Ammo storage - on top of fridge

[MAGA99]

So I’ve had two AR magazines on top of the fridge, fully loaded of course, for quite some time. I used to rotate them in and out and not have any individual magazine on top of the fridge for more than a month or so, but changed my patterns, approximately 1.5 -2ish years ago. So, same two mags up there for quite some time. House has central air, and various heating sources, as everyone should. Last weekend I grabbed one of em (magpull window mag, gen2) loaded with federal 193, as some tannerite needed to go boom. Tannerite went boom, blew up the brake drum on top of it, was sweet. Went to empty the rest of the mag, chamber empty. Huh.
Chambered next round, bang, then click. For the duration of the 30rnd mag I had me a magazine fed ‘charging handle action’ Rifle. The first round hit a 1# container of tannerite on first shot from 50 yards, the rest I didn’t shoot at anything particular so can’t speak to accuracy of this 193 per se.

Rifle is clean enough. Switched to two different mags that live in the front box on my ATV, so they get bounced around and heated up too, they cycled rifle fine. Had just had this rifle on the bench a few days earlier, cycled fine. Put fresh bulk ammo in same magazine, cycled fine. Ejection is between 3-4 o clock.

Sooo, should I not store mags long term on top of the refrigerator. It’s a ~10-12 year old fridgidaire with bottom drawer freezer (hate it, but it keeps beer and steak cold and makes ice). Did I just miss the memo on not storing ammo on top of the fridge?? Many other guns guys, many more knowledgeable than I, many somewhat less, have been in my house and presumably noticed these magazines. Nobody called me an idiot for doing so.

 

[cams]

Did you inspect the brass or unspent brass from said mags? You’d be surprised at the amount of grease and dust in the air in kitchens just from everyday cooking. Sticks to everything. Could just be gunked up from that alone.

 

[headednorth]

Prob just a bad mag regardless of where it was stored.

 

[cams]

Prob just a bad mag regardless of where it was stored.

If I read his post correctly he states that he reloaded it after with fresh factory ammo and it ran fine.

 

[fencer]

I think any magazine that has been loaded for an extended period of time, may have issues, regardless of where it is stored.
However, everyone knows that you are supposed to store loaded magazines in the "crisper" drawer.

 

[Supermoto]

The best thing to do when a gun malfunctions is figure out why right there and then. Not hand cycle 30 rounds thru it then ask on the internet

 

[PaulR]

The best thing to do when a gun malfunctions is figure out why right there and then. Not hand cycle 30 rounds thru it then ask on the internet

ouch. rough crowd.

 

[cams]

ouch. rough crowd.

I’d have to say in the OP’s defense that hand cycling some rounds and now visually and mentally inspecting the operation and / or malfunction of follow on rounds is part of that determination. It’s generally not rocket science and more times than not it’s a simple oh shit moment and the rifle is firing up fine again.

And I’ll say again OP already stated it wasn’t the rifle as he had reloaded fresh (not stored on his fridge) rounds in the alleged faulty mag afterwards and it ran fine. So that tells me his ammo was covered in kitchen grease and dust that sticks to everything in the kitchen and just needed a good cleaning for starters.

 

[Hetzer]

I put the microwave on top of the fridge to save counter space. Works great. Putting ammo up there never occurred to me.

 

[Shawnyc]

Possibly a bad batch of ammo? I, like others here, have stored mags in some less than ideal places and never had a problem.

 

[citoriguy]

Sounds like the magazine was being bitchy for being left out in the open for that long. Or it was that magazine’s time of the month.

 

[headednorth]

If I read his post correctly he states that he reloaded it after with fresh factory ammo and it ran fine.

Yep, just re-read, youre right.

 

[Supermoto]

I’d have to say in the OP’s defense that hand cycling some rounds and now visually and mentally inspecting the operation and / or malfunction of follow on rounds is part of that determination. It’s generally not rocket science and more times than not it’s a simple oh shit moment and the rifle is firing up fine again.

We already know it will hand cycle rounds because he did it 30 times at the range

But we did get some good info about his fridge so it's not a total loss

 

[MAGA99]

I tried multiple other magazines with bulk and individual packaged ammo. Various magpull and steel mags of various origin. The bulk had been stored in whatever conditions. Some of it had been in the front black storage box, along side adult beverages, and other magazines, tow straps, children’s toys, survival gear, whatever, for over a week and many miles of fast, crawling tough, and in between trails.

It was just that magazine, just those 30 rnds, just this once. I presumably went through the other amount of this same ammo, some time ago without issue.

