Ammo

[bayouvol]

Does ammo have an expiration date? Someone told me that the powder is made to deteriorate in two years.

[Mykltn]

Then I'm in trouble cause I just went to the range and shot ammo I purchased 5 years ago.

[bubbadavis]

I've shot ammo from 1938. It always went bang...

[Wyldk2]

I'm no expert but if you keep it away from moisture and dry, it should last a long time. I don't know for sure how long though.

[williamsburg]

there is "rumor" about some of the new primers are lead free or something and don't hold up as well as older ammo.

[nightrunner]

The WinClean brand ammo has a relatively short shelf life but other than that they last longer than you will

[bayouvol]

I was told that the new ammo being sold today had a component which would break down after a few years.

[NRA]

doubt it will go bad if stored correctly. I fire allot of surpluss some as far back as 1930 with no trouble

[Oh Shoot]

[quote name='bayouvol' timestamp='1352605626' post='843554']
I was told that the new ammo being sold today had a component which would break down after a few years.
[/quote]

Don't buy any bridges from whoever told you that.

As Nightgunner said, only WinClean and maybe any other "enviro friendly" brands I don't know about have any possible storage problems. edit: CCI Blazer makes some too.

Today's ammo should last just as long as ammo from the 1940's has, kept dry and if possible, in moderate temperature ranges.

- OS Edited November 14, 2012 by OhShoot

[GlockSpock]

[quote]Someone told me that the powder is made to deteriorate in two years.[/quote]

I have a feeling that this rumor stems from the rumor that was going around several years ago. There was talk going around that the government was going to require that powder in ammo would "break down" in a mere matter of a few years. The thought behind this was that it would allow the government to prevent stockpiles. What good is buying thousands of rounds to store if it isn't going to be good in a years time?

This of course was rumor, and although I'm sure many in government love this idea, I don't know if there was really any basis behind the rumor.

[Tuffus]

I've been shooting some Remington .38 +p ammo I bought in the '70's lately. It's been lurking in a cardboard box in the garage since before 1980. They have all gone bang so far.

[1gewehr]

In the 1980's I bought a bunch of .30-06 and .303 surplus ammo dated from 1917-1919. The .303 had some hangfires, but the .30-06 was 100% sure fire. I still have some of that .30-06, and it has never failed to go off as expected. The biggest issues are improper storage. If the ammo has been stored in the heat, it breaks down more rapidly. I've had Israeli surplus from the 1980's that had misfires and erratic power from being left out in the sun for extended periods.

Quality ammo stored in a nice, cool basement will last a LONG time!

[kwe45919]

I've shot early 80's bulk packastani 9mm. Most went bang as usual. A few packs were "weak" but still cycled. Expected for military surpluss from a country other than ours. Think it came from Sportsman Guide....

[Jason in TN]

Just keep your powder dry and every thing will go bang.

Jason

[TnShooter83]

Powder?, I doubt it.

But I have heard of brass age hardening. I looked it up briefly but didn't dive into all the details. But it does seem to have some validity to it.
The good news is brass used for ammo has had major improvements since the 1890's-1920s and almost all new(er) 1950+ brass
doesn't seem to crack or age harden. If anyone here can confirm for sure this is indeed a TRUE problem. I'd like to hear more about it.
As I don't reload or shoot old (pre-1970) ammo.

[RED333]

[quote name='TnShooter83' timestamp='1353214690' post='847466']
As I don't reload or shoot old (pre-1970) ammo.
[/quote]Send it to me, I will dispose of it for ya.

[TnShooter83]

[quote name='RED333' timestamp='1353250837' post='847596']
Send it to me, I will dispose of it for ya.
[/quote]

I guess I should take that statement back.
And rephrase it to : I don't like to shoot old ammo.
I have shot old ammo. Mostly M1 Carbine and .22lr.

[tnhawk]

For a resonable disposal fee, I can safely handle destruction of most calibers of rifle and pistol ammunition. Edited November 21, 2012 by tnhawk

[dlm37015]

the priming compound in thr lead free primers has shrlf life of about 5 years
some of the new ammo from all mfgs has this type of primer
just watch what you buy and stay away from lead free stuff unless you are going to shoot it up