Storing Ammo (burying?) (PVC?)

[mongoose33]

Originally Posted by MrOneEyedBoh

yeah what is the total reason behind burying ammo? just to have it for paranoid people?

I've been thinking about this for a long time, thinking of SHTF scenarios that are plausible.

Right now, everything I have is in my house. That's too many eggs in one basket--hell, it's all my eggs in one basket.

I'd like to have supplies located elsewhere, supplies that rampaging hordes cannot even know exist. IN other words, I want some dispersed supplies. Suppose all I can do is bug out w/ my XD-9 and m4--how much ammo can I take with me? What about other survival supplies?

I've imagined a scenario where hungry rampaging hordes--I like that term better than zombies for some reason--go through neighborhoods stripping houses for food and anything else. If I couldn't get to my home, could I get to a cache someplace else?

I've even thought about storing a handgun and ammo someplace I could get to if I can't get back to my own house. I don't have a place in the country (yet) where I could store anything--so picking a spot in the country near a clear landmark and burying ammo/gun there would be a reasonable idea, perhaps.

I can think of dozens of places off my property where I could stash supplies. I liked the idea of PVC because it's darned near impervious, and if you bury it deep enough, the temperature fluctuations will be minimal. A posthole digger would get a pipe deep enough so that it was below the frost zone.

I'm mostly just thinking out loud here. I was prompted in part by Hank Ellis' comments in the "How much ammo" thread where he talks about his experiences in southern Louisiana after Katrina and Gustave, including the value of having dispersed resources.

I'd like to disperse some of mine. PVC Pipe sounds like a relatively inexpensive yet strong method of doing that, given the relative difficulty of burying an ammo can, for instance. And the idea of using ammo for trade is appealing. The best way to have it available but not on your person or in your house to be taken away by someone is to have it someplace people can't find.

Anyway, enough rambling. That's why.

[MrOneEyedBoh]

ohok Thanks.

[pleasantguywhopacksAXD]

Originally Posted by MrOneEyedBoh

I think he is talking about pipe dope, not the teflon tape.

Yes liquid pipe dope which in most instances except petroleum safe dope, has teflon in it.
There is a alot of doped fittings in the ground right now that have been there and holding for more than 25 years. I dig em up all the time and they look like new.

[JhankG]

That sounds extremely paranoid to me, but more power to ya!

[pleasantguywhopacksAXD]

I would also think about using argon gas to displace the natural air that contains moisture that could cause trouble with ammo or metal. It's relatively cheap at any bottled gas supply.

Argon is heavier than air so mearly standing the tube up and putting the hose just under the screw cap, give it about 10 seconds screw on the doped cap and viola, inert atmosphere around your goodies.

Also I would bury it long ways, it would be a bear to dig up in the vertical position. You might be able to put a choker around and pulling it up with a piece of equipment it but take the chance on pulling the bottom glue cap off. It is possible to pull apart glued sch 40 pvc. I have done it pulling back 6 inch via a directional drill.

[oldfart]

Originally Posted by JhankG

That sounds extremely paranoid to me, but more power to ya!

Sounds like a man that is thinking about being ready now vs wishing he had later. I too have given thought to a cache either off site or under a cow turd or two.

I really like the idea of under a fence post. Me thinks under a T post would be good. Easy to remove and in TX it doesn't have to be 3 ft under ground for frost.

Maybe a little paranoid but like the man said, if the SHTF ammo will be good to barter for other things. It will be better than money plus someday the govt may come looking for your guns and ammo. "I know nothing"

Signed Shultz

Good thinking in IMHO.

[pleasantguywhopacksAXD]

Originally Posted by Icey101

Buring it deep enough....the temps really do not flux all that much, so you should not have to deal with freezing thawing and such.

The frost line in Wisconsin is probably 5 feet figure another four feet of tube for say 1000 rounds in ammo boxes. Thats nine feet in the vertical to deep to retrieve without alot of trouble. Bury it three feet deep horizontal with the inert gas inside and it will be fine. The cold will have no effect on the ammo or dare I say "assault weapon". There will be no moisture inside to condense.

[griz]

As an electrician, I have buried a LOT of PVC pipe over the years. I have also dug up a LOT of PVC conduit/pipe over the years. Almost NONE of it was dry. Seems that no matter how careful you are to PVC cement all the joints, water will get in whether due to condensation or leaking. Personally, I would not trust any form of PVC tube to keep my valuables safe and dry over long periods underground.

[mongoose33]

Originally Posted by pleasantguywhopacksAXD

The frost line in Wisconsin is probably 5 feet figure another four feet of tube for say 1000 rounds in ammo boxes. Thats nine feet in the vertical to deep to retrieve without alot of trouble. Bury it three feet deep horizontal with the inert gas inside and it will be fine. The cold will have no effect on the ammo or dare I say "assault weapon". There will be no moisture inside to condense.

Generally, footings around here have to be 4 feet deep. That's pretty much the limit of frost around here (I'm in extreme southern Wisconsin).

I was thinking along the lines of tubes perhaps a foot or 18 inches long. The reason why 6" pipe appealed to me as a possibility is that it's large-enough diameter to hold a handgun or whatever else I might reasonably want to bury there. I could bury several of them, and it would be easier to pull out smaller ones than one long one. Or I can go smaller-diameter pipe and simply use it to store ammo or whatever.

BTW, the bury-under-fencepost idea is quite clever.

[mongoose33]

Originally Posted by griz

As an electrician, I have buried a LOT of PVC pipe over the years. I have also dug up a LOT of PVC conduit/pipe over the years. Almost NONE of it was dry. Seems that no matter how careful you are to PVC cement all the joints, water will get in whether due to condensation or leaking. Personally, I would not trust any form of PVC tube to keep my valuables safe and dry over long periods underground.

Hmmmm...

Probably be worth, if I were to do use PCV, using some sort of plastic in addition to the PVC, to have a backup to the tube joints.