Primers, does it matter how old?

[possom813]

I only ask because I just came into about 5-7k older primers. All have been stored inside, no funky colors or oxidation, just older boxes.

They range from small pistol to magnum rifle and several hundred of each.

They never expire do they?

edit to add, I know I have to start on the low end with each changing primer. I'm more curious as to if they would go bad being stored? I don't think they would, but there's a lot of folks a lot more experienced than I am that may have knowledge that I'm lacking.

[Longone]

I'm still shooting some red box Remington LR magnum 9 1/2 primers and not only do they go bang they shoot very well. I'll be sad to see them go.

Longone

[jhrosier]

If the primers are new enough to be packed in plastic trays, I would use them for range ammo.
If they are old enough to be in wooden trays, I would not.
I have and have used primers made in the late 60s with no issues.

Jack

[possom813]

They're in plastic trays, some of them look better than my shiny new Winchester primers.

They came from a friend of mine, he bought them from a friend of his when he was still in high school, so they're at least 15 years old, and been stored indoors ever since.

In this same, jumbled up, lot of stuff I got from him, I've found dies in the old cardboard boxes, and a couple of pieces of paper with dates from the late 70's and early 80's. I believe one was 1977 and one 1983. Just random receipts, the only reason I bring that up is that the paper wasn't deteriorated like most older paper that I find. It was brittle, but no holes or chewed edges.

[possom813]

Also, just to add, all of the dies are in excellent shape, only one die had any type of rust on it and it was on the ring. Buffed off with 0000 steel wool.

There's a Forster case trimmer in the lot, it has some light rust on the rod, behind where the lock ring is set.

And there's an old press that is a rusty color, everything works on it and locks up tight, it's just the older style shell holders, it appears(I haven't taken it out of the car yet to make sure)

Other than that, everything else looks to be in mint/nr-mt condition, just in older boxes.

[flounderman]

I wouldn't worry about them. I did get some corrosive maybe 40 years ago. box didn't say anything about corrosive. they were early winchester, apparently from the 30s or early 40s. They may have been older than that. I called winchester and they couldn't tell me much about them. I stocked up when Clinton was elected and am still using them. Wish I had bought more. If the primers are in plastic trays, just use them and don't worry about them.

[possom813]

A couple of the 100ct boxes and one of the 1k count boxes have, "Non-Corrosive", "Non-Mercuric", printed on them.

The rest, I would assume, are a little bit newer judging by the boxes(not as worn on the edges as the non mercuric boxes)

[Jim]

Years ago, somebody gave me a bunch of primers that were in the little wooden trays. They had been stored in a barn! They all fired.

[Firebricker]

I ran across a few thousand old CCI primers and only had a few misfires and they came out of a damp basement. The other batch stored up stairs no misfires. I would load them up and plink away just would air on the side of caution and not use them in protection or hunting rounds. FB

[jcwit]

I've got some old, old Large Rifle Primers that I still use, they are from the 1940's. They still go BANG.

[Pooch]

Use them. When I see old primers for sale at gun shows for cheap, I buy 'em.

[doctorggg]

I'm loading and shooting primers from 1994 when clinton had us in a panic. They all go bang. I only use them for target practice. They have been stored in a closet.

[farmallcrew]

I have a couple trays of primers in wooden trays, and they still go bang. I tested one out with my framing hammer.

[ELFEGO BACA]

Awhile back i picked up some primers that were in wooden trays.

I had one misfire. That was it!

If you have the same quality i had, use them you wont be sorry.

[375RUGER]

I'm not old enough to have ever paid 82 cents/c for primers but I've been loading with some lately, all brands RWS, CCI, Remington, Federal, Alcan. They all go bang so far. I think they are 70's vintage. These were stored in a shed, uncontrolled environment, but in an ammo can.

[zomby woof]

September 1961, still goes bang.

http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/DSCN0762.JPG

[6bg6ga]

I recently used some that I bought when they were $1 @ hundred. These had been stored in my garage all these years. Nothing wrong with them as they still go bang.

[KohlerK91]

September 1961, still goes bang.

http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/DSCN0762.JPG



I was given primers from this same era and they looked like they were stored in real damp area........

They all shot just fine.

If the boxes look fine then they will most likely shoot.

[Buckshot]

http://www.fototime.com/6F0494922BE770D/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/F0A8AA16719CB5B/standard.jpg

.............I got these probably 10 years ago and used probably 500 of them in that time. They all went off as the slug left in a bigass hurry :-) Maybe in a varmint or benchrest rifle you could tell some difference? I do believe that what matters more then anything else is HOW & WHERE they were stored. I'd think that without excessive temp extremes, and/or humidity issues primers would sure last a considerable amount of time. If your life or a game animal's life depended on it, use fresh primers. Otherwise use'em up :-)

...............Buckshot

[hk33ka1]

I wouldn't use any older than a hundred years. I'd sell those to a collector.

Shot lots of 1950's-70's vintage recently, all as good as new.

[WyrTwister]

I only ask because I just came into about 5-7k older primers. All have been stored inside, no funky colors or oxidation, just older boxes.

They range from small pistol to magnum rifle and several hundred of each.

They never expire do they?

edit to add, I know I have to start on the low end with each changing primer. I'm more curious as to if they would go bad being stored? I don't think they would, but there's a lot of folks a lot more experienced than I am that may have knowledge that I'm lacking.


I will take them off your hands .

God bless
wyr

[Pavogrande]

As long as the old primers are marked non-mercuric, non-corrosive they get used -- I expect even the mercuric and/or corrosive would still go bang

[WyrTwister]

As long as the old primers are marked non-mercuric, non-corrosive they get used -- I expect even the mercuric and/or corrosive would still go bang

Anyone having corrosive primers can send them to me for proper disposal .

God bless
Wyr

[o6Patient]

No, as long as they fire they're ok, discard the ones that don't. :brokenima
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