Thanks to MarineCFT.com for this guest post. We highly recommend candidates and new Second Lieutenants make their own ammo cans in order to ace the annual Combat Fitness Test. Your CFT score affects your OCS and promotion grades for your whole career.
Official CFT Ammo Can Weight
30 pounds according to the official orders. They are easy to make for your own practice. Just follow the simple guidelines below.
Build Your Own:
1. Get A Can
Normal USMC ammunition boxes (technically M2A1 50 Cal Ammo Can) are generally used, but if you can’t find any on ebay or Amazon, then something close like a .50 cal box would be fine. The weight is what needs to be precise: 30 lbs.
2. Get A Grip
Grit tape makes for an excellent grip-enhancer. After running or in the heat, your hands will get very sweaty and the ammo can could easily slip and drop to the ground, or worse, hit you in the face. Be careful if you don’t use the tape!
3. Apply

When the box is clean and dry, apply one width of tape along the bottom edge. Make sure not to leave any overlap at the end. You can apply to the box, then line up the overlapping edge to cut smoothly, leaving no gap.
4. Train
Get working with our CFT workout or do your own thing!