Safe and secure ammo storage
Is your collection of cartridges compliant?
By Brendan Jones
Firearm storage is a perennial discussion topic in SSAA circles and media and rightly so. The title of the long running campaign ‘Secure your gun, secure your sport’ says it all when it comes to the importance of complying with legislation around safe storage of guns. Educating and refreshing members’ knowledge on the important issue is the root purpose behind this evergreen subject matter. But adjacent to that topic is one that normally plays the supporting role in such publications: ammunition. So, here today ammo is the star of the show, with its own standalone article. How confident are you that your collection of ammunition meets your state’s legislation? Read on to see if your cache of cartridges is in fact compliant.
Ammunition and the acts
Looking at Queensland as an example, possession and storage of ammunition falls under more than just the Weapons Act 1990 (Qld) but is also addressed under the Explosives Act 1999 (Qld). The fact that it broaches two separate acts, and each act’s subsequent regulations, means getting all the details clear and consolidated isn’t as straight forward as it might otherwise be.
To begin with, we must define what we are talking about. Under the Explosives Regulation 2017 (Qld), small arms ammunition (SAA) refers to ammunition for shotguns or any firearm of less than 25.4mm in calibre, as well as primers that could be used to reload said ammunition. To possess SAA requires a licence or authority issued under the Weapons Act 1990 (QLD), a requirement which a Category A/B licence in Queensland satisfies.
Additionally, it helps to remember the context. SAA storage is rooted in the explosives act. An act concerned with regulating the likes of fireworks, gelignite, ANFO, etcetera – explosives significantly more powerful and therefore possessing a higher potential for danger when incorrectly stored. As such, explosives storage legislation is concerned with two main elements. Firstly, protecting the explosive, to avoid damage and degradation leading to instability, and to avoid unintended ignition or detonation. Secondly, securing it in a way to prevent access by an unlicensed person.
Storing ammunition safely
According to Explosives Regulation 2017 (Qld), the name of the game is to keep SAA from ‘damage or harm during normal storage, including friction, impact, static, heat in handling the packaging or container, and adjacent things such as chemicals, dangerous goods and water’. As such the focus is on what the ammunition is stored in, being it needs to be a ‘secure container’. Not secure as in safe from theft or access (that will come later), but safe from damage. In this context a ‘secure container’ is defined as ‘a spark-proof container that’s kept closed at all times except when the SAA is placed in or removed from the packaging or container. A spark from an external source can’t enter the secure container when it’s stored and not being handled’.
Conveniently the ammunition’s ‘original packaging’ is considered to be a secure container, as long as it is closed. So, if you have ammunition stored in the packaging it was purchased in, the first element of SAA storage is covered, so long as the box/tin/etc it came in is closed (rendering it ‘spark-proof’).
But what about handloading? Shooters who load SAA for their own use are considered a ‘manufacturer’ in this setting. Because there isn’t any original packing, it must be stored in a way to satisfy the rules of a ‘secure container’. Characteristics of a ‘secure container’ can be summarised as:
- Packed in good quality packaging that’s strong enough to withstand shocks and loadings during handling and storage.
- Closed to both avoid losing contents during storage or handling and also be classed as spark proof.
- Encased in packaging that’s clearly marked on the outside surface with the characteristics of the loaded SAA and maximum quantity of SAA.
A range of examples that fail to meet the legislation around SAA storage. An old rusty milo tin full of shotshells, a Ziplock bag of loose rounds and a belt are more obvious. But a factory box of 12ga with the lid folded back is not closed and therefore fails to be spark-proof. And while the plastic ammo box is a good container to use, the label while declaring the cartridge type, fails to state the maximum number of rounds it holds.
Examples given as not acceptable are ‘ice-cream containers, take-away food containers, glass jars with screw lids, plastic bags with zip-lock seals, coffee tins and similar’.
The most common way handloaders store their ammunition, plastic ammo boxes designed for the purpose, is an easy way to satisfy the legislation, as well as a good way of protecting and organising those painstaking reloads. Remember though the container must be clearly labelled on the outside surface with characteristic and quantity of the contents. This also goes for storing factory ammunition in plastic ammo boxes in place of its original packaging. The purpose of this labelling is for firefighters and other first responders in an emergency. For example, ‘.243Win 50x cartridges’ or ‘12ga – 25 shotshells’ is sufficient. You can have other information on the secure container like powder charge, projectile type and weight, primer, etc. for your own benefit, so long as calibre and maximum quantity are listed.
Storing ammunition securely
The second element of SAA storage is keeping it in a ‘secure area’. This is the same idea as firearms storage, to keep it from those who aren’t licensed to access it. Many commercially available gun safes have a small compartment for bolt and ammo storage; this is suitable as long as that compartment has a different key/combination to the main safe. It is not suitable to store SAA in the main compartment with your firearms, as firearms and ammunition must be stored separately. Other examples of a ‘secured area’ for SAA storage might include a drawer, cabinet, cupboard, room or other enclosure that’s locked when no one is around, and to which unlicensed persons can’t access.
A locked filing cabinet drawer serves as a ‘secure area’ for SAA storage. In a case where more than 10,000 cartridges are stored in a secure area, a classification sign 100mm square must also be displayed on the outward facing surface.
Total volume and signage
There is a further stipulation if you have more than 10,000 cartridges stored in a secure area. In such a case, a classification sign (class 1.4S) at least 100mm square must be displayed in a place that is visible. For example, if on a drawer – on the outward-facing surface of the drawer, if on a cabinet – on the exterior surface of the cabinet, if on a cupboard – on the exterior surface of the cupboard, if in a room or other enclosure – at each entrance to the room or enclosure.
Lastly, propellent powders (smokeless and black powder) while classed differently to SAA, are still seen to be ‘hazardous substances due their ease of initiation and flammability’. Under explosive regulation they also require the appropriate licence (satisfied by cat A/B QLD weapons licence) to buy and possess under explosives regulations. Propellant powders should be ‘stored in original containers in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place away from all sources of ignition’ as well as kept in a ‘secured area’, similar to SAA. On properties less than 2ha in size, there is a total limit of 15kg of powder.
The top compartment of a rifle safe can serve as a ‘secure area’ so long as it is keyed differently to the main safe compartment. SAA must not be stored in the main safe compartment alongside firearms.
Conclusion
In summary, ammunition storage requirements and concerns overlap with firearms storage, but have some unique considerations. The second element of SAA storage overlaps with firearms legislation, in that like with guns, there is a need to secure ammunition in a way to exclude those not licensed to access it. But unique to SAA, there are laws in place to protect it from damage, degradation and unintentional detonation, as well as labelling rules in case of a disaster. The legislation, and those who enforce it, not only care that it is stored securely, but also safely. In light of the above information, how compliant is your collection of cartridges?