Corrosive ammo

1goodshot · December 28, 2008, 08:12 AM

Are there any advantages to rifle ammo that is corrosive compared to modern powders? Im looking at some ak ammo that is brass cased that I want to buy for long term storage.

Walther22lr · December 28, 2008, 09:54 AM

My understanding is that the corrosive properties are in the primer and not the powder and that the military preferred the corrosive primers due to the primers long shelf life and reliability under adverse conditions of storage.

It may store better in a garage that hits 150+ degrees in the summer than say regular off-the-shelf primers. I myself would still try and store it in a cool dry environment (inside the house in AZ).

**Unclenick** · December 28, 2008, 11:01 AM

Walther22lr covered it. On Father Frog's page there is a reference to standard non-corrosive primers being neutralized in as little as one summer spent in the heat of the trunk of a car. Apparently this was not a problem for the chlorate compound that made the pre-1953 (phased out between 51 and 53, IIRC) military primers corrosive, but is a problem for the lead styphnate in common non-corrosive primers, and is an even bigger problem for the diazo-dinitro-phenol in the modern non-toxic "green" primers.

If you store them in a cool place, however, the conventional non-corrosive primers last very well. I've shot lots of military ammo from the 60's and 70's with no problems. This primer test includes a 30-year-old lot of Remington 9 1/2's that did just fine.

December 28, 2008, 08:12 AM	#1
1goodshot Senior Member Join Date: November 11, 2001 Location: chandler,az Posts: 929	Corrosive ammo Are there any advantages to rifle ammo that is corrosive compared to modern powders? Im looking at some ak ammo that is brass cased that I want to buy for long term storage.

December 28, 2008, 11:01 AM	#3
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,061	Walther22lr covered it. On Father Frog's page there is a reference to standard non-corrosive primers being neutralized in as little as one summer spent in the heat of the trunk of a car. Apparently this was not a problem for the chlorate compound that made the pre-1953 (phased out between 51 and 53, IIRC) military primers corrosive, but is a problem for the lead styphnate in common non-corrosive primers, and is an even bigger problem for the diazo-dinitro-phenol in the modern non-toxic "green" primers. If you store them in a cool place, however, the conventional non-corrosive primers last very well. I've shot lots of military ammo from the 60's and 70's with no problems. This primer test includes a 30-year-old lot of Remington 9 1/2's that did just fine. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

December 28, 2008, 09:54 AM	#2
Walther22lr Senior Member Join Date: February 2, 2000 Location: Arizona Territory Posts: 296	My understanding is that the corrosive properties are in the primer and not the powder and that the military preferred the corrosive primers due to the primers long shelf life and reliability under adverse conditions of storage. It may store better in a garage that hits 150+ degrees in the summer than say regular off-the-shelf primers. I myself would still try and store it in a cool dry environment (inside the house in AZ).