Most gun owners own at least one gun safe, whether it’s a heavy upright model or a small single handgun design. And when it comes to the assorted gear that goes with the gun, like holsters, optics, and ammo, it typically gets relegated to a shelf or a catch-all bin or tote. It’s also common practice to store some ammo with the guns, even though not much ammunition will fit in a safe full of firearms. Even so, it’s normal to squeeze in a box or two.
What if you had a separate storage option that could keep larger amounts of ammunition under lock and key? That’s exactly what the Hornady Ammo Cabinet offers gun owners: a storage space dedicated to and designed for ammunition.
What’s the Hornady Ammo Cabinet?
The Hornady Ammo Cabinet has a rather self-descriptive name, and it’s precisely what it is. Of course, the word “cabinet” might make it sounds as though it’s made of wood, but it isn’t. It seems likely Hornady chose that label because a cabinet is, by definition, a case with shelves that is used to store things. A gun safe, while similar, is different in that it’s made to securely store firearms and prevent unauthorized access while often also providing some protection from water, fire, and other damage. This cabinet does lock, but it doesn’t have quite the same heavy-duty protections of a standard gun safe, and for good reason.
This cabinet was designed with Square-Lok walls and has orderly rows of square-shaped holes on every side, which might just be one of the main reasons it’s a cabinet, not a safe. These holes are necessary for ammo storage, though. This cabinet has excellent airflow which is great for something meant for storing ammunition. This design also means the cabinet is modular, and there are additional aftermarket accessories you can get to expand storage possibilities. Multiple cabinets can also be mounted to one another. This is a versatile cabinet, and it’s roomy, too.
What are the Hornady Ammo Cabinet specifications?
The dimensions of the cabinet are 18 inches by 12 inches by 40 inches, so it’s a bit under four feet tall. It’s large enough to get the job done and likely wise that it’s shorter due to the overall weight of a big pile of ammo. Panels are made from sturdy metal. Overall empty weight is listed as 47.8 pounds and the shipping weight is just a few more. This is not a cabinet or safe that’s too heavy to move on your own or that requires a pallet and assistance to get into the house. It’s hefty, but you can move it on your own.
Two adjustable and one fixed shelf come with the cabinet. A trio of shelf mats designed to add a layer of protection to the items stored are also included. Hornady lists the shelves as having a bearing weight of 100 pounds each. Although the exact weight of different calibers of ammunition depends on a variety of factors including packaging, this gives you a general idea of what 100 pounds of ammunition looks like (remember, these are only approximations):
- 3500 rounds of 9mm
- 4500 rounds of 380 ACP
- 2000 rounds of 308 Win
- 13,300 rounds of 22 LR
- 2100 rounds of 45 ACP
- 3700 rounds of 223 Rem
- 2000 rounds of 30-30 Win
- 1000 shotshells of 12 gauge 2 3/4 inch slugs
What this tells you is that you can fit a lot more ammunition into this cabinet than it first appears. If you’re storing your ammo in the factory 50-round packaging, you’re unlikely to need to worry overly much about being precise with how much ammo you load each shelf with. However, if you store a lot of loose ammo, whether in cans or boxes, it’ll take up less space and you’ll need to be mindful of how much you put on a single shelf. It might be tempting to put whatever you can squeeze on a shelf on it, but that isn’t recommended.
Possible Square-Lok accessories:
- Wire shelf
- Gun rack
- Parts bin
- Drawer
- Metal shelf
- Storage bin
The possibilities are endless with the Hornady Ammo Cabinet. Aside from what’s mentioned above, each cabinet ships with a magnetic motion light, 10 magnetic and rewritable shelf labels, three plastic ammo cans, and a solid metal Hornady magnet.
How well does it work?
Basic assembly is quick and easy. Perhaps the greatest thing about it is the fact that the door can be mounted to open from the right or left, solving all kinds of issues of where it fits and how well it suits a left- or right-handed person. It does have a key lock and comes with a pair of barrel keys that work as expected. The two adjustable shelves can be put wherever you want them with no struggle at all.
It’s worth noting the hook-like extensions that mount the shelves to the Square-Lok panels do extend slightly beyond the cabinet and could be messed with from the outside. They’re pretty securely fit, it’s just not outside the realm of possibility to imagine someone trying to push them up to knock a shelf loose (this would be a challenge with weighed-down shelves).
The included motion-sensing light is surprisingly bright. Although you might expect a dim, cheaply made bar light, Hornady’s light is blindingly bright if you choose to look right at it and large enough to be quite useful. If you want light added to your cabinet, don’t worry, the parts it arrives with get the job done, and then some. Visibility of products inside the cabinet isn’t an issue in a dark room when the light is in place.
Thanks to the available space inside the cabinet, using all three shelves along with the base space means a significant amount of ammunition fits. In fact, it’s plenty of room for the average gun owner. If you have a truly large amount of ammo, of course, it’s not going to fit, but that leaves you with two options: buy more ammo cabinets, or designate the cabinet for specific use.
In my case, that means the ammo cabinet is perfect for regular-use ammo such as our most commonly used defensive ammo and a selection of hunting ammo we’re most likely to use on feral hogs at any given moment. This is fantastic for regular-use storage that makes regularly used ammo easy to grab without wandering through a larger space and pawing through piles. Yes, it’s quite useful even if it doesn’t hold all your ammo.
Loading all three shelves and the base, plus the weight of the unit itself, adds up to about 450 pounds. That means it weighs a decent amount when it’s full, so take some care as to where you put it. And if you aren’t going to fill it, be sure you don’t make it top-heavy. It might be nice to have your ammo higher up for easier reach but it won’t be so nice if it tips over because you left the lower parts empty.
It’s occurred to me the Hornady Ammo Cabinet is also perfect for storing gunsmithing tools or an array of gun parts. All you’d need to do to get truly organized is to order the additional drawers and boxes for tiny parts and set it up however you prefer. My organizer’s heart loves the idea of a cabinet for each purpose. Even better, if you get three or more bolted together, they could serve as a gun bench you could stand at to work on guns.
Overall, this is one piece of gear that gets a 10/10. I was a little skeptical when I first saw it, but once I put it to work, I was entirely won over. This is a great addition to any home or gun room and well worth the investment.
MSRP for the Hornady Ammo Cabinet is set at $629.00.
