Ammo cans getting scarce?

[+roveron]

My latest CheaperThanDirt catalog had a blurb saying the government is destroying ammo cans and that they are getting scarce.

No idea if it's true or not, but thought people might be interested.

[+sbell111]

My latest CheaperThanDirt catalog had a blurb saying the government is destroying ammo cans and that they are getting scarce.

No idea if it's true or not, but thought people might be interested.

I suspect that those cans used 'over there' are being destroyed rather than shipped back, but I don't believe that cans used domestically are being destroyed. The fact that pallets full of cans are still being sold at govliquidation supports this.

Edited December 23, 2008 by sbell111

[+Too Tall John]

I'm with sbell111 on this one. This is a tactic I've heard used a few times to, apparently, try and up their prices.

 

Rather than do the work again, here's my opinion from another thread:

Despite what some retailers of ammo cans might say, I don't see any shortage of ammo cans, especially looking at the gov't surplus listings. I'd bet they are being scrapped because they are "producing" more cans than they can sell to surplus stores and the like. If they can't sell 'em, they just sit around taking up space. I bet the warehouse space is the reason for the scrapping of the cans.

 

With a quick google search, I came up with a figure of $5/sq ft/year for warehouse space. According to Wikipedia, a Dept of Defense pallet is 40x48 inches, or 13.33 sq ft., so if the figures are right it costs $66.66 to store a pallet for a full year. If you aren't selling them at a rate where you reduce this inventory, this could get really expensive really quickly.

Shame on CheaperThanDirt!

[+roveron]

Ha! I searched and didn't find that thread. LOL

I sorta suspected it was a ploy.

[+Too Tall John]

Ha! I searched and didn't find that thread. LOL

Don't feel bad, I searched with that thread in mind and came up empty using "government destroying ammo cans." I ended up doing a search by poster, entered myself and the keywords "warehouse, ammo can."

 

You'd have never thought to do that...

[+Glenn]

This must be some kind of Government conspiracy. I did some Google searches and found nothing official. Besides the Cheaper Than Dirt websites claim about the Government destroying ammo cans I found something on another forum that was posted last spring. But it contained no details. Just a warning to buy ammo cans ASAP. I wonder if this rumor spawned from the "military is going to plastic and cardboard ammo cans" rumor that was being spread last year.

[+Glenn]

BTW, if you are looking for a few ammo cans there are still plenty to be had. I did a search at https://web.govliquidation.com/ for ammo can and got a list of 139 auction going on. Most of them are for multiple pallets of ammo cans.

[+briansnat]

I used to get them from Cheaperthandirt because they sold 6 for $19 plus shipping. Then they disappeared from their website at that price a couple of years ago. Cabelas then had a similar deal, but that disappeared over a year ago.

 

I bought my last batch from a fellow geocacher for $3 a can and I'm down to my last two.

 

I've seen these pallets at surplus websites before but I don't have the resources to buy them, pick them up and store them.

 

So as far as easy to find, affordable ammo cans, that does seem to be drying up, at least from my perspective.

[+StarBrand]

I've been getting mine here: http://american-armynavy.com/ammocan.htm

 

Not cheap but they are very nice cans and shipping is one single flat rate no matter how many cans you order - I usually get 12 - 20 at a time.

[+Firespinner]

I don't think that is true. I just ran across a website where the govt is auctioning off entire skids of ammo cans. I was tempted to buy 2 skids (they're sold in 2 skid lots) since they were going cheap but I was afraid I couldn't re-sell them (and I would be in a world of storage trouble if I couldn't unload them quick enough).

[+briansnat]

I've been getting mine here: http://american-armynavy.com/ammocan.htm

 

Not cheap but they are very nice cans and shipping is one single flat rate no matter how many cans you order - I usually get 12 - 20 at a time.

 

Thanks for the link. Its a bit more than I like to pay, but in the event of an emergency at least I have someplace to get a few.

[+sbell111]

I don't think that is true. I just ran across a website where the govt is auctioning off entire skids of ammo cans. I was tempted to buy 2 skids (they're sold in 2 skid lots) since they were going cheap but I was afraid I couldn't re-sell them (and I would be in a world of storage trouble if I couldn't unload them quick enough).

They would probably fit in your kitchen.

[+Firespinner]

I don't think that is true. I just ran across a website where the govt is auctioning off entire skids of ammo cans. I was tempted to buy 2 skids (they're sold in 2 skid lots) since they were going cheap but I was afraid I couldn't re-sell them (and I would be in a world of storage trouble if I couldn't unload them quick enough).

They would probably fit in your kitchen.

