AK Sponsor
Posted: 11/10/2009 5:32:42 PM EDT
|
Unless the average AK carrying guy is much faster with a can opener....it takes some time to OPEN one.
Is LONG TERM STORAGE so important that accessing the ammo is secondary? My recent acquisition of 7.62 Yugo is in a wooden case in a sheet metal inner liner. Pull the wooden dowel and the solder joint unzips. Fairly quick to access. A bit quicker than the can opener shuffle. Though I've seen plenty of 7.62 in the SPAM cans too. Do guys carry spare can openers?? I'm curious. Inquiring minds want to know! FN in MT |
|
The Soviets were fanatical about long term storage of arms and ammunition. The Spam can is inexpensive and simple to produce from a cost perspective and an unskilled labor perspective. The Soviet mantra for arms has always been simple and robust. Unfortunately for them, they learned the hard way in Afghanistan. There were enough complaints and dead soldiers as a result of the difficulties in getting into spam cans quickly, that they introduced a new type of packaging. Ever seen the "waxed milk cartron" type of packaging that the Russian hollow point ammo came in? Six twenty round boxes of 7.62x39mm inside a wax paper or plastic coated card-stock wrapper...This was the answer to the slow-to-get-into spam can. 7.62 and 5.45x39mm ammo began to be issued in this type of packaging for issue to combat troops in Afghanistan.
1DD |
|
The old Soviet's who designed and manufactured their ammunition in those "spam cans" had a very LONG TERM outlook with regards to the ammo inside. I mean multiple DECADES of storage, at a very low cost and almost no chance of degradation or loss. Ease of use wasn't even considered, keeping that ammunition in perfect condition for up to a lifetime was their only consideration.
Long after you and I are dust, that ol' Commie "spam can" ammo will still go "bang" well into the next Century! |
|
Quoted: Yeah. The wooden handles on the crate are for loading from truck/warehouse/truck. If you look at the handles on the crate, they're not particularly sturdy, not comfortable, and not built to lug the 65 lb crate around by. They're just to allow a grab point. It'd be a pain in the ass to have to wedge your dainties under the edge of the 65 lb crate every time you wanted to move it and 200 others just like it. Every time I've picked up a crate by the handles I always wondered whether this would be the time it ripped loose and the crate would crush my toes or footbones. Seriously.Quoted: The "spam can" was never meant to be carried in the field (notice the lack of a handle) and opened under fire.  But the spam cans are typically packed two to a wooden crate/box that does have handles. Am I missing something? |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Yeah. The wooden handles on the crate are for loading from truck/warehouse/truck. If you look at the handles on the crate, they're not particularly sturdy, not comfortable, and not built to lug the 65 lb crate around by. They're just to allow a grab point. It'd be a pain in the ass to have to wedge your dainties under the edge of the 65 lb crate every time you wanted to move it and 200 others just like it. Every time I've picked up a crate by the handles I always wondered whether this would be the time it ripped loose and the crate would crush my toes or footbones. Seriously.
Quoted:
The "spam can" was never meant to be carried in the field (notice the lack of a handle) and opened under fire. But the spam cans are typically packed two to a wooden crate/box that does have handles. Am I missing something? Not to mention the slivers you get from them, unless you wear gloves. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
The "spam can" was never meant to be carried in the field (notice the lack of a handle) and opened under fire. But the spam cans are typically packed two to a wooden crate/box that does have handles. Am I missing something? The only thing worse than trying to open the can under fire would be to be under fire and have to open the crate so you could get at the cans. |
| Ok, I have a 5.45 and a stash of ammo. I keep my crates stacked and Painted blue. I keep all my "stash" ammo together and all of my AK mags are marked with blue (for the 5.45 caliber) I keep 2 regular .50 cal cans spray painted blue with 5.45 sprayed on all sides in white. Each can holds 1080 rounds exactly. I have a fat .50cal can painted blue with white "24 ak mags" painted on each side. In that can are 24 loaded ak mags for the 74. If I need more than the 24 mags in a grab and go can, labeled so even my wife can find them, and also have to mess with the 2 .50 cal cans with the 30rnd boxes, it wont matter.... The spam cans and crates protect my stock pile.... |
AK Sponsor