Ammunition that has been soaked in water

leojlafrog

leojlafrog

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My basement flooded and some ammunition was in standing water for 24-48 hours. Would it be safe to use this ammunition or should it be pulled apart? Some of it was factory rounds and some was handloads.
Has anyone been in this situation? I'm looking for some insight. Thoughts?
Thanks.
 
Ok, thanks. I just didn't want to try it, in case it would be a chance of over pressure or a squib charge. I tried some this morning, no signs of over pressure, but it did have a heavy odor and a few left a blue haze of smoke in the air. I also noticed a shift in poi on some of the rounds. I'll have to segregate them to target/fun shooting, cause the poi shift was a little too excessive for my liking.
 
I wouldn't use any more of them especially if you are noticing strange occurrences/smells from them. They have the potential to create hang fires of unknown duration or consequences. A small hang fire that pushes a bullet a short distance and then fires the rest of the powder can cause a ringed/bulged chamber/barrel, ruining your barrel. They all, except one, might work ok but it only takes one to ruin your gun.
 
I personally can't see water getting in a loaded casing, there isn't enough gap anywhere for air or water to pass through. I myself would inspect them, then use them.
 
Post #7

I was just talking to someone on the weekend who was telling me about some ammo he had that had been submerged. He was getting serious hang fires with it (click- wait ten seconds - bang).

Use with extreme caution
 
Surplus ammo is sealed, usually with laquer, and will survive being submerged for years. There are stories around about guys keeping milsurp ammo in a bag on a rope in their well for decades and it all still going off. Just a year or two ago there was a guy here on CGN who had a flood and all his reloads wouldn't fire anymore but the surplus was fine. They were submerged for a week or two though. The friction fit of bullet to case isn't totally waterproof if left submerged for long enough (days? weeks?); that's why military ammo is sealed.

If ammo is being stored in an area that could potentially flood, use military ammo cans. They can still fail but it's far less likely.

I'm not sure how moisture could increase pressure; I'd say it is very unlikely if not impossible. Hang fires, sure, but not increased pressure. Worst case scenario, pull the bullets, dump the powder in the garden or dry it out to use on Canada Day (in case getting wet changed it's burning characteristics), dry out and reuse the primers for plinking or install new primers for hunting/bear defense, and reuse the cases and bullets.
 
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Cleftwynd said:
I now have 10 7mm08 reloads soaking in a 5 gallon pail of water. I'll fire them next weekend.
Click to expand...
I'm quite curious as to the results. It's something I thought about testing but never really sat down and tried. I'd want to try several different things to see if any of it makes a difference. Crimped, uncrimped, long neck (like a .30-30), short neck (like a .300WM), large straight walled (like a .45-70), small straight walled (most pistol calibres). I assume .22lr would fail as the bullets are usually pretty loose in bulk ammo. Maybe higher quality ammo would be better? Maybe ammo with a waxed bullet?
 
Years ago I wanted to see how well my handloads stood up to water,. so I dropped a couple in a glass of water with the intentions of shooting them tomorrow. I forgot about it of course and one week later I found them, still under water. I gave them a wipe, walked outside onto the porch and BOOM! No problems. :)

This was 30-06 with a Federal primer and a non crimped bullet.
 
Mine are not crimped either. Using 130 grain Speer cheap C&C bullets, CCI primers, 4064 I think, they have been sitting around a while, I'll have to dig up the load data. Not that it matters.
 
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