An ammunition box or cartridge box is a container designed for safe transport and storage of ammunition. It is typically made of metal or wood and labelled with calibre, quantity, and manufacturing date or lot number. A rubber gasket is common in the hinged lid to protect the ammunition from moisture damage.
The resealing ammunition box is largely a NATO tradition. Warsaw Pact nations typically stored and transported ammunition in single-use “spam cans”. They used crates with a sealed zinc lining on the inside.
Not all ammunition boxes are metal. Wood and corrugated fiberboard have also historically been used as a method of packaging and storing ammunition.
Due to their durable construction, used metal ammunition boxes are popularly re-used for general storage and other purposes. They are a popular choice for geocaching containers. Used ammunition boxes have lead and propellant residue inside, so are not to be used to store food or drink. Ammo boxes come in all sizes for all weapon calibres. Shown below are some of the ammo boxes in the museum.
Left Examples .50 cal Centre .303 Ball 1955 Right Warsaw Pact single-use “spam can”, with tool to open can.