Newsgroups: misc.survivalism Subject: Re: "Weapon Cache" - Please post instructions From: user@abcs.com Date: Tue, 23 Apr 1996 15:49:53 GMT Richard Svihlik wrote: >> >> I once had detailed instructions on how to prepare, and where to locate >> a cache. Could someone please put this back up. >Bob Berry wrote >As for the cashing of ammo, I use a home food sealing unit. I pack my >ammo in "battle packs" that can be easily stuffed on pockets or my BDU's >or ruck. The majority is then stored in 30 or 50 cal or 20mm ammo cans. FWIW, My way of caching/storing ammo is a little labor intensive. Rule #1, Never touch ammo with your bare hands!!! Body oils will eat into and weaken the brass if stored for a long time. All rounds shoudl only be touched with plastic, latex, or rubber gloves. Cotton work gloves are O.K., too, but may prove too slick to deal with the smaller rounds effectively. Rule #2. All ammo should be packaged in a room where the air conditioning has been on for a couple of days. Air conditioning will stabilize, relatively, the humidity in the room. In all honesty, humidity, unless over 90%, will not affect the rounds. Especially if the ammo has been kept at the same temperature as it's environment when packaged (i.e., no cold ammo brought into a warm room, which will cause condensation to form on the rounds). 1. Select the right ammo. (For .223, I use only Winchester USA 55 grain, IMI 62 grain, South African 62 grain, or U.S. Mil-Spec ammo of 55 or 62 grain when found in original brown boxes and after inspecting each for Lake City Brass, primer crimps, primer seals and dates of manufacture.) 2. Remove all ammunition from their packaging boxes. Place them into stripper clips. Before you slide them in, check for missing primer sealant (usually easily done by looking at the rounds while they are still in the box). Set rounds with missing or flaking sealant aside, while loading stripper clips with good rounds. Note: by using George and Roy's Custom Primer Sealant (usually found at gun shows, in Shotgun News or by contacting Phil-Chem Inc., 13593 S. W. Electric Street, Beaverton, Oregon 97005 (from the back of the bottle), and a tiny paint brush (not the one on the bottle, heck, I usually cut that off right away), you can reseal the primers yourself. Once sealed, these can be loaded into stripper clips, as well. 3. I use 3x5, ziploc-style poly bags (available at most office supply stores) to hold 2 stripper clips of .223. Be very careful inserting the stripper clips into the bag because the sharp corners may tear the bag. Place them in the bags with the noses of the bullets on one loaded stripper clip facing the base of the other clip. Note : my poly bags have that opaque patch where I can write the Manufacturer, caliber, bullet weight, and date sealed on one side for future reference. 4. Using another ziploc-style poly bag, this one 6x12, I can fit 10 of the smaller bags, each now containing 20 rounds, and a stripper clip guide, quite easily. 5. This larger bag is then sealed using duct tape to reinforce the closure and the strength of the bag (I tend to overdo this a bit and just wrap the entire poly bag in duct tape and then seal the top. 6. Using a black waterproof marker, print how many rounds, the manufacturer, date sealed and caliber on the outside of the package. This is what I use for long term caches, where I shouldn't have to use the weapon/ammo immediately. In an adrenaline rush, the bag can be opened quite easily by biting a bit on the top (which is left looking like a "T" since I seal the opening length wise) and pulling real hard. The smaller bags can be torn apart with little effort to access the stripper clips. But for storing ammo I may have to access quickly, I simply use the same larger bags and seal up a bandolier of ammo (only 140 rounds, but the bandolier makes it easy to throw around your shoulder and all the ammo is in stripper clips, anyway, for easier loading. Throw in a small dessicant pack and only seal the top with duct tape. I also store .223 ammo in bandoliers and in ammo cans which hold 840 rounds and are specifically designed for the .223 bandoliers. Just make sure you get a decent ammo can with as little rust on it as you can find. Repaint the can and use gasket reconditioner (available at most automotive stores) for the seals and you should never have to worry about your ammo again!! Hope this helps! Geoffrey L. Hardin, "Damn, that boy do go on, don't he?" Don't bother using auto-respond. . .it doesn't work! geoffh@abcs.com Still looking for those AR-15 mag conversions for .223 Galils!!! REWARD!