Primers Don't Last Indefinitely

[ColColt]

On my never ending quest to find some CCI Large Rifle primers I stumbled on three hundred of them(3 packs) yesterday where I had some other reloading goodies stored. They have been always stored in their original containers inside where the temp never gets over 72 degrees due to being downstairs where it's always cooler than upstairs. I don't know for sure how old those primers are but figured they'd be good to go stored as well as they were. I want to say I bough them somewhere between the late 70's or very early 80's.

I started to seat some of them tonight but looked at them suspiciously and decided to get a better look via my 60mm macro lens. They are history. So much for components lasting indefinitely. So, my trek for LR primers continue...

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x220/ColColt/Gun%20Related%20Stuff/_DEF4109_zpsca8cf9df.jpg (http://s180.photobucket.com/user/ColColt/media/Gun%20Related%20Stuff/_DEF4109_zpsca8cf9df.jpg.html)
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x220/ColColt/Gun%20Related%20Stuff/_DEF4111_zps077bd91c.jpg (http://s180.photobucket.com/user/ColColt/media/Gun%20Related%20Stuff/_DEF4111_zps077bd91c.jpg.html)

[imashooter2]

I've shot whole bunches of 8mm ammo loaded in the 30s and 40s. Have you pulled the trigger on any of these?

[ColColt]

No, I didn't like the look of the foil and the compound underneath looked funky.

[opos]

I think the military primers from back then were corrosive which I understand has a much longer life....that's why the European military continued to use them all along...I have no direct link but have read that many times in the past...The old milsurp stuff I have and have shot in the past works ok but does have some primer issues from time to time. Those Boxers look really suspicious but would sure like to know if they went bang or not.

[ColColt]

I won't be able to tell till Tuesday when the rifle is suppose to get here. I will try it and see but don't feel too happy about trying to work up a load with them.

[Jeffrey]

Seat 5 or 10 from each box into empty brass, pull the trigger on them without powder. See if they go POW. Saves powder and boolits.

[USMC87]

I hate to hear of the loss on components, I recently shot some 223's that were loaded with primers from the early 70's. They all shot fine but I did'nt inspect them to see if they were different looking or not. Keep us informed.

[Recluse]

Seat 5 or 10 from each box into empty brass, pull the trigger on them without powder. See if they go POW. Saves powder and boolits.

+1.

I've got CCI primers from the late 60's for small pistol magnum that I still use. Zero problems.

As Jeffrey suggested, seat some in empty brass, chamber, pull the trigger.

I have handloads I loaded over thirty-plus years ago that I still shoot on occasion and with zero problems. On my self-defense and match ammo, I use some clear fingernail polish and seal around the primer and projectile crimp. That ammo will last virtually forever.

:coffee:

[retread]

I ran on to some Winchester & Western LR primers at an estate sale. Three bricks, with cardboard sleeves and the wood trays. The Westerns had a manufacture date of Feb. 9, 1957. The Winchesters were the same as the ones I was buying in 1961 (Staynless). I have used about half of them so far without one misfire. The key is probably not the age but how they were stored. Just my thought.

[Char-Gar]

Don't examine them, just shoot them.

[ColColt]

Don't examine them, just shoot them.

I don't have any choice to do otherwise since primers of any sort seem to be like finding hen's teeth. I don't know what drew my attention to the way they looked other than the once yellow foil looked brownish and I felt uncertain about the compound underneath but, I shall find out soon.

[M-Tecs]

Primers will withstand more abuse that most people give them credit for. On two occasions I have been give large quantities of primers that have been under water due to flooding. After drying they still shot equal to new primers. I the 90’s I purchase a bunch of reloading stuff from the 50’s and 60’s. They worked fine. I would use them for practice loads.

[7Acres]

Looking forward to your report.

[Char-Gar]

I still have CCI and Winchester SR primers from 1965 when I stocked up fearing Viet Nam would cause ammo and component shortages like WWII. They still fire and groups as well as fresh ones.

