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Old ammo - how old is too old

darth_ritis

darth_ritis

money hater
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Minuteman
    • Jun 19, 2013
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    168
    Frederick, CO
    I just inherited an old Winchester 1895 30-40 Krag with 20+ rounds of ammo, but the ammo looks 30+ years old. There was some 38 special and some 22LR in the same age group.

    How old can ammo get before it's no longer safe to shoot?
     
    Safe to shoot depends on the purpose. For home defense, where a misfire could cost you your life, it might not be safe. As far as safe as in "Will it blow me up?" there isn't really an expiration date. Ammo doesn't get more potent, but can be less reliable and/or less powerful. As always, watch out for squibs. If it's been stored properly, 30 years doesn't seem all that old.
     
    +1 on proper storage.

    I have fired old .45ACP ammunition... was given half a .50 cal can containing loose cartridges dating from 1916 to 1934. The '33 and '34 dated stuff hang fired and had some split cases, but all the early cartridges fired correctly.
     
    I've shot thousand of rounds of German 8mm dated from 1938 to 1940 and except for a dead primer now and then shot perfectly. I took 1948 French 8mm Lebel ammo with dead primers pulled the bullets and powder. The reloaded those components in Graf's 8mm Lebel case and all fired with out a hitch.
     
    Last edited:
    A friend of mine inherited a "spam" can of military 45 acp with STEEL CASES. My Thompson loved it. He and I both had Colt 1911s. His was a Commander. But they all fired the stuff just fine. I read later that the steel cases were hard on 1911 extractors. But by then it was all gone. Come to think of it I did have to replace an extractor on my 1911.

    Another friend of mine bought a 45/70 Sharps reproduction. He also found several full boxes of military ammo for it. 1890s...? I think the boxes had a date on it. But I don't remember it.
     
    old_ammo.jpg
     
    smschulz said:
    Don't use anything prior to 1917.
    Click to expand...

    Please explain. I've not heard this before.

    I think the oldest I've shot was 1930's 7.92x57 stuff. Turkish if I recall. So long as everything is intact and isn't corroded, it's worth a try IMO. I do keep an eye open for what country made it, though. I avoid south american, african, pakistani, indian, and some others. Tropical and/or very poor countries.

    I have some German made 7.92 ammo from 1940. I've been tempted to try some of it out.
     
    Ledzep, If it is the brass cased 1940 ammo it should be fine. As stated above i've shoot thousands of rounds of it without any problem.
     
    Just remember that most foreign ammo from the 1940s, and into the 50s had corrosive primers. US ammo corrosive primers had rounded tops, and the last ones were around 1953 for '06 AP ball, but all carbine ammo was non corro, even in WW2. Hot soapy water, followed by bore cleaner is needed to dissolve the chlorate residue. I used to fire 1893 45-70 loads in my trapdoor in the 1950s, about one in 20 was a hangfire--nerve tingling. $1.50/ box in Bannermans in NYC, gatling gun loads with 500 gr bullets.
     
    samnev said:
    Ledzep, If it is the brass cased 1940 ammo it should be fine. As stated above i've shoot thousands of rounds of it without any problem.
    Click to expand...

    It's steel cased, and I know it's good to go, I just have myself convinced it's of some value because of where/when it was made.

    I was curious about the comment saying not to shoot anything made prior to 1917.
     
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