20+ yr old primers

czfonz · May 6, 2009, 12:38 PM

I just picked up 600 20+ year old cci small magnum pistol primers. They appear to have been stored well. Has anyone used primers that old? You think there would be any problems?

Nate1778 · May 6, 2009, 12:45 PM

Load a couple into shells and fire them, without powder and bullet of coarse. If they go bang I would start loading.

snuffy · May 6, 2009, 12:54 PM

20 years, is that all?¿ I have some primers that are 50+ Y.O. They still work! They were given out back when I was shooting CMP shoots. Along with match 30 cal bullets, so you could load your own match ammo. They're packed in wooden trays!

Primers are very stable, tolerant of poor storage conditions. Some people don't think so, going to great lengths to store in water tight ammo cans with dicesant packs to absorb moisture.

BigAl · May 6, 2009, 01:31 PM

czfonz: Out of the kindness of my heart, if you send them to me I will test them for you and let you know the results.

czfonz · May 6, 2009, 02:34 PM

BigAl you're a gentleman and a scholar. I'll send you like 6 primers for testing. Just send me 25bux for hazmat fee.

James R. Burke · May 6, 2009, 02:44 PM

Snuffy is 100% correct, also try what NAT1778 suggested. I use the same primer, and some are nineteen years old, and they work great.

KAB55 · May 6, 2009, 02:55 PM

I'm loading, using 25 year old CCI SP mag primers right now, they still go bang!

Sevens · May 6, 2009, 05:25 PM

Quote:

BigAl you're a gentleman and a scholar. I'll send you like 6 primers for testing. Just send me 25bux for hazmat fee.

Nicely played!

Yep, I don't have any 50-year old wood box CMP primers like Snuffy, but I have recently gone through some that I bought in '92, and I even more recently found one box of a thousand that from the packaging gives me a clue that it's probably from the mid-1980s. All are good as new.

I keep thinking one day I'm going to run across some store with 20-year old primers that nobody wants to buy because they are so old, and I'll get 'em for $5 per thousand.

Funny enough, that hasn't happened to me quite yet.

kraigwy · May 6, 2009, 06:15 PM

Yes, I use 20+ year old primers.

During the 80s the army was out of 45 Ammo. I was running the AK NG marksmanship unit and bought (using state funds) several thousand LP Primers and 231 powder, we cast bullets and kept shooting our 45s. Shortly thereafter the army bought 45s from Israel. I kept the primers and powder just in case supplies ran low again.

When I retired, while doing a property book audit, my replacement says its illegal to reload (in might have been under the regular army but not NG). He demanded I get the primers/powder out of there. I did.

Its been over 20 years and I still have about 16K primers and several lbs of 231 powder. They still work and work good. It just wont cost me anything to load 45s for quite a while.

Try the primers, if they go "bang" you are good to go.

Sevens · May 6, 2009, 07:03 PM

Quote:

He demanded I get the primers/powder out of there. I did.

Wow, what a horrible problem to have!

After 20 years and you have 16k left. I'm smiling over here... great story.

czfonz · May 6, 2009, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Its been over 20 years and I still have about 16K primers and several lbs of 231 powder. They still work and work good. It just wont cost me anything to load 45s for quite a while.

I wouldn't mind having 16k 20yr old primers if they still work. Especially for the price of free.99.

Quote:

I keep thinking one day I'm going to run across some store with 20-year old primers that nobody wants to buy because they are so old, and I'll get 'em for $5 per thousand.

$5 was certainly not the price, even for 600, but it sure would have been lovely. I paid the same price as if they would have been manufactured yesterday. It was this or NOTHING.

Here is a pic...I don't even know how old they really are. Maybe someone will have a better idea by looking at the packaging.

Sevens · May 6, 2009, 08:31 PM

Those are without a shadow of a doubt older than 20 years old.

I started in '88 with CCI primers, those are older than that.

So I grabbed the oldest shooting magazine I have, from 1971, and the CCI primers in the ad in that one are a different box design. Some quick searching shows that CCI was bought by Omark in '67, and the back of the primer boxes in your picture doesn't say Omark. So I can only hazard a guess and say that your primers are older than 1971, and they may be older than 1967?

I'm sure someone will recognize the distinctive box.

Ruger4570 · May 6, 2009, 10:00 PM

Sevens. Good Lord, are those that old? I still have several 100 of them. I know I have owned them a long time, but I never thought HOW long I owned them. I think in my lifetime I have never had more than 1 or 2 primers fail to work. Last year I used up some close to 50 yo Bullseye that worked just fine. I think Primers and powder are a LOT more stable than they are given credit for

Death from Afar · May 7, 2009, 12:38 AM

THis is good advice- I have used very old primers in the past, decapped some rounds and tried them out. Even though they had not been stored in ideal conditions they all went pop.