I have not, not intended to examine them under magnification. All I care about is how they shoot and they shoot just fine. I expect yours will as well.

[Iron Mike Golf]

Well, the anvils are sitting proud now. I am thinking they have taken on moisture and the priming compound had swelled. So, seating them will compress the compound. I'd be real careful.

This is making me think about storing mine in tupperware with desiccant.

Clearly, storing in original containers is not the same as in a loaded cartridge.

[375supermag]

Hi...

I discovered some small and large magnum pistol primers that had been stored away during my divorce in 1989 and forgotten.
After several moves and being stored in various closets, attics and basements under variable conditions, I found them about 5-6 years after I built my house in 1994.
I found them around the year 2000,IIRC, they were manufactured in the early 1980s.
All of them worked just fine.

I can't recall a single misfire in approximately 3000 primers.

[farmallcrew]

hit one with a hammer. if it pops then SHOOT THEM. if you say you had them stored that way then they will go POP

[colt1960]

I bought what was supossed to be once fired 30 carbine brass. 1100 rounds age unknown. I put them in my ultrasonic cleaner with water, dawn dish liquid, and lemi shine. run them 4- 8min cycles. then dried them with a 1500 watt heater. the brass has some unfired primers in it that I didnt see (or look for) when I removed one it went off scaring the **** out of me. If they can have this done to them and still fire I think I will no longer worry as much as I have in the past about primers going bad. Rick!

[otter5555]

i am currently loading and shooting lpp that i bought in 1981. have had zero failures so far.

[DeanWinchester]

I recently loaded some .38's with Winchester Staynless primers. They all went bang. 100%
I estimate these were made before I was a dirty thought in my old man's head.

[gcollins]

I am not any expert on primers, but back when I started 1972 the man that taught me to shoot hand gun and how to reload. One day I was at his place to shoot the bull, he started digging threw his reloading stuff and if he had a dupe of something he gave it to me, he came a crossed a 3lb coffee full of stuff, as he was digging he handed me half a brick of Alcan Large pistol primers, he told me that they were 20 years old when he got them. He has been gone a long time! Here a few months ago I ran a crossed them, so I pulled out a box of a 100 and loaded 5 - 45ACP and went to the range, they shot just as good as any.
G

[mdi]

You can take any measures you like to store your primers, but some will be unnecessary. As noted above, all kinds of abuse (?) has been inflicted on primers and they are reported to work fine (flooded, ambient temp. swings, humidity, age+, etc.). Primers aren't as delicate as a lot of folks think, and the "wives' tales fears" sneak up too. I too, have used primers well over 25 years old, and have stored them in some very warm (100+ degree) and humid (98%+) areas. But to the best of my recollection none have failed, and I keep the primers in the original bricks, in a plastic tub that isn't air tight, mebbe 5K-6K.

[lka]

I could check big 5 next week and see if they still have LRPs they are now like 43.00 ish plus tax, what state do you live in?

[Idz]

The paper disk is often crumpled by the anvil when they assemble primers. The anvil is supposed to sit proud of cup. When you seat the primer the anvil presses down on the priming compound and 'arms' the primer. I agree with most folks that these primers are probably fine.

[Char-Gar]

The paper disk is often crumpled by the anvil when they assemble primers. The anvil is supposed to sit proud of cup. When you seat the primer the anvil presses down on the priming compound and 'arms' the primer. I agree with most folks that these primers are probably fine.

Yep...spot on. For some reasons people just must make work out of things that require no work, over think things and worry about things that are not broken. Human nature I guess.

[felix]

Like measuring powder with a scale! ... felix

[lmfd20]

I dont know how far you are from PSA in columbia,sc but they had cci and win large rifle standard and magnums on the shelf Friday. $34/1k. I picked up a few k of cci sr, lr & lp when I was up that way.

[ColColt]

I get the message. Sorry I even brought this up, it won't happen again.

