Storing Ammo- Ammunition Storage Permit (MA)

[johnnymac101]

My dreams of a "million rounds of ammo" is… well just a dream, but I am more than half way TO the 10,000 rounds of center fire ammo limit.
Should I apply for an ammunition storage permit from my Fire Department now and draw attention to myself, or wait it out until I'm a few hundred rounds away?

Anyone know the turn around time on this type of permit? I'm in Somerville.
Thanks

 

[DW357]

I wouldn't even say anything. What the FD don't know won't hurt them lol. But maybe I'm wrong.

 

[xtry51]

My dreams of a "million rounds of ammo" is… well just a dream, but I am more than half way over my 10,000 rounds of center fire ammo limit.
Should I apply for an ammunition storage permit from my Fire Department now and draw attention to myself, or wait it out until I'm a few hundred rounds away?

Anyone know the turn around time on this type of permit? I'm in Somerville.
Thanks

You should diversify and not store it all in one location where it's more easily confiscated.

 

[WanMan99]

So, the Million man march has become the Million round ammo room... Love it.
From what I have read, about 75% of the fire departments in Mass have no idea what the permit even is. I would probably do it so my insurance wouldn't be affected in the event of a fire (insurance companies love to get out of paying bills..).

 

[JCV]

So, the Million man march has become the Million round ammo room... Love it.
From what I have read, about 75% of the fire departments in Mass have no idea what the permit even is. I would probably do it so my insurance wouldn't be affected in the event of a fire (insurance companies love to get out of paying bills..).

Yup, insurance would be my biggest fear if I had a house fire and it was discovered I had over 10k rounds with no permit. I'm sure they'd find someway out of paying the full sum.

 

[MisterHappy]

You don't shoot enough.

 

[noxin]

I am more than half way over my 10,000 rounds of center fire ammo limit.

You are already exceeding the limit or half way to 10k?

I'm not sure SFD would know how to handle the request. I imagine it would be Fire Prevention in Union Sq that would issue the permit if they did.

 

[USMA-82]

In my little town (near Worcester) its $10 and five minutes. Too easy.


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[cockpitbob]

It should be a one stop deal at the FD, but call ahead. It seems like every town gets to set their pricing.

Your house insurance not paying is the main reason to get the permit.

 

[johnnymac101]

You are already exceeding the limit or half way to 10k?

I'm not sure SFD would know how to handle the request. I imagine it would be Fire Prevention in Union Sq that would issue the permit if they did.

NOT exceeding yet- half way to 10k!

Thanks everyone for the info, I'll check it out!

- - - Updated - - -

You don't shoot enough.

LOL, took some time off, but kept on buying!

 

[DW357]

So, the Million man march has become the Million round ammo room... Love it.
From what I have read, about 75% of the fire departments in Mass have no idea what the permit even is. I would probably do it so my insurance wouldn't be affected in the event of a fire (insurance companies love to get out of paying bills..).

Good point, I didn't even think of that. Being a new homeowner as of August I should probably look into this. I got probably just under 5k centerfire rounds. But 15k primers, boolits, and like 10 pounds of powder. I'll have to look into primer and powder storage laws. I remember seeing a thread on it. Gotta do some searching.

 

[JimO]

The main reason to get the permit is because the limit without it is 1000 primers. Forget what the non-permit limit is on powder. Just took a reloading class and decided if I was going to get start reloading, I needed the permit. When I went to the dept HQ, they knew what I wanted. Unfortunately the fire prevention officer was out. Gave me his hours and when I returned, not a problem. Here the cost is $25 for a 1 year permit. So the cost and length of time the permit is valid seems to vary widely.

 

[DW357]

Well I guess I'll need to go to my local fire department to get a permit.

 

[DW357]

So the permit allows you to store up to 10,000 primers but what if you have more than that? I'd assume many reloaders have more than 10,000 primers especially when you're buying in bulk, 5,000 to a case.

 

[edhead35]

So the permit allows you to store up to 10,000 primers but what if you have more than that? I'd assume many reloaders have more than 10,000 primers especially when you're buying in bulk, 5,000 to a case.

If you exceed the limit you become a terrorist.

 

[DW357]

If you exceed the limit you become a terrorist.

Damnit.

 

[white feather]

The permit covers ammo, smokeless powder, black powder, and primers. Amounts of the first three without a permit are not bad. With the permit, you will be challenged to max out the first three. Primers are 1000 without and 10,000 with but, you can only have 5000 in your house. My town charges $30.00 per year and has done inspections. (Mostly looking for locked storage, original container, not near source of combustion.) Possibly of no insurance settlement without one and number of rimfire and primers cause me to get one every year. It would also seem less likely that the PD would be amazed at your inventory when the FD gave you a permit for it.
White Feather

 

[SJan]

My town charges $30.00 per year and has done inspections.

