Always Confirm Your Inventory

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  • Kirk Freeman

    Grandmaster
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    8   0   0
    Mar 9, 2008
    47,970
    113
    Lafayette, Indiana
    Soooo, since the election I have been taking an hour a day to organize my ammo. 90% of ammo (factory and reloads) are in color-coded cans.

    On my master control sheet I had 7.62X54R as Royal Blue cans . . . um . . . it's not.

    I popped open the Royal Blue cans and found thousands of rounds of 5.45X39.

    INGO, take time to confirm what you actually possess. Lesson learned.
     

    tiretrack

    Plinker
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    5   0   0
    Nov 3, 2012
    99
    6
    our side o the wire
    Oookay, counting ammo stores as a quiet celebration of the fall of the Hilda beast seems appropriate , and I like color coding and labeling the cans . Thanks for the idea. Kirk, what is your opinion on best practices for storage of the cans?
     

    Kirk Freeman

    Grandmaster
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    8   0   0
    Mar 9, 2008
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    Lafayette, Indiana
    and I like color coding and labeling the cans .

    Yes, it helps keep things organized.

    And I have the color scheme correct:

    Pontiac blue=.45acp
    Pink=9mm

    :D

    Other examples: orange for .22lr, orange with red stripe for .22 mag, white for .38, white with red stripe for .357 Mag.

    Some colors are just strange. E.g, I use sand colored cans for .30-30 and aluminum for .50USMG.

    Kirk, what is your opinion on best practices for storage of the cans?

    Well, I put most of my stuff on the shelves 12-15 years ago and there it sits.:D

    Cool, dry, sealed in the color-coded cans. It's fine right there.
     

    d.kaufman

    Still Here
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    128   0   0
    Mar 9, 2013
    14,721
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    Hobart
    Label mine with a strip of painters tape with caliber written with a sharpie. No need to worry about colors, im not storing a rainbow
     

    BogWalker

    Grandmaster
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    6   0   0
    Jan 5, 2013
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    Masking tape and sharpie. I've got a whole lot of small lot (<100 round/caliber [what can I say, I love ammo]) ammo. I've got a rack of parts drawers that I keep that in. Each drawer a different caliber with the masking tape label on the front. Didn't want to mix ammo in cans, didn't want a whole .30 cal can for two dozen rounds of 9x57 Mauser (you know, just in case I get a rifle in that caliber).

    I do have about a dozen cans of large lot ammo. Masking tape and sharpie as well.
     

    OHOIAN

    Marksman
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jul 20, 2014
    157
    18
    NE OHIO
    I went through my ammo about a month ago. Found stuff I forgot I had. I have been tying to shoot up all the old stuff, some is from 1994.
     

    bwframe

    Loneranger
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    93   0   0
    Feb 11, 2008
    38,170
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    Btown Rural
    This is good advice.

    I had 10K small rifle primers (received and left stored in nonstandard external packaging) counted as small pistol primers on the inventory sheet. When discovered, I ordered more SP primers to bring up the counts on both to happier levels.

    FYI- Winchester SP primers were getting scarce just before the election.

    I for sure need to expend a lot more SP primers for practice. Hopefully fix that issue going into next year.
     

    patience0830

    .22 magician
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 96.6%
    28   1   0
    Nov 3, 2008
    17,594
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    Not far from the tree
    Didn't want to mix ammo in cans, didn't want a whole .30 cal can for two dozen rounds of 9x57 Mauser (you know, just in case I get a rifle in that caliber).
    [/QUOTE]

    Hee-hee. Yup. I've got a bag of 6mm ppc brass that I'm yet to build a rifle for. Had it for years.
     

    junk

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Feb 25, 2016
    355
    63
    state of confusion
    I engrave brass 1x3 labels . the apply Velcro to each can and brass label . this way I can tell at a glance whats there , and can change a can without the mess of removing paint or tape .
     

    Expat

    Pdub
    Site Supporter
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    23   0   0
    Feb 27, 2010
    108,752
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    Michiana
    I use mailing labels to put on the top and front of the ammo can. I used to print them in a large font, now I just scribble with the Sharpie.
     

    Kirk Freeman

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    8   0   0
    Mar 9, 2008
    47,970
    113
    Lafayette, Indiana
    I assume that pink for 9mm is an inside joke . But for me, to quote Mr.Tyler ,pink is my favorite crayon . :cool:
    The stripe for 22 mag is intuitive , I plan on pilfering that idea.

    tire, it's me, crazy Uncle Kirk, of course it is an inside joke.:D

    Pilfer away. Just a word to the wise about checking your stores with your own eyeballs.
     

    dvd1955

    Expert
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    0   0   0
    Apr 10, 2013
    783
    63
    Howard County
    I used colored plastic tape on front and top of the cans with the caliber written on the tape.
    Gray - ammo in original boxes
    Green - ammo loaded into mags
    Blue - ammo loaded on stripper clips
     

    halfmileharry

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    65   0   0
    Dec 2, 2010
    11,450
    99
    South of Indy
    I use a quality packaging tape and photo paper for my ammo cans.
    I go through my ammo monthly to check inventory. I use post it notes for re-ordering and possible swap outs.
    The good tape peels easily and replaced easily.
    Total cost of my labeling system should be around $10 for a lifetime system. (I'm old so YMMV)
     

    halfmileharry

    Grandmaster
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    65   0   0
    Dec 2, 2010
    11,450
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    South of Indy
    I wish I had enough ammo that I had to keep an inventory.....

    I remember saving my change in an old Ball Mason canning jar decades ago. On the wall above the canning jar (eventually went to individual coin jars) we had a poster board to keep track of the change and highlighted a date we'd make a new purchase.
    We bought a good car, new furniture, house, put kids through school.
    We lived within our budget which was tight.
    We split the left over change for our habits. Being able to see the nickles and dimes add up made it easier to save up for the important things like guns, ammo, and accessories. It's a good motivator.
     
    Rating - 0%
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    Dec 11, 2012
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    01001111 01001000
    Mine isn't organized by colored boxes yet but it is stacked by caliber in marked rows on my shelves. All of the ammo I have loaded is arranged by date oldest up front and I keep a log of how much ammo I load in a given day. That way, if I ever feel I have a bad lot, I can go back and see how much I need to pull out of inventory.
     
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