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  #1  
Old 06-26-2010, 04:29 PM
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Default Just How Old is Good?

I have a lot of older(1990-1995) ammo I saved for posterity if some of it went belly up, and some of it did. I'm wondering if it's still reliable enough to use to keep in as a self defense ammo for a "house" gun. Opinions would be appreciated. Here are photos of some of it. I especially still like CorBons 200 gr Speer bullet for the 45. Not shown are several boxes of Black Talons in 40 S&W as well as 45 Auto.
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Old 06-26-2010, 04:38 PM
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That doesn't even come close to being "Old". If it has been stored in the house and hasn't been through the washer it has at least another 20-30 years before worrying about it.
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Old 06-26-2010, 07:08 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alk8944 View Post
That doesn't even come close to being "Old". If it has been stored in the house and hasn't been through the washer it has at least another 20-30 years before worrying about it.
If that's the case, it'll out live me.
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Old 06-26-2010, 07:12 PM
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I've shot reloads that were older than those rounds.

Also, I spilled a box of Remington Thunderbolt .22s in the glove box of my old van once. I kept forgetting to clean them out and they sat there for about four years. In winter it was sometimes 12 to 20 below. During those summers we had some 100 degree days. The ammo didn't get wet but it sure suffered through some extreme temps.

When I did clean out the ammo it all fired and was as accurate as the same type of .22s that had been stored in the house for the same length of time.
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Old 06-26-2010, 08:12 PM
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I think you should send it all to me for proper disposal. I have a facility for the purpose. Its well maintained and has been used for years just for that purpose. Trust me. If you don't want to send it north, I have a buddy in southern Mississippi who also runs such a facility. He's very gracious in accepting all old ammo for proper disposal.
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Old 06-26-2010, 10:14 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rburg View Post
I think you should send it all to me for proper disposal. I have a facility for the purpose. Its well maintained and has been used for years just for that purpose. Trust me. If you don't want to send it north, I have a buddy in southern Mississippi who also runs such a facility. He's very gracious in accepting all old ammo for proper disposal.
It's great to have those that can help in time of need and distress...much obliged. I'll have to chew on that one.
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Old 06-27-2010, 08:54 PM
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Default That Isn't Old

I have shot WWC 41 M2 Ball. Most of the .30'06 I shoot is way older than that. I wish I han't shot the WWC 41 because it is pre-WWII milsurp. I still have a couple of en-blocs sitting on display.
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Old 06-27-2010, 09:30 PM
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My philosophy of ammo life -- if it is stored under conditions that are comfortable for me, it'll be virtually immortal. I sure won't live long enough to see it go bad.
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Old 06-28-2010, 07:43 PM
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The other day I found about 250 .38 special wadcutters that I loaded back in the late 70s or early 80s. They all shot just fine and they were stored in the garage and went through 100 plus degree summers here in S. Texas.
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Old 06-28-2010, 08:33 PM
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The .30-06 ammo I shoot at CMP matches is 1943 Remington production. I've shot a few rounds that dated all the way back to WW1. Also squeezed off a couple WW1 .45ACP rounds once just to make sure they still worked. I'd trust my life with them! A Stevens rifle in .32 Rimfire once passed through my hands. I had a partial box of ammo that was circa 1900. It shot just fine. Also put a couple rounds of .41 Swiss Rimfire (VERY OLD) through a Vetterli once. Those rounds pre-date your ammo by 100 years!!!
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Old 06-28-2010, 11:47 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cubguy View Post
The other day I found about 250 .38 special wadcutters that I loaded back in the late 70s or early 80s. They all shot just fine and they were stored in the garage and went through 100 plus degree summers here in S. Texas.
Wow, cubguy...am I glad I stumbled upon your reply. I have a box of .35 Rem. that has been sitting in my father's equally hot Florida garage for the past 12 yrs. and I was just about to get rid of them.
They're JSP and the lead nose has what I can only describe as little hairs on it. It's not smooth like when new.
I might try cleaning them up & smoothing them out with some sandpaper and shoot 'em up at the range.
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Old 06-29-2010, 05:53 AM
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I have some German 8mm ammo from the mid 30s that is still surefire,
consistant and accurate.
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  #13  
Old 07-01-2010, 04:42 PM
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I got a good deal on some surplus Remington .22 LR ammo made in the 1960's and I'm still shooting it without any issues.
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Old 07-01-2010, 04:46 PM
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Default AMMO

i shoot some 303 british regularly that was loaded in 1917 never a misfire,
also i shot an armed robber in 1978 with military 45 ball ammo head stamped 1967. as long as you keep oil away from the cartridges they will last a long time.
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Old 07-01-2010, 04:51 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ronnie gore View Post
...as long as you keep oil away from the cartridges they will last a long time.
Why oil? What does it do to them?
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Old 07-01-2010, 08:06 PM
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That stuff ain't old. I've got several boxes of the same Federal ammo you show in the photo and it still shoots fine.

