Canmunition: The Ammo Cache Answer?

Four cans of Fiocchi 9mm 124 grain FMJ. As you may notice, two of the bottoms (far left and far right) were slightly pushed out while the other two were not and resemble the bottom of a soda can. Also, it took me nine tries to get this picture to display right – really WordPress?

I recent became aware of a new-ish product on the market from Global Ordnance call Canmunition. According to the “About” section on the website, Canmunition provides a completely sealed, waterproof, lightproof, oxygen-free environment to keep the moisture out and your ammo in tip-top shape until you’re ready to use it, even if that is decades from now”. The can is approximately 3 inches in diameter and 6 inches high

There are two different calibers currently offered – approximately 90 rounds of Fiocchi 9mm (124 grain FMJ) or approximately 40 rounds of Fiocchi .223 (55 grain FMJ Boat Tail).

I went ahead and ordered four cans of the 9mm ammo to test at $24.95 a pop (yes, I did not receive these for free – I bought them out of pocket to ensure no bias). I decided I would test it in three different ways:

  1. Submerged in water for 6 months
  2. Sitting in a hot shed for 6 months, and
  3. Using NC Scout’s recent article on Caching with PVC as a guide, inside a PVC cache for 6 months and 12 months (meaning I will have to dig up and reseal it in 6 months). This would also allow me to get some practical experience with building a cache using my new knowledge.

A quick trip to the local hardware store allowed me to get the materials for my “time capsules” (at least that is what the attendant was told when he asked).

Do be aware of the type of PVC cement you buy as it matters based on what material PVC the end cap and the pipe is. Generally speaking, the red can will work (as explained after the fact by a man who knows way way more in this area than I do).

From there, I built two caches – one for the ammunition test, and another for an upcoming gear cache test.

See you in six months!

I slid the two cans into the cache and sealed the threads with thread tape as well as moisture sealing thread locker.

The completed ammo cache. By my estimation, this PVC pipe could have held at least five of those cans – so, approximately 450 rounds total. Not bad! I also added some silica packets I had just as I would in a normal cache.

I then filled up a small container with water and submerged the third can. The container was placed inside the corner of a seldom used kitchen cabinet where it will sit. For full disclosure, the water may get changed out at some point if it becomes gross. The fourth I just simply set out in my shed where it can endure the heat of the upcoming summer.

The can is completely submerged in the water. It will live in my kitchen cabinet.

I am personally very interested in the results of this test. Doing a quick DuckDuckGo search shows me that the BulkAmmo website has Fiocchi 9mm 124 grain FMJ at 1000 rounds for $184, meaning 100 rounds for $18.40. If you factor in the cost of the other components you need for long term ammo storage, the price point may become similar enough to Canmunition that it attracts people to obtain it for specific purposes such as underground caches. Do I think it will necessarily be the replacement for other methods of bulk ammo storage? No, I do not, But I hope the results of this test will show that it is good to go for caches – even if the cache is exposed to the heat or gets flooded for whatever reason (Murphy’s Law always strikes at inopportune times). Once the ammo is pulled out, I will give an update on how it performs down range as well.

Check back in 6 months for the results!

UPDATE: My additional can arrived today (5/28) and was placed in my freezer. It will be pulled out with the rest of them.

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32 Comments

  1. Not My Name May 22, 2019 at 09:46

    Can you tell what metal the can is made from? How thick is the metal? How does one open the can? I hope it isn’t a pop top. Outside of the can seems like a good place for cosmoline or even axle grease.

    Has anyone put ammo up in a #10 or #2-1/2 home canning machine?

    • Patriotman May 22, 2019 at 10:03

      According to the website it is aluminum. Truthfully, it doesn’t feel thicker than a soda can, if that.

      It seems that it is a pop-top (the website references popping it and including the black plastic lid to close it) but I can confirm when I get back from work. I will look at the one in the shed since the others are indisposed at the moment.

      I have read people using #10 cans for ammo but I would love for those with experience doing it to weigh in.

      • James May 22, 2019 at 10:18

        Thanks for doing this,look forward to test results.I wonder,maybe we should all do some kind of test,perhaps with say just 20 rounds so if a loss not a big hit.What are some building blocks/standard rules for storage beyond a shelf ect.?I am willing to try a few different ideas and also give say a 6 month feedback(assuming the world holds together that long!).

        • Patriotman May 22, 2019 at 10:52

          Glad to do it! And don’t worry about the hit – if it fails, it fails. Hazards of testing.

          One interesting thing would be the effect of pressure differences. So, sea level vs high altitude. I was honestly racking my brain for other testing scenarios that are relevant. Maybe a drop test?

          I think I might take the can in water at 6 months and, assuming it is still good, freeze it.

          • Reltney McFee May 22, 2019 at 12:10

            Ahh: Testing for Northern Tier (flyover) States! For when caches below the frost line are unworkable!

          • Patriotman May 22, 2019 at 12:15

            Correct! Also, it has implications for perhaps an underwater cache where, even if airtight and sealed, could get exceptionally cold or frozen in ice.

            I may order another just to do that freeze test now.

          • Patriotman May 28, 2019 at 20:31

            UPDATE: My additional can arrived today (5/28) and was placed in my freezer. It will be pulled out with the rest of them.

        • Patriotman May 28, 2019 at 20:30

          UPDATE: My additional can arrived today (5/28) and was placed in my freezer. It will be pulled out with the rest of them.

