Life of ammo

keithdog · December 6, 2013, 12:16 AM

I have two boxes of .40 ammo that I purchased in 1997. Remington Golden Saber and Winchester SXT. The boxes were purchased for self defense loads, which thankfully were never used. Now I am thinking perhaps I should use them for target ammo and replace them with new fresh self defense loads. How long would you expect ammo to remain viable? They have been kept perfectly dry in an ammo box and show no sign of rust or corrosion.

NoSecondBest · December 6, 2013, 12:36 AM

I dug out some 243 rounds last year that I loaded in 1981. I wanted something to shoot in a new Savage rifle I bought to get it on paper. I was getting .5 - .7" five shot groups at 100yds with this stuff and it was thirty-one years old. My guess is that it will last a lot longer than you will if kept cool and dry. Hodgdon powder started out selling WW2 surplus powder and after fifty years it still worked great.

jmhyer · December 6, 2013, 01:09 AM

Yes. If stored in a reasonably dry, stable environment, it should work just fine for your grand- or even great-grand-kids.

Tejicano · December 6, 2013, 01:22 AM

In 1983 I bought some old military surplus ammo for my Mauser. The headstamp on the ammo was "1925". Out of 50 rounds I think I got 2 mis-fires - and that was poorly manufactured, South American ammo with corrosive primers.

Ammo produced with modern components should be good for 100 years or more - unless left out to the elements or allowed to corrode.

Kreyzhorse · December 6, 2013, 10:59 PM

Quote:

They have been kept perfectly dry in an ammo box and show no sign of rust or corrosion.

If kept in that condition, they will still be good long after you are gone.

TenRing · December 6, 2013, 11:09 PM

Ammo from 1997 is not hurt at all if stored as you describe. I have shot 70 year old WWII surplus ammo that functioned flawlessly. Keep the ammo dry and it will far outlast you.

keithdog · December 7, 2013, 10:51 AM

Thanks guys. Good to know it's still viable ammo. Much appreciated.

osbornk · December 7, 2013, 11:39 AM

My Mom got a little 32 back in the mid 40s. The ammo still shot fine a couple of years ago.

Nanuk · December 7, 2013, 11:53 AM

You can send it to me and I will properly dispose of it for you.

ClydeFrog · December 7, 2013, 03:09 PM

As noted, under proper conditions most modern ammunition can be stored for many years. It's not a strict requirement to shoot it up but, Id suggest any license holder or gun owner who carrys a duty weapon shoot the ammuntion periodically.
Grit, crud, lint, moisture, etc can work into magazines or speed strips(revolvers). Normal wear & distorted coloring may show up too,

.
This may or may not affect the performance of the ammunition buy for defense or duty uses, why take that chance?
I carry & load handgun rounds for about 3/4 months then shoot them up & replace them. I have saved a box or two over the years that I didn't really use but I wouldn't keep carry rounds for years & years.
Many popular brands or calibers can be hard to obtain sometimes or the prices may have gone up in recent years but Id still shoot the carry ammunition up & replace it on a regular basis.

Clyde

Art Eatman · December 8, 2013, 09:43 PM

I have some steel-case .45ACP, "EC 43". Still shoots just fine.

Hmm. I have a box of GI .38 Special. Haven't checked the date, but I imagine it's from back around WW II. Guess I oughta test it.

The only ancient non-fire I've run across was about ten years ago with some 1912 .45ACP.

I inherited some .223 reloads from my uncle, back in 1976. Still MOA ammo. Off and on through the years I've shot some of my reloads that were 20 and more years old.

Oh: My father gave me a bunch of pistols which had been in storage for over forty years. Full mags. All worked; no misfires. .25ACP, .32ACP, 9mmPara, .45ACP.

Gary L. Griffiths · December 8, 2013, 09:58 PM

Your ammo should function to spec for the foreseeable future, probably long after you're dead from old age.

OTOH, there have been tremendous strides made in bullet technology within the past decade, so if it were me, I would shoot up the old ammo for practice and replace it with modern premium SD ammo.

BuckRub · December 9, 2013, 12:59 AM

Anytime you buy ammo and plan on using for SD loads you should atleast shoot one or two mags just to see if it functions well in your gun you plan on toting or laying on bed stand. Don't ever just but a brand and don't ever see for sure.

Chaz88 · December 9, 2013, 02:15 PM

The only long term stored ammunition I have had a problem with were .38 reloads with cast bullets that my grandfather had stored in a garage bullet up for a long time. The summer heat had melted the lube and contaminated the powder.

Psychedelic Bang · December 10, 2013, 12:29 AM

I think the life of ammo is pretty boring.

Chaz88 · December 10, 2013, 12:43 AM

Quote:

I think the life of ammo is pretty boring.

I do not know about that... It generally goes out with a bang.

December 6, 2013, 12:16 AM	#1
keithdog Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2013 Location: Northern Indiana Posts: 321	Life of ammo I have two boxes of .40 ammo that I purchased in 1997. Remington Golden Saber and Winchester SXT. The boxes were purchased for self defense loads, which thankfully were never used. Now I am thinking perhaps I should use them for target ammo and replace them with new fresh self defense loads. How long would you expect ammo to remain viable? They have been kept perfectly dry in an ammo box and show no sign of rust or corrosion.

