How long do you think ammunition can be stored? ...and I mean relatively modern sporting ammunition, not Soviet era army ammo in sealed cans or anything like that. I mean a normal box of commercial ammo, like something made in the USA by Remington or Winchester, normally sold in a cardboard box of twenty. How long do you think it could be kept on a shelf without deterioration?
How long does ammunition last?
- Thread starter Rob
- Start date
maple_leaf_eh
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Generally 3 or 4 decades. The paper and acidic cardboard packaging will cause more damage than anything inside will deteriorate. Post WW2 North American ammunition was made with modern primers and smokeless powders. IMHO, I tend think of them as inert or very stable at the worst. Versus pre WW2 corrosive or slightly toxic primer compounds. Black powder is entirely different!
Depends, if it is kept dry, stored properly, it can last at least the 3-4 decades mentioned above. Off topic but I have 8mm Russian rounds made in 1953 that are great and they were just stored in heavy paper packaging.
angrysoldier
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- under your bed
I have Turkish made ammo from 1935 and shoots real nice.
Still alive
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Rainy mosquito infested part of BC
Modern factory ammo lasts a loooong time if stored properly. I had some failure to fire on my old reloads from 20 years ago but never factory.
For most intents and purposes, it will last forever, provided it is kept at reasonable temperatures and dry, of course.
In the late 1970's I used ammo made during the inter-war years, so at the time would have been about 50 years old. It was rare to have one that didn't go "Bang". (Oh, how young and dumb I was...)
While not strictly "ammunition", the latest article I recall reading said that about 35 people a year are killed in France by exploding military ordinance, some from WW1, which would make it about 100 years old, and stored outside, buried in the mud.
In the late 1970's I used ammo made during the inter-war years, so at the time would have been about 50 years old. It was rare to have one that didn't go "Bang". (Oh, how young and dumb I was...)
While not strictly "ammunition", the latest article I recall reading said that about 35 people a year are killed in France by exploding military ordinance, some from WW1, which would make it about 100 years old, and stored outside, buried in the mud.
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Best post! ^^ I have heard that one of the advantages of surplus ammo is that corrosive primers were better for long term storage. So then, new ammo
may not have that same degree of longevity, am I right?
Eaglelord17
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Sault Ste. Marie
Best post! ^^ I have heard that one of the advantages of surplus ammo is that corrosive primers were better for long term storage. So then, new ammo
may not have that same degree of longevity, am I right?
I am not necessarily sure of that. The reality is non-corrosive primers were a later technological development, and it took some countries a long time to adopt it simply due to the fact corrosive primers still worked and there wasn't much need to change. If it ain't broke don't fix it type mentality.
The Swiss have used non-corrosive ammo since 1911. I have never heard of any issue shooting Swiss GP-11 that being said it isn't like the older ammo is still around to test, the Swiss love to shoot.
I volunteer to look further into this situation! I have 25 cartridges of .303 that are head stamped with 1915 thru 1918 and have nickel FMJ bullets
which I think indicates that they have not been reloaded. I just need to acquire the rifle first.
I also have lots of 1979 manufactured GP-11 which I will test when it is 50 years old, which may be how long it takes me to acquire my K-31
I'd be happy to loan you my #4, and I can bring it with me to work in Vernon.
colonel3006
Regular
- Location
- Ayton,ontario
I've got some of that as well. Shells grandpa hunted with in 30s and 40s and any I've ever shot worked just fine.
I volunteer to look further into this situation! I have 25 cartridges of .303 that are head stamped with 1915 thru 1918 and have nickel FMJ bullets
which I think indicates that they have not been reloaded. I just need to acquire the rifle first.
I also have lots of 1979 manufactured GP-11 which I will test when it is 50 years old, which may be how long it takes me to acquire my K-31
I wouldn't shoot that 303. Ammo that old might blow up your gun, and your face. The powder can deteriorate and detonate. There is a story around here of an old box that took out two rifles, and nearly killed a nearby kid in the process of blowing up the first rifle.
Find the whole story here:
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...rue-story-of-the-possible-dangers-of-old-ammo
Personally, i won't shoot anything that's made before the end of ww2 because who knows, and my face is more important than firing some old ammo.
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I've had factory brass that I put through my tumbler after sizing to clean oils etc ,oxidized or corroded in 2 years ( the brass , badly spackeled ). Just stored in plastic Ammo box and well traveled , but still I was shocked . Don't know if it matters but I tumble before sizing now . Do guys spray their reloaded ammo with somthing ?
