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How long will ammo last?

Maalox
How long will ammo remain potent if you store it loose in military ammo cans, with a dessicant pack in each can? Assuming you change the dessicant pack when required.

Thanks
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Comments

9 comments

Date Votes
  • He Dog
    A very long time. Guys are still shooting WWII and Korean War ammo.
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  • nmyers
    Dry, is good; you've got that part covered.

    It also needs to be kept cool. Keep it in the attic, & it will degrade within months (in most of the US).

    I keep mine cool & dry. I figure it should be good for 200 years. I have put notes with my reloads, "Use for practice only after 100 years."

    Neal
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  • Maalox
    quote:Originally posted by nmyers
    Dry, is good; you've got that part covered.

    It also needs to be kept cool. Keep it in the attic, & it will degrade within months (in most of the US).

    I keep mine cool & dry. I figure it should be good for 200 years. I have put notes with my reloads, "Use for practice only after 100 years."

    Neal


    I am in FL so I keep it in the house in air conditioned comfort.
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  • beantownshootah
    quote:Originally posted by Maalox
    How long will ammo remain potent if you store it loose in military ammo cans, with a dessicant pack in each can? Assuming you change the dessicant pack when required.

    Thanks


    Ammo cans are supposed to be air and water-tight, meaning, that if you are using good ones and don't damage or open them, you should NEVER have to change the dessicant.

    The answer to the original question is that properly stored ammo should last for at least several decades.

    I just shot some milsurp ammo from the 1970s, and it worked without a hitch. There is still a good bit of 1950s-era 8mm Mauser surplus ammo still on the market, and most of it still works fine. I've even heard of people getting WW-ONE ammo to fire.

    In this case "properly stored" means kept dry, and not exposed to extreme HEAT for prolonged periods. (Cold temperatures just "refrigerate" the ammo).

    By the way, corrosive primers are supposed to be significantly more temperature resistant than non-corrosive, helping partly to explain why old military surplus ammo tends to still work.
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  • Bill Jordan
    Longer than we will.
    Bill Jordan




    "A day without a buzz is a day that never wus." Calvin and Hobbes
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  • 11b6r
    Have shot pre WW II ammo in last few years- most goes bang. We are still finding CIVIL WAR artillery shells, filled with black powder that are still live.

    Properly stored (cool, dry) with modern primers (non mercuric) will probably last in excess of 100 years.
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  • Laredo Lefty
    I have some Civil War .50 cal ammo for the Maynard Rifle sp? but no gun to shoot it in, not that I would shoot it.

    I also have some .45 ACP from 1918 and shot some a couple weeks ago. It went off with a little hitch in ignition.

    As mentioned the key is keeping it cool and dry. Ammo cans with the rubber gaskets are excellent. Thats why the military uses them.
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  • Maalox
    Thanks for the info everyone. Looks like I am good to go!
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  • quickmajik
    berdan primed ammo will last over a houndred years, boxer primed ammo wont last 60 years.
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