How Long Will Primers Keep

[lwestatbus]

I am having a hard time finding large pistol magnum primers locally but can find them in lots of 1,000 online. That is probably a five year supply for me, maybe more.

What is the shelf life on primers?

Oh, any recommendations for an online source with the most comprehensive in stock inventory of reloading equipment and consumables?

 

[Model19man]

At least 50 years with decent storage, likely longer.

 

[twodog max]

Stored correctly possibly a lifetime.
I found some misplaced CCI magnum rifles primers a while back that I know are 30 years old. They all went bang and worked like new

 

[cmj8591]

Keep them cool, dry and away from things that can contaminate them, like oil, and they will last way longer than you.

 

[Rpg]

It’s likely that any primers you buy today will be good long after you are no longer with us.

Worrying about shelf life of modern primers is generally a fool’s errand.

As long as the primers aren’t stored in a bucket of oil, they’ll last virtually forever.

 

[Chubbs103]

I've regularly shot primers that are 30-40 years old. I've inherited some older than that.

I've run test batches of reloads with 40-50 year old primers that I have acquired and never had a problem.

Stored properly, they last a long time.

 

[austintexas]

I keep primers that I'm frequently using in a GI ammo can under my bench, Very well sealed. The rest of my stash is in original packaging in my bedroom closet. Never had a failure to fire. I'm currently using some Remington primers that were packed in the wooden trays. I have no idea when they went to the plastic trays.
SWCA 892

 

[Nemo288]

I have shot WWII surplus .22 and 30-06 ~50 years after they were sold off and the all went bang.
The 30-06 may be corrosive primed so we gave up on those and kept a box or 2 as collectors.
I keep primers in the mostly subterranean basement in a cabinet on the other side of the house from the powder which is in a little wine cellar.

 

[Eddietruett]

Im shooting some Alcan LPP that were sold from a shop that closed in the 70’s. Can’t tell them from new

 

[stansdds]

How long will primers last when properly stored? How long you planning on living and do you have heirs that can also use them? I'm using primers that I bought almost 30 years ago as well as powders of the same age. My powders and primers still work just like new.

 

[Dvus]

I still have several thousand '70s Western LPPs to use up before I get to the '80s Winchesters. No problems so far.

 

[CH4]

I have some Western primers that date to 1946 and they work fine.

 

[71vette]

I’ll add to what others have said. I’m currently shooting primers my dad bought in the 80’s. Work just fine.

 

[max503]

"How Long Will Primers Keep?"

Longer than you.

 

[tom2]

I got some primers that are old but not that old, back when they were not painful to buy. I recently paid 99$ for 1k of small pistol but I was not in any immediate risk of running out of my old ones, I just wanted a bit of cushion. Bit the bullet as it were. Everything is tough to look at the prices now. Last year I bought a lb of Unique for maybe 40$ or a bit more. The other day I saw a lb of it featured on GunJoker for 80 or 90? plus 40 S/H.

 

[chief38]

I have used primers that were 60+ years old (given to me) and were stored in a very damp and dank garage for decades. The boxes were even molded but I wanted to find out if they would actually work.

Every single one went bang, worked perfectly and after initially testing 50 of them, I loaded the rest. I recently finished shooting over 1,000 of them and not one single FTF! They were CCI brand and came in little wooden tray boxes.

So that said, I'd say primers will not only last a very long time, but they will also take quite a bit of abuse and poor storage.

 

[oysterer]

I am shooting primers from the 1980s given to me by a retiree, seem at least was accurate and 100% reliable as current production. Go find some club steel matches and you'll be out of 1,000 in 2 months.

 

[TLflag]

I have been shooting large rifle primer from World War I in wood trays over many years now. Not one misfire.

 

[BeachBumShooter]

I bought a box of 1000 magnum small pistol primers from an estate sale a couple of years ago when there were no primers available. Only had to pay five bucks for them. The box said Cascade Cartridge inc. and the style screamed the 1960’s. The outer box was in pretty rough shape.
I did not know it at the time, but the Cascade Cartridge inc. was the forerunner to CCI! No idea how old they were.
I loaded and shot every single one with no problems.

 

[chief38]

BTW, not that I would ever advise purposely storing anything under poor, humid and damp conditions, but the same fellow that gave me the old primers also gave me some old 38 special ammo (about the same age too). Even the crummiest rounds went bang on the very first hit and that was probably before they routinely sealed the primer pockets and around the bullet / case seam.

I would never bet my life on improperly stored ammo or components but for use at the Range - what the heck! It is really amazing on how resilient these components are!