Does ammo go bad?
- Thread starter rbasm
- Start date
military ammo is pretty good for longevity as the primer and the bullet are both sealed to the case. Most factory ammo is good for many years providing moisture in the air isn't able to get into the powder. if you are worried stick them in an air tight container with some of those moisture absorbent bags you find in new shoes, a perforated little container of rice or what have you.
the ammo I have gotten recently from Canadian BDX/ Combat masters is vacuum sealed. I used some that was approx 1 years old and compared it to newer stock, and it worked perfectly. I have also used some 10+ year old 147gr Federal HS....and it worked just as well as new stock. Even some 12+ year old .223 Federal works just as well as new TRU .223. I think moisture is the worst enemy, for ammo or firearms.
Just make sure to check the expiry date of every box u buy!
J/k
The 7.62x39 milsurp stuff is pretty old stuff
bad cartridges
Be very cautious with really old ball ammo...some of the WW11 .303 ammo will fizzle and hang fire or just fizzle...not worth taking a chance...and old handloads are an unknown quantity as there is no way of knowing if moisture has penetrated into the case or compromised the primer...
Be very cautious with really old ball ammo...some of the WW11 .303 ammo will fizzle and hang fire or just fizzle...not worth taking a chance...and old handloads are an unknown quantity as there is no way of knowing if moisture has penetrated into the case or compromised the primer...
Cool & dry are the key words.
I think that modern cartridges loaded with smokeless propellants have a shelf life of many years.......but that is just an assumption based on conjecture.
I wonder if there is any empirical data on the subject relating to scientific studies by the powder, primer, ammo manufacturers, SAAMI, etc. ?
How does loaded ammo compare to stored containers & canisters of primers, powder as regards shelf life??
If types of powder can become dangerously unstable or alter their behavior (eg. detonate instead of deflagrate when the cartridge is fired) I'd certainly like to know about it in advance.
Cool & dry are the key words.
If types of powder can become dangerously unstable or alter their behavior (eg. detonate instead of deflagrate when the cartridge is fired) I'd certainly like to know about it in advance.
Powders can deteriorate if the manufacturer makes and error in a batch and the acid is not fully neutralized. Nitric acid is used in the process, and if not fully neutralized in the finished powder, it can continue to deteriorate the power and coatings used to make the powder.
That said, it is pretty rare, especially with recent powders.
We have some old components, (primers, powder) that are being used up in reloads. They are 40 or so years old. So far not one single problem in 5k+ reloads. No special storage for the components, other than a reasonably dry basement.
I date every box of ammo I buy & the ammo I reload & I date my canister powders & primers. The older stuff gets used first.
I think this is standard MO with every experienced re-loader.
I wonder how velocity tests with ammo that has been stored long term would compare to tests undertaken with the same batch when it was fresh?
I date every box of ammo I buy & the ammo I reload & I date my canister powders & primers. The older stuff gets used first.
I think this is standard MO with every experienced re-loader.
Yep, same here. EVERYTHING we have gets dated. I am just following what my dad taught me many years ago. So ammo and components that he bought are all dated too.
We usually keep a couple samples of older rounds just for display.
I am going to do some tests to see what reloaded ammo will take before spoiling. A week underwater, a week under WD-40. I'll stash some ammo out in the freezing cold and bring it in a few times too. Any other suggestion are welcome.
I figure if my well used brass will seal the bullet and primer factory ammo should be fine for decades in decent storage conditions.
I figure if my well used brass will seal the bullet and primer factory ammo should be fine for decades in decent storage conditions.
whats decent conditions though. i store all my stuff in a crawl space cement walls under an addition that gets room temp during summer and cold during winter... but remains relatively dry, and never goes below zero...
i mean is that good enough,
i mean is that good enough,
Well moisture and temperature fluxuations and extremes are gonna be your biggest worries. Sounds like you might need a different spot. I wouldn't worry too much though unless you are taking a very long break from shooting.