December 7, 2013, 11:53 AM	#9
Nanuk Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2005 Location: Where the deer and the antelope roam. Posts: 3,082	You can send it to me and I will properly dispose of it for you. __________________ Retired Law Enforcement U. S. Army Veteran Armorer My rifle and pistol are tools, I am the weapon.

December 7, 2013, 03:09 PM	#10
ClydeFrog Junior member Join Date: May 1, 2010 Posts: 5,797	A quick word about carry/duty ammunition.... As noted, under proper conditions most modern ammunition can be stored for many years. It's not a strict requirement to shoot it up but, Id suggest any license holder or gun owner who carrys a duty weapon shoot the ammuntion periodically. Grit, crud, lint, moisture, etc can work into magazines or speed strips(revolvers). Normal wear & distorted coloring may show up too, . This may or may not affect the performance of the ammunition buy for defense or duty uses, why take that chance? I carry & load handgun rounds for about 3/4 months then shoot them up & replace them. I have saved a box or two over the years that I didn't really use but I wouldn't keep carry rounds for years & years. Many popular brands or calibers can be hard to obtain sometimes or the prices may have gone up in recent years but Id still shoot the carry ammunition up & replace it on a regular basis. Clyde

December 8, 2013, 09:58 PM	#12
Gary L. Griffiths Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2000 Location: AZ, WA Posts: 1,469	Your ammo should function to spec for the foreseeable future, probably long after you're dead from old age. OTOH, there have been tremendous strides made in bullet technology within the past decade, so if it were me, I would shoot up the old ammo for practice and replace it with modern premium SD ammo. __________________ Violence is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and valorous feeling which believes that nothing is worth violence is much worse. Those who have nothing for which they are willing to fight; nothing they care about more than their own craven apathy; are miserable creatures who have no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the valor of those better than themselves. Gary L. Griffiths (Paraphrasing John Stuart Mill)

December 6, 2013, 12:36 AM	#2
NoSecondBest Senior Member Join Date: December 7, 2009 Location: Western New York Posts: 2,736	I dug out some 243 rounds last year that I loaded in 1981. I wanted something to shoot in a new Savage rifle I bought to get it on paper. I was getting .5 - .7" five shot groups at 100yds with this stuff and it was thirty-one years old. My guess is that it will last a lot longer than you will if kept cool and dry. Hodgdon powder started out selling WW2 surplus powder and after fifty years it still worked great.

December 6, 2013, 01:09 AM	#3
jmhyer Senior Member Join Date: June 19, 2012 Location: MS - USA Posts: 917	Yes. If stored in a reasonably dry, stable environment, it should work just fine for your grand- or even great-grand-kids.

December 6, 2013, 01:22 AM	#4
Tejicano Senior Member Join Date: April 4, 2013 Posts: 168	In 1983 I bought some old military surplus ammo for my Mauser. The headstamp on the ammo was "1925". Out of 50 rounds I think I got 2 mis-fires - and that was poorly manufactured, South American ammo with corrosive primers. Ammo produced with modern components should be good for 100 years or more - unless left out to the elements or allowed to corrode.

December 6, 2013, 11:09 PM	#6
TenRing Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2009 Posts: 427	Ammo from 1997 is not hurt at all if stored as you describe. I have shot 70 year old WWII surplus ammo that functioned flawlessly. Keep the ammo dry and it will far outlast you.

December 7, 2013, 10:51 AM	#7
keithdog Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2013 Location: Northern Indiana Posts: 321	Thanks guys. Good to know it's still viable ammo. Much appreciated.

December 7, 2013, 11:39 AM	#8
osbornk Senior Member Join Date: August 11, 2012 Location: Mountains of Appalachia Posts: 1,598	My Mom got a little 32 back in the mid 40s. The ammo still shot fine a couple of years ago.

December 8, 2013, 09:43 PM	#11
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	I have some steel-case .45ACP, "EC 43". Still shoots just fine. Hmm. I have a box of GI .38 Special. Haven't checked the date, but I imagine it's from back around WW II. Guess I oughta test it. The only ancient non-fire I've run across was about ten years ago with some 1912 .45ACP. I inherited some .223 reloads from my uncle, back in 1976. Still MOA ammo. Off and on through the years I've shot some of my reloads that were 20 and more years old. Oh: My father gave me a bunch of pistols which had been in storage for over forty years. Full mags. All worked; no misfires. .25ACP, .32ACP, 9mmPara, .45ACP.

December 9, 2013, 12:59 AM	#13
BuckRub Junior member Join Date: October 3, 2012 Location: Central Texas Posts: 1,046	Anytime you buy ammo and plan on using for SD loads you should atleast shoot one or two mags just to see if it functions well in your gun you plan on toting or laying on bed stand. Don't ever just but a brand and don't ever see for sure.

December 9, 2013, 02:15 PM	#14
Chaz88 Senior Member Join Date: January 5, 2010 Posts: 1,243	The only long term stored ammunition I have had a problem with were .38 reloads with cast bullets that my grandfather had stored in a garage bullet up for a long time. The summer heat had melted the lube and contaminated the powder.

December 10, 2013, 12:29 AM	#15
Psychedelic Bang Senior Member Join Date: July 3, 2009 Location: FL USA Posts: 332	I think the life of ammo is pretty boring.