How to open ammo cans without a can opener?

Oleg Volk · May 10, 2002, 08:46 AM

I tried using an entrenching tool and ended up damaging someof the ammo. Any suggestions for opening the thick ammo cans such as typical for Russian or Romanian ammo?

**Mike Irwin** · May 10, 2002, 09:11 AM

Cold chisel and a hammer is how I've had to do it when I can't find the can opener.

You might also be able to use a Dremel with a silicon carbide cutoff wheel if you're very careful.

Kaylee · May 10, 2002, 10:12 AM

How about just making sure you got a can opener around?

1 -- Leatherman
2 -- Swiss Army knife
3 -- Keychain p-38 can opener

Heck, those little folding stamped steel can openers are so cheap you could just tape one to every ammo can.

-K

Steve Smith · May 10, 2002, 10:40 AM

Assuming yo're not out in the woods, how about a dremmel?

Dave R · May 10, 2002, 10:53 AM

Will they fit under the electric can opener in your kitchen?

Ollie Krag · May 10, 2002, 10:56 AM

Make friends with a guy with very prominent buck teeth?

Navy joe · May 10, 2002, 11:41 AM

First off Oleg, I can't fathom a guy who wouldn't have a swiss army or P-38 on or about their person. I will say that opening one of those 440 cans of 7.62x54R is liable to be a real PITA with a P-38. A bayonet technique is to stick it in the can where your can opener would cut and then rock the knife down so the cutting edge cuts and the tip of the dull side pries against the inside of the lid. rock, slide, repeat. You could always shoot the can open too...

**Mike Irwin** · May 10, 2002, 12:18 PM

Hell, I don't even carry a knife with me, let alone a can opener!

redneck · May 10, 2002, 01:02 PM

Why would you go anywhere without a knife?
I carry an assortment of homemade and production knives, and multi tools everywhere I go. Feel naked and helpless without my tools

Redlg155 · May 10, 2002, 01:25 PM

For years I carried a P38 can opener on my keychain. An old Army habit. Then some idiot decided that it could be used as a weapon in the prison I work in and banned them...go figure.

I now just carry one of those nifty tweezer thingies from Brigade Quartermaster. It's amazing how many uses you have for those.

Anyway..back to the subject. The Bayonnet idea sounds good. I've opened cans in the field that way. The military also makes a heavy duty industrial size p38. They look to be about five times the size of a normal P38 and would be a nifty item to have in a survival kit.

Good Shooting
RED

Benjamin · May 10, 2002, 01:52 PM

Ideally, a hacksaw and a fair amount of patience. If you have a well equipped ninja kit, tin snips are also very useful.

Otherwise - a cold chisel or flat blade screwdriver and a hammer. Drive into a known viod (shake things down a bit..) and pry it sideways.

Edit - link died, nevermind.

Erich · May 10, 2002, 01:52 PM

I've done this more times than I like.

I don't own a chisel, but I shoot a lot of 7.62x54R from the inconveniently packaged cans. I take a hammer and a flat-blade screwdriver and go to town (after first whacking the ammo can on the ground a few times to make sure the ammo settles a half inch or so away from the lip of the can I'm going to be hammering a screwdriver through). Each hammer whack extends the cut a half inch more - the can is made of some S O F T metal. I go around the short edge and a couple of inches more. Then I take my Sears self-adjusting pliers, grab hold of the lid and pry her back. I yank the first few ammo packets out by their strings, and then the others slide out on their own.

It's a PITA, but it doesn't take more than 5 minutes to have 440 rounds of lovely Russian ammo to blast. Works for me, anyway. Be careful not to hit the ammo with the screwdriver blade!

k77/22rp · May 10, 2002, 02:15 PM

As previously mentioned a dremel with cutoff wheel works great.

OF · May 10, 2002, 02:21 PM

Stick it in the oven.

- Gabe

K80Geoff · May 10, 2002, 03:26 PM

What!!! No can opener

Every good GI carries a P38 on their dog tag chain

Poodleshooter · May 10, 2002, 03:30 PM

Hey Oleg,
Check that tin out carefully. Almost all tinned milsurp ammo should include a steel can opener about 4-5" long. It's a simple lever type can opener, and is usually taped on to the bottom or top of the can or somewhere in the wrapping (if it has any). Some dealers remove them and sell them seperately

UltimaSE · May 10, 2002, 03:53 PM

My friend and me were laughing about this before.

I had some Greek .308 that was sealed tight. In the course of me peeling this can back we wondered, is this the reason the us wins wars? When you need ammo all you need you need to do is open the can, instead of sitting there pounding on the ammo can trying to get the ammo out. Seems to make sense to have ammo easily accessible when you "need" it.