[John 242]

I get the message. Sorry I even brought this up, it won't happen again.

Don't be sorry. I would have asked the same question and I bet that there are a thousand members of this forum that wouldn't have known that primers last nearly forever.

I thought primers were delicate and would shortly go dead if exposed to humidity. I used to keep my primers inside the house, when I lived in Texas. Here in Oklahoma I just don't have the room. Instead they're stored in my very hot and humid garage. I was worried about them going bad, but thanks to this thread I feel assured that they will be fine.

Charles, not everyone has the decades of experience that you have. I appreciate that you share your knowledge so willingly, so that we can all benefit.

[gray wolf]

So did the gosh darn things go BANG or not ?

[Clay M]

I have never had any problems with primers going bad.Not saying it can't happen,but I currently use some from '81,I also have some that date back to the
60's

[trapper9260]

I am glad this was brought up for those of us that dose not know about the life of primers know now what to do.ColColt glad you ask and do not feel sorry for asking.

[sirgknight]

I've been reloading, in one form or another, since 1974 and I still learn something new more often than I like to admit. One thing I have learned is that there is no wrong or stupid question when it comes to firearms and firearms safety. It's usually the one question that we don't ask that gets us into trouble. And, you never know when the question that you ask causes a light bulb to go off in someone else's brain and saves that person a lot of misery. As for your primers, you have a 50/50 chance that they are good to use. Just load a few into a casing without powder/bullet and see if they fire. If they do, then load a few with minimum load data and go from there. And, Keep asking questions.

[skeet028]

Being in the reloading collecting bizness I get a lot of powder primers and brass from widows and orphans...as i call it. The only primers I have ever had that were no good were the older Winchesters in the little wooden trays..mostly from the 50s. Also the same age shotshell primers..from Win. Opened powder I use for Fertilizer...caus e I don't know it is what the can says it is. Just one little story. I got 21 lbs of New powder from a nice older(than me) lady. She had broken the seals on all of them..except one can of IMR4831 and filled them with water.. Told me she was afraid they would explode. Well I had to try it..Took a can of Lil Gun..poured it on some paper towels..cleaned the plastic jar out.. Pressed the water out of the powder..let it dry in the jar for 2 months or more with the lid off. I did the same with all that bunch of powder. Later loaded some of that lil gun in my 41 mag..and some with new lil Gun. Same loads..bullets primers etc. Over the chrono they averaged the same as the new powder..with every one going off.. I dried the rifle powders too. Gonna try some of the H4895 in one of my 223s we'll see

[jmorris]

hit one with a hammer. if it pops then SHOOT THEM. if you say you had them stored that way then they will go POP
Just bite down on one and see if it goes off....I prefer the empty case test others have suggested. I have crushed good primers flat in a bench vise and they didn't go off. Might as well test them in the gun you intend to use them in.

[Dale in Louisiana]

I get the message. Sorry I even brought this up, it won't happen again.

You know, I used to be an instructor in the Army. We used to say 'There's no such thing as a stupid question,' which isn't true, by the way, but we also knew that if ONE guy asked the question, there were usually a dozen or more in the class that WANTED to ask but were reluctant.

Your asking has gotten a lot of answers, some more tactful, some more useful than others, but you just took care of a bunch of lurkers who needed to know also.

It's a good thing.

No push-ups were involved in the answer.

dale in Louisiana

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Good question ColColt.

A few months ago, I was looking at some WW primers as mentioned earlier, card board box with wood tray.

Thought about lighting them up out in the woods or something, then was thinking about the primer shortage and a new RUGER American for use with mentoring a new shooter/hunter and the need for reduced practice loads for the new "06".

As was suggested earlier, I put them in 18 or so empty cases, went to the shop and touched em all off. Every one when off with a resounding BANG, flames out the end of the barrel, the whole typical result of a very hot primer.

