10 Best Ammo Cans (2026): Seal-Tested, Plus How to Store Ammo for Decades

Last updated October 24th 2026

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An ammo can has one job: keep air, water and hands away from your ammunition. A $15 surplus steel can with a good rubber gasket still does that better than most things that cost four times as much, and a cheap plastic box sold as an “ammo can” may not seal at all.

So I tested the seals. I filled ten cans and boxes with factory 9mm, dunked the closed ones in a tub for an hour, checked each gasket with a dollar bill, and priced every one across our 200+ retailers on October 24, 2026. Below are the best ammo cans for long-term storage, range trips, shotgun shells and locking up, plus how to store ammo so it still fires in 20 years.

Table of Contents

Best Ammo Cans at a Glance

Can	Material	Seal	Holds (boxed 9mm)	Price
M2A1 .50 Cal steel can	Steel	Rubber gasket, waterproof	800 rounds	Live price
M19A1 .30 Cal steel can	Steel	Rubber gasket, waterproof	300 rounds	Live price
MTM AC50C 50 Caliber	Polypropylene	O-ring, water-resistant	800 rounds	Live price
Plano 131250 Element-Proof	Polymer	O-ring, water-resistant	300 rounds	Live price
MTM Survivor Ammo Can (SAC)	Polymer	Double O-ring screw lid	500 rounds .45 or .223 (MTM)	Live price
Pelican Vault V250	Polymer	Gasket plus purge valve	1,000 rounds	Live price
MTM AC4C 4-Can Crate	Polymer	O-ring on each can	4 small cans	Live price
PA108 Fat 50 steel can	Steel	Rubber gasket, waterproof	Bulk rifle and mags	Live price
Plano 161200 Deep Field Box	Polymer	Lid seal, water-resistant	6 boxes of shotshells	Live price
Hornady Rechargeable Dehumidifier	Silica gel	Goes inside the can	n/a	Live price

Steel or Plastic? Pick the Seal First

A military steel can seals with a thick rubber gasket that the lid lever crushes flat. That is a true waterproof seal, and it’s why surplus cans are still the default for long-term storage. The trade-off is weight and rust: a steel .50 cal can weighs about 5 pounds empty, and a scratched one will rust if it lives on a damp floor.

Polymer cans are lighter, stack better and never rust, but most are only water-resistant. MTM says it plainly in its own listings: its standard ammo cans are water-resistant, not waterproof. They keep out rain and humidity well, and they won’t survive a flooded basement. If the can will sit somewhere wet, buy steel or one of the two sealed polymer cans below, the MTM Survivor and the Pelican Vault.

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1. M2A1 .50 Cal Steel Ammo Can: Best Ammo Can Overall

• Material: Steel, rubber lid gasket
• Inside: About 11 x 5.5 x 7 inches
• Holds: 16 boxes of 50 rounds of 9mm, 800 rounds
• Price on October 24, 2026: About $11 to $38, surplus to new mil-spec

If you only buy one kind of can, buy this one. The M2A1 was built to carry belted .50 BMG for the military, and the lid lever compresses a thick rubber gasket hard enough to keep out water. Mine sat underwater in a tub for an hour with a paper towel inside, and the towel came out bone dry.

It’s also the right size for most people. Sixteen boxes of 9mm, 800 rounds, fit flat with room for a desiccant pack. Full, it weighs over 25 pounds, which is about the limit for carrying one by the handle. Surplus cans start around $11 and are fine as long as the gasket is soft and uncracked. New-made mil-spec cans cost more and come clean.

Best For: Long-term storage of pistol and rifle ammo.

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2. M19A1 .30 Cal Steel Ammo Can: Best Small Steel Can

• Material: Steel, rubber lid gasket
• Inside: About 10 x 3.5 x 6.75 inches
• Holds: 6 boxes of 9mm, 300 rounds
• Price on October 24, 2026: About $17 to $35

The .30 cal can is the M2A1’s narrow little brother, with the same lid and gasket. It’s the can I use for one caliber of handgun ammo, a few hundred rounds of .22 LR, or a range-day supply. It passed the same dunk test dry.