YOu are best to do this outside.. a primer only round is quite loud in a room- make sure you let your family know or you may get in trouble with home command! Also, you do get some buring fragments- so stay away from opened tins of powder!

May 6, 2009, 12:38 PM	#1
czfonz Member Join Date: April 29, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 46	20+ yr old primers I just picked up 600 20+ year old cci small magnum pistol primers. They appear to have been stored well. Has anyone used primers that old? You think there would be any problems?

May 6, 2009, 12:45 PM	#2
Nate1778 Senior Member Join Date: January 21, 2009 Location: Louisville Ky Posts: 312	Load a couple into shells and fire them, without powder and bullet of coarse. If they go bang I would start loading. __________________ "And finally, the Baby Bear looked and he said, "Somebody's sleeping in my bed, and the bastard's still there!" But Goldylocks had a Remington semi-automatic, with a scope and a hair-trigger!"

May 6, 2009, 12:54 PM	#3
snuffy Senior Member Join Date: May 20, 2001 Location: Oshkosh wi. Posts: 3,055	20 years, is that all?¿ I have some primers that are 50+ Y.O. They still work! They were given out back when I was shooting CMP shoots. Along with match 30 cal bullets, so you could load your own match ammo. They're packed in wooden trays! Primers are very stable, tolerant of poor storage conditions. Some people don't think so, going to great lengths to store in water tight ammo cans with dicesant packs to absorb moisture. __________________ The more people I meet, the more I love my dog They're going to get their butts kicked over there this election. How come people can't spell and use words correctly?

May 6, 2009, 06:15 PM	#9
kraigwy Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2008 Location: Wyoming Posts: 11,061	Yes, I use 20+ year old primers. During the 80s the army was out of 45 Ammo. I was running the AK NG marksmanship unit and bought (using state funds) several thousand LP Primers and 231 powder, we cast bullets and kept shooting our 45s. Shortly thereafter the army bought 45s from Israel. I kept the primers and powder just in case supplies ran low again. When I retired, while doing a property book audit, my replacement says its illegal to reload (in might have been under the regular army but not NG). He demanded I get the primers/powder out of there. I did. Its been over 20 years and I still have about 16K primers and several lbs of 231 powder. They still work and work good. It just wont cost me anything to load 45s for quite a while. Try the primers, if they go "bang" you are good to go. __________________ Kraig Stuart CPT USAR Ret USAMU Sniper School Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071

May 6, 2009, 08:31 PM	#12
Sevens Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11,756	Those are without a shadow of a doubt older than 20 years old. I started in '88 with CCI primers, those are older than that. So I grabbed the oldest shooting magazine I have, from 1971, and the CCI primers in the ad in that one are a different box design. Some quick searching shows that CCI was bought by Omark in '67, and the back of the primer boxes in your picture doesn't say Omark. So I can only hazard a guess and say that your primers are older than 1971, and they may be older than 1967? I'm sure someone will recognize the distinctive box. __________________ *Attention Brass rats and other reloaders:* I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.

May 6, 2009, 01:31 PM	#4
BigAl Member Join Date: December 27, 1999 Location: Colorado Posts: 30	czfonz: Out of the kindness of my heart, if you send them to me I will test them for you and let you know the results.

May 6, 2009, 02:34 PM	#5
czfonz Member Join Date: April 29, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 46	BigAl you're a gentleman and a scholar. I'll send you like 6 primers for testing. Just send me 25bux for hazmat fee.

May 6, 2009, 02:44 PM	#6
James R. Burke Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2009 Location: U.P. of Mich/Quinnesec Posts: 1,897	Snuffy is 100% correct, also try what NAT1778 suggested. I use the same primer, and some are nineteen years old, and they work great.

May 6, 2009, 02:55 PM	#7
KAB55 Member Join Date: April 2, 2009 Posts: 23	I'm loading, using 25 year old CCI SP mag primers right now, they still go bang!

May 6, 2009, 10:00 PM	#13
Ruger4570 Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2005 Location: Rochester, New York Posts: 2,136	Sevens. Good Lord, are those that old? I still have several 100 of them. I know I have owned them a long time, but I never thought HOW long I owned them. I think in my lifetime I have never had more than 1 or 2 primers fail to work. Last year I used up some close to 50 yo Bullseye that worked just fine. I think Primers and powder are a LOT more stable than they are given credit for

May 7, 2009, 12:38 AM	#14
Death from Afar Senior Member Join Date: November 7, 2004 Location: Living the dream in Christchurch, NEW ZEALAND Posts: 1,635	THis is good advice- I have used very old primers in the past, decapped some rounds and tried them out. Even though they had not been stored in ideal conditions they all went pop. YOu are best to do this outside.. a primer only round is quite loud in a room- make sure you let your family know or you may get in trouble with home command! Also, you do get some buring fragments- so stay away from opened tins of powder! __________________ "Beware of the Man with one gun...he probably isnt into guns enough to be safe with it".