Water damaged ammo: safe to shoot?

leosnipes

leosnipes

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Hi,

Just got into a small "accident" and splashed some ammo and did not realize what happened for like half an hour. The ammo is not soaked, but the nice red factory cardboard box got pretty wet and had to be replaced, after I sun dried the ammo, that is.

What would you guys do if this happens to you, use the ammo with caution, or label them with "display only" and never use them, ever? I dried the rounds with a piece of rag and there should not be any water mark afterwards.
 
Most rilfe ammo there shouldn't be much of a problem they get sealed pretty good at the factory. Shot gun shells may take on water if Submerged . if your worried pick a coupler and pull the bullets. 30 minutes allright 30 days not shure I would chance it .
 
First off, it will not be dangerous.

Second, either it will fire (much more likely) or it won't. I wouldn't use it for that bucket list trophy hunt, but anything else, have fun.
 
I saved all the ammo my wife pulled around of the washing machine for about 5 years. I finally got around to shooting it and they all went bang.
 
What ammo is it OP?

It's a sliding scale from home reloads to commercial reloads to new factory ammo to NATO spec ammo with red sealant.
 
As an experiment, I once put a handloaded 30-06 cartridge in a glass of water for over a week. I meant to just do it overnight, but I forgot about it. Took it out of the water, walked onto the porch, loaded it in the rifle and BOOM!

I think your ammo is fine. ;)
 
even shotgun shells are fine I dropped some plastic hulled shells into the lake couldn't see them they were in the lake for 7 days I recovered the 3 shells I dropped and they all fired fine

they were Remington sportsman 3" shells #2 shot
 
We just had some flooding in BC, I tried saving my ammo chest but it got wet anyway, up to four feet deep in my shop . I won’t use it hunting but will try at the range . Sure sucks anyway, I have a lot $$$ tied up in ammo.
 
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I've had a few cases of milsurp ammo (7.62x39 and 7.62x51) totally submerged during a basement flood. A bunch of it got wet despite being in the supposedly sealed "battlepacks" inside the crates, and of course there was a bunch in loose boxes inside as well. After drying out, it all functioned perfectly and seemed to shoot as it did before.

I suspect that commercial ammo might not fare as well, and handloads maybe even worse.
 
leosnipes said:
Hmmmm... I was worried that the humidity would cause the powder to cluster, which would ignite by the primer, start burning but at a much much slower rate, and I would look through the muzzle if there's a click but no bang... guess I thought too hard about it and scared myself. Thanks guys!
Click to expand...

Lmao whyyyy would you ever.... �� just eject and move on with life
 
You didn't say if it was rifle or shot shell. As others have posted, commercial rifle ammo I would not have any concerns. Shotgun ammo - I have had wet shells that only the primer went off, and the wad stuck in the choke. So if it's shotshells, it's likely OK, but shoot it while you have a cleaning rod available.
 
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