Help decrease my ignorance...

[USAFrox]

Question: I've read several times on this board where people say that they "shot up some old ammunition that needed to be shot up" or where they've mentioned that they shot ammunition "before it could go bad". I've heard and read where people say that they shoot up their carry ammo once per year, as they fear it going bad in the gun. As far as I know, as long as one stores it correctly and it is correctly sealed, ammunition doesn't go bad. I've seen ammunition from world war 1 that is still good to shoot (but often was loaded with corrosive components, so it takes more care in cleaning afterwards).

So... are people just joking when they say that they fear their ammo will go bad and so they must shoot it (just using that as an excuse to go shooting), or do they really think it goes bad? Or does ammo really go bad, and I'm just ignorant?

Help a brother out...

[KCSO]

Modern ammunition has a shelf life of at least 50 years or more. I still occasionally shoot ammo boxed in Germany in 1944 and the oldest ammo I have shot was some 1880's vintage 45-70 FA for testing purpose. The FA was or rather had gone bad in that the bullet lube was dried and was no longer usefull, but the powder and primers were still good and the ammo went bang. I swabbed the bore and shot enough rounds to give me a basis for develoing a military duplicate load with modern components. I stil have and occasionaly use powder and primers bought by my father in law in the 1950's and I have shot ammo he loaded over the chronograph as late as last year and the ammo still preformed to spec.

[sparky45]

I'm still using powder and primers I bought in the 1970's and they still go bang, every time. Some shotgun shells I loaded in the 1980's still operate as/at the level they did when loaded. So, the old adage of "keep your powder dry" is a good way to assure performance.

[USAFrox]

That's what I thought. I wonder if the folks who have said this actually think that ammunition "expires", or if they were just joking, and I didn't get the joke at the time.

[starmac]

I have lots of ammo that needs shot up, just don't seem to find the time. lol

The saying probably started back when flint or percussion was the norm.

[dtknowles]

I had some stored .22 Hornet reloads that the necks split while in storage. Reloads that use water dropped or oven hardened bullets will see a decrease in hardness over time.

Tim

[Blammer]

Carry ammo is usually not set on a shelf in ideal condition for long term storage.

It's in your pants pockets, carried on your belt, in your gun, all of which are in the current heat humidity, sweat, dust, etc, in addition to being jostled around a bunch, left in a really hot or cold car on occasion etc....

So for me, yea I usually shoot my carry ammo every so often and replace with fresh.

[wills]

That's what I thought. I wonder if the folks who have said this actually think that ammunition "expires", or if they were just joking, and I didn't get the joke at the time.

Of course ammunition expires. If you have ammunition more than a year old,it has expired. Contact me, and I will give you instructions how to send it to me for proper disposal.

[JohnnyFlake]

Actually, from some of the training I have had over the years, it is a good idea to shoot off or simply replace your carry ammo, at least once a year. The reason is not that it expires or even has an expiration date. The reason it is recommended to change your carry ammo, either once a year or even every six months, is the rare, but very possible event of primer contamination. People in very serious, dangerous, body guard, etc. situations do it.

It's a very rare situation but it has happened. Body oils, sweat, body lotions, spillage, splashing, on and on can, if it makes contact with a primer, seep into the casing (Extremely Rare, From Extreme Cold or Hot Conditions) and cause the primer to become inert.

Like anything else a professional does, it's an effort to eliminate even the rarest of issues!

[USAFrox]

I had some stored .22 Hornet reloads that the necks split while in storage. Reloads that use water dropped or oven hardened bullets will see a decrease in hardness over time.

Tim

You're not the first person that has mentioned having cartridges where the cases split while in storage. How does that happen? I'm mystified as to how brass would split while ... not doing anything. Can anyone explain this?

[USAFrox]

Of course ammunition expires. If you have ammunition more than a year old,it has expired. Contact me, and I will give you instructions how to send it to me for proper disposal.

Ok, that made me chuckle. By the way, I've already sent you a bunch... it's in the mail, and I'm sure it'll be there any day. Just wait by the door...

[JohnnyFlake]

You're not the first person that has mentioned having cartridges where the cases split while in storage. How does that happen? I'm mystified as to how brass would split while ... not doing anything. Can anyone explain this?

I do not know the scientific way to explain it, but it does happen. The simple explanation is that when the chemical reaction takes place, that causes the case hardened bullet to become less hard/soften, it causes the bullet to expand ever so slightly. That is what splits the casing.

[dtknowles]

You're not the first person that has mentioned having cartridges where the cases split while in storage. How does that happen? I'm mystified as to how brass would split while ... not doing anything. Can anyone explain this?

I am willing to speculate on my Hornet brass. These had been loaded quite a few times before I put them away while I pursued other interests. The brass was probably quite hard from multiple sizings, this was before I started annealing my .22 Hornet brass. These were jacketed bullet loads with .224 bullets so it might also had a good amount of neck tension. It then spent 10 years in a garage with daily temperature swings and seasonal temperature swings, I suggest it was low cycle fatigue.

[C. Latch]

It is a good idea to replace carry ammo, due to the aforementioned factors, and I have seen 'old' carry ammo that wouldn't fire after ~3 years of carry.

Properly stored, though......I shoot powder every day that was bought in or before 1970. Killed a squirrel last week with some .22s that I think were from the early 1980s.

[USAFrox]

hmmm, temperature swings, causing the metal to shrink or expand while tightly tensioned on bullets. Ok, that's beginning to make more sense. Thanks!

[nvbirdman]

Ammunition will go bad. It may go bad in fifty years, or one hundred years, or it may not start going bad for five hundred years, but why take the chance? If I've had it around for a while I shoot it up just to be on the safe side, and then I can enjoy casting more boolits and loading more ammo.

[OBIII]

Everyone is missing the most obvious answer: It gives you an excuse to reload more.

OB

[Garyshome]

You mean old Stale/Moldy Ammo? That's the best kind to shoot up!

[GabbyM]

Had some revolver ammo I'd carried around in my pickup for a couple or few years. 44 mag with 8.0 grains Unique under 240 grain cast. From a box of fifty I had one light load. Almost a squib but the bullet did exit barrel and hit backstop. Our member Thumbcocker was on the range in Effingham to notice that. He said he saw it hit the backstop but it was so light I just had to look down the bore. For sure was past time to burn that box of ammo up.

I have quite a bit of ammo here I loaded up in the 1980's for large hunting rifles I don't shoot much. Always kept inside an air conditioned home in a closet. If I wanted to take it hunting. I'd ideally take it out and run a ten shot string over a chronograph. Then check zero on rifle. Confident it would be fine. May be fifty to 100 fps slower than thirty years ago. More probably not.

[Lead Fred]

The US Army rotates their ammo every 30 years. Thats what I use. Yet Ive got 30-06 ammo thats turn of the century thru WWI, and everyone has gone off.

My bullet collection consists of a 1883 UMC 45/70 round. I w3ill never shoot it, me thinks it a paper weight nowe