How long can you safely store loaded rounds

[Bill in Ky]

I have read about cast boolits getting harder when stored and some lube getting sticky. I was wondering if would be better to load up what I have or store all the components separately?
Your input is greatly appreciated..
Thanks in advance!!

[William Yanda]

Proper storage requirements for ammo and components are similar. Cool, dry with minimal temp variations.
Regs on max amounts may limit components before ammo.

[DeanWinchester]

One of the only inhibiting factors is gonna be exposed lube grooves to the interior or exterior of the case. Exposed to the interior COULD let lube migrate into the powder and contaminate the charge.

[tazman]

I have used components and ammunition that were both over 12 years old without serious problems.
The ammo shot fine although I didn't run it through a chronograph to see if it still worked exactly the same.
The components I didn't take a chance with. I worked up loads just as if it was a powder I had never used before.
Since I lost my data sheets from 12 years ago, I don't know for certain if the loads I ended up with now were the same ones I used before, but the powder still worked safely.
All the components and ammo had been stored in sealed containers on an upper shelf in my basement, so hardly any change in temp.

[fastfire]

Our local gun museum couple of week ago had a shoot for some military cadets and the head stamp on the 9mm ammo was 1944 and 1945. They were berdan primed. They all went bang!

[Bill in Ky]

I have a reloading room in the house, heat and air, I will be storing there..

[bangerjim]

Today many of us are powder coating all our boolits so there is no shelf life to any of the old grease. Storage should be a very long time. The powder will degrade long before the PC will.

banger

[DeanWinchester]

Few years ago, I watched a guy at the range fire a few rounds of 45/70. It was US military ammunition. All went bang without a hitch. How old you reckon they were?

[xacex]

I am finding that the powder coated stuff is storing better, but you may want to use a real soft lead. My 45acp that I stored a couple of years ago now are hard enough that the h/p won't expand anymore. Can't re-anneal them in a oven once they are loaded, but they are clean and dont worry about the lube migrating to the powder.

[44Vaquero]

For all practical purposes if stored correctly (Clean, dry, temp controlled, etc.) storage life is indefinite.

[Bullshop Junior]

Few years ago, I watched a guy at the range fire a few rounds of 45/70. It was US military ammunition. All went bang without a hitch. How old you reckon they were?

1870s probably.

[imashooter2]

In proper conditions, 472 years 8 months and an hour.

Seriously, stored cool and dry, ammunition loaded today will be viable when we are all room temperature.

[shooter93]

I've been loading cast for a very long time. back around 1975 I loaded up some 45 Colt, 44 Mag etc. I kept them for years and last year we fired 50 rounds of the 44 mag stuff. All fired at the same velocity and accuracy as they were originally loaded. They had no special care and have been packed and moved several times. I've never had air conditioning so they were exposed to the usual temperature and humidity. I still have a box or two left that I'll fire off some day. They will last a very long time.

[Smoke4320]

I have fired many jacketed rds that loaded in the 1940's. I would expect PC'ed ammo to last nearly as long .. as said above lubed bullets the issue will be IF the lube melts and gets to the powder ..

[762 shooter]

My rule is that you don't have to love your ammo...................Just don't hate it.

762

[WILCO]

Your input is greatly appreciated..

To limit waste from mistakes and mishaps, I load up what I need for a range session and just store components until needed.

[DougGuy]

I've got some .44 Magnum and some .45 Colt ammo that was loaded over 20yrs ago, cast boolits with W296, H110, H2400 that withstood some Minnesota winters as cold as -37° and as hot as 100°+ summers in a non climate controlled garage, it still shoots just like it did when it was loaded.

[opos]

I shoot a lot of the old milsurp 7.62x54r as do many folks...not a problem at all...I tend to think ammo that has "sealed" primers and projectiles and is packaged in spam cans will last forever (or near that)..."home brew" that is not sealed, or may have lube migrating into the charge, etc may not store as well...I'm shooting lots of 10 and 15 year old factory and home load ammo and it's all fine.