UltimaSE

Art Eatman · May 10, 2002, 05:34 PM

Do NOT use an acetylene torch.

C.R.Sam · May 10, 2002, 06:33 PM

Not proper but worked in the field.
Tap tip of Ka-Bar or bayonet into tin where blade of can opener would cut. Just a little ways. Then drive it around the perimeter with hammer, boot heel, hilt of nuther bayonett or whatever comes to hand.

Or give to Betty to open.

Sam

ghillieman · May 11, 2002, 12:12 AM

send me a deposit and I'll let you borrow the opener I have!!!!!!!!!!! keep up the good work oleg,,,,, ghillieman

Johnny Guest · May 11, 2002, 11:24 AM

Cheaper Than Dirt retail store in Fort Worth was selling repatriated US GI .45 ACP - - - 42-round boxes for a decent price, and they cut me a deal for a sealed can of 700-and-some rounds. They warned me I'd need to use a chisel to open it, because the rim is too heavy and deep for most can openers. They used a big, heavy, strange-looking tool to open the cans there but at the time had only ONE which was all that had come with that pallet of ammo.

On a later trip, I noticed they had such a tool for sale on their odds-and-ends rack, for seven or eight bucks. If I was going to shoot a lot of ammo so packed, I'd get on the phone with CTD and see if they still have a tool to sell you. I think specialized tools are cool, but talk about a single-purpose item . . . .

Best,
Johnny

James K · May 11, 2002, 09:44 PM

Anyone who thinks you can open one of those heavy ammo cans with a "P-38" hasn't tried.

Jim

May 10, 2002, 08:46 AM	#1
Oleg Volk Staff Alumnus Join Date: December 6, 1999 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 7,022	How to open ammo cans without a can opener? I tried using an entrenching tool and ended up damaging someof the ammo. Any suggestions for opening the thick ammo cans such as typical for Russian or Romanian ammo? __________________ Oleg "peacemonger" Volk blog.olevolk.net

May 10, 2002, 09:11 AM	#2
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,381	Cold chisel and a hammer is how I've had to do it when I can't find the can opener. You might also be able to use a Dremel with a silicon carbide cutoff wheel if you're very careful. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

May 10, 2002, 10:40 AM	#4
Steve Smith Senior Member Join Date: December 9, 1999 Posts: 4,131	Assuming yo're not out in the woods, how about a dremmel? __________________ Favor the X. Steve Smith NRA Life Member

May 10, 2002, 10:53 AM	#5
Dave R Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2000 Location: Idaho Posts: 6,073	Will they fit under the electric can opener in your kitchen? __________________ I am Pro-Rights (on gun issues).

May 10, 2002, 10:56 AM	#6
Ollie Krag Member Join Date: January 5, 2002 Posts: 40	How to open ammo cans sans can opener Make friends with a guy with very prominent buck teeth?

May 10, 2002, 10:12 AM	#3
Kaylee Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2000 Location: The Last Homely House Posts: 1,677	How about just making sure you got a can opener around? 1 -- Leatherman 2 -- Swiss Army knife 3 -- Keychain p-38 can opener Heck, those little folding stamped steel can openers are so cheap you could just tape one to every ammo can. -K

May 10, 2002, 11:41 AM	#7
Navy joe Senior Member Join Date: January 28, 2001 Location: VA, USA Posts: 1,804	First off Oleg, I can't fathom a guy who wouldn't have a swiss army or P-38 on or about their person. I will say that opening one of those 440 cans of 7.62x54R is liable to be a real PITA with a P-38. A bayonet technique is to stick it in the can where your can opener would cut and then rock the knife down so the cutting edge cuts and the tip of the dull side pries against the inside of the lid. rock, slide, repeat. You could always shoot the can open too... __________________ FY47012

May 10, 2002, 12:18 PM	#8
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,381	Hell, I don't even carry a knife with me, let alone a can opener! __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

May 10, 2002, 01:02 PM	#9
redneck Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2001 Location: Ohio Posts: 364	Why would you go anywhere without a knife? I carry an assortment of homemade and production knives, and multi tools everywhere I go. Feel naked and helpless without my tools __________________ Fix it right the first time... Use Baling Wire !

May 10, 2002, 01:25 PM	#10
Redlg155 Senior Member Join Date: March 13, 2001 Location: NW Florida Posts: 2,307	For years I carried a P38 can opener on my keychain. An old Army habit. Then some idiot decided that it could be used as a weapon in the prison I work in and banned them...go figure. I now just carry one of those nifty tweezer thingies from Brigade Quartermaster. It's amazing how many uses you have for those. Anyway..back to the subject. The Bayonnet idea sounds good. I've opened cans in the field that way. The military also makes a heavy duty industrial size p38. They look to be about five times the size of a normal P38 and would be a nifty item to have in a survival kit. Good Shooting RED

May 10, 2002, 01:52 PM	#11
Benjamin Senior Member Join Date: December 27, 1999 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 358	Ideally, a hacksaw and a fair amount of patience. If you have a well equipped ninja kit, tin snips are also very useful. Otherwise - a cold chisel or flat blade screwdriver and a hammer. Drive into a known viod (shake things down a bit..) and pry it sideways. Edit - link died, nevermind.