 

lol...but then we couldn't cook. :-) I did consider the laundry room. $60 bucks and a 5 hr drive for 2 skids full of ammo cans is very tempting. :-)

[+sbell111]

I don't think that is true. I just ran across a website where the govt is auctioning off entire skids of ammo cans. I was tempted to buy 2 skids (they're sold in 2 skid lots) since they were going cheap but I was afraid I couldn't re-sell them (and I would be in a world of storage trouble if I couldn't unload them quick enough).

They would probably fit in your kitchen.

 

lol...but then we couldn't cook. :-) I did consider the laundry room. $60 bucks and a 5 hr drive for 2 skids full of ammo cans is very tempting. :-)

You could swing by my house on the way home and drop off a pallet.

[+Tahoein' Bunch]

Alot of the military surplus Especially BDU's are being destroyed rather than resold as Military surplus, Ammo cans I had a few good places to get them reasonable. But no more, I guess that's just the times we are in now. You can get Isralie surplus fairly cheap if you look around on the net. shipping may kill us here in the U.S. But you could get them.

[+sbell111]

Alot of the military surplus Especially BDU's are being destroyed rather than resold as Military surplus, Ammo cans I had a few good places to get them reasonable. But no more, I guess that's just the times we are in now. You can get Isralie surplus fairly cheap if you look around on the net. shipping may kill us here in the U.S. But you could get them.

My understanding is that ACUs are destroyed rather than sold because they have IR tabs that are restricted.

[+Renegade Knight]

Last trip to the local Armysurpluswarehouse had them stocked and ready. Last summer I was in Fairbanks and they were a buck each. I maxed out my luggage.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Alot of the military surplus Especially BDU's are being destroyed rather than resold as Military surplus, Ammo cans I had a few good places to get them reasonable. But no more, I guess that's just the times we are in now. You can get Isralie surplus fairly cheap if you look around on the net. shipping may kill us here in the U.S. But you could get them.

 

I hadn't thought about it before but as ammo cans are mentioned so frequently here we are, of course, referring to ammunition containers created for the U.S. military. So what do geocachers in other countries use that in lieu of ammo cans?

[+sTeamTraen]

I hadn't thought about it before but as ammo cans are mentioned so frequently here we are, of course, referring to ammunition containers created for the U.S. military. So what do geocachers in other countries use that in lieu of ammo cans?

Would it surprise you if I said that many other countries have armies, which use ammunition, and store it in rather similar containers?

Edited December 23, 2008 by sTeamTraen

[+vwaldoguy]

Local surplus center has 2913 in stock, at $5.95 each.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

I hadn't thought about it before but as ammo cans are mentioned so frequently here we are, of course, referring to ammunition containers created for the U.S. military. So what do geocachers in other countries use that in lieu of ammo cans?

Would it surprise you if I said that many other countries have armies, which use ammunition, and store it in rather similar containers?

 

I assumed that would be the case, but I've never seen one. How similar are they to U.S. military ammo cans?

[+Parabola]

The topic line alone scared me. Our local military supply store's seem to have ton's but no-one's buying them.

[+HaLiJuSaPa]

I hadn't thought about it before but as ammo cans are mentioned so frequently here we are, of course, referring to ammunition containers created for the U.S. military. So what do geocachers in other countries use that in lieu of ammo cans?

Would it surprise you if I said that many other countries have armies, which use ammunition, and store it in rather similar containers?

 

I assumed that would be the case, but I've never seen one. How similar are they to U.S. military ammo cans?

 

Basically, they look the same except that the writing on them (if there is anything printed on them) is in the language of the nation they came from instead of English. I've bought Russian and Israeli ammo cans off of eBay and the former had Cyrillic writing on it and the latter Hebrew.......

[+luckybobb]

I just looked on army surplus and have two questions.

 

The first one seems a little silly but is the bid for the entire lot or one individual can. Not sure and just wanted to find out.

 

The other question I have is in the pictures I see the cans seem to have the lids removed. Are they being sold without the lids?? (seems kind of pointless too me)

 

Sorry if these seem like stupid questions but I don't have any experience with auctions. (online or other.)

 

Thanks.

[+briansnat]

I just looked on army surplus and have two questions.

 

The first one seems a little silly but is the bid for the entire lot or one individual can. Not sure and just wanted to find out.

 

The other question I have is in the pictures I see the cans seem to have the lids removed. Are they being sold without the lids?? (seems kind of pointless too me)

 

Sorry if these seem like stupid questions but I don't have any experience with auctions. (online or other.)

 

Thanks.

 

I don't know about the specific site you are looking at, but in most instances the bid is for the entire lot.

