What to do with old .22lr rounds?

[Javelin Dan]

First, let me apologize if I posted in the wrong place - I'm a newbie here. We are cleaning out my in-laws estate and I came across something like 50 old .22lr rounds, and I mean OLD! Could be 60 years old or more! How can I safely dispose of them? Would it be safe to try to remove these rimfire bullets in an impact type bullet puller? If so, is there a way to make the powder harmless once removed? Didn't seem like a good idea to just toss 'em in the burn barrel...

[baogongmeo]

Why not just fire them or give them to somebody to use?

[Tom W.]

I don't think impact puller will work, not to mention that they are rimfire.... If they can't be fired, you may just be able to pry the bullets out with a pair if pliers or vise grips. The powder can be scattered on the lawn for fertilizer...

[bowenrd]

I have some 22LR ammo my Grandfather bought prior to 1969 and they shoot fine.

If your ammo is not corroded shoot it.

[lobowolf761]

Just pull the bullets with pliers and dump the powder where it is safe.

[Minerat]

When I was a kid we pulled the bullets with pliers and then crimped 3 book matches in them and lit them. I still have all my finger but some times wonder why. They come out pretty easy with a set of pliers and holding the case in hand. Then just dump the powder on the lawn and spray a shot of WD 40 (or any oil) into the case to make the primer inert.

[Mk42gunner]

Why not just fire them or give them to somebody to use?

I gotta agree with this.

I found an old yellow box of Winchester Super X .22 Shorts in the barn that were probably from the sixties or so. About the only good thing I can say is they weren't rained on, I did have a couple of misfires, but the rest went off okay.

Robert

[PbHurler]

List them on GB or EB as "Historical" or "Vintage", price them at $100.00 each, They'd probably sell to someone

[Avery Arms]

Pulling .22's is not worth your time either give them away or throw them away. I wouldn't put them in a household burn barrel but any other trash can is fine it's not like a few rounds of ammo are any more of a hazard than an old can of hair spray or paint etc.

I have cooked off .22's while smelting range scrap, you should by all means avoid doing so and/or shield yourself from possible lead/debri splatter but they aren't capable of actually "shooting" the bullets out they just pop and that's about it.

[Seeker]

The easiest way to pull those boolits is to put em' in your gun and shoot em'.

[44man]

If clean, shoot them. They seem to last forever.

[Petrol & Powder]

Shoot them ! The worst that can happen is a dud. As long as each bullet exits the barrel you're good to go for the next.

[bedbugbilly]

Shoot 'em or I've them to someone who will. The worst that can happen is some may not fire. I have about 8 or 9 boxes of Remington shoes that I bought in 1963 or so . . . every once in while I might shoot some out of a revolver I have - they all go bang just fine. And the price back them was $5.00 a case of 500 - 10 boxes. Guess I should have bought more?

[Hardcast416taylor]

Although this is not a 100% sure method to try, put the rounds in a jar that has a lid. Next pour in enough liquid wrench or some other penetrating fluid to completely cover the rounds. Let them sit for a month then discard the entire jar in trash to be hauled away. Or just bury the rounds DEEP in the ground by themselves. I believe though you might just `gift` them to another shooter to use.Robert

[Petrol & Powder]

Although this is not a 100% sure method to try, put the rounds in a jar that has a lid. Next pour in enough liquid wrench or some other penetrating fluid to completely cover the rounds. Let them sit for a month then discard the entire jar in trash to be hauled away. Or just bury the rounds DEEP in the ground by themselves. I believe though you might just `gift` them to another shooter to use.Robert

/\ WHY ????

They don't become dangerous just because they're old.

[thegatman]

Find a deep river and throw them in there.....or ......shoot em up.

[MT Gianni]

If the noses have oxidized, wipe them off with an oily paper towel and dispose of it. Then shoot them as if they were only 25 years old. There are cartridge collectors out there, I would check before I through out the bunch.

[Bigslug]

Shoot them at something reactive so you know the bullet actually came out - don't want to bulge any barrels - then clean your gun thoroughly to address the possibility of corrosive priming. People are still getting blown up by buried ordnance from WWI and earlier. As long as it's been clean and dry, it should work fine. Worth noting - if the cases are copper instead of brass, they're REALLY old and may contain black powder. At that point, you might seek out the cartridge collectors for fun and profit.

[Petrol & Powder]

How about some photographs? I'll bet they're not as old as you think.

[guncheese]

shoot them!
or mail them to me and ill shoot them!