[cdngunner]

I sold some British 38/200 rounds not too long ago, box said 1941....lead projectile

[mpmarty]

I'm still shooting 45acp in paper boxes dating to 1942.

[Dave C.]

I am shooting milsup 22LR. from 1979.
Dave C.

[JWT]

Provided there are no signs of corrosion I would expect ammo to be good for far longer than it is going to sit around. I've been shooting some of my Dad's .308 reloads from about 1980 with no issues.

That being said, I did try firing a couple of original .56 spencer rimfires a few years ago. Couldn't get them to work at all.

[Mk42gunner]

In 1989 I bought some FN '06 fmj ball ammo that was dated 1919 IIRC. It was dirt cheap at a gun show, still packed in stripper clips and I think 15 rounds per cardboard container, (I have slept since then).

The thing was, it had gotten wet at some point in time, the cardboard (think cardboard bandoleer pieces) had shrunk against the rounds. Even with pretty horrendous storage conditions over that approximately 70 years I had better than 90% function normally.

I have some TW 54 AP in Garand clips that all look good, I should try them out.

Robert

[zuke]

My Steyr ball ammo was all made between 1937-1939, and I've NEVER had a misfire with it.

[Shiloh]

Stored cool, dry, consistent??

Indefinitely, decades for sure. Mine is stored dark as well. I have fire LC 42 M-1 carbine and LC 43 .30-06 ammo. All fired. I have fire Turkish 8mm Mauser ammo from 1935.
The U.S. Ammo was obviously store under better conditions.

Shiloh

[Whitespider]

Cast bullet reloads I've recently used...
.22 Hornet, loaded in 2009
.32 ACP, loaded in 1999
.32-20, loaded in 1998
.357 Magnum, loaded in 1998
.45 Colt, loaded in 1986
All fired without a hitch.

[Artful]

Few years ago, I watched a guy at the range fire a few rounds of 45/70. It was US military ammunition. All went bang without a hitch. How old you reckon they were?

Well some units still had them on hand until after the end of the Philippine–American War so latest 1902 ish

[badbob454]

just store lubed lead ammo with the bullet end down if the lube melts or runs it will go to the tip not into the powder / the oldest ammo i have shot is 1933 8mm berdan most went bang on the first try / maybe 1 in 200 just didnt fire , but who knows how well this ammo worked 90 years ago.....

[spfd1903]

Friend gave me a cigar box of assorted ammo from a garage sale. There was .308, .30-'06, .30 Krag and five rounds of .45 Auto with 1919 headstamp. Fired one of the .45 Auto. Sounded brand new and hit the bullseye at 30'. No idea what storage conditions the box was exposed too.

[Geezer in NH]

In the early 2000's I shot up 3 pallets of 8mm Turk through my belt fed 1919 no duds. The ammo was hotter than most wanted to fire through a 98 Mauser do to the kick. God $.03 a round delivered from Century Arms Those were the days IMHO.

[472x1B/A]

I still have some .43 mauser that my grandfather bought in 1910. It is REM-UMC made. About every 2 years I take 3 rounds out and fire off. Never had a dud yet. Still have lots to go yet. ( All are factory paper patched rounds. )

[Char-Gar]

On several occasions I have shot my cast bullet handloads that were 30 years old and they performed as well as when loaded.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Kept cool and dry there does not seem to be any limit how long ammo will last and still perform. I am still shooting some stuff that was made in the sixties and its as good as when it was made. LLS

[rhead]

When I moved in 1985 some boxes containing a thousand rounds of 30-30 was placed in the attic .(311 round ball and 3 grains of unique). I found them in 2003 while looking for something else. They still shot to point of aim and the group size appeared to be unchanged. Keeping the kids and grandkids from using them up is the limiting factor in knowing the shelf life.

At least eighteen years under storage conditions that were about as harsh as you could get without deliberate abuse.

[6bg6ga]

Just went to the range with some 1985 ammo and it shot accurately and all went bang.