[+Isonzo Karst]

....is the bid for the entire lot or one individual can. Not sure and just wanted to find out.

 

The other question I have is in the pictures I see the cans seem to have the lids removed. Are they being sold without the lids?? (seems kind of pointless too me)

 

Hard to say without knowing what site you're looking at.

 

Typically the gov'mt surplus sites are auctioning pallet loads of cans. They stack better without the lids, so the lids are separate, but included. Price will seem low per can, but that's for the entire pallet on site. You have to remove it at your own expense, and fast.....storage fees will be added to the item beginning PDQ after the sale ends.

 

We keep looking at doing a buy, there are pallets of ammo cans available on occasion from the Pensacola Fl yard ... but the other expenses - physically taking possession of, moving and storing a bunch of cans....

[+DanOCan]

One of our local stores which sometimes sells ammo cans as surplus had a few the other day but I walked away because they were selling at $15 /ea. The "catch"? The sign listed them as "Collector's Items -- WWII ammo cans!". Hate to break it to them, but they looked exactly the same as every other ammo can I ever purchased.

 

Around here I know the price of ammo cans has gone up in direct proportion to the popularity of caching. We used to be able to buy the smaller brown British army cans for about $3 but I haven't seen anything that cheap for quite awhile now.

[+blb9556]

"military is going to plastic and cardboard ammo cans"

 

Why would they do that? They wouldn't be waterproof meaning ammo could get ruined.

[+Jedi Cacher]

I get my ammo cans from a local Army-Navy store for $6 for the 30cal and $8 for the 50cal. However, this past summer there were hardly any cans left in stock and asked the owner what the deal was. He said with fuel prices hovering around $4 a gallon it was costing him to much for shipping and didn't know if he would be getting anymore in stock. I haven't been back to the store since fuel prices have dropped to see if the owner has restocked. Also I don't know how much of his story about the shipping charges is the truth either.

[+Okiebryan]

Be careful about the ammo cans without lids. Sometimes they do sell pallets of cans that DO NOT INCLUDE LIDS. In other words, worthless except for scrap.

 

On the other hand, one pallet of military ammo cans will fit in an Expedition. I put the back seat down and stacked then 3 high from behind the front seats to the tailgate. That pallet cost me about $500 for 168 cans if I remember right. They were in primo excellent condition, and I went ot Ft. Sill to pick them up. Even snagged a few caches on post while I was there!

[+kayak-cowboy]

I know this is a little off topic. But I am looking for Decon Containers. I used to have a link to a web site saved. But it seems to no longer be in existence. Does anyone know where I can find these containers?

Website address.....etc.????

Thanks

[+Star*Hopper]

I know this is a little off topic. But I am looking for Decon Containers. I used to have a link to a web site saved. But it seems to no longer be in existence. Does anyone know where I can find these containers?

Website address.....etc.????

Thanks

Now, Decon Containers (M258A1 'Military Decontamination Container'; speakin' Jargonese) are in fact a dying breed. The newer versions come in a sealed plastic packet sort've like an envelope. Rip or cut open, & she's fini! The only place I'd been able to find 'em was my local Army Navy Surplus (Pappy's)....and they say they haven't had any in nearly 2 years. I do have a source online, but now at $9.99 + S&H, EACH - well, I can get two .50-cal ammo cans cheaper than that!

 

Insofar as ammo cans....does anyone think for a skinny second the military isn't shootin' up plenty of rounds right here in the good ol' USofA? Horsehockey!

 

Re the 'CheaperThanDirt' squeeze-play: I think we oughta get a posse up & call 'em on it.

If they can't find a source, maybe I need to come out of retirement from Purchasing & Materials Management & send 'em my resume!

 

~*

[+Star*Hopper]

I din't click NUTHIN' twice.......aiight????//

~*

Edited December 24, 2008 by Star*Hopper

[+sTeamTraen]

I hadn't thought about it before but as ammo cans are mentioned so frequently here we are, of course, referring to ammunition containers created for the U.S. military. So what do geocachers in other countries use that in lieu of ammo cans?

Would it surprise you if I said that many other countries have armies, which use ammunition, and store it in rather similar containers?

 

I assumed that would be the case, but I've never seen one. How similar are they to U.S. military ammo cans?

 

Basically, they look the same except that the writing on them (if there is anything printed on them) is in the language of the nation they came from instead of English. I've bought Russian and Israeli ammo cans off of eBay and the former had Cyrillic writing on it and the latter Hebrew.......

If the ammo can comes from a NATO country, the writing will be in English. But at least everything will be in metric. Seems like the first thing you have to learn when you join the US military is metric measurements (and the 24-hour clock).

