Old shotgun shells

firefighter

firefighter

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Hi All, I have been given some old shotgun shells, about 300 or so. They appear to be about 30 years old, mostly Federal, Imperial and Canuck. All are plastic casings. Are these safe to shoot? Does ammo or gunpowder go bad? For the price should I just give these to the gun range for disposal and buy new or what?

Any info is appreciated.
 
Yep. Recently Shot a bunch of "Eatonia" brand 12 guage from Eaton's in the 60's I think (price tag on the box of 25 said $2.79). Just as entertaining as anything you will buy today, in fact even more so because they were passed on by my now dead grandfather.
 
tigrr said:
As long as the brass case is not split giver! I have some 50 year old shells and they shoot fine.
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Agree. Plastic ones are not really that old. I was expecting to see a batch of paper ones


Edit; VLT79 is right and I should have mentioned that also. Like him I donot fire reloads unless they are mine.
 
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If they are old factory loads go ahead and shoot them! If they are reloads...I would not shoot them! I have nothing against reloads (I reload just like every other competition shooter) but if I don't know who assembled them, what powder, wad and shot charge they used and under what conditions (was the person drunk, high, tired, etc.) they were loaded then they don't get shot in my gun.
 
I always wonder where people get the idea that ammo gets bad or dangerous once it's a few years old.

As ammo goes, yours is pretty new. Good commercially made ammo has an indefinite shelf life when stored cool and dry.

Shoot it man! Don't be silly and think of throwing it away!
 
I've got some Winchester 12 gauge shells from '72 that I just found a couple of years ago, in my parents basement.
They certainly weren't stored under ideal conditions, and they work just fine.
 
I posed a similar question on here a while back about some 35-year-old Crappy Tire shells that I had found during a move. The concensus was that I should just fire 'em. I did, and they fired just fine outta my SxS, but one or two did stick in my Mossy pump - hadda brace the butt on my hip and use two hands on the slide - I think because the brass had corroded slightly on the surface, but they went 'bang' just fine in either gun.:)
 
My dad gave me an original box of 303 british military ammo from somewhere between WW1 and WW2. If it were not for the historical factor I would shoot them without worry. I reload 303b cases from early '40s and such with no problems. I do know that there is a difference between shotgun and rifle cases. I reload both and as long as there is no visible defect in the shell case then I would shoot it fine. You can easily tell if a shell is reloaded it will have the press markings on it. I, as well, would take care with any reloaded ammo from any era. Unless I know exactly who and how that person reloads.
 
Old ammo is fine, unless it was stored for years somewhere wet and damp.

As another member already said, I would not chance reloads because you don't know what was loaded. You can show the rounds to gents that reload and ask if they are (gun clubs, stores. etc).

Be aware of a blooper (at least that's what they used to be called). So if the powder is damp, or not enough was loaded, or the primmer was weak, etc, etc...you'll feel a light recoil or maybe no recoil when the gun is fired, and/or a weak sounding report (bang), and sometimes the shot leaves the barrel, and sometimes it might just roll out of the barrel. But anyhow, do not fire the next round, because you could have the wad from the previous round stuck inside the barrel, and if you fire the next round you will blow the barrel. You'll need to look down the bore and push the wad out with a cleaning rod, and then clean the bore if you get a wad from a blooper.
 
I have some old ammo I received after my grandfather passed. He used to have a general store and sold ammo among other things. This stuff has great sentimental value and as such I won't shoot it.

Real nice box of Imperial paper slugs, complete. Any idea on the age? I'm thinking the 1960's.

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Not shotshells but since we are talking old ammo I figure some might like this too!


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madtrapper143 said:
The slugs are very early to mid sixties. The .22 ammo is about the 1970's. Maybe early '80's.

Darryl
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22 is miid 70's and up for sure. Remember buying that pack at Kmart. Little later on the slugs I think than you indicate, head stamp will nail it down closer but that box didnot come out until 1965 (cil alone 55-66) and imperial ran until 1988. My guess late 60's early 70's on the slugs.
 
I've shot paper shells out of my friends' basements that had probably come from their grandfathers. Maybe my great grandfather. Never had any problems. Great times - that was when we first got into guns. Grabbed their granddad's old single shots and whatever shells we could scrounge up from the basement and had at 'er.

As long as the brass is OK, you should be fine, as said earlier.
 
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