How old is TOO old for ammunition?

TyKing

TyKing

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Hey guys,

Was doing some house cleaning and found some very old boxes of 12g shells, Mauser cartridges and Carbine cartridges that date back to the 50's and 60's. They were stored in a rubber container which seamed to have sealed against moisture.

Some have corrosion some look really clean.

Have zero experience with handling old stuff. My thought was to weed out anything with visible surface corrosion or rust and dispose of them at a local Police station. However I'd love to keep some if they are in good shape.

Enlighten me please!

Cheers,
 
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Well thank you all kindly for helping me avert the dreaded fate of these fine specimens!

Tumble the shells as well?
 
DON’T take them to a police station. Find a gunner who will take them. A gunner will salvage whatever can be used, i.e. lead shot, powder, etc. Years ago, someone gave me a bunch of ratty 16 ga shot shells. I used the shot in reloads for shooting at clay pigeons and the powder in light loads in my 30-30. The flake powder was in good shape, smelled good, and clean.
 
Depends on storage conditions over the life of the cartridge. No visible corrosion is a good sign. I would shoot but treat with caution. Single load and see if they go bang (at a range of course). If no bang then would be very cautious about any further firing attempts.
 
Old ammunition does have an eventual "expiry" date, but only internet experts know for sure!

The brass will eventually corrode or oxydize beyond intended strengths to withstand the pressures.

Old primers lose their vitality. After all it is just a tiny speck of volatile chemical that reacts to sudden high pressure impact.

Old powder degrades and off gasses as the essential solids evaporate.

Bullets are probably the most inert of all the components.

For what it's worth, a tremendous amount of .50 cal fired in the Global War on Terrorism was manufactured during WW2. I saw brass with 1943 headstamps in AFG. It was made right, stored to high specification in well made ammo cans, strapped onto pallets, prepositioned on US Navy wartime stores cargo ships and ISOs, and parked in places like Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
 
maple_leaf_eh said:
Old ammunition does have an eventual "expiry" date, but only internet experts know for sure!

The brass will eventually corrode or oxydize beyond intended strengths to withstand the pressures.

Old primers lose their vitality. After all it is just a tiny speck of volatile chemical that reacts to sudden high pressure impact.

Old powder degrades and off gasses as the essential solids evaporate.

Bullets are probably the most inert of all the components.

For what it's worth, a tremendous amount of .50 cal fired in the Global War on Terrorism was manufactured during WW2. I saw brass with 1943 headstamps in AFG. It was made right, stored to high specification in well made ammo cans, strapped onto pallets, prepositioned on US Navy wartime stores cargo ships and ISOs, and parked in places like Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
Click to expand...

o figured most of the ww2 era stuff would have been eaten up by the Korean and Vietnam wars?
 
OP, Likely the only issue with your ammo is that the brass has some discoloration.

For metal hulled cartridges, just wash them with hot water and soap, then set aside to dry. This will remove any hard particles that may damage your chambers.

I don't know if you're familiar with the difference between Berdan/Boxer primers. There is a good possibility some of the primers may be corrosive. Not likely if it's all manufactured in North America.

When you've shot it all, then tumble it in media of choice to prep for reloading.

I personally don't tumble or polish any brass, other than rounds I hunt with. Even then, I just soak the empty cases in a vinegar, detergent solution for a few hours, rinse with hot water and let them dry.

There are all sorts of good reasons to clean brass. I tried to keep up with it all for a while then just stuck with the bare basics.

As for the paper shot shells. Last fall I came across a case of Federal paper hulled 12 ga, loaded with #5 shot. The boxes had a bit of discoloration on their tops from getting damp. Some of the shells in the top rows of the boxes had some green verdigris on them. I didn't want to immerse them in the cleaning solution, so I just dipped a J cloth into the cleaner and used it to wipe off the offending green waxy substance.

The brass bases were stained but were otherwise fine. The shot shells were at least 40+ years old. Not one failed in any noticeable manner, when fired.
 
Tumbling live ammo is not a good idea. The tumbling can effect the coating on powder or even the grains themselves changing the burn rate and pressure curves. Manually clean oxidation, no need to polish them shiney, just get off the big lumps that could cause chamber damage.
 
TyKing said:
Hey guys,

Was doing some house cleaning and found some very old boxes of 12g shells, Mauser cartridges and Carbine cartridges that date back to the 50's and 60's. They were stored in a rubber container which seamed to have sealed against moisture.

Some have corrosion some look really clean.

Have zero experience with handling old stuff. My thought was to weed out anything with visible surface corrosion or rust and dispose of them at a local Police station. However I'd love to keep some if they are in good shape.

Enlighten me please!

Cheers,
Click to expand...

As others have said ,,,,,,,,,,, Clean & shoot. If already clean then most likely they are good to hunt with . I hunt with vintage
( 1950 & '60's factory ammo. regularly without issue) ,,,,,,,,,, enjoy.
 
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