[+Glenn]

I din't click NUTHIN' twice.......aiight????//

~*

 

Did you do anything to cause the page to be loaded again? Pressed F5, clicked the reload icon, or clicked in the address bar and pressed enter.

[+Chief and Crew]

I know this is a little off topic. But I am looking for Decon Containers. I used to have a link to a web site saved. But it seems to no longer be in existence. Does anyone know where I can find these containers?

Website address.....etc.????

Thanks

Now, Decon Containers (M258A1 'Military Decontamination Container'; speakin' Jargonese) are in fact a dying breed. The newer versions come in a sealed plastic packet sort've like an envelope. Rip or cut open, & she's fini! The only place I'd been able to find 'em was my local Army Navy Surplus (Pappy's)....and they say they haven't had any in nearly 2 years. I do have a source online, but now at $9.99 + S&H, EACH - well, I can get two .50-cal ammo cans cheaper than that!

 

Insofar as ammo cans....does anyone think for a skinny second the military isn't shootin' up plenty of rounds right here in the good ol' USofA? Horsehockey!

 

Re the 'CheaperThanDirt' squeeze-play: I think we oughta get a posse up & call 'em on it.

If they can't find a source, maybe I need to come out of retirement from Purchasing & Materials Management & send 'em my resume!

 

~*

 

http://store.colemans.com/cart/container-d...ml?currency=USD has them at $9.95 for 4. I recently bought from them and they arrived pretty fast. Maybe this will help if you want some.

[+anakerose]

They're easy to come by in Kelowna, BC. Just go into any hunting store and they have them.

[+J-Way]

The cheapest way to buy ammo cans is to get together with a group of cachers and go buy a pallet or two at a surplus sale. Break down the pallets and distribute into multiple vehicles for the trip home and for storage. I'd love to do this but most locals are more into micro caches for numbers.

[+GrateBear]

For those who live in the Chicago area, the Army Navy store on Lincoln Ave had a fairly good supply of them today, in two sizes. Sorry, but I didn't check the prices.

I was also surprised to see they had a few "rite in the rain" note pads, too, in two sizes. These weren't the yellow ones you see on geocache supply sites, but I trust they do the trick.

[+Team Perks]

Scarce? Good! I've got a couple hundred sitting unused in my garage, and the last thing I need is an opportunity to buy more of them...

[+Snoogans]

Scarce? Good! I've got a couple hundred sitting unused in my garage, and the last thing I need is an opportunity to buy more of them...

 

Wow! You're worse than me. I only have about 60 to 70 in my garage and another 20 or so in my storage.

 

I really need to just look at the other side of the road when pass through Beatty, Nevada. There has been a place selling any size government/military container for years and the place is HUGE. It's about an acre. I can't help stopping there EVERY time.

[+The Cachster]

there is a store by me that sells army surplus.......and ammo cans baby!!! as far as hidden caches go there was a new thing where I live that you need to fill out paperwork to hide a cache in a forest preserve so all the caces in forest preserves have been arcived

[+carleenp]

I used to get them from Cheaperthandirt because they sold 6 for $19 plus shipping. Then they disappeared from their website at that price a couple of years ago. Cabelas then had a similar deal, but that disappeared over a year ago.

 

I bought my last batch from a fellow geocacher for $3 a can and I'm down to my last two.

 

I've seen these pallets at surplus websites before but I don't have the resources to buy them, pick them up and store them.

 

So as far as easy to find, affordable ammo cans, that does seem to be drying up, at least from my perspective.

 

The Cabelas in Sydney Nebraska has an annual "sidewalk sale" (it is really a massive parking lot sale) and the two times I was at it, they had tons of ammo cans in various sizes for something like $1 or $2 each.

 

I don't know if the other stores do something similar. The Sydney, NE store is Cabela's original/main store, so it could be limited to there.

[+carleenp]

I don't think that is true. I just ran across a website where the govt is auctioning off entire skids of ammo cans. I was tempted to buy 2 skids (they're sold in 2 skid lots) since they were going cheap but I was afraid I couldn't re-sell them (and I would be in a world of storage trouble if I couldn't unload them quick enough).

They would probably fit in your kitchen.

 

Put the pallet in your yard, put a log book in one of the cans, preferably in the center of the thing. Watch in amusement as people tear the pallet apart trying to find the actual cache.

[+phrostyphish]

There's definitely not a shortage of them in the South - a trip to any flea market or outdoor swap meet will yield a find, and at a rather reasonable rate to boot. The only time I feel like my wallet is getting the shaft is if I buy from one of those military surplus places... they're usually twice what I can get 'em for at the Trade Days event in Collinsville, Alabama.