I just received some Federal small pistol primers that are in a red box with a black and gold stripe on the right side. On the back they say Federal Cartridge Corporation Minneapolis, Minnesota. It has been a long time since I loaded with silver primers. I am thinking they are from the 70's or 80's. I also have some old CCI in a two tone white and green box. I think they are about the same vintage.

Age doesn't hurt primers unless they've been improperly stored.

A long time ago my Father gave me about 10K large pistol primers in plain cardboard boxes with Speer stamped on them. The holders had wooden spacers separating the rows of primers. He had bought them as surplus in the late '50's. He gave them to me about 1975 or so. They all went bang. They survived being kept dry in an unheated garage all those years.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

I test fired 20 last week and they worked just fine. I have no fears as to their function, just curious as to age.

If they are in the old style, smaller box that holds the primers in rows rather than individually, that definitely puts them prior to the mid eighties. IIRC that was when they changed to the “safer” packaging.

Froggie

My boxes of 250 Small Arms primers for .30 Cal. cartridges from the Frankford Arsenal ; Primer Mixture F.A.NO. 70; Primer Lot NO B-1721 from World War I still work just fine. I have some Winchester 1 1/2 from the past that work well also, they say for smoke less powder.

Primers and powder will last much longer than most people will think.
Primers are quite tough.Even if dropped in water,if allowed to dry will fire without much decrease in performance.
Powder,if stored in a dry place will last quite a few decades.I've shot a couple of days ago some rounds of 45-70 loaded with IMR 3031 I had since the early '80s(a powder I don't use much)and each one went bang and grouped as good or better of my other test loads I had made with recently bought powders.

Tenntex32 sent me some info on Federal dating. It appears these primer could be from the late 60's or 70's.

Every so often I find a box of reloads from the mid 1970's or later. They all go bang because I store them properly.

Have a blessed day,

Leon