The narrow width is the catch. Some 50-round boxes and most shotshell boxes won’t lie flat in it, so measure your boxes against the 3.5 inch inside width before you buy a stack of these.

Best For: A single caliber, or rimfire.

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3. MTM AC50C 50 Caliber Ammo Can: Best Plastic Ammo Can

• Material: Polypropylene, O-ring lid seal
• Inside: 11 x 5.8 x 7.2 inches (MTM)
• Holds: 800 rounds of boxed 9mm, rated to 25 pounds
• Price on October 24, 2026: About $10 to $15

MTM’s 50 caliber can is the same inside size as a steel .50 for about half the weight, and the stacking lugs mean five of them sit on a shelf without sliding. The lid has an O-ring and a hole for a small padlock or zip tie, which is handy in a shared garage or a truck.

Treat the seal for what MTM says it is. After an hour underwater the paper towel inside was damp along one edge. That’s fine for a closet or a range bag, and a reason to pick the steel can for the basement floor.

Best For: Indoor storage and range trips.

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4. Plano 131250 Element-Proof Field Box: Best Cheap Ammo Can

• Material: Polymer, O-ring lid seal
• Inside: 9.5 x 4.25 x 6.5 inches
• Holds: 6 boxes of 9mm, 300 rounds
• Price on October 24, 2026: About $11 to $14

Plano’s Element-Proof box costs less than a box of 9mm, and it’s the one I keep in the range bag. The O-ring lid kept a rain shower out, and the inside fits six 50-round boxes standing on edge.

It isn’t a storage can for the long haul. The walls are thinner than MTM’s, so I don’t stack more than two full ones, and like the MTM it let a little water in when fully submerged.

Best For: Range bags and budget organizing.

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5. MTM Survivor Ammo Can: Best Sealed Can for Long-Term Caching

• Material: Polymer bucket with a double O-ring screw lid and outer cap
• Inside: 7 inch diameter, 12.4 inches deep (MTM)
• Holds: Up to 500 rounds of .45 ACP or .223, or 16 metal AR magazines (MTM)
• Price on October 24, 2026: About $25 to $33

The Survivor is built for the job most cans aren’t: storing ammo somewhere wet for years. The lid screws down onto two O-rings, a cap goes over that, and MTM includes a vapor corrosion inhibitor bag and a desiccant pack in every can. It came out of the dunk test dry.

The round shape is the downside on a shelf, and the screw lid is slow if you just want a box of range ammo. Buy it for a cache, a boat or a damp outbuilding, not for the closet.

Best For: Buried caches and damp storage.

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6. Pelican Vault V250: Best Lockable Ammo Can

• Material: Polymer with a gasket lid and pressure purge valve
• Inside: 12.7 x 6.3 x 10 inches (Pelican)
• Holds: 20 boxes of 9mm, 1,000 rounds
• Price on October 24, 2026: About $60

If the ammo needs to be locked, this is the can. The V250 has two stainless steel hasps for padlocks, a gasketed lid, and a purge valve that lets air pressure equalize without letting water in. Pelican rates it crushproof and dustproof, and it stayed dry in our dunk test.

It’s also big. Twenty boxes of 9mm fit, which makes a full one heavy, so I keep mine on a low shelf. One spec worth knowing: Pelican lists an operating range of 0 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, so don’t leave it in a closed car in summer.

Best For: Homes with kids, shared spaces and vehicles.

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7. MTM AC4C 4-Can Ammo Crate: Best for Several Calibers

• Material: Polymer crate plus four .30 caliber cans with O-ring lids
• Holds: One caliber per can, four calibers in one crate
• Price on October 24, 2026: About $27 to $48

If you shoot three or four calibers, this crate fixes the mess. Each caliber gets its own small can, and the crate carries all four to the truck in one trip. I keep 9mm, .22 LR, 5.56 and 300 Blackout in one, with each can labeled on the lid.

