How long will ammo last

frolic1 · January 9, 2010, 03:10 PM

I have a chance to buy a lot of 9 mm ammo, Winchester, Remmington, Federal for a good price. I only shoot once or twice a month so it will take me years to go through this ammo. I know it looses some potency with age but how much? Will it still be good after 5 years?, 10 years?

drail · January 9, 2010, 03:14 PM

If stored under dry conditions it will be as good as new long after your named has been carved into a piece of granite. It does not go bad unless it's been under very damp conditions for a while. It does NOT lose potency over time. Don't store it in a basement or an attic. Buy some surplus military ammo cans at the gun show.

hogdogs · January 9, 2010, 03:15 PM

Short of continuous submersion in liquid, it will last well past 60-70 years... Plenty of WWII ammo is still being bought and used.
Brent

WatongaJim · January 9, 2010, 03:16 PM

I've always heard that ammo will last for decades as long as it's kept dry and not exposed to extreme temperatures. I shoot some factory ammo from the 1960's that was passed to me from family members and there is a lot of military surplus ammo that's older than that that is still working fine. I figure all of my ammo will last longer than me.

frolic1 · January 9, 2010, 03:31 PM

Thanks, So I guess the bottom line is if you can get ammo at a good price go for it now cause it's only going to more later. . . . . Or maybe there will be an "ammo bubble" like the housing bubble and it will cost half as much next year after the elections???

rbernie · January 9, 2010, 03:49 PM

Quote:

I know it looses some potency with age but how much?

It loses no potency with age, so long as its kept in 'normal' storage conditions and not subjected to overly hot temps or submerged.

Quote:

Or maybe there will be an "ammo bubble" like the housing bubble and it will cost half as much next year after the elections???

Who can say? My advice is always buy what you can, when you can.

Blondie.357 · January 9, 2010, 04:38 PM

World war 1 ammo that has been kept dry is still shootable.

laytonj1 · January 9, 2010, 05:06 PM

When I had my Barrett I was shooting at lot of WWII and Korean war surplus 50BMG ammo in it cause it was cheap (relatively speaking) and it was accurate and reliably.

Jim

r.w. schrack · January 10, 2010, 05:18 PM

Probably will outlast you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

orionengnr · January 10, 2010, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Or maybe there will be an "ammo bubble" like the housing bubble and it will cost half as much next year after the elections???

Anything is possible, but some things are very doubtful. I would rate this right up there.

If it is truly a good buy, then pull the trigger.

Pathfinder45 · January 10, 2010, 09:16 PM

..... is still good after all these years. How could that be? Because it mas made in America, by Americans who wanted their boys to have nothing but the best for when when worse came to worst.

January 9, 2010, 03:10 PM	#1
frolic1 Member Join Date: October 21, 2009 Posts: 50	How long will ammo last I have a chance to buy a lot of 9 mm ammo, Winchester, Remmington, Federal for a good price. I only shoot once or twice a month so it will take me years to go through this ammo. I know it looses some potency with age but how much? Will it still be good after 5 years?, 10 years?

January 10, 2010, 09:16 PM	#11
Pathfinder45 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2008 Posts: 3,224	American ammo buried on Guadal Canal..... ..... is still good after all these years. How could that be? Because it mas made in America, by Americans who wanted their boys to have nothing but the best for when when worse came to worst.

January 9, 2010, 03:14 PM	#2
drail Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2008 Posts: 3,150	If stored under dry conditions it will be as good as new long after your named has been carved into a piece of granite. It does not go bad unless it's been under very damp conditions for a while. It does NOT lose potency over time. Don't store it in a basement or an attic. Buy some surplus military ammo cans at the gun show.

January 9, 2010, 03:15 PM	#3
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	Short of continuous submersion in liquid, it will last well past 60-70 years... Plenty of WWII ammo is still being bought and used. Brent

January 9, 2010, 03:16 PM	#4
WatongaJim Member Join Date: December 20, 2009 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 21	I've always heard that ammo will last for decades as long as it's kept dry and not exposed to extreme temperatures. I shoot some factory ammo from the 1960's that was passed to me from family members and there is a lot of military surplus ammo that's older than that that is still working fine. I figure all of my ammo will last longer than me.

January 9, 2010, 03:31 PM	#5
frolic1 Member Join Date: October 21, 2009 Posts: 50	Thanks, So I guess the bottom line is if you can get ammo at a good price go for it now cause it's only going to more later. . . . . Or maybe there will be an "ammo bubble" like the housing bubble and it will cost half as much next year after the elections???

January 9, 2010, 04:38 PM	#7
Blondie.357 Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2009 Posts: 158	World war 1 ammo that has been kept dry is still shootable.

January 9, 2010, 05:06 PM	#8
laytonj1 Senior Member Join Date: June 1, 2005 Posts: 4,443	When I had my Barrett I was shooting at lot of WWII and Korean war surplus 50BMG ammo in it cause it was cheap (relatively speaking) and it was accurate and reliably. Jim

January 10, 2010, 05:18 PM	#9
r.w. schrack Senior Member Join Date: April 9, 2005 Location: Delaware Posts: 327	Probably will outlast you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!