Posted on 03/10/2013 5:34:51 PM PDT by RoosterRedux
If I want to be really, really sure, would it help if I baked my ammo for 2 hours?
I have a hygrometer that I use in my homemade plastic humidor.
My local pharmacist (who is a gun nut and reloader with thousands of rounds in storage) said you can always a heat a desiccant for a while in the oven or microwave before storage to get rid of any ambient moisture.
But then I guess cats in Israel don't need litter...plentiful deserts and beaches.;-)
Really important to start with unused litter.”
That’s a hoot. Sounds like a warning Bloomie would issue if he were into storing ammo.
To my cat there is no such a thing as “unused litter”. With some true dedication and time alone she can dump the box of new litter and scatter its contents all over the bathroom floor. Then she can have her own huge playground.
Until the SHTF or the zombie apocalypse, whichever comes first.:-)
Silica gel can be recharged in an oven, but not silica clay (kitty litter). Silica clay is a one way process (absorption only), but silica gel has buffering capability. So if he starts with silica clay that is already full of moisture, why use it? Like I said, you need a way to measure the moisture content to know if it will absorb more moisture. If it were me, I would just buy the silica gel which lasts forever.
Not arguing with your preference for silica, but I find it impossible to believe that clay will not release water vapor when baked. I’ve seen an awful lot of clay suck up water when it rains, and then turn to dust in the sun.
Sure, don't worry about the timer, you'll know when its done.
The desiccant I use for various things that I wish to keep dry is powdered milk in a jar with holes in the lid. Just my 2 cents.
Since you're not going to be storing it for long, I wouldn't worry about humidity.
Is that true? Scoopable litter cooked in an oven will not release its moisture?
“If I want to be really, really sure, would it help if I baked my ammo for 2 hours?”
Pull up a comfy easy chair in front of the oven, sit in it all nice and cosy, and take a nap...when you hear the snap, crackle, pop open the door and remove it... :)
I’ve used crystal cat litter as a desiccant. Looks a bit like rock salt and it seems to work fine in removing moisture.
I would be very cautions of any additives, such as fragrence, that would outgas and cause corrosion to your hardware.
Maybe just buy a commercial dessicant that is made for that purpose.
“.....That much dust cannot be good for anything to do with a firearm.”
Exactly my thoughts on this. I just finished cleaning up the cattery for the week, and nightly have to clean some others. I can tell you about dust, and how that cat dust gets into everything. Super scoop, or otherwise the dust is an enemy to your quality firearms.
I think the best bet is to vacuum pack your ammo. As the pressure decreases, any moisture “boils off” and is sucked away. Then pack the vacuum bags in kitty litter (Synthetic Zeolite) in a waterproof container. Then even if one of the bags loses its seal, the kitty litter will hopefully keep it dry.
Tends to be corrosive if much moisture is present, so you have to wrap your ammo in nonreactive material if you use it.
I store my ammo in old ammo cans that I bought at the army surplus store for ten bucks apiece. The olive-drab NATO kind that seal up like an old-fashioned mason jar. It never occurred that moisture could get into them anyway, especially since I live in an environment that gets very humid in the rainy season. The cat litter in pantyhose sounds like an excellent idea. Using rice sounds like a great idea, too. I put dry rice in salt shakers to keep the salt from clumping in the humidity, so it should work just as well in ammo cans.
OMG, I have to show the wife that.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.