Keeping 300 Blackout and 5.56 in separate, labeled cans isn’t just tidy. A 300 Blackout round can chamber in a 5.56 rifle and destroy it, which our 300 Blackout ammo guide covers.

Best For: Shooters with several calibers.

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8. PA108 Fat 50 Steel Can: Best for Bulk Rifle Ammo and Magazines

• Material: Steel, rubber lid gasket
• Size: Wider than an M2A1, built for belted SAW ammo
• Holds: Loaded rifle magazines or a case of bulk rifle ammo split into boxes
• Price on October 24, 2026: About $59 new mil-spec, about $28 used

The Fat 50 is the extra-wide steel can built for belted SAW ammo. The added width is what makes it useful at home: loaded AR magazines stand upright inside, and big 20-round rifle boxes lie flat. Our best AR-15 ammo guide covers what to put in it.

A word on loaded magazines: the springs don’t wear out from sitting loaded, they wear from cycling. Storing loaded mags in a sealed can is fine.

Best For: Bulk 5.56 and loaded magazines.

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9. Plano 161200 Deep Field Box: Best for Shotgun Shells

• Material: Polymer, sealed lid, lift-out tray
• Inside: Fits six boxes of 3 inch shells (Plano)
• Price on October 24, 2026: About $15 to $23

Shotshell boxes are too wide for a .30 cal can and awkward in a .50, so shotgun shooters need a deeper box. Plano’s deep field box takes six boxes of 3 inch shells flat, and the lift-out tray holds choke tubes, a wrench and earplugs.

Shells handle humidity worse than metal cartridges, since the hulls are plastic or paper. Keep them in a box like this indoors, not in the truck. See our best home defense ammo guide for buckshot picks.

Best For: Clay and bird hunters.

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10. Hornady Rechargeable Dehumidifier: Best Add-On for Any Can

• Type: Silica gel unit with a color indicator, recharged by plugging it in
• Price on October 24, 2026: About $20 to $27

A sealed can traps whatever air you close it with. Seal it in a muggy garage in July and that moisture stays inside with your ammo. A desiccant pack soaks it up, and this Hornady unit tells you when it’s full by changing color. Plug it in to dry it out, and it’s ready again.

It fits in a .50 cal or larger can. For small cans, a few silica gel packs do the same job. For the safe itself, see our best gun safe dehumidifiers.

Best For: Every can that lives somewhere humid.

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Our Seal Test Results

I put a folded paper towel in each closed can, sank it in a tub of water for an hour with a brick on top, then opened it. I also closed each lid on a dollar bill and pulled. A good gasket grips the bill hard.

Can	Dunk test	Dollar bill test
M2A1 .50 Cal steel	Dry	Held firm
M19A1 .30 Cal steel	Dry	Held firm
MTM AC50C	Damp along one edge	Pulled out with effort
Plano 131250	Damp in one corner	Pulled out easily
MTM Survivor (SAC)	Dry	Screw lid, not tested
Pelican Vault V250	Dry	Held firm
PA108 Fat 50 steel	Dry	Held firm

The results line up with how each maker rates its own product. Steel mil-spec cans and the two sealed polymer cans are waterproof. Standard plastic ammo cans are water-resistant, which is plenty for a closet and not enough for a flood.

How to Store Ammo So It Lasts Decades

Ammunition is tougher than most people think. SAAMI’s storage and handling guide says factory ammo kept in normal home conditions, from hot to freezing, can be expected to perform safely for extended periods. The guide calls out three things that do ruin it:

• Heat over 150 degrees. SAAMI warns that a closed car in the sun can get that hot. Don’t store ammo in a vehicle, an attic or a shed with a metal roof.
• Water. Never let it get wet. SAAMI says ammo exposed to a flood or a house fire should be scrapped, not shot.
• Solvents and oil. SAAMI lists solvents, paint thinner, petroleum products and ammonia as things that can get into a round and cause misfires or squib loads. Keep gun oil and cleaning kits out of the ammo can.

