Old ammunition - still safe?

K

Kunker

New member
EE Expired
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Location
Ottawa, ON
I inherited a bunch of rounds from my dad back in 04, and most of these predate my birth (1979) as far as I know as he only hunted small game for as long as I can remember. I've been thinking about dusting off the guns and heading out to the range - any chance these are still safe or not?

303 rounds that looked good:
303-newer.jpg


303 rounds that looked worse (tarnished brass and deformed tips):
303-older.jpg


Close up of deformed tip:
303-older-tip.jpg


303 box that looks okay to me:
303-box-1-1.jpg


Close up of 303 round from above:
303-box-1-2.jpg


Another box of 303 that looks okay:
303-box-2.jpg


30-06 rounds that look okay:
30-06-box-2-1.jpg


Close up of primers - is the red around the primer normal?
30-06-box-2-2.jpg


Last box of 30-06:
30-06-box-1.jpg


And if the rounds aren't safe, what is the proper disposal method?

Thanks!
 
It all looks good to me. I've fired stuff like that often without any major problem. Sometimes the old brass gets brittle and there's neck splitting after firing. The red around the primers is a factory sealant to prevent moisture ingress and won't affect the functioning of the rounds. The oxidized lead noses can be trimmed back to shape. I've heard pros and cons, but the old ammo I got a long time ago which looked like yours, and some much worse, came out well after I put them in the tumbler and polished them. Some guys told me that was a major no-no, and others supported me as having done the same. The ones who said "no problem" had the same experience as me, in that most of the oxidization of the lead and /or brass was removed, and the rounds themselves worked flawlessly. Your call.
 
Thanks! Would anyone suspect there would be issues without throwing them in a tumbler? Or should I just pick one up to be on the safe side?
 
Kunker said:
Thanks! Would anyone suspect there would be issues without throwing them in a tumbler? Or should I just pick one up to be on the safe side?
Click to expand...

Don't Tumble live rounds, the vibrations can break up the grains of powder in the case and charge the burn rate of the powder.

just clean em off with a rag and they will be clean enough:)
 
Your 4th and 5th pic's,on the box it say's "reloaded ammo."
Post a pic of the base of one of the live rounds.
It might be reloaded corrosive primed ammo.
 
It all looks good to go, as is.

The re-loaded might be old military that has had a new soft point installed. It might be corrosive, so make sure to clean rifle after shooting it, and leaving a film of oil in barrel.
 
The .303 in the red boxes was military ammo, the FMJ bulletes were pulled and replaced with a soft nose version.

Most was berdan primed and judged to be corrosive.... Although tests showed some was not....

This was done by Lapua in 1968-69 under a contract with Interarms in Virginia.

Imported into Canada by Excel in Hawkesbury, Ontario

John
 
I've shot as old or older ammo without any problems. Also with brass in far worse condition.

As for the deformed tips, take your choice ... either trim them to look pretty, or shoot them as is. As long as they feed OK, they'll shoot. None of this ammo is match grade, so the accuracy difference won't be very noticable I don't think.

If you want to dispose of ANY live ammo, put it in a box, walk into your local police station, and tell them you have some old ammunition in the trunk of your car that you need destroyed. They'll send an officer outside to get it (or instruct you to then bring it in) and they'll send it off for safe disposal.
 
I've shot 303 dated from the early 1920's - most worked just fine. I get the occasional neck or case split but nothing that would damage my rifle.

Don't tumble live ammo!! As mentioned above it breaks down the powder and can have a drastic effect on it. Sure some may be just fine but the one that detonates the whole load at once will really let you know.

So enjoy what you have and blast away.
 
johnone said:
The .303 in the red boxes was military ammo, the FMJ bulletes were pulled and replaced with a soft nose version.

Most was berdan primed and judged to be corrosive.... Although tests showed some was not....

This was done by Lapua in 1968-69 under a contract with Interarms in Virginia.

Imported into Canada by Excel in Hawkesbury, Ontario

John
Click to expand...

Wow...never thought I'd find out that kind of detail. Thanks John!
 
The shape of the nose is - counter-intuitively - less important to accuracy than the shape of the base. The Germans actually experimented with a decidedly asymmetric nose during the Cold War and it worked fine. The amount of oxidation showing on those rounds is inconsequential. Unless they have been stored in a hot environment (which might degrade explosive performance) they should be OK.

As IMagius noted, this is not match ammo in any case. Accuracy should - without any further cleanup - be acceptable for most normal purposes.

Johnone's concern about the corrosive nature of some of it is another thing and - based on the so-so detail in the photo in question - I would certainly support his conclusion. Not only does the brass seem to be military in manufacture, but there is a very un-commercial crimp on those rounds. If it is corrosive, you should still be able to fire it but you should use something with a bit of ammonia in it for cleaning - Windex with ammonia should work fine. As well, before you try reloading the brass, check for Berdan vs Boxer priming (I found that out the hard way).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom