# Old ammo



## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

The subject of storing ammo and using old ammo comes up from time to time. As prepers we try to get use out of every thing we can.
Yesterday we did some rearranging of things and as always found some long forgotten items. 
20 years ago I purchased a P89DC Ruger when they first hit the LGS. I found a big box of ammo that had been purchased for it. Mixed rounds CCI aluminum case ball and HP brass case stuff it had all been purchased to see how the weapon would handle it.
It did not take long to see the weapon would eat anything so it was all dumped in a box and forgot about. 
20 years sitting in a dark corner of a basement no special storage . We took it out and fired it .
Every single round fire as if it was brand new. I am not suggesting you just throw it in the corner of a basement, but it seems that ammo has away of hanging in there.


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

Smitty901 said:


> The subject of storing ammo and using old ammo comes up from time to time. As prepers we try to get use out of every thing we can.
> Yesterday we did some rearranging of things and as always found some long forgotten items.
> 20 years ago I purchased a P89DC Ruger when they first hit the LGS. I found a big box of ammo that had been purchased for it. Mixed rounds CCI aluminum case ball and HP brass case stuff it had all been purchased to see how the weapon would handle it.
> It did not take long to see the weapon would eat anything so it was all dumped in a box and forgot about.
> ...


A GI ammo can in a cool dry dark place


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## jro1 (Mar 3, 2014)

So many variables at play when it comes to storing ammo, Humidity, temperature. sounds like the variables were on your side Smitty! I store my ammo in ammo cans with oxygen absorbers and also store them in 5 gallon pails with oxygen absorbers. Works for me!


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

These were just thrown in a box no lid lose and mixed up.
I have a lager amount of 1950 box military 30.06 150 gr that is for my M1 they are stored well and fire perfectly also.


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## Rigged for Quiet (Mar 3, 2013)

I have a large tool box, one that has a top tray like you would keep in your trunk, full of shotgun shells that was given to me around 1992. I have no idea how old they were when I got them. I actually forgot about them and found them out in the garage a couple of months ago. They still go bang.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Mine stays out in the barn in GI ammo cans plus a non working refrigerator.


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## Rigged for Quiet (Mar 3, 2013)

The non working fridge is an intriquing idea, RPD. Pretty darn fire resistant for something not built to be so.


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## Conundrum99 (Feb 16, 2014)

Rigged for Quiet said:


> The non working fridge is an intriquing idea, RPD. Pretty darn fire resistant for something not built to be so.


That's an intriguing idea, if place my important documents and ammo in an old freezer this would make a good fire safe?


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## retired guard (Mar 7, 2013)

Smitty901 said:


> The subject of storing ammo and using old ammo comes up from time to time. As prepers we try to get use out of every thing we can.
> Yesterday we did some rearranging of things and as always found some long forgotten items.
> 20 years ago I purchased a P89DC Ruger when they first hit the LGS. I found a big box of ammo that had been purchased for it. Mixed rounds CCI aluminum case ball and HP brass case stuff it had all been purchased to see how the weapon would handle it.
> It did not take long to see the weapon would eat anything so it was all dumped in a box and forgot about.
> ...


There are exceptions but by and large quality control on ammo is pretty good.


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## Just Sayin' (Dec 5, 2013)

Rigged for Quiet said:


> I have a large tool box, one that has a top tray like you would keep in your trunk, full of shotgun shells that was given to me around 1992. I have no idea how old they were when I got them. I actually forgot about them and found them out in the garage a couple of months ago. They still go bang.


I have some shotshells from the early 80's (12 ga. #8s) that we tried to run through my wife's 1100 during practice, and while they all went bang, not one of them would cycle the action on the 1100 properly. They had been stored in M60 bandoliers out in the shop, which gets both hotter than h**l during the summer, and could be freezing during the winter.

Every single shotshell had to be ejected by working the bolt back manually all the way to the rear and then releasing the bolt to catch the shell on the lifter bar. These weren't high brass loads to begin with, and weren't even brand name shells. I am thinking that if you store any of the military or civilian brand name stuff with some care, it would probably be alright. It would be nice to chrono some old metallic cartridge rounds to see how they really perform after extended periods.


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## Reptilicus (Jan 4, 2014)

As a matter of fact I spent yesterday afternoon checking some older battlepacks of German surplus 7.62x51 after coming across a discussion in another forum concerning this very ammo. Seems that the acidic properties or chemicals used in the manufacture of the boxes this is packed in, inside the sealed rubber pack, can over time cause corrosion of the brass which contacts it. So I cut 2 of them open and out of 400 rds 27 had enough signs of corrosion that they will not be shot, all other 373 were pristine and now rest peacefully in 10 rd. stripper clips inside a .50 cal ammo can. The 2 packs I checked were 1985 Los Men and 1993 Los Dag. So if you got any of this stuff you might want to take a peek inside!

www.m14forum.com/ammunition/108956-pictures-inside-men94-cases.html


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Reptilicus said:


> As a matter of fact I spent yesterday afternoon checking some older battlepacks of German surplus 7.62x51 after coming across a discussion in another forum concerning this very ammo. Seems that the acidic properties or chemicals used in the manufacture of the boxes this is packed in, inside the sealed rubber pack, can over time cause corrosion of the brass which contacts it. So I cut 2 of them open and out of 400 rds 27 had enough signs of corrosion that they will not be shot, all other 373 were pristine and now rest peacefully in 10 rd. stripper clips inside a .50 cal ammo can. The 2 packs I checked were 1985 Los Men and 1993 Los Dag. So if you got any of this stuff you might want to take a peek inside!
> 
> Pictures of Corrosion. inside MEN94 cases. - M14 Forum


 Good information .
A lot of 7.62 X39 comes sealed in lead in a wood crate never seen any issue with that system. I have seen the metal tuna cans rust away.


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## tango (Apr 12, 2013)

I recently used some 45 ac ammo that I reloaded in 1984, no issues at all.
I have a 50mm ammo can full of shotgun ammo of all sizes including reloaded AA skeet loads.
The reloads are no good. 
The rest works fine
The 45 ammo has always been stored in climate control, the shot shells have not.
If you have some old ammo, whether reloads or not, check them regularly.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Rigged for Quiet said:


> The non working fridge is an intriquing idea, RPD. Pretty darn fire resistant for something not built to be so.


I was on my tablet earlier and it's a pain in the wazoo to use the key pad so I didn't explain.
The refrigerator helps protect against temperature swings. I have a thermometer in that barn and it gets to 110 F every day in the summer. That in itself won't hurt the ammo, but going back and forth 30 or 40 degrees every day can be harmful, so I've been told.
I did an experiment last year firing some rounds that had been left loaded in a 357 magnum in my car for two years. And it gets 140+ in there during the summer. They were Remington Golden Saber and all fired just fine. I do not have a chronograph so I do not know if velocity was affected to any degree, but based on previous experience those rounds did not seem to have been affected.

As far as age, during the mid 70's I was shooting M2 Ball headstamped 1918 in my Garand. No problems.
At this moment I have a thousand or so rounds of 1954 Bulgarian 7.62X54R that have been kept in metal cans soldered shut, they work just as designed.
I also have some M2 Ball from the mid 50's. And some 30 cal Carbine that age as well.


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

Smitty901 said:


> Good information .
> A lot of 7.62 X39 comes sealed in lead in a wood crate never seen any issue with that system. I have seen the metal tuna cans rust away.


Reminds me of the Lewis and Clark expedition. They sealed their powder in leaden canisters and then used the canisters to cast round balls for their rifles.


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## Infidel (Dec 22, 2012)

Generally it's been my experience that you really have to go out of your way to make ammunition not work as it's supposed to. If you take even a little bit of care in how you store it it should last a lifetime. That being said I think vacuum sealing is probably the best method for long term storage, put some silica gel in the bags before you seal them up. Ammunition at my house never gets the chance to sit around long enough to go bad although I do have some stuff my father loaded in the late 60's early 70's that I have fired with no issues and no special storage precautions.

