Shooting old ammo
I have a 25-35 cal Winchester model 1894 manufactured in the early 1900's. I picked up some rounds at a gun show and wondering if I should shoot them. Some appear factory and some appear to be reloads. The attached pictures are the worst looking ones, as most are clean. When I shake them, with some I can hear the power, with the others, nothing. Any advice? Thanks
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I have shot way worse stuff in the past. Use a tuffy/scotchbrite pad to knock off the corrosion.
Today I'd pull the bullets and look then reload them on the factories. The reloads would get a proper load of fresh powder.
Why risk you and your rifle for fiddy cent if you don't have to.
You need to watch for brittle brass from mercury primers in the old stuff.0 -
They will not fire. THe powder is deteriorated to the point where the cases are cracked and ruptured. Never buy ammo that is corroded. 0 -
that is way to corroded possible weakness at corroded points pull bullets and toss the rest..you can still by 25-35 new and will work fine in your rifle 0 -
Think about it - that corrosion started on the inside of the case. Are you sure you want to put your pretty face behind them?? 0 -
I'd pass. Why risk an heirloom (or worse, your eyesight) to save a few bucks. 0 -
One of the big selling points of the Marlins in the early years was the way they handled gas from ruptured primers (presumably, vs. Winchester? don't know for sure.) Plenty of eye protection is called for.
The corrosion is not from the inside or a hole would crumble through when you pressed on it. You could remove it. The pieces can be harder than the base metal so it could scratch your chamber.
Mercuric primers would ruin the brass immediately after firing.
EDIT: The rounds where the powder doesn't shake might be filled with cornmeal or some other filler, especially if they are reloads. Why not section one and freeze it in Lucite as an example of how they used to do it back in the day?
Why not save at least some of the rounds as a novelty? In addition to new 25-35, I think you can easily make it from 30-30.0 -
Sore Shoulder is right. I should have said that corrosion can sometimes start from the inside. The rounds where the powder does not shake means that they are probably starting to corrode inside as well as outside. I would not worry about mercuric primers. Most every manufacturer stopped using them in the late 1800s.
Ray0 -
I've purchased/used vintage ammo, but when it appears to have suffered from its age as the one shown, I pull the bullet, pour the powder out (for use as fertilizer), punch out the primer(to be disposed of as safely as possible) and then clean the brass. One of the bore cleaners such as Sweet's will make quick work of all that corrosion. If the corrosion is surface only, then the case should be fine to load and fire, however if the corrosion has dissolved the brass leaving a hole or a crack, then the case is added to the "collection" and used for display, not firing. 0 -
The old mercury primers made brass brittle, do not shoot them. 0 -
Howdy otter,
With all the above, you get the picture. Can only add that the ammo may indeed fire, yet with the discomforting of delayed ignition, (always count to 60 with barrel still pointed in safe direction with those).
Or worse, a squib load may occur wherein the bullet dislodges from the case only to be stuck down the barrel a ways-- a blow-up scenario waiting to happen with the next "good" round shot off.
Powder shakes in some, not in others-- moisture has gotten inside the silent ones and caked-up the powder, no good.
For ammo, I go by the golden rule-- if in any doubt, don't.
Best,
45er0
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