Urban legends would have you believe ammo comes with an expiration date. To which I humbly respond, "BS!"

I also doubt oil exposure will do much to ammo. Even ammo that does not have sealant at the bullet or primer would be unlikely to let oil seep in to contaminate the powder or primer mixture.
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Old 07-01-2010, 08:13 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dogguy View Post
Even ammo that does not have sealant at the bullet or primer would be unlikely to let oil seep in to contaminate the powder or primer mixture.
I agree. I grease the feed ramp and chamber of my Kel-tec P3AT. The self defense handloads that I keep in the gun never have trouble going bang. Sealed ammo is just extra insurance. Unless there is a fluke/manufacturing defect, or the ammo is exposed to extremes of pressure, I think normal centerfire handgun ammo is pretty much sealed from everything.
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Old 07-02-2010, 04:43 PM
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Do you think this also applies to primers and powder? Reason for asking, I have some 15 year old(about) primers I didn't know I had(CCI LP) and some AA#5 powder all kept indoors at about 45% humidity most times and never over 74 degrees.
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Old 07-02-2010, 05:12 PM
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My guess is both are fine. If you want to be sure load a primer, or two, in an empty case and see if they fire.

I just got done using up an eight pound keg of Unique that I bought when Slick Willie was polluting the White House. It worked fine.
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Old 07-02-2010, 07:56 PM
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that ammo will be fine...shoot it and have fun
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Old 07-02-2010, 07:57 PM
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I'm currently burning up some old Hercules Unique that dates back to the early seventies. I loaded it up in .380 form last year and it goes bang every time.
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Old 07-24-2010, 04:41 PM
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Default old bullets and powder

I had a friend that was cleaning out his fathers shop who had recently passed. He gave me 6 1 pound cans of 4198. That was about 1968. I finished it up last year. Didnt have any problems with any of it.
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Old 07-24-2010, 04:57 PM
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Default "Old" ammo

I had a small lot of .303 Mk IV ( I think) dated 1912. 2 rounds went into my collection, nobody was interested in buying any of the rest, so I took it to the range. All went bang except 2 (out of about 60) and was as accurate as my HXP 75 Greek surplus Mk VII.
As the others have said, if it's been stored cool and dry, just shoot it and enjoy it!

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Old 07-25-2010, 07:09 AM
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10 years ago I got in on a deal for some original crates of 1942 dated 30-06 that the CMP was selling at the matches at Camp Perry. So far I have shot several hundred rounds of it, and average about 2% complete duds. Kind of surprised by that, but have no idea how it was stored for 60 years. Pistol ammo that was made in the 1990's and properly stored should still work 70 years from now.
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Old 07-25-2010, 12:18 PM
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I have a handful of Winchester .30-40 Krag with round primers. I don't know how old. I touched one off about 10 years ago, "just to see". It would have done in any zombie in range.
I have one .30-40 Krag round marked "UMC" and ".30 Gov't". It has a lot of exposed lead (at least as big as the end of my little finger). I have no idea how old that is, but I wouldn't want to be in front of it.
Also, I had one case in Trinidad, Colorado, where the victim was shot with a Model 73 Winchester in .38-40. It had been hanging on the wall for more than half a century, and everyone always assumed it wasn't loaded. It was.
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Old 07-25-2010, 12:42 PM
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Modern centerfire ammunition has a very, very, long lifetime, much longer than the people who ran the machines that loaded it.

Sealed in a cartridge, modern smokeless powers do not really deteriorate, so as long as the cases are in tact, not bulged, water damaged, oil soaked, or corroded I'd say odds are it'll go bang.

It's my understanding that when stored properly, (cool and dry) modern ammunation's useful life will likely out last your great grandkid's grandkids!

/c
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Old 07-25-2010, 02:31 PM
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I'm still working on a case of 7mm Mauser loaded by FN in 1935.
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Old 07-25-2010, 08:04 PM
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I may have to open that box of CorBon 200 gr HP's I've been hoarding and use that(flying ashtray) as my SD load. I know they feed in my 4506 and 4566 and they would be excellent-although about 18 years old.
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Old 07-25-2010, 08:32 PM
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I'm shooting some .22 ammo these days that cost $.73 a box.
I've got some 300 H&H stuff I loaded in 1957. Don't see any reason it won't work just fine.
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Old 07-25-2010, 10:12 PM
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I wonder how long reloads will last...something to ponder. I have shot some lately I reloaded about 12 years ago but that's about as old as I have.
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