[w5pv]

I have shot loaded ammo that was over 50 years old without a mishap of any kind,keep it in a cool dry place.

[WallyM3]

Not lead, but I've shot FA 13 (1913) 45 ACP ammo from a sealed box. They were loaded with Bullseye. All 20 rounds felt right.

[Kraschenbirn]

Early last fall, I finally shot the last of the .45 ACP 'racegun' loads left from my IPSC days...which ended with the 1998 season. Ammo was the usual: 200 gr. H&G 68-clone over just enough AA#5 to reliably "make major", loaded on a Dillon SBD, and stored as loose rounds in a .50 cal ammo can. Didn't shoot any groups to check accuracy but all went 'bang' without a hiccup and, for the most part, stayed inside the 10-ring of a B-27 target at 7 and 15 yards from my LW Commander.

I also have some .243 Win. with 1996-dated reloading labels that came back from my last P-dog shoot in S. Dakota...we got 'rained out' the last couple days of the trip...that will print 1/2 moa groups at 200M from my M700 'critter gun'.

Like some of the previous posters, I've shot a whole bunch of vintage milsurp...back in the days when it was both cheap and available...without any serious issues. I recall some 40s-vintage South American 7x57 (Bolivian, maybe?) that was so cruddy I had to tumble it clean before it would chamber...

Bill

[Recluse]

I've been loading cast for a very long time. back around 1975 I loaded up some 45 Colt, 44 Mag etc. I kept them for years and last year we fired 50 rounds of the 44 mag stuff. All fired at the same velocity and accuracy as they were originally loaded. They had no special care and have been packed and moved several times. I've never had air conditioning so they were exposed to the usual temperature and humidity. I still have a box or two left that I'll fire off some day. They will last a very long time.

I've got some reloads my Dad did from back around the same time period. 44 Magnum, .38 Special and .357 Magnum. Just like Shooter93, we've moved around a bit and the ammo has seen some good extended temperature swings.

Shoots just like it should.

I've got reloads from the mid-80's that I am still going through thirty years later--shoot exactly the way they are supposed to.

:coffee:

[Love Life]

As long as you don't store your ammo, loose, in the ocean it should last a good long time. I have stuff I loaded years ago that shoots just fine.

[Grump]

Specific to cast lead reloads using the old NRA 50/50 lube, rounds loaded in 1971 (yes, they were labeled) shot just fine and to expected velocities in 2009.

Storage was a roughly climate-controlled garage, summertime swings were usually from 85 F in the daytime to 75 at night. Winters ran 60 at night and 70 in the daytime. Most of the time. Had some equipment failures over the years.

There might have also been some 1963-64 stuff thrown in there too.

[Fyodor]

I have sucessfully fired ammo from BEFORE WW1. No problems, all fired on the first try, and none was a squib.

The oldest cartridge I fired was some shotshell from 1890!

If stored propperly (cool and dry, little temperature deviation) they last nearly infinitely.

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

just store lubed lead ammo with the bullet end down if the lube melts or runs it will go to the tip not into the powder / the oldest ammo i have shot is 1933 8mm berdan most went bang on the first try / maybe 1 in 200 just didnt fire , but who knows how well this ammo worked 90 years ago..... This is an excellent point!
A hundred years from now someone is going to find a box of bulk Remington LRs that are a 100 years old and claim they didn't store very well since only 90% of them went off.[smilie=l:

[bob208]

in the spring of 1980 i wrecked a motorcycle. by fall i was home and on the mend. i cast and reloaded .38 ,.357, 45acp and .44 mag. loaded .50 cal ammo cans full of the stuff still using some it.

[W.R.Buchanan]

As long as the bullets and primers are sealed it will store indefinitely.

However don't tell the Govt. because they change out shelfed out ammunition all the time and I buy the recycled bullets, powder and brass.

I am about to load some specialty .30-06 ammo with premium bullets for hunting, and I plan on sealing the bullets and primers because this ammo may be used in severe weather.

I expect it to last for the rest of my life and then some.

