16 things, organized by the problem they solve. Each one says what it is, who needs it, and what to check before you order. Already equipped? Spend the money on rounds.
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4 picks
Where do I keep 1,000 rounds?
A case arrives as 20 or 50 cardboard boxes in a shipping carton. Cardboard absorbs moisture and splits. The job is a sealed container and something to keep the air inside it dry.
MTM AC50C .50 Cal Ammo Can
$14.79on Amazon, Oct 10, 11:45 AM EDT
What it is
A plastic copy of the military .50 cal can: O-ring lid, two latches, made in the USA. Holds roughly 1,000 rounds of 9mm in boxes or about 600 of 5.56.
Who it's for
Anyone buying a case who does not already own a sealed box. It is the default answer.
Check before you order
The .50 size fits most boxed pistol cases; rifle cases by the thousand may need two. Plastic is lighter than steel and will not rust, but do not stack more than three high when full.
Four .30 cal plastic cans in a carry crate with a lid. Each can holds about 400 rounds of pistol ammo, so the crate sorts a mixed order by caliber.
Who it's for
People who shoot more than one caliber and want each in its own labelled can, carried as one unit.
Check before you order
The small cans are .30 cal, not .50: fine for pistol boxes, tight for 20-round rifle boxes stood on end. Loaded with four full cans it is heavy; it has two handles for a reason.
Reusable desiccant in small aluminum tins. The indicator window turns from orange to green when saturated; an hour in a low oven resets them.
Who it's for
One tin per sealed can. Anyone storing ammunition in a basement, garage or anywhere humidity swings.
Check before you order
They only work in a closed container; in open air they saturate in a day. Five tins covers five cans. Recharge when the indicator changes, not on a schedule.
A case is 1,000 rounds. That is 60 pistol magazines or 33 AR magazines, loaded by thumb. A loader turns a sore evening into a few minutes, and the right one depends on the gun.
ETS C.A.M. Speed Loader, 9mm/.40
$25.95on Amazon, Oct 10, 11:45 AM EDT
What it is
A loader that picks ten rounds straight out of the factory tray and pushes them into the magazine in one stroke. A 17-round Glock magazine takes about ten seconds.
Who it's for
Anyone shooting 9mm or .40 in volume with Glock, Smith & Wesson M&P, Sig, Springfield or most other double-stack magazines.
Check before you order
Confirm your magazine is on the fit list. Single-stack 1911-style 9mm magazines and some subcompacts do not work. It is caliber-specific: this one does 9mm and .40 only.
The same tray-fed loader in .45 ACP, for Glock 21, Springfield XD and XDM, and 1911 magazines.
Who it's for
.45 shooters who load more than a few magazines a session. .45 magazines are stiff and this is where a loader saves the most thumb.
Check before you order
Works with single-stack 1911 magazines as well as double-stacks, which the 9mm version does not. Check your specific 1911 magazine brand on the fit list; a few with unusual followers do not feed.
A bench block that holds a 10-round stripper clip upright so you can push 5.56 rounds onto it with your palm, then strip the clip into the magazine with a spoon.
Who it's for
AR shooters who buy 5.56 loose or in bulk boxes without clips, and want to load 30-round magazines ten at a time.
Check before you order
You need stripper clips and a loading spoon as well; this is the block only. If your ammunition already comes on clips (most M193 and M855 in cans does), you only need the spoon.
A hopper you pour loose 5.56 into; shake it and the rounds line up and drop onto stripper clips ten at a time.
Who it's for
People who shoot a lot of 5.56 from bulk packs and have a pile of stripper clips to refill.
Check before you order
Slower than it looks in the videos until you learn the shake. Rounds must be clean; a dusty bulk pack jams it. Not for .300 Blackout or anything other than 5.56/.223.
A small plastic loader that drops .22 LR into Ruger rotary and BX-series magazines with a thumb lever instead of fingernails.
Who it's for
.22 LR shooters with a 10/22. A brick is 500 rounds, which is 50 ten-round magazines.
Check before you order
Fits the factory 10-round rotary, BX-15 and BX-25. Not for third-party banana magazines with different lips. There is a separate Hilljak model for Ruger Mark pistols.
Comparing loads only means something if the rifle is steady and you get your brass back. Two things handle most of that.
Caldwell DeadShot Front and Rear Bag Combo
$37.99on Amazon, Oct 10, 11:45 AM EDT
What it is
A filled front bag with a notch for the forend and a small rear bag for the stock. Together they hold a rifle still on a bench without a mechanical rest.
Who it's for
Anyone sighting in or comparing loads at a range that does not supply rests. Also works for pistols with a two-hand rest.
Check before you order
Make sure you order the filled version; the unfilled one ships empty and you supply sand or media. The front bag is tall enough for most sporting rifles; AR magazines may need the rear bag under the grip instead.
A heat-resistant mesh bag on a frame that straps to the rifle beside the ejection port and catches brass as it leaves.
Who it's for
Shooters who reload, shoot on gravel, or use ranges that require you to pick up brass. Also keeps hot cases off the person next to you.
Check before you order
Universal means strap-on; it fits most rifles but blocks the charging handle on some ARs. Caldwell sells a Picatinny-rail version if you have a rail at the ejection port. Empty it every two magazines or the bag sags into the port.
A case stays home. What goes with you is a day's worth, and how you carry it depends on whether you are at a bench or walking a field.
Allen Competitor Range Bag
$73.09on Amazon, Oct 10, 11:45 AM EDT
What it is
A molded, lockable range bag with a removable inner tote for ammunition, loops for chokes, and a fold-out mat. The tote lifts out and sits on the bench.
Who it's for
Pistol and shotgun shooters who want ammunition, eye and ear protection and small tools in one bag that stays organized.
Check before you order
It is a pistol and shotgun bag; rifle magazines fit but there are no dedicated sleeves. Holds about 500 rounds of 9mm in boxes plus gear before it gets heavy.
An over-the-shoulder strap with elastic loops for 12 or 20 gauge shells, so a box worth of shells rides across your chest.
Who it's for
Field shooting: dove, upland, walking a sporting clays course without a cart.
Check before you order
The loops fit 12 and 20 gauge; .410 shells are loose in them. Count the loops before you order if you want a full box of 25 on it. Shells in elastic loops can work out over a long walk; check them.
A thousand rounds leaves carbon and copper in the bore and grit in the action. You do not need a kit the size of a toolbox. You need one bore tool for your caliber and one bottle.
Hoppe's BoreSnake, 9mm/.357/.38
$10.95on Amazon, Oct 10, 11:45 AM EDT
What it is
A weighted cord with an embedded bronze brush and a long cleaning tail. Drop the weight through the barrel, pull once, and most of the fouling comes with it.
Who it's for
Pistol shooters who want a thirty-second bore clean at the range or between deep cleans. One snake covers 9mm, .380, .38 and .357.
Check before you order
Caliber-specific: buy the one marked for your bore. The snake is washable; put it in a sock in the machine. It does not replace a rod and patches for a full copper strip, but most people never need one.
Cleaner, lubricant and preservative in one bottle, the military-issue product for decades. A few drops on the rails and bolt is a basic clean and oil in one step.
Who it's for
Everyone. If you own one bottle for firearms, this is the one.
Check before you order
The squeeze bottle is less wasteful than the aerosol. It is a light oil, not a grease; guns that want grease on the rails (some 1911s) need that separately. Keep it off wood finishes.
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