This is the first I have heard of ammo storage inspections.
What town is this?

Any other towns doing ammo storage inspections ?

 

[DW357]

The permit covers ammo, smokeless powder, black powder, and primers. Amounts of the first three without a permit are not bad. With the permit, you will be challenged to max out the first three. Primers are 1000 without and 10,000 with but, you can only have 5000 in your house. My town charges $30.00 per year and has done inspections. (Mostly looking for locked storage, original container, not near source of combustion.) Possibly of no insurance settlement without one and number of rimfire and primers cause me to get one every year. It would also seem less likely that the PD would be amazed at your inventory when the FD gave you a permit for it.
White Feather

Only 5,000 in your house? Really? So where do people keep their components? I would think most reloaders have more than 5,000 primers on hand. I got to figure what to do with my 15k primers I have locked up in my basement.

 

[EJFudd]

Yup, insurance would be my biggest fear if I had a house fire and it was discovered I had over 10k rounds with no permit. I'm sure they'd find someway out of paying the full sum.

How would the insurance company know how much ammo was in the (presumably burned down) house?

 

[RoterTeufel]

If you reload - get the permit, since MA seems to consider every component of ammo "AMMO" except where they state it in the storage law about primers, powder & ammo... if you can follow that sentence.

 

[DW357]

How would the insurance company know how much ammo was in the (presumably burned down) house?

Thats what I was thinking to myself as well. They going to count every primer and round of ammo in the burned down house??

 

[Maxspeed]

Anyone get the FD permit in Mansfield?

 

[white feather]

Only 5,000 in your house? Really? So where do people keep their components? I would think most reloaders have more than 5,000 primers on hand. I got to figure what to do with my 15k primers I have locked up in my basement.

That is a challenge. I put a few thousand into cases that I will be reloading. Garage? You shouldn't store them in anything that will become pressurized and explode. (Like an ammo can.) I am probably the only one dumb enough to get one in my town so I must pass on naming it.
White Feather

 

[white feather]

How would the insurance company know how much ammo was in the (presumably burned down) house?

No idea. I assume everything doesn't burn and investigating the cause of the fire could reveal them. Insurance Companies don't like to pay and they have investigators too. Or my tinfoil is too tight... For less than ten cents a day, I look at it as money well spent.
White Feather

 

[EJFudd]

Thats what I was thinking to myself as well. They going to count every primer and round of ammo in the burned down house??

No idea. I assume everything doesn't burn and investigating the cause of the fire could reveal them. Insurance Companies don't like to pay and they have investigators too. Or my tinfoil is too tight... For less than ten cents a day, I look at it as money well spent.
White Feather

I'm not criticizing or anything like that. I just want to know if they actually crawl down into the basement of the burned out home and try to count 20,001 (rimfire+centerfire) rounds of ammo. I hadn't heard of that before. Anywhere.

If the ammo somehow starts the fire, that's a whole 'nother matter.

The fee doesn't bother me so much as publicly declaring your "extra large and killy" stash of ammo. Guess I'll continue to stay under the "no permit needed" limits and store elsewhere if I ever need to go over.

 

[dans]

They way I look at this is, the money is a good way to prevent being jacked up if something ever happens. I have the permit and haven't exceeded the limits of the permit or the regulations, so I'm good (baring any prosecutor looking to make a name for themselves).

Also, I sent the fire chief the following link: Ammunition and the firefighter

It explains a lot about what happens to ammunition should a fire happen.

 

[mikem317]

5K centerfire ammo? What, that's it?

 

[DW357]

I'm not criticizing or anything like that. I just want to know if they actually crawl down into the basement of the burned out home and try to count 20,001 (rimfire+centerfire) rounds of ammo. I hadn't heard of that before. Anywhere.

If the ammo somehow starts the fire, that's a whole 'nother matter.

The fee doesn't bother me so much as publicly declaring your "extra large and killy" stash of ammo. Guess I'll continue to stay under the "no permit needed" limits and store elsewhere if I ever need to go over.

Exactly. It's cheap money but makes me nervous just telling the local FD about my super stash of ammo and reloading components. But if it covers me for insurance purposes in the event of a fire, I may just have to go get a permit.

 

[white feather]

5K centerfire ammo? What, that's it?

? centerfire: 10k without 50k with...
White Feather