How long is ammo good?

als54 · February 9, 2005, 05:10 PM

tokarevman · February 9, 2005, 05:11 PM

LOL a very very long time.

wyrdone · February 9, 2005, 05:27 PM

I have some 10 gauge shotgun catridges (all brass cases) from my grandfather that are from around 1910-1920's that still fire fine. I don't use them since they are hellishly hard to find and expensive as heck...but they still function fine.

Marko Kloos · February 9, 2005, 05:31 PM

I've heard of some people coming across batches of blackpowder .45-70 loads from Custer's day that still fired two out of three.

The oldest stuff I have used is German-loaded 8x56R for the Steyr Mannlicher M95. The headstamps ranged from 1937-1940, and every round I ever tried out of the batch worked just fine.

Jbar4Ranch · February 9, 2005, 05:39 PM

I have .30-06 ammo from prior to WWI that still goes bang.

BCannell · February 9, 2005, 05:46 PM

Note that it is extremely dependent on how the ammunition is stored. High-quality ammunition in a sealed helium atmosphere with zero water vapor at temperatures near absolute zero would probably outlast the human race. On the other hand, cheap ammo in a hot and humid environment might not last a decade.

smokinron · February 9, 2005, 06:28 PM

I'm glad someone brought this up. I recently got a 308 & was wondering about some of the surplus ammo you see for sale. Some of it says mfg. in 1970's to early 80's.
wondered how reliable this would be.

Jbar4Ranch · February 9, 2005, 07:25 PM

I bought a few thousand rounds of that "slightly corrosive WWII surplus" .45 acp ammo that hit the market in '98, and have yet to have a misfire with it. As previously stated, if it was properly stored, it will be good for a long, long time.

ksstargazer · February 9, 2005, 07:59 PM

I shoot 1930's and 1940's surplus 8mm and 30-06 all the time and have less than 1% misfires.

faraway · February 9, 2005, 08:36 PM

If the case is not corroded...a very long time.
Have fired .45-70-500 cartridges from the 1880s, which did fire.

Sir William · February 9, 2005, 11:40 PM

I have some surface rusted, corrosive and POS in appearance WWI surplus 45 ACP. Every single cartridge has gone off fine. I have some antique Peters 38 S&W that works fine. I bought some SAW surplus 38 Long Colt ammunition a few years ago. It worked fine in my Colt DA 38. I have to say that it depends on the quality of original manufacture.

woodland · February 9, 2005, 11:58 PM

I knew some guys, ( idiots ) that were tearing down an old old house. When they tore up the floor, they found under it a stache with an old real WWII Luger and also a P-38. With them was several boxes of ammo from the same time. All in exelent condition. What did they do? Load them up and procede to shoot off every single roun there!

Tore up the boxes and everything. No regard whatsoever for what a cool thing they had found. Made me sick when I heard about it.

Art Eatman · February 10, 2005, 01:16 PM

I have reloads done in the late 1960s and early 1970s that work just fine, thank you.

, Art

Japle · February 11, 2005, 12:50 PM

I read an article years ago by an author who stored a 50lb G.I. surplus can of 4350 powder in his barn. He used it little by little over decades. He said the last of it gave him the same velocity and accuracy as the first.

John
Cape Canaveral

big daddy 9mm · June 15, 2005, 08:21 AM

buy it, keep it dry, and dont worry about it,

**Mike Irwin** · June 15, 2005, 08:59 AM

Some years ago a friend and I touched off a bunch of rounds in his .56-56 military Spencer. The rounds were, judging by the packaging, made around 1870.

Roughly 70% of them fired just fine, probably another 15% of them fired eventually (multiple strikes), and the others were just duds.

jonathon · June 15, 2005, 09:41 AM

The only ammo I would worry about firing if it were older than 20 years would be those plastic shotgun shells since they get so brittle over time(I had a box from the 70's, that I removed the shot and powder from, and used the primers for target practice

) and the paper shotgun shells.. get rotten pretty quick..

rangermonroe · June 15, 2005, 12:39 PM

I policed up som 7.62 at an Aerial Gunnery Range that was headstamped 1964.

