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How long is ammo good for?

beantownshootah
Decades obviously, since that milsurp stuff seems to last forever.

At what point do you see real degradation of firing ability and performance?

Is WW-II ammo still good?

WW-I?

Are primers the limiting factor?
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Comments

9 comments

Date Votes
  • nmyers
    I've fired ammo close to 100 years old without any problem. The important thing is that ammo must be kept cool & dry. No one knows how long it will stay good if stored correctly, but I plan to discard my reloads after 200 years.

    Neal
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  • ern98
    And there is of course the rub, buying surplus you can rearly tell if the ammo has been stored well or not until you try it. And then if you like and get some more, from the same dealer, you may or may not get the same quality as you had gotten before.
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  • Ray Boone
    Each component has a lifespan that is affected by it's environment. Humidity shortens the life of brass/copper by basicly rusting it. Some powders cause the same effect on the inside of the case. The more complicated the powder is, that is, if it's double base and has burn deterents, the more subject it is to breakdown. Primer lifespan includes composition. Those primers with Fulminate of Mercury tend to breakdown in a few years. Those that contained Chlorates (called corrosive primers) had a good lifespan, equivalent to non-corrosive/non-mercuric primers. The contact point between the bullet and the case neck is subject to "rusting" and doing so increases the resistance to movement. Having said that, if I had some ammunition loaded sixty years ago, that appeared to be well cared for and no signs of breakingdown nor corroding, I'd shoot it without reservation.
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  • Old hickory
    It depends on how it was stored. I've shot .45 ACP headstamped Peters 17 from WWI but had some USC18 that did't go (United States Cartridge Company) Shot lots of rolled crimp shotgun shells with no problem(all pre 1950) I think there's a darn good chance that anything less than 60 years is going to be potent.
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  • Pinhead
    I have found over the years that the old military surplus ammo is good to go if it does not have a leakage(discoloration) around the primer. Even if it does it may fire but usually is not uniform in its performance(velocity). This leakage is chemical breakdown and is a pretty sure sign that the propellent or primer or both are beginning to deteriorate. The final state of the ammo in question will depend on the care of manufacture, the quality of the materials used in manufacture, and the storage conditions of the ammo. My experience anyway. Jim
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  • tr fox
    Very, very interesting info about the primer leakage Pinhead. Thanks for posting.

    Quote "Somehow government decided that the Constitutional Bill of Rights has become the Bill of "Suggested" Rights and are to be rationed to the citizens as the power elite sees fit"
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  • ColCart
    For what it's worth, I shoot ORIGINAL 11mm Mauser and 11mm Mannlicher ammo that carry dates 1884-87 and have never had a misfire or hangfire. On the other hand I have had some WW2 stuff of ours and foreign made that only had a 50-50 chance of going off. What matters is what was the original priming compound made of and how has the stuff been stored since mfg. Gary
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  • guntech59
    Great info here. I don't reload so I was going to look at MILSURP a .308 I may buy. Now I'll know more about what to look for if I have problems. THANKS!

    Phil
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  • bpost
    If I remember this correctly, the mecury used in old primers makes brass brittle. Head seperation or case cracks around the head/base is possible. I had this happen in the 80' with 06' ammo loaded in 1917. No damage done to me or the springfield. But it sure could pose a problem.
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