Recently I was inventorying my ammo supply and noticed that a large amount of space being taken up by surplus ammo cans. Like many of us who shoot I have for more years then I care to remember used the standard military metal ammo cans to store my ammo. These cans are great for storing ammo and have done so for years, but in the past couple years I have downsized my living quarters and space is at a premium. A couple months ago I was in gun store in Arizona and happened to see on the shelf, polymer storage crates for ammo by MTM. I’ve used MTM ammo storage boxes for years and when I got home went to my favorite shopping site, Amazon Prime, and did a search for MTM ammo storage. I came across the ammo crates and ordered a few for the calibers I use most 9mm, 12 gauge, .38, and .223. I ordered three 7.25” depth crates and a 4.5” depth one. Specs from the website are as follows:
MTM ACR8-72 Ammo Crate Utility Box with 7.25″ Deep, Large, Dark Earth – $19.99
- Carry up to 85 pounds of gear with two strong side handles
- Stackable design and double padlock tabbed for security; Four tie-down points on a side
- Water-resistant O-ring seal for dry storage; Non-submersible
- Exterior Dimensions: 19″ x 15.75″ x 8″(H); Interior Dimensions: 14″ x 13.5″ x 7.25″(H)
- Two strong latches mounted on the side for easy carrying; Made in the USA
MTM ACR5-72 Ammo Crate Utility Box with 4.5″ Deep, Medium, Dark Earth – $16.99
- Carry up to 85 pounds of gear with two strong side handles
- Stackable design and double padlock tabbed for security; Four tie-down points on the side
- Water-resistant O-ring seal for dry storage; Non-submersible
- Exterior Dimensions: 19″ x 15.75″ x 5.25″(H); Interior Dimensions: 14″ x 13.5″ x 4.5″(H)
- Two strong latches mounted on the side for easy carrying; Made in the USA
In the 7.25” depth crate I was able to store 2000 rounds of 9mm. 1500+ rounds of .223, and 500+ rounds of 12 gauge ammunition. In the 4.5” depth crate I was able to put 500+ rounds of .38. I still have room to spare in each of the crates. The amount of ammo you can fit in a crate will be affected by the size of the box that it comes in (If you store the ammo in the factory box or replace it with an alternative storage method you may get more or less ammo in the crate). The crates are stackable which is great for space saving and you can also put padlocks on them. You can also use them for any kind of storage. They fit neatly into the trunk or storage space on a vehicle and don’t slide around or tip over. I like these for the simple fact that they are space saving, lighter than surplus metal cans, reasonably priced, and easy to move as opposed to having about three standard ammo cans to one crate. If you are looking for an easy space saving way to store ammo or anything else I recommend checking these out.
Art Dorst is the owner of A. Dorst Consulting & Training Services and is a Senior Consultant for LaSorsa & Associates. He served in the U.S. Navy and Navy Reserves and eventually retired as an NCO