I believe that it had been ouside for at least 20 years. After culling the obviously damaged ones, about 90% of them fired.

So I imagine that with proper storage, ammo will last practically forever. Probably 100 years or better.

**JohnKSa** · June 15, 2005, 07:36 PM

If stored properly, good quality jacketed centerfire ammo will last indefinitely. Rimfire is supposed to be a bit more perishable but I've heard that it's good for 15 to 20 years before you start getting some degradation.

Skeetin'870 · June 15, 2005, 09:25 PM

Hell I use .22 ammo from the 70's all the time my grandpa has loads of the stuff and by the way today I found a old paper shell snooping round the house that was over 30 years old and it went bang and hit the target. I also have old sears ammo that still goes bang.

k_dawg · June 15, 2005, 09:30 PM

I still have tons of WWI/WWII milsurp ammo. All have been great ( except being corrosive, of course ).

February 9, 2005, 05:10 PM	#1
als54 Senior Member Join Date: January 18, 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 215	How long is ammo good? How long is ammo good? __________________ Glock 17 Gen 3 Glock 26 Gen 4 S&W 642 Taurus PT145 Millennium PRO

February 9, 2005, 05:11 PM	#2
tokarevman Senior Member Join Date: December 16, 2004 Posts: 167	LOL a very very long time. __________________ I cant spell

February 9, 2005, 05:31 PM	#4
Marko Kloos Senior Member Join Date: January 12, 2000 Location: Enfield, NH Posts: 5,521	I've heard of some people coming across batches of blackpowder .45-70 loads from Custer's day that still fired two out of three. The oldest stuff I have used is German-loaded 8x56R for the Steyr Mannlicher M95. The headstamps ranged from 1937-1940, and every round I ever tried out of the batch worked just fine. __________________ "The right to buy weapons is the right to be free." --A.E. Van Vogt, The Weapon Shops of Isher the munchkin wrangler.

February 9, 2005, 05:39 PM	#5
Jbar4Ranch Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 1999 Location: Near Helena, Montana Posts: 1,719	I have .30-06 ammo from prior to WWI that still goes bang. __________________ Sometimes the squeaky wheel gets replaced... SASS 47015

February 9, 2005, 07:25 PM	#8
Jbar4Ranch Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 1999 Location: Near Helena, Montana Posts: 1,719	I bought a few thousand rounds of that "slightly corrosive WWII surplus" .45 acp ammo that hit the market in '98, and have yet to have a misfire with it. As previously stated, if it was properly stored, it will be good for a long, long time. __________________ Sometimes the squeaky wheel gets replaced... SASS 47015

February 9, 2005, 05:27 PM	#3
wyrdone Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2004 Location: Blacksburg, VA, USA Posts: 246	I have some 10 gauge shotgun catridges (all brass cases) from my grandfather that are from around 1910-1920's that still fire fine. I don't use them since they are hellishly hard to find and expensive as heck...but they still function fine.

February 9, 2005, 05:46 PM	#6
BCannell Senior Member Join Date: January 12, 2005 Posts: 136	Note that it is extremely dependent on how the ammunition is stored. High-quality ammunition in a sealed helium atmosphere with zero water vapor at temperatures near absolute zero would probably outlast the human race. On the other hand, cheap ammo in a hot and humid environment might not last a decade.

February 9, 2005, 06:28 PM	#7
smokinron Member Join Date: December 31, 2004 Location: High plains Posts: 61	I'm glad someone brought this up. I recently got a 308 & was wondering about some of the surplus ammo you see for sale. Some of it says mfg. in 1970's to early 80's. wondered how reliable this would be.

February 9, 2005, 07:59 PM	#9
ksstargazer Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2004 Location: Flint Hills of Kansas Posts: 316	old ammo I shoot 1930's and 1940's surplus 8mm and 30-06 all the time and have less than 1% misfires.