-Infidel


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## Montana Rancher (Mar 4, 2013)

Smitty901 said:


> The subject of storing ammo and using old ammo comes up from time to time. As prepers we try to get use out of every thing we can.
> Yesterday we did some rearranging of things and as always found some long forgotten items.
> 20 years ago I purchased a P89DC Ruger when they first hit the LGS. I found a big box of ammo that had been purchased for it. Mixed rounds CCI aluminum case ball and HP brass case stuff it had all been purchased to see how the weapon would handle it.
> It did not take long to see the weapon would eat anything so it was all dumped in a box and forgot about.
> ...


I am hunting Antelope with my .243 and ammo I loaded in 1991, really the stuff doesn't go bad.

Recently we took a Desert Eagle .44 Mag autoloader out for a test spin, we were using .44 ammo my father loaded in the 70's.

The ammo had been reloaded so many times that the cases were breaking in half when the gun auto ejected the round, they never misfired they were just reloaded so much the brass walls were weak.

Which makes 2 points, 1 is ammo 40 years old is ok, 2nd ammo you can use in your 44 revolver may not work in a modern day weapon


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## Seneca (Nov 16, 2012)

I have shot old reloads no problems. Simply because I forgot they were buried in the bottom of a foot locker and as things normally go, I found them after I bought new brass and bullets. 

The only problem I have ever really encountered with old ammo is corrosion. I bought a paper wrapped brick of .22 hornet at a gun show. I believe it was military ammo issued to air crews For their survival rifles. Out of a thousand rounds 50 to 75 were bad because one corner on the brick had become wet at some time and corrosion had eaten the brass making the cartridges heave with green scale.


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## jimb1972 (Nov 12, 2012)

I have a bunch of 8x56r with a 1938 Czech headstamp, has been 100% reliable. I also have a lot of 7.62x25 with a 1956 Romanian headstamp, also 100% reliable (but not very accurate)


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Vintage Thread Gentlemen, I enjoyed reading it!


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## Silverback (Jan 20, 2014)

From reading this thread I am reminded of fine wine.... is storing our ammo related to how we store our wine? So many similarities.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

For me, they both are in a box!


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## Silverback (Jan 20, 2014)

Just pour the boxed wine in a super nice bottle, no one can tell the difference anyway, shoot the boxed ammo out of a super nice barrel, same thing... until it blows up.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

The good stuff that is stored well is now dated and marked at one time I saw no reason to but times have changed.
When I go in to grab some I test different lots.


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## tango (Apr 12, 2013)

With ammo, you don't have to worry about keeping the cork wet---


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

I inherited my Grandfathers Winchester 38-40 made in 1909...he bought it in 1920.. I had the shells he had..no idea how old they were...he passed away in 1986.. I was hunting 2 years ago with and when I pulled the trigger on a deer standing about 40 feet from me...it just clicked...bad round... 

am guessing the ammo was 10-20 years old when i got it so was about 30-50 years old...

as a note..there is a good chance this ammo was carried out hunting, replaced in the box...many many times...so would have been cold and froze then warmed many times... could have gotten wet when it was removed from the rifle and maybe dropped in the snow


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Maine-Marine said:


> I inherited my Grandfathers Winchester 38-40 made in 1909...he bought it in 1920.. I had the shells he had..no idea how old they were...he passed away in 1986.. I was hunting 2 years ago with and when I pulled the trigger on a deer standing about 40 feet from me...it just clicked...bad round...
> 
> am guessing the ammo was 10-20 years old when i got it so was about 30-50 years old...
> 
> as a note..there is a good chance this ammo was carried out hunting, replaced in the box...many many times...so would have been cold and froze then warmed many times... could have gotten wet when it was removed from the rifle and maybe dropped in the snow


 To have a weapon carried by your Grandfather is truly a wonderful thing.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

tango said:


> With ammo, you don't have to worry about keeping the cork wet---


i haven't had a drink in many years, but back in the day when i did the wine bottles always had screw tops.:-D
Gallo White Port, anyone?:-o


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