Old Ammo Question

[thomaswgoodwin]

I picked up some more ammo the other day. However, some of it is pretty old. Just curious on thought of how it might shoot and/or if it was safe to shoot.

The bottom Federal bulk pack box shows this:

.... and the Federal Lightning is even older:

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[Majorlk]

Shoot it! None of that ammo is even close to what I consider old. Pre WWII might be considered old, but nothing newer. I'm shooting ammo I loaded in the mid-70s.

You don't want it, send it to me.

Note: there is no expiration date on ammo boxes.

 

[thomaswgoodwin]

Shoot it! None of that ammo is even close to what I consider old. Pre WWII might be considered old, but nothing newer. I'm shooting ammo I loaded in the mid-70s.

You don't want it, send it to me.

Note: there is no expiration date on ammo boxes.

I didn't think it would be an issue but it's good to have some reassurance!

 

[NYlakesider]

Have shot plenty of WW1&2 ammo, worked fine!

just recently I found in the bottom of a box of sort of forgotten about assorted items a brick of 22 target ammo that had to be 30 years old. Have already shot one box no problems. The biggest thing with ammo is storage conditions. If it has been in low to medium humidity it will/should be fine.

 

[Warren Sear]

Old? I've got shoes older than that!

 

[Griz Behr]

From my experience the date on the box is they date they changed to that particular package style. The lot or batch number indicates the production date. If they use the same code system my company uses your Federal was made in January of 2001. The starting digit is the last digit of the year and the letter is the month. Ie: A = Jan , B = Feb ext... I shot some ammo from 1995 last weekend and it shot fine. Storing it properly is the big deal like others are saying. Happy shooting!

 

[rburg]

You young guys and new shooters are a real hoot! Remember, ammo is like milk or cheese, it expires rapidly. Or maybe not. As others have said, its hazardous and should be disposed of properly. It contains lead, the evil kind. Many of us offer to shoot it for you, just because we're nice guys.

And as others have pointed out, many of us have ammo thats older than we are. For some of us, that's really old. funny thing is, the older ammo seems more reliable than the new. I attribute that to older methods that ran the equipment a bit slower and gave the priming compound time to make it into the rim. The only reason not to fire really old ammo is because it has collector value. Even the box has appeal.

Now I sure wish someone would explain to me what the assumed problem with moisture is going to be. In manufacturing, they store the powder under water to keep it stable. Somehow now a tiny pinch of powder in a brass cylinder and topped with a lead seal (often enhanced with wax) will be damaged by a little moisture in the air. I think its just folks repeating what they've heard because it sounds good to them. So you can use the quick glance test. If the brass still looks intact and the lead hasn't turned white and powdery, its good to go.

 

[Majorlk]

Old? I've got shoes older than that!

My Tony Lama boots were made in '71 and still feel wonderful!

 

[Majorlk]

Now I sure wish someone would explain to me what the assumed problem with moisture is going to be. In manufacturing, they store the powder under water to keep it stable. Somehow now a tiny pinch of powder in a brass cylinder and topped with a lead seal (often enhanced with wax) will be damaged by a little moisture in the air. I think its just folks repeating what they've heard because it sounds good to them. So you can use the quick glance test. If the brass still looks intact and the lead hasn't turned white and powdery, its good to go.

The water nonsense comes from the black powder days - black powder and paper-patched cartridges.

Same deal with a drop of oil destroying a cartridge. Doesn't happen. This has been disproved time and time again. Now oil or a solvent on the powder itself or the inside of a primer, yes. But on the outside, not at all.

 

[Scopes]

You young guys and new shooters are a real hoot! Remember, ammo is like milk or cheese, it expires rapidly. Or maybe not. As others have said, its hazardous and should be disposed of properly. It contains lead, the evil kind. Many of us offer to shoot it for you, just because we're nice guys.

It's a generation thing. Mine was taught to treat everything you read on net as gospel.

 

[Arik]

Thats not old! Im shooting ammo made from the 40s-80s in some calibers

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

 

[Comrad]

Sent it to me for testing.

 

[kwselke]

From the looks of the packaging styles and logos, I'd bet that ammo is far less than 30 years old, and that is not old. Shoot it and have fun.

 

[Kayback]

Those aren't production dates, but the dates the designes of the boxes or the names were copyrighted.

KBK

 

[Dezfan]

That stuff looks very old and unstable!

Carefully package it up and send it to me for safe disposal.

 

[Nframecollector]

Way too old! Ship it to me and I'll dispose of it for you! I was just shooting some 45 Colt reloads of mine from 1973. Its all good as long as it was stored properly.

 

[gmiller0737]

It will likely shoot just fine I have shot ammo 30 + years old with zero issues.

 

[zload]

I read somewhere that the guys in Taliban land are using 50 BMG ammo from WW2 and that it had been stored in non-climate controlled warehouses... rumor has it that it still works fine per some former Taliban fighters... I'm guessing you are good to go!

 

[Shooterjgs]

Some of the old ammo is probably better than the new stuff out there...

 

[Majorlk]

Some of the old ammo is probably better than the new stuff out there...

I know the 70s and 80s .357 magnum was a lot hotter. So was .38 Special. Check loads from then and compare it to today. Today's .357 is only marginally faster than 70s .38s.

 

[planojack]

In 1989, a retired army officer gave me a box of beautiful old .45ACP mags with the lanyard loop. They were filled with 1919 Peters ball ammo. I couldn't resist the temptation and emptied two of the mags without a misfire. I reloaded the cases with no problem.