An ammunition box or cartridge box is a container designed for safe transport and storage of ammunition. It is typically made of metal, wood, and corrugated fiberboard, etc. Boxes are labelled with caliber, quantity, and manufacturing date, lot number, UN dangerous goods labels.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/M2_Browning_and_ammunition_boxes_%281%29.jpg/220px-M2_Browning_and_ammunition_boxes_%281%29.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/Long_rifles_Guns_Munition_.22_LR_RWS_Dynamit_Nobel_01.jpg/220px-Long_rifles_Guns_Munition_.22_LR_RWS_Dynamit_Nobel_01.jpg)
With a metal container, rubber gasket is commonly found in the hinged lid to protect the ammunition from moisture damage. With other containers, plastic bags and desiccants can be used.
The resealing ammunition box is largely a NATO tradition. Warsaw Pact nations typically stored and transported ammunition in single-use "spam cans". They had crates that had a sealed zinc lining on the inside.
Commercial ammunition boxes
editSome enthusiasts and investors collect historical ammunition boxes.[1][2]
Storage
editDue to their durable construction, used metal ammunition boxes are popularly re-used for general storage and other purposes.[3][4] They are a popular choice for geocaching containers. Used ammunition boxes have lead and propellant residue inside, so they should not be used to store food or drink. Commercially-made new or fully reconditioned used boxes do not have this problem. Used boxes are often sold at military surplus stores.
Regulations
editShipments of explosives and similar hazards are highly regulated. Based on the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods model regulations, each country has coordinated design and performance requirements for shipment. For example, in the US, the Department of Transportation has jurisdiction and published requirements in Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations.[5]
The applicable regulation depends on the level of hazard, quantity being shipped, mode of transit, etc.[6][7]
Gallery
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An M19A1 ammunition box for 7.62×51mm NATO M80 ball
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WW II English hand grenade box
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box of cartridges
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Wooden box, WWII
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Checking bar codes on wooden ammunition boxes
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box of 100 mm Polish artillery shells
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Sailors carrying box of ammunition
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Rains, Richard (2006). "Collecting .22 Rimfire Boxes". Retrieved 2008-07-22.
- ^ "Collecting Shotshell Boxes". 2005. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
- ^ Perkins, George (2003-05-23). "The "AmmoLAN"". Mini-ITX.com. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
- ^ "Images tagged "ammobox"". Flickr. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
- ^ "How to Comply with Federal Hazardous Materials Regulations". United States Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on 12 March 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- ^ Libbert (1993), PERFORMANCE ORIENTED PACKAGING TESTING OF PACKING M2AI AMMUNITION BOX FOR GROUP II SOLID HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, DODPOPHM/USA/DOD/NADTR92101 REVISION A (PDF), vol. AD-A275 086, Naval Surface Warfare Center, retrieved 11 May 2024
- ^ Beaver (2002), Box, Wooden for 105MM Howitzer Ammunition in a Fiber Container, M105A3, United Nations (UN) Performance Oriented Packaging (POP) Test, REPORT NO. 02-04 (PDF), U.S. ARMY DEFENSE AMMUNITION CENTER, retrieved 11 May 2024
selected US specifications
edit- MIL-B-2427 MILITARY SPECIFICATION: BOX, AMMUNITION PACKING: WOOD, NAILED (30-AUG-1984)
- MIL-B-3060 , MILITARY SPECIFICATION: BOXES, SMALL ARMS AMMUNITION: M19A1 AND M2A1 (12 DEC 1979)
- MIL-B-18876 MILITARY SPECIFICATION: BOX, AMMUNITION, 40MM MARK 1 MOD 0
- MIL-B-20390 - MIL-B-20390B, MILITARY SPECIFICATION: BOARD, AMMUNITION CONTAINER
- MIL-B-46506 , MILITARY SPECIFICATION: BOXES, AMMUNITION PACKING, WOOD, WIREBOUND
- MIL-C-2439 MILITARY SPECIFICATION: CONTAINER, AMMUNITION, FIBER, SPIRALLY WOUND
- MIL-C-2440 , MILITARY SPECIFICATION: CONTAINER, METAL, FOR PROPELLING CHARGE
- MIL-C-2440 MILITARY SPECIFICATION: CONTAINER, METAL, FOR PROPELLING CHARGE
- MIL-C-6879, MILITARY SPECIFICATION: CONTAINERS,CARRYING AND STORAGE, SIGNAL, ILLUMINATION AIRCRAFT
- MIL-C-21215 MILITARY SPECIFICATION: CRATES, PALLETS, AMMUNITION
- MIL-C-70469 , MILITARY SPECIFICATION: CONTAINER, STEEL, FOR BULK PROPELLANT
- MIL-C-70469 , MILITARY SPECIFICATION: CONTAINER, STEEL, FOR BULK PROPELLANT
- MIL-C-70470 , MILITARY SPECIFICATION: CONTAINER FIBER FOR BULK PROPELLANT
- MIL-C-70478 MILITARY SPECIFICATION: CONTAINER, AMMUNITION, METAL, FOR CARTRIDGE, 120MM, TANK AMMUNITION
- MIL-C-70842 , MILITARY SPECIFICATION: CONTAINER, SHIPPING AND STORAGE, CARTRIDGE, 40MM, PA120 GENERAL SPECIFICATION
- MIL-C-70998 -, MILITARY SPECIFICATION: CONTAINER, SHIPPING AND STORAGE,
- MIL-DTL-2427 , DETAIL SPECIFICATION: BOX, AMMUNITION PACKING: WOOD, NAILED
- MIL-DTL-3060 DETAIL SPECIFICATION: BOXES, SMALL ARMS AMMUNITION - M19A1 AND M2A1
- MIL-DTL-18492 DETAIL SPECIFICATION: TANKS, CARTRIDGE, POWDER, ROCKET, AND COMPONENTS (ALUMINUM)
SHIPMENT OF PROJECTILE METAL PARTS AND PROJECTILE AMMUNITION
- MIL-DTL-46506 DETAIL SPECIFICATION: BOXES, AMMUNITION PACKING, WOOD, WIREBOUND
- MIL-PRF-32076 PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATION: UTILIZATION OF AMMUNITION
- MIL-S-23389 MILITARY SPECIFICATION: SHIPPING AND STORAGE CONTAINER, CARTRIDGE, 20MM, M548
- MIL-S-50312 , MILITARY SPECIFICATION: SHIPPING AND STORAGE CONTAINER, CARTRIDGE, 30 MILLIMETER - XM592