May 10, 2002, 01:52 PM	#12
Erich Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 1999 Location: Albuquerque, NM, USA Posts: 2,543	I've done this more times than I like. I don't own a chisel, but I shoot a lot of 7.62x54R from the inconveniently packaged cans. I take a hammer and a flat-blade screwdriver and go to town (after first whacking the ammo can on the ground a few times to make sure the ammo settles a half inch or so away from the lip of the can I'm going to be hammering a screwdriver through). Each hammer whack extends the cut a half inch more - the can is made of some S O F T metal. I go around the short edge and a couple of inches more. Then I take my Sears self-adjusting pliers, grab hold of the lid and pry her back. I yank the first few ammo packets out by their strings, and then the others slide out on their own. It's a PITA, but it doesn't take more than 5 minutes to have 440 rounds of lovely Russian ammo to blast. Works for me, anyway. Be careful not to hit the ammo with the screwdriver blade!

May 10, 2002, 02:15 PM	#13
k77/22rp Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 2000 Location: Michigan Posts: 577	As previously mentioned a dremel with cutoff wheel works great. __________________ JeFF D on The High Road

May 10, 2002, 02:21 PM	#14
OF Senior Member Join Date: April 11, 2000 Posts: 2,239	Stick it in the oven. - Gabe

May 10, 2002, 03:26 PM	#15
K80Geoff Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 1998 Location: NE Pennsylvania Posts: 3,639	What!!! No can opener Every good GI carries a P38 on their dog tag chain __________________ I am no longer a member of this forum. Bye!

May 10, 2002, 03:30 PM	#16
Poodleshooter Senior Member Join Date: August 7, 2000 Location: Floating down the James River in VA Posts: 2,599	Hey Oleg, Check that tin out carefully. Almost all tinned milsurp ammo should include a steel can opener about 4-5" long. It's a simple lever type can opener, and is usually taped on to the bottom or top of the can or somewhere in the wrapping (if it has any). Some dealers remove them and sell them seperately

May 10, 2002, 03:53 PM	#17
UltimaSE Senior Member Join Date: July 12, 2000 Posts: 141	My friend and me were laughing about this before. I had some Greek .308 that was sealed tight. In the course of me peeling this can back we wondered, is this the reason the us wins wars? When you need ammo all you need you need to do is open the can, instead of sitting there pounding on the ammo can trying to get the ammo out. Seems to make sense to have ammo easily accessible when you "need" it. UltimaSE

May 10, 2002, 05:34 PM	#18
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Do NOT use an acetylene torch.

May 10, 2002, 06:33 PM	#19
C.R.Sam Senior Member Join Date: October 29, 1999 Location: Dewey, AZ Posts: 12,858	Not proper but worked in the field. Tap tip of Ka-Bar or bayonet into tin where blade of can opener would cut. Just a little ways. Then drive it around the perimeter with hammer, boot heel, hilt of nuther bayonett or whatever comes to hand. Or give to Betty to open. Sam

May 11, 2002, 12:12 AM	#20
ghillieman Senior Member Join Date: June 7, 2001 Posts: 110	send me a deposit and I'll let you borrow the opener I have!!!!!!!!!!! keep up the good work oleg,,,,, ghillieman

May 11, 2002, 11:24 AM	#21
Johnny Guest Moderator in Memoriam Join Date: August 28, 1999 Location: North Texas Posts: 4,123	The Russian cans are a particular PITA - - - Cheaper Than Dirt retail store in Fort Worth was selling repatriated US GI .45 ACP - - - 42-round boxes for a decent price, and they cut me a deal for a sealed can of 700-and-some rounds. They warned me I'd need to use a chisel to open it, because the rim is too heavy and deep for most can openers. They used a big, heavy, strange-looking tool to open the cans there but at the time had only ONE which was all that had come with that pallet of ammo. On a later trip, I noticed they had such a tool for sale on their odds-and-ends rack, for seven or eight bucks. If I was going to shoot a lot of ammo so packed, I'd get on the phone with CTD and see if they still have a tool to sell you. I think specialized tools are cool, but talk about a single-purpose item . . . . Best, Johnny

May 11, 2002, 09:44 PM	#22
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Anyone who thinks you can open one of those heavy ammo cans with a "P-38" hasn't tried. Jim