I own a couple of ARs, various barrel lengths, various gas system lengths, in two calibers, some bought, most built myself. I’ve had duds. I’ve had jams. I’ve had over and under gas issues, I’ve changed buffer weights, I’ve rebuilt bolts with worn out rings. I’ve made upgrades. In my experience it’s not that difficult to make and keep a budget AR running well on cheap ammo (I even shoot steel cased a lot, it can be temp sensitive).

This one has stumped me.

 

[cams]

We already know it will hand cycle rounds because he did it 30 times at the range

Ok. I’m just trying to help one of our members out here instead of trying to make him feel like an idiot in front of everybody. We don’t all have the same level of training or maybe even the level that you have and inevitably we all have questions at some point, that should be enough to want to help each other.

 

[MAGA99]

We already know it will hand cycle rounds because he did it 30 times at the range

But we did get some good info about his fridge so it's not a total loss

Not really a ‘range,’ but my back yard. And I’ll give you a steal on the fridge, I know you want it!!!

The brass had no obvious signs of abnormality, but then again it did mix with various other brass before I really thought to inspect brass. This was 4th of July festivities mind you!!!

 

[MAGA99]

The best thing to do when a gun malfunctions is figure out why right there and then. Not hand cycle 30 rounds thru it then ask on the internet

I didn’t hand cycled through it all at once, I swapped in the mags I had nearby, various magazine types, all similar ammo, brass 193, and the only thing I can think of is too much heat on top of fridge did bad things for ammo.

 

[greencobra]

i keep six loaded mags on the inside of the cabinet door where the dishes are stored held by velcro strips. velcro on the mag is near the bottom so they hang upside down. p-mags, i believe gen 2 w/windows & dust covers. they seem to be free of dust, grease and grime but i best check closer. i should mention i live alone so it's really not an issue for anyone.

 

[LuvDog]

The top two of my fridge gets awfully fuzzy/dusty. If yours is close to the stove then I bet it get sludgy/fuzzy too.

 

[ADC]

Some refrigerators are know to cause these problems.

 

[Supermoto]

Have you tried the other mag on the top of the fridgidaire with bottom drawer freezer?

 

[Coyote33]

Kitchen grease gunked up your mags and ammo. Clean the mags, use new, clean ammo, and store somewhere else going forward.

There, I said it!

 

[Al-Jim19]

This problem can be solved by simply buying a new gun, new crate of magazines, and a case of ammo.

 

[MAGA99]

The top two of my fridge gets awfully fuzzy/dusty. If yours is close to the stove then I bet it get sludgy/fuzzy too.

About 10’ from range, slightly dusty but zero grease. Should I give specs on the exhaust hood?? It’s well vented. We cook messy shit outside like normal humans.

i keep six loaded mags on the inside of the cabinet door where the dishes are stored held by velcro strips. velcro on the mag is near the bottom so they hang upside down. p-mags, i believe gen 2 w/windows & dust covers. they seem to be free of dust, grease and grime but i best check closer. i should mention i live alone so it's really not an issue for anyone.

neither of my kids can operate a charging handle, so I have no worries. They know guns and not to touch.

 

[01906]

Next time just put them in a ziplock bag. I like greencobras idea. You can put them everywhere under the coffee table, on the back of closet doors, on the wall behind drapes, behind artwork. LOL But I have little ones so everything gets locked up.

 

[MAGA99]

Have you tried the other mag on the top of the fridgidaire with bottom drawer freezer?

Actually I haven’t tried that one yet, I didn’t have that one with me at the time. It has green tip 855 in old style aluminum 30 rnd mag. Will try tomorrow, I’m in for the night.

 

[Supermoto]

Is that mag or ammo covered in grease, crap or is sticky?

 

[MAGA99]

Is that mag or ammo covered in grease, crap or is sticky?

Barely any dust, zero lint. Shiny compared to mags in carry guns. Zero grease.

 

[mac1911]

Barely any dust, zero lint. Shiny compared to mags in carry guns. Zero grease.

Just tag that mag and any of the same lot of ammo as range fun only.
I cant see 2 years being stored in a stable environment causing issues. I have had mags lost in the abyss for many years and worked fine.
Storing mags loaded is not a problem. Springs where from cycling so if your wearing out mags using them how long does it take?
Bulk federal 193 can really suck some times as its boarder line “good” most of the time.
I will shoot wolf gold any day vs federal 193 bulk

I cant say anything about the mags . I have only used pre ban , beat up , worn down GI mags

 

[Dennis in MA]

On TOP of the fridge??? Not cool.