How many rounds

[Toolpush]

Do we have any laws on how many rounds of ammo one can have on hand? I know there are laws concerning how much powder one can keep on hand with out having special storage considerations. But how much ammo can one reload before there could be legal issues. If we need a place  Texas.

[Questor]

I'll be interested in seeing the answer to that one. I certainly hope it's a generous limit. I know target shooters who keep 20,000 rounds of 22LR at home so they don't have to mix lots of ammo. On top of this, they may have 5,000 rounds of centerfire on hand.  This is by no means excessive for a target shooter who does not want to mix lots.

[jhalcott]

different states may have other rules, but Md limits powder to 5 pounds and loaded ammo to 1000 (1thousand) rounds.This includes components too.1000 primers cases and bullets.Different calibers do NOT count! Only the total number is looked at. Shot gunners I know are seriously over the limit!!!!!

[securitysix]

Do we have any laws on how many rounds of ammo one can have on hand? I know there are laws concerning how much powder one can keep on hand with out having special storage considerations. But how much ammo can one reload before there could be legal issues. If we need a place  Texas.

You can contact the Attorney General for your state and ask.  To the best of my knowledge, there is no such law on the books in Texas.  No federal law to that effect either, except on powder.  I think federal law requires a permit for 50 lbs. or more of powder, but I could be wrong on that.

[Jack Crevalle]

different states may have other rules, but Md limits powder to 5 pounds and loaded ammo to 1000 (1thousand) rounds.This includes components too.1000 primers cases and bullets.Different calibers do NOT count! Only the total number is looked at. Shot gunners I know are seriously over the limit!!!!!

Is that true in the absense of better storage?

[rickyp]

If MD is only 1000 rounds I am almost over taht with just the 22 lr i have on hand. I try and keep  about 100 rounds for each barrel  or rifleI have and

where did you find the law in MD?

[Jack Crevalle]

I did a google search last night and couldn't find any reference to
amounts of ammo or powder. I've heard the 5 lb. limit before  in connection with the Wheeler case but I wonder if that was a Baltimore
regulation vs. a state one.

[Blackhawk44]

Have never even heard of any limit in Texas, per se, BUT you need to check individual city fire codes.   That is where most limitations will be listed.

[John Traveler]

Gentlemen,

Last year I had the dubious privelege (?) of visiting Ontario, Canada, and seeing several gun shows.  They were all pretty small by US standards.

At one show, the organizer/sponsor got on the P.A. system and asked for public donations to a legal defense fund for one of their own.  A part-time hobbyist-gunsmith-collector was being hammered by the legal system, and it was pointed out that it could be any one of us!

This fellow repaired guns out of his house/garage, and did ammo reloading and collecting, like most of us do.  He had no criminal record.  Problem was, he had a house fire, and when the firemen arrived, they refused to approach the house becasue of all the small arms ammo exploding, punctuated by the BOOM! of power cans torching off.  They simply backed off and let it burn!

The house burned down, along with more than 100 guns of every description.  To make things even worse, the insurance company voided his homeowner's insurance because he had no gunsmithing license, most of the guns were customer's and friends, and his thousands of rounds of ammunition and who-knows-how-many cans of powder, thousands of primers, etc.

Now the Ontario lega system steps in.  The gun owner is charged with federal felonies for possessing unregistered firearms, recklessly endangering fire and police personnel, gunsmithing without a license, and hoarding tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition and components.  His legal fees were in excess of CDN$40,000 six months after the incident, and it hadn't even gone to trial yet!  It was a total nightmare and disaster for the man.

I guess the moral of the story is that it really COULD happen to any one of us, and it might be a good idea to check into the legalities of storing large quantities of ammo and components.

John

[rickyp]

the one thing they did not say was that guy was a criminal. He did not have the proper license and follow procedure to do what he was doing
If you do not like a law you need to work to change it but no one can ignore them.

If he got the license and paper work , told his insurance he ran a very small business out of his home and told the local fire dept about his storage, he would never have been in all this trouble.

This brings me to . As a fire fighter I too would not go in a house fire with powder and ammo "cooking off" unless someone was trapped inside.  Almost every fire department in the country carries map books and or information about the aria that they need to know. If any one has a very large amount of stuff stored they should go to the local fire department and let them know ( even if it is not a law)  what where and how much stuff you have. it will all be put on the fire trucks and only used for our safety.

[PaulS]

In Washington State the law as it pertains to ammo changes from county to county and city to city.

There is a State standard that all other laws must be "at least as strict as" and the items governed are powder - amounts and types - and storage facilities determine how much powder you can have on hand. Primers - must be stored in their shipping containers and stored... this way for up to this many and that way for up to this many and another way if over this many.
Bullets are lead and fall under the heavy metal laws for storage and handling. Unprimed cases are ok to store (as near as I can tell) in any manner you find convenient. Loaded cases or primed cases are handled pretty much like primers. The laws on powder is governed by the Fire department for smokless powders (as flammable solids) and the ATF for Black Powder (and most substitutes) because they are primary explosives as defined by law. (set off by heat or compression)

Your insurance company should be aware that you have these compounds in storage and that your storage meets or exceeds the requirments set forth by the governing body(s) or your insurance is null and void - just like if your insurance company doesn't know about that Oxy-Acetylene set-up that you have  - if you have a fire and they don't know you had it then you got no insurance.  Call your agent to find out.

PaulS

[Dand]

When I first began reading this thread I was feeling smug. "Sure glad I don't live in MD!  But reading Paul from Seattle here makes me stop and think. We just got our house insurance all revamped last spring.  Never considered insurance issues with my reloading.  

A couple years ago I fitted my powder cabinet with about an inch of sheet rock and a 1.5 inch loose fitting solid wood door. All after reading storage rules in Alliant's pamphlet.  And to assure more safety for my family.  But I'm not certain it would meet specs of a fire inspector.  And I'm not eager to invite one over.  Being in remote Alaska its hard to get powder here and I have accumulated a bit when opportunities came up.

A media type could probably make me look like  terrorist with the powder and loaded ammo I have.  Though its nowhere to the amounts suggested in previous posts.  Hmm, might have to consider an inspector.  Sure wouldn't want my insurance voided.   A family of 5 just lost their house last night in a village I used to work in - kid playing with fire.

[Jack Crevalle]

I've done another search and I can't find any reference to a limit of 1000 rounds in Maryland except as a proposed bill in which the 1000 limit was on handgun ammo.

If there is such a limit they are keeping it a closely guarded secret.