SAAMI also recommends keeping ammo in its factory box. The label tells you exactly what’s inside, which stops the wrong cartridge going into the wrong gun. So put the boxes in the can, don’t dump loose rounds in. Write the caliber and the date on a piece of tape on the lid, and rotate your oldest ammo to the range first.

Where to Keep Your Ammo Cans

• A closet or basement shelf, off the floor. Concrete floors wick moisture. SAAMI’s guide suggests pallets for ammo stored on damp floors, and a shelf does the same.
• Away from gasoline and propane. NFPA 495, which SAAMI reprints, sets 15 feet or a fire wall between ammo and flammable liquids in stores and warehouses. It’s a good rule for a garage too.
• Locked, or out of reach of kids. SAAMI says home storage is ideally in a locked closet or cabinet. A padlocked Pelican Vault or a gun safe covers that, and our guide to storing guns safely covers state storage laws.
• Not in the car. Take the cans inside after the range.

Are Ammo Cans Dangerous in a Fire?

Not the way movies show it. SAAMI says stocks of small arms ammo will not mass explode: if one round goes off, it doesn’t set off the rest. A cartridge that fires outside a gun has no barrel to contain it, so the bullet barely moves. The case and primer pieces fly a short distance. SAAMI’s tests found they didn’t have enough energy to get through firefighters’ protective gear.

That doesn’t make it harmless, and you should tell the fire department if you store a lot of ammo. It does mean a basement full of ammo cans is not a bomb.

Buying Surplus Ammo Cans: Grades and What to Check

Surplus cans are sold by grade. Grade 1 cans are the cleanest, with paint mostly intact. Lower grades have dents, scuffs, old stencils and surface rust. A grade 2 can is fine for storage if the seal is good, and it’s cheaper.

• Check the gasket. It should be soft and unbroken all the way around. A hard or cracked gasket won’t seal, though replacement gaskets are cheap.
• Do the dollar bill test at the four corners of the lid.
• Look for rust holes, not just surface rust. Surface rust can be sanded and painted.
• Check the hinge. The lid should come off and go back on cleanly.

Our military surplus gear guide covers where else surplus pays off.

How Many Rounds Fit in an Ammo Can?

Our fill counts with factory boxes standing or lying flat, with room left for a desiccant pack:

Can	Boxed 9mm (50 rd boxes)	Approx. weight full
M19A1 .30 Cal	6 boxes, 300 rounds	About 11 lb
Plano 131250	6 boxes, 300 rounds	About 9 lb
M2A1 .50 Cal	16 boxes, 800 rounds	About 26 lb
MTM AC50C	16 boxes, 800 rounds	About 23 lb
Pelican Vault V250	20 boxes, 1,000 rounds	About 32 lb

Loose rounds pack tighter, but you lose the label, so I don’t recommend it. Stocking up? Our where to buy cheap ammo guide and ammo deals page track the best prices on bulk cases, and our best 9mm ammo guide covers what’s worth storing.

Which Ammo Can Should You Buy?

• Most people: M2A1 .50 Cal steel cans, one per caliber, plus a desiccant pack.
• Small amounts or rimfire: M19A1 .30 Cal.
• Light and stackable indoors: MTM AC50C.
• Range bag: Plano 131250.
• Damp storage or a buried cache: MTM Survivor.
• Needs a lock: Pelican Vault V250.
• Several calibers: MTM AC4C crate.
• Shotgun shells: Plano 161200.

Hauling cans to the range? Our best range bags guide covers bags that carry a full .50 cal can.

Frequently Asked Questions