Randy

[Shiloh]

I still have some .43 mauser that my grandfather bought in 1910. It is REM-UMC made. About every 2 years I take 3 rounds out and fire off. Never had a dud yet. Still have lots to go yet. ( All are factory paper patched rounds. )

Bingo.

Shiloh

[22 rifle]

recently found some old 44 special lead swc rounds that i loaded about 35 years ago.had been stored in a plastic bag inside the house.took them out and all 30 rounds shot just fine.couldn't tell the difference between them and the new ones i recently loaded.

[W.R.Buchanan]

the only factory ammo I would question is the current crop of .22 LR ammo being made by Winchester and Remington, the bulk packaged Remingtons being the worst of the two. I have found loose bullets in a lot of these loads along with more misfires in the last 2 years than in all of my previous 55 years of shooting. I literally had about 2 or 3 misfires in my entire life before recently and those always fired on the second hit or after rotating them.

With loose bullets you don't have the seal on the powder and moisture will creep in. I had one or two boxes that were in a box that had gotten wet in the rain from a leak in the garage. 50% would not fire,,, period.

This wouldn't have happened 20 years ago. As production increases to satisfy demand quality control does suffer and this is a proven fact, however at .12 + per round (Which is the current internet low price and twice what we can load .44's for) it does seem frustrating that ammo which was once less than .02 per round and perfectly reliable is now 5-10 times that much poorer quality and of very limited availability. [smilie=b:

The solution for the availability problem is for the major manufacturers to stop selling to (or at least severely rationing) their vendors who are bottomless pits like Walmart that sell everything they get in 2 hours week after week.

We actually have one guy here in town who takes his family and friends down and buys everything the store puts out as soon as it hits the shelf (he is obviously notified from within the store when a shipment is arriving.) He has been selling this ammo to rubes that just have to have it for $90 a brick! on Craig's List.

This is one time I wish the ATF would do something about it.

Randy

[Der Gebirgsjager]

1973 I loaded up 1,000 .45 ACPs 225 gr. cast over 4.5 gr. Bullseye. The bullets had one lube ring. Just fired the last half-box last week. Still worked perfectly with lots of "X"s.

[David2011]

The oldest cast loads I've shot were between 20-25 years old. I had made notes regarding those loads when they were new and the recent results matched the original. They were 158 gr SWCs with a single lube groove; no special storage other than being kept in plastic boxes.

David

[AlaskanGuy]

I have a bunch of ammo that I stored in sealed Vac Pac Bags... If I am gunna cache them someplace, I place them in ammo cans... they go in the bug out bag and other places where a cache is needed.. and I expect that when I am long gone, somebody will dig them up accidently and have a real good time.... Say in 200 years or so... :D

[W.R.Buchanan]

Yes: stored in vacu-sealed bags inside ammo cans should keep them fresh indefinitely.

Randy

[psychicrhino]

In proper conditions, 472 years 8 months and an hour.

Seriously, stored cool and dry, ammunition loaded today will be viable when we are all room temperature.

+1 for funniest reply:)

[gmsharps]

US Military surplas ammo cans are great. They are water tight and cheap. I use a paint marker to list the contents.

gmsharps

[gwpercle]

I have 30-06, 45 acp and 9 mm luger , all military surplus ammo, dated to WWII and it shoots just fine, I don't know how it was stored prior to my getting it in the early 1970's , but since then it has been been stored inside the house on a closet shelf....that ammo is a good 70 years old! Half-way decent storage should be good for at least 100 years. None of the boxes I have has an expiration date on them so I'm thinking a loooong time.
Gary

[Elkins45]

To limit waste from mistakes and mishaps, I load up what I need for a range session and just store components until needed.

That's a very reasonable approach, but when I get bored or it's raining and I can't get outside I'm afraid I always find myself wandering down into the basement and making ammo.

I'm better than I used to be--at least now I label it. I still have ammo cans of pistol ammo that I have no idea what the powder or charge weight are. They all shoot just fine and the oldest ones were stored in an unheated/uncooled garage since 1989.