The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The North Corral > Black Powder and Cowboy Action Shooting

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old August 29, 2004, 08:08 AM   #1
Lucky Cuss
Junior Member
 
Join Date: June 28, 2004
Posts: 7
Black Powder Cartridge Shelf Life?

Recently switched to the "Dark Side" and am really enjoying what I have been missing. Living in the Northeast, I used to load enough over the winter months to carry me through most of the shooting season. My question is this, is storing loaded cartridges a good idea since I hear so much about hydroscopic issues. My loading/storage area is in an unheated basement where it is dry but sometimes musty. I load 45LC with Goex Cowboy powder, a 1/8" Circle Fly cardboard wad, and a 235gr Black Dawge bullet, and keep them in either a plastic cartridge box or a zip lock baggies. Thx
Lucky Cuss is offline  
Old August 29, 2004, 10:57 AM   #2
Jim Watson
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 25, 2001
Location: Alabama
Posts: 18,484
I'd put them in a sealed container like a GI ammo can with good gasket and not worry about them for a hundred years.
Jim Watson is offline  
Old August 29, 2004, 12:18 PM   #3
faraway
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 21, 2001
Location: ne montana
Posts: 437
About that amount of time. Especially if the powder doesn't substantially corrode the case.
Fired a 45.70.500 case from the 1880's-early 1890's, back in 1989, it did fire.
Still have it around somewhere, although alas, the rifle was stolen.
Sounds like an excuse to finally pick up another springfield.
Might varnish the case mouths and primers.
faraway is offline  
Old August 30, 2004, 09:55 PM   #4
4V50 Gary
Staff
 
Join Date: November 2, 1998
Location: Colorado
Posts: 21,824
Properly stored (that is kept dry), it can last indefinitely.
__________________
Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. Molon Labe!
4V50 Gary is offline  
Old October 4, 2004, 04:31 PM   #5
davem
Junior member
 
Join Date: October 4, 2004
Posts: 458
Black Powder cartridge life

I think black powder becomes corrosive after it has chemically changed through burning. The cartridges should be fine. I think the NRA reloading manual had an article on British Cordite filled cartridges that were a hundred years old and copper cases were used and I think I remember some corrosion was present but a year or two ought to be no problem.
davem is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:05 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.07153 seconds with 10 queries