How Much Ammo Fits in an Ammo Can?

admin Firearms, Survival Supplies 44 Comments

Ammunition needs to stored in a dry clean environment.

Military ammo cans are a great storage container and are easy to find on the surplus market and fairly inexpensive. The plastic cans that are available are less money but not as sturdy as the metal military cans. Another thing you may want to consider is the overall weigh of a full can of ammo and this is when most favor the 30 cal can over the larger 50 cal version.

  • 1200 rds of 5.56 will fit in to a 50 cal ammo can.
  • 600rds of 5.56 will fit in to a 30cal ammo can.
  • 1750rds of .40SW will fit in to a 50cal ammo can.
  • 1000rds of .40SW will fit in to a 30cal ammo can.
  • 140rds of 12ga 2.75 will fit in to a 30cal ammo can.
  • 250rds of 12ga 2.75 will fit in to a 50cal ammo can.
  • 640rds of .308 will fit in to a 50cal ammo can.
  • 320rds of .308 will fit in to a 30cal ammo can.
  • 1300rds of .45ACP will fit in to a 50cal ammo can.
  • 770rds of .45ACP will fit in to a 30cal ammo can.
  • 2200rds of 9mm will fit in to a 50cal ammo can.
  • 1200rds of 9mm will fit in to a 30cal ammo can.
  • 300rds of 7.62x54r will fit in to a 30cal ammo can.

Comments 44

    1. Post
      Author

      loose ammo. if its loose it easier to fit more and to load mags….especially if you were in a hurry.
      I buy boxes and dump them into the cans and add a few descant packs to keep it dry.

      1. Do you happen to know how much ammo would be inside the cans if all the ammo was in boxes?
        How can you water proof your cans?

  1. Actually if its loose ammo and you stack the individual rounds you can fit 1600 rounds of 45acp in a 50 cal ammo can and doing the same with 9mm you can fit 3000 rounds

  2. Pingback: How Many Boxes In A Case Of 9mm Ammo – Hunt Sodak

        1. not even close ….I put 1000 rnds still in 20 rnd boxes into a .50 can and 480 into a .30 can …..750 is probably a good number for loose 7.62×39 in a .30 can

          1. 36 boxes of 7.62×39 (3 layers / 12 boxes per layer) with room for about another 140 loose rounds on top = 860 in a .50 cal can. The can isn’t high enough for a 4th layer.

    1. 7.62×39 still in 20rnd WOLF cardboard (not loose, so I’m guessing you could do 5-15% more)
      Fat .50 (PA-108)=1600rnds (80box)
      .50 (M2A1)=1000rnds (50box)
      .30 (M19A1)=480rnds (24box)

  3. Hello,
    The cans are waterproof. Some moisture/humidity can be trapped in the can
    Refrigerators have zero humidity. If you put your loaded ammo can in the refrigerator overnight and close the can the next day in the refrigerator, you can will have near zero humidity until you open it.

  4. I use tall 50’s (n463 fuse cans) for rifle ammo storage which I know aren’t as common so not sure if this helps anyone out. I use the dump and shake method to get the ammo to settle but careful stacking might yield greater capacity.

    5.56/.223 1600
    7.62×39 1400
    7.62x54r 750

    5.56/.223 300 + 24 loaded 30 Rd gen2 pmags

  5. What are the dimensions of the 50 caliber ammo box ?
    Is it (12.50”L x 7.25”W x 8.50”H) PA-108 Fat Boy 50cal Ammo Box?
    Or
    (11”L x 5.5”W x 7”H) M2A1 50cal Ammo Box?

  6. thats when you toss it inside.
    bad idea.
    always vaccumseal your packs with silicone packs inside the box.
    all that tossing will only get your investment go bad.

  7. Im no expert, but I would guess about 13mm longer……I don’t imagine it makes much difference as far as zombies go.

  8. No they are not ? one is 7.62×51 and the other is 7.62×39…. just like 7.62×39 is not the same size as 7.62×25 or 545×39 is not the same as 7.62×39

  9. Keep in mind that you want to consider the supported weight capacity as well for your ammo cans – and how much you want them to weight. In a SHTF situation you need to move fast. Heavy cans can slow you. On the other hand, if the SHTF you want to take ALL YOUR AMMO!

  10. I always leave my ammo in the original factory box and with my 50cal cans. I fit 2050 rounds of HPs inside it and same with my FMJs.

  11. .308 is 7.62×51 So… each round of .308 is 12mm longer than an AK round (plus the case does not taper like an AK round which increases volume)

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