How many lock your ammo up versus leave it in the open?

[Junk Yard Dog]

Surprising, I would walk right up and knock on the door, of course I am heavily armed and travel with friends who are of similar inclination, we always need more ammo. Promising free ammo and then not providing such would leave us sorely disappointed, don't worry if it's oddball stuff, you provide the free ammo, and we will find something to shoot it in

[TheMaineEvent]

I'd sooner put a sign that said "free wife" than I would a sign that said "free ammo"

[Ratgeyser]

I'd rather not buy a safe simply to put ammo in and metal storage cabinets are almost as expensive as an entry level safe. I could put my ammo in a older metal cabinet, but it wouldn't offer much in the way of security as the doors are pretty flimsy. Best I could do is put a chain around it, but even then, I'd need a few of them.

How do you all store your ammo? Do you have it in a lockable cabinet, a dedicated safe, or just put it on a shelf and leave it?

My opinion is this: Secure, convenient, and inexpensive--pick up to two.

I agonized over a similar dilemma (how to store a home defense gun so that it is quickly accessible to me yet inaccessible to children/burglars). The bottom line for me was to decide what I was willing to do to have it the way I want it. For me, compromise was not an option, so I had to stop trying to save $20 here and there and just shell out the cash for the right kind and number of safes. Ended up spending about $600 for a pair of quick-access single-gun safes, one to lock up a pistol and another for a shotgun. My non-defense firearms (e.g. Mosins, .22 rifles, etc) are locked up much more inexpensively because I was willing to give up speed of access (but not security). They're in a much more cumbersome lock-and-key type of storage.

Ammo's a different story, at least for me. I want convenience of access, so I can either pick inexpensive or secure. Theft and fire are not concerns for me; I've just decided that in the unlikely event of those things happening, the proper procedure is to lose my property. I'm emotionally and financially prepared to cope with that loss, so spending money on insurance is an unwise investment. I keep the ammo locked in a simple locking cabinet (with more or less easily defeatable locks). I keep it far away from my guns to mitigate collateral fire damage, and in a part of my house that's hard to wander into on accident without an adult noticing. Again my primary motivation here is to make it as hard as possible for a curious child to acquire all of the components of a Negligent Discharge.

Mind you, that's my situation and my choice, and I'm not judging anybody for making a different one. Whatever you do, it sounds like you need a bigger toybox. I personally would be fine with the older metal box, but I'd spend the money to at least get the chains, or more likely I'd use a drill and some rivets or bolts to mount some padlock hasps. This has the advantage of letting you lock up one drawer at a time as your ammo needs expand. Just remember that if you can get one drawer open, you can see (and reach!) right into the drawer below it, so if you're only going to lock one drawer, lock the TOP one.

Good luck!

[walnut red]

My house doors are locked and I have two dogs. I figure if anyone gets past those barriers while I'm not home then locked up ammo or anything else will only slow them a little. I keep most of my firearms locked in a safe.

[TheMaineEvent]

Braiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiins!

[Junk Yard Dog]

[JoeR]

Second floor..hmmm....yes, but what will you do when the zombies come?

Zombies can't climb stairs so you guys with 2 story houses are OK.

[Finnished39]

As mentioned by others above, the materials you have, the value, family safety and privacy are all considerations. A lockable cabinet in a discreet location will at least keep most children and respectful people out.

[InOmaha]

Half locked in a finished attic storage area, half locked in the garage by the work bench. Not in safes so you could probably hammer and pry them open with effort, but both are bolted down for harder removal. Neither are things that look like something valuable would be stored in them.

The dogs function as an alarm/deterrent and the neighborhood is relatively safe. They'd go after the big screen TV and my wife's cheap jewelry first. Our neighbor had his truck stolen but he left the garage door opener in it so when they broke in to steal stuff out of the truck they were able to open the garage door and take the keys off the hook by the back door and drive away. My dogs would have barked, but their cat never said a word.

[Judi and her Mosins]

In the safe, go out and shot anytime so I seem to run out of ammo faster. Judi and her Mosin's

[johnboi71]

Cameras, lots of cameras! Some ammo in the safe, most in ammo cans somewhere else.

[TheMaineEvent]

I ended up getting a lockable storage locker. I feel better with the ammo in a dedicated locker since if I were to ever have a fire I would have risked ammo in the safe destroying the rifles. I don't have to worry about it anymore and it'll take a bobcat to lift that storage locker so I think I'm good, lol.

[WeldonHunter]

I ended up getting a lockable storage locker. I feel better with the ammo in a dedicated locker since if I were to ever have a fire I would have risked ammo in the safe destroying the rifles. I don't have to worry about it anymore and it'll take a bobcat to lift that storage locker so I think I'm good, lol.

If the safe ever got hot enough to light off any ammo in it the rifles would be toast anyway whether there was ammo in there or not.

[TheMaineEvent]

Yeah, you're probably right, but there are other things in there that I'd like to protect as much as possible. I'll likely buy a nice safe this holiday season that has a higher fire rating and has thicker steel than what I have. My current safe isn't big enough for all the ammo and firearms so I needed something to bridge the gap.

[2Tap]

Ammo's a different story, at least for me. I want convenience of access, so I can either pick inexpensive or secure. Theft and fire are not concerns for me; I've just decided that in the unlikely event of those things happening, the proper procedure is to lose my property. I'm emotionally and financially prepared to cope with that loss, so spending money on insurance is an unwise investment.

If you buy Homeowners insurance, there's nothing more to buy -- the ammo should be covered automatically. There is typically a sublimit on "firearms" [in my state, $7,500]; ammo is not a firearm, and there is no applicable sublimit or exclusion. This stuff varies state-by-state, but I'd be surprised to see an ammo exclusion. Historically, there has been no reason for insurers to care about that class of property enough to specifically address it.

[Longcolt44]

i store my home defence ammo in the magazine in the respective firearm including the one in the chamber. I refuse to have to fumble around placing my fingertips in some box that may or may not open. I am never less than 6 feet from a firearm in any room. I have never had problems with children in the house, I don't allow them. All my kids are are in their mid 40's ad if I want to see my grandkids I go visit them at their home. My cats have never caused a firearm accident. Yes, my house is very secured.