Ammo Storage

[Camprunner]

How long would you keep defensive ammo in storage before you would feel like you would have to shoot the old stuff and get some new ammo for the shelf?

 

[n4zov]

It depends more on the storage conditions than the age. High humidity and temperature are the enemies of ammunition and reloading components. I would probably replace properly stored defensive carry ammunition after ten years or so, but that figure is purely arbitrary. The military routinely uses ammunition older than that.

 

[flop-shank]

If properly stored, I wouldn't replace it. Firing an occasional test shot after a decade or so is as far as I would go.

 

[MTKTM]

I was shooting WW2 surplus 45acp stuff quite recently, it worked fine despite being over 60 years old. A friend of mine has shot some 303 British from WW1 and said that it was fine. I have no idea where or how it was stored. The proverbial 'cool dry place' is a good rule-of-thumb.

 

[Andy Taylor]

Properly stored ammo does not go bad.
I might "upgrade" to a more modern bullet design, but not because of age issues. I have 20 year old ammo that still "stands guard" and have no worries. I have recently fired WWII vintage .30-06 and 9mm, again with no issues.

 

[oliver507]

Camprunner,
I have fired WWI and older ammunition within the last 5 years: 380, 30-06, 45, 38, and 32 all did what they were supposed to do, the 38 and 32 were rim fire blackpowder rounds atleast 100 years old. It would seem that age was not a problem.

 

[animalmother]

I store my ammo in good quality 50 cal military surplus cans. The cans are kept inside (where temp is regulated). Properly stored, quality ammo will go bang 50 years later. A friend of mine bought some WWII era surplus 45 ACP (boxes stamped with 1943 and 1944 dates) in 2000 to shoot in his new Para Ord 45. We shot a lot of boxes. All of the ammo fired.

 

[spearsontheridge]

Keep mine in cans with the temp regulated. I have had no problems.

 

[Lucky Scott]

I bought a bunch of silica gel, (you know, the stuff that says "do not eat" that you get in your electronics) and store my ammo in a sealed can with the silica gel to absorb moisture.

i am told it should last forever. Then again, I live in california and there is no humidity.