. After 2 years(tonight) I took the ammo to the range just up the street. I setup the Chronograph and shot the 100 rounds that was not vacuum packed. Then I opened the vacuum packed ammo an shot it.
The results of this experiment surprised me. I guess I fell into what others have posted about the air getting sucked out of the case causing the ammo to either not fire or be reduced. What I found was that the vacuum packed ammo averaged a higher velocity than the non vac ammo.
Why? I can only guess but I think it was because the powder inside the ammo that had been vacuum packed was fresher than the ammo that wasn't... First off I never believed the idea that sucking the air out of a loaded round would cause a problem. Primer compound and ignited powder creates its own oxygen anyway. Otherwise you could shoot underwater!
Anyone else ever try this?
|
|
|
|
Post by krwada on Jul 29, 2014 20:55:38 GMT -5
Hello Dan;
Where, exactly, did you read about vacuum packed ammo going bad?
From a chemistry point of view ... this is the most ludicrous thing I have heard of.
In fact, vacuum packing should actually be much better for the ammo. The very best, would be to purge the bags with dry nitrogen, then vacuum pack them. If you do this ... the ammo should pretty much last forever!
|
|
|
|
Post by hacker54 on Jul 29, 2014 21:13:05 GMT -5
Dan,
When done properly the vac sealed ammo should stay as loaded and the brass should not tarnish since no air to cause oxidation. Now if there is by chance a very small hole the brass might turn but as for the primer and powder whether vac sealed or not should go bang if not then there is something else afoot.
|
|
gws
Member
Posts: 969
Location: NW New Mexico
|
Post by gws on Jul 31, 2014 19:45:55 GMT -5
I got another test for you Dan. I don't have the money (nor the desire) to test it.  A State Farm Insurance Agent friend of mine, who is a hunter, reloader, and collector of African Trophies, took his less experienced brother on an African hunt. Not sure where it was (airport, customs office, whatever), but they had to declare their firearms and ammunition. My friend went through the procedure without a hitch, his 1st time brother didn't fare so well. They took away all his ammo and he had to buy ammo for the hunt on site from the African Guide (spell that expensive!) Seems that he had the bright idea of vac packing his ammo........the rules at customs say ammo must be in original factory boxes.  The closest I'll ever get to Africa is if I go on the Ibex hunt on the white sands military reservation in Southern New Mexico. |
|
|
|
Post by krwada on Jul 31, 2014 20:16:34 GMT -5
I got another test for you Dan. I don't have the money (nor the desire) to test it. A State Farm Insurance Agent friend of mine, who is a hunter, reloader, and collector of African Trophies, took his less experienced brother on an African hunt. Not sure where it was (airport, customs office, whatever), but they had to declare their firearms and ammunition. My friend went through the procedure without a hitch, his 1st time brother didn't fare so well. They took away all his ammo and he had to buy ammo for the hunt on site from the African Guide (spell that expensive!) Seems that he had the bright idea of vac packing his ammo........the rules at customs say ammo must be in original factory boxes. The closest I'll ever get to Africa is if I go on the Ibex hunt on the white sands military reservation in Southern New Mexico. For travel, all the airlines check for is whether or not the ammunition is loosely packed, and not in a sealed container with each loaded round separated ... thus the need for original mfr. container. The agent behind the counter told me that he checks his ammunition and side arm onto the airline all the time. He says there are two ways to do this: 1. Re-use the cardboard box to carry your reloads. 2. Put the reloaded ammunition into a ammunition case designed to hold ammunition. He told me that ANY ammunition, (factory or reloads) sealed in a plastic bag, even vacuum packed is considered loose ammunition and will NOT be allowed for check in. This is where your friends brother did not fare so well. He had the ammunition in a plastic bag ... It does not matter how rugged that bag is, nor does it matter whether or not the bag is vacuum packed ... in-bag == no go! If you are paranoid ... then you need to save your old manufacturer's cardboard ammo boxes for travel. However, I can tell you this from personal experience. Storing your reloads in those heavy duty snap-closeable boxes, where each round is contained and separated from each other is good enough... I have traveled on an airplane with my sidearm and reloaded ammo. At first I was extremely nervous ... Then, I talked to the agent behind the counter, who travels a lot with a sidearm ... and he pretty much alleviated all my fears. If you want; I can create a separate thread on a how to ... How to travel on the airlines with a firearm and reloaded ammunition. It is not difficult to do. There are a few things one needs to take care to do. People fly on airplanes with firearms all the time. For some bizarre reason, long guns appear to be much easier to check in than hand guns. Go figure! |
|
gws
Member
Posts: 969
Location: NW New Mexico
|
Post by gws on Jul 31, 2014 22:53:55 GMT -5
Assuming you mean carry as in the baggage compartment, and not on your person. Right!?   |
|
|
|
Post by krwada on Aug 1, 2014 8:36:02 GMT -5
Assuming you mean carry as in the baggage compartment, and not on your person. Right!? Yes ... checking them in. If you do a carry-on ... then you will get into serious trouble. Even an airsoft will get you into serious trouble. |
|
gws
Member
Posts: 969
Location: NW New Mexico
|
Post by gws on Aug 1, 2014 10:18:09 GMT -5
:)We sure don't want to give anyone the wrong idea. They'd never forgive us.  Heck I lost my favorite pocket knife a couple of years ago at the entrance to a stupid airshow in Vegas......didn't see that coming. Some teenager in uniform was doing the relieving......I said Merry Christmas. After traveling 500 miles to see the damned airshow what else was I going to say......my family (9 of us) were waiting and it was 3 miles back to the car. That's a good day compared to getting in trouble at the airport. |
|
dangun
Member
I love the smell of burnt gun powder.
Posts: 517
Location: SW Florida
|
Post by dangun on Aug 1, 2014 12:42:02 GMT -5
I rarely ever fly commercial so checking baggage is something I worry too much about.
|
|
Heck I lost my favorite pocket knife a couple of years ago at the entrance to a stupid airshow in Vegas......didn't see that coming. Some teenager in uniform was doing the relieving......I said Merry Christmas. After traveling 500 miles to see the damned airshow what else was I going to say......my family (9 of us) were waiting and it was 3 miles back to the car. That's a good day compared to getting in trouble at the airport.
My daughter came from Missouri, my son and grand son, my wife and I had a nice dinner of grilled "porter house" pork chops, corn on the cobb, my son, G'son and I share 10/5. G'son is 4 minutes early though @ 10/4.
Pooh I hope you find to right house . 