February 9, 2005, 08:36 PM	#10
faraway Senior Member Join Date: September 21, 2001 Location: ne montana Posts: 437	If the case is not corroded...a very long time. Have fired .45-70-500 cartridges from the 1880s, which did fire.

February 9, 2005, 11:40 PM	#11
Sir William Senior Member Join Date: October 13, 2004 Posts: 3,261	I have some surface rusted, corrosive and POS in appearance WWI surplus 45 ACP. Every single cartridge has gone off fine. I have some antique Peters 38 S&W that works fine. I bought some SAW surplus 38 Long Colt ammunition a few years ago. It worked fine in my Colt DA 38. I have to say that it depends on the quality of original manufacture.

February 9, 2005, 11:58 PM	#12
woodland Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2001 Location: western wa. Posts: 564	Sad story... I knew some guys, ( idiots ) that were tearing down an old old house. When they tore up the floor, they found under it a stache with an old real WWII Luger and also a P-38. With them was several boxes of ammo from the same time. All in exelent condition. What did they do? Load them up and procede to shoot off every single roun there! Tore up the boxes and everything. No regard whatsoever for what a cool thing they had found. Made me sick when I heard about it. __________________ "There is no spoon..."

February 10, 2005, 01:16 PM	#13
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	I have reloads done in the late 1960s and early 1970s that work just fine, thank you. , Art

February 11, 2005, 12:50 PM	#14
Japle Senior Member Join Date: October 12, 2004 Location: Viera, Florida Posts: 1,340	I read an article years ago by an author who stored a 50lb G.I. surplus can of 4350 powder in his barn. He used it little by little over decades. He said the last of it gave him the same velocity and accuracy as the first. John Cape Canaveral

June 15, 2005, 08:21 AM	#15
big daddy 9mm Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2005 Posts: 451	longer than you will live buy it, keep it dry, and dont worry about it,

June 15, 2005, 08:59 AM	#16
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,381	Some years ago a friend and I touched off a bunch of rounds in his .56-56 military Spencer. The rounds were, judging by the packaging, made around 1870. Roughly 70% of them fired just fine, probably another 15% of them fired eventually (multiple strikes), and the others were just duds.

June 15, 2005, 09:41 AM	#17
jonathon Senior Member Join Date: March 14, 2005 Location: Washougal, Washington. YEHAW! Posts: 1,872	The only ammo I would worry about firing if it were older than 20 years would be those plastic shotgun shells since they get so brittle over time(I had a box from the 70's, that I removed the shot and powder from, and used the primers for target practice ) and the paper shotgun shells.. get rotten pretty quick.. __________________ Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good More CZ M52 info than you can shake a stick at!

June 15, 2005, 12:39 PM	#18
rangermonroe Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2005 Location: savannah Posts: 758	I policed up som 7.62 at an Aerial Gunnery Range that was headstamped 1964. I believe that it had been ouside for at least 20 years. After culling the obviously damaged ones, about 90% of them fired. So I imagine that with proper storage, ammo will last practically forever. Probably 100 years or better.

June 15, 2005, 07:36 PM	#19
JohnKSa Staff Join Date: February 12, 2001 Location: DFW Area Posts: 24,973	If stored properly, good quality jacketed centerfire ammo will last indefinitely. Rimfire is supposed to be a bit more perishable but I've heard that it's good for 15 to 20 years before you start getting some degradation. __________________ Do you know about the TEXAS State Rifle Association?

June 15, 2005, 09:25 PM	#20
Skeetin'870 Senior Member Join Date: April 11, 2005 Location: Tulsa,Ok. Posts: 288	Hell I use .22 ammo from the 70's all the time my grandpa has loads of the stuff and by the way today I found a old paper shell snooping round the house that was over 30 years old and it went bang and hit the target. I also have old sears ammo that still goes bang. __________________ Mental prep for skeet 1 Look for the Bird 2 Gun speed to target speed 3 Head on the gun 4 Follow Through

June 15, 2005, 09:30 PM	#21
k_dawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2004 Posts: 563	I still have tons of WWI/WWII milsurp ammo. All have been great ( except being corrosive, of course ).