    • anonymous May 23, 2019 at 07:13

      The foods we have compared to pop-top seems to have more seal failures than the standard can. Specifically at the edges where the two meet – it makes sense. But that is with a liquid filled interior, perhaps an innert hard materials would not cause this problem.

      I’ve looked at Pringle’s type of cans for interior wall caches. These have a synthetic lining so the failure point is along the top. Duct tape or maybe even aluminum tape (spendy that last one !) works well as long as not subjected to high heat. Heavy duty zip lock baggies as the container inside a container.

      Thank you for the information above and below – good topic !

      • Patriotman May 23, 2019 at 13:43

        Thanks brother! I suppose the test will show if the material inside does in fact make a difference.

  2. Anonymous May 22, 2019 at 11:28

    3.5

  3. H P May 22, 2019 at 18:14

    Is that 3” pipe ABS or PVC? I’ve never seen black PVC in 3”. Joints will likely fail if the pipe is ABS and fittings/glue are PVC. Just a heads up. Cool concept- looking forward to the results.

    • Patriotman May 22, 2019 at 19:24

      Doing a quick search, it is 3″ ABS. I spoke with the guy in the section at the store, and he said it would work fine given the cement and end cap I had. I told him it was a time capsule going underground and his words were “for that prupose, it will work fine” My contractor friend said that it should also work with what I did, but I suppose this is part of trial and error – to see if it actually works or if I messed up. Hopefully the former and not the latter lol

      I have no experience in this realm so I think your comment is a great reminder to people to make sure what you have is actually going to do what you think it will do.

      Let’s find out in 6 months! Thanks for the warning and the interest, brother!

  4. Johny Mac May 22, 2019 at 20:11

    Awesome test Patriotman – As long as ‘I’ do not have to dig the hole. ;-) ;-)

    • Patriotman May 22, 2019 at 22:16

      Hah I will dig all the holes :D

  5. […] Canmunition: The Ammo Cache Answer? […]

  6. Matt in Oklahoma May 23, 2019 at 07:15

    I’m looking forward to the results. I’d like to put some in my fridge and in the camper

    • Patriotman May 23, 2019 at 10:57

      That sounds like a great idea! I will update the article when I receive the additional can and then report it out with the rest. If it survives the freezer, the fridge should be no problem.

  7. Patriotman May 23, 2019 at 13:45

    5

  8. Wallace the Reptilian Overlord May 23, 2019 at 14:50

    Interesting idea. I wonder if one could fabricate a wrap or something to make the cans look like actual brand-name sodas. One could hide them in plain sight, although actually burying them off-site is probably the better option.
    Someone mentioned canning ammo. I don’t know much at all about caching, but pressurizing live ammunition seems like a bad idea. Is there a risk of canned ammo exploding?

    • Patriotman May 23, 2019 at 20:04

      I reckon you could!

      “Ammo? No officer, just a 30 pack of Budweiser in the fridge”

  9. Herman May 24, 2019 at 07:44

    Years ago here was a local custom T-shirt shop that offered a novelty as a gift idea – for a few dollars extra they’d roll up shirts and seal them in a standard #2.5 can (think: Dinty More beef stew can) and put their company label on them. To get to the shirt required only a standard can opener. To this day I regret not offering to buy their can sealer when they went out of business.

    Can sealing equipment is expensive, but available. I’d guess a bunch of #300 cans (think: standard 15.5 ounce vegetables) with “appropriate” labels (beans, fruit, etc.) would draw little attention, right up to the point where food became scarce. Dump ammo in, purge with N2, seal. The anal retentive and OCD could probably stack the ammo tightly to get more in.

    Seems like an opportunity for a group project.

    • Patriotman May 24, 2019 at 07:53

      Bummer – what a missed opportunity! You are right though – you could replicate this with your own equipment and put innoculous labels on them and hide them in plain sight.

      I wonder how much all the equipment costs? Hmmm another angle to look at. Thanks brother!

    • anonymous May 24, 2019 at 13:32

      I believe Remus (Woodpile Report) had some information on how he canned ammunition in standard canning jars (screw top food type). I tried to look up the issue, but couldn’t find it. Anybody else remember reading that – pretty sure it was sometime this past spring.

  10. Anonymous May 25, 2019 at 08:54

    3

  11. Anonymous May 26, 2019 at 08:33

    5

  12. Anonymous June 4, 2019 at 13:10

    4.5

  13. Nunnya Bidnez, jr. June 9, 2019 at 08:46

    We used to throw a coupla six-packs of beer in the bottom of the boat in the spring;
    but by mid-summer the salt water sloshing around the bilges had eaten microscopic holes in the aluminium cans, and the bilge water had infiltrated the cans. It’s a real shocker to open up what seems to be a fresh can of beer, only to end up spitting out disgusting seawater. Galvanic action causes the corrosion, and it’s not only saltwater environments… it can happen if you have buried dissimilar metals near each other in moist ground.

    • Patriotman June 9, 2019 at 20:41

      Excellent tidbit of information, Nunnya. I wonder if the canmunition cans will experience a similar failure…

  14. […] you all may recall, I posted an article on May 22nd about Canmunition and its potential as a long term storage solution for ammunition. To refresh your […]

  15. […] Part One – Canmunition: The Ammo Cache Answer? […]

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