Well, I have loaded about a hundred reduced loads and until I have a reason to do otherwise. I will use these OLD primers.

I started buying reloading components sometime in the 60s, and can't never remember buying any with wood primer trays.

Crusty Deary OL'Coot

[skeet028]

The wood primer trays were phased out in the early 1960s I think. probably by 1962 or 63. I saved them when i was a kid for some odd reason. I do remember I used 28M Winchester primers in 1959 I was at an auction about a year or so ago and they sold approx 1000 M at the auction. I didn't buy any but a friend did. Most worked fine but he had some LR primers that did not go. Now understand..losing a 1000 or so didn't hurt him too much. He paid 3 bucks a 1000. I severly restricted myself on buying and still spent more than 3500 bucks. I got 43 4 cavity H&G moulds with handles at an average price of 35 dollars each. It was a very good day. I bought a Rock Chuck Bullet Swage press and a set of .224 R.C.B.S. swaging dies.. for the grand total of 20 dollars. Course I was one of the only guys there who knew what half of that old stuff was. As far as old powder..I have a 3 lb can of Hi Vel #2 right now that was made in 1937..still good too. I have noticed that many primers that don't fire may have gotten a small dose of something such as WD-40 on em..lotsa oil etc around reloading benches you know. Dillon even recommends the use of WD-40 if you have a stuck primer in one of their primer tubes..Flood it and then throw it away..they'll send you a new one free

[lka]

I have primers from my G-pa he had well before I was born, he passed when I was 4 and I'm now 32, the primers work great, they were stored for years and years in my dads garage. My dad was going through my other G-Pas storage container, he found about 5k primers and a 12# 700x drum, my brother got the primers I got the powder these have been setting in a leaky container in the middle of the desert for 25+ years and they are fine :D

[mdi]

I get the message. Sorry I even brought this up, it won't happen again.
If you look at the replies you'll see that most, 90%+ just shared their experience. Normally that's the way comments/posts go on this forum; a quick answer/opinion and the posters experience. Don't hold back any questions, nobody thinks you're foolish or stupid. Everybody knows something about certain things, some don't know much, then there's guys like me that know everything, by golly! ;) :lol:

[skeet028]

73148

Couldn't find the Winchesters in the wooden trays..but here is a pic of some Remington SP from 1957

[David2011]

I've shot thousands of primers that I got from two friends that lived near Galveston Bay, so they were exposed to Texas Gulf Coast heat, humidity and even condensation when the cold fronts backed out and were replaced with warm, wet air. Both kept their primers in their garages and the primers were all over 20 years old. They ranged from Winchester large pistol to CCI benchrest primers and every last one of them worked properly.

David

[ColColt]

My primary concern with these primers was whether they'd be "strong" enough to ignite a large charge of BP. They were going to be used in a 45-90 case which holds a good deal of 2Fg powder and I know some who even use magnum primers with this case. The only place I've ran across that even has LR primers won't sell to TN, GA or AL so, that leaves me out and the only recourse I had was these old primers.

They do go bang but whether they'll work with that much BP has yet to be determined. I've just been aggravated at the fact you can't get components like in times past-a treat I'm sure all have experienced.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Yep mdi, And then there are those of us who think we know what we think we know. 8-)[smilie=1:

So go for it colcolt and others that have thoughts/questions!

Most of us visit the forums because we enjoy the give and take and sharing, "what we think we know".

Yes there are those who seem to have some kind of permanent issue with life but they usually are easy/quick to pick out and dismiss. Some get the idea rather quickly and change their ways and some just leave which is good too.

BUT!!!!!! there are those which are Ol'Coot's like myself, that remind me of Elmer Keith and his opinionated writings. I can even think of some who qualify on the forums. They may rub you the wrong way at times, but you better pay attention as like em or not they have been there and done that and are probably going to give good council.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[Dalerj]

Found a batch of old Herters (made in Japan ) primers in the basement that had been water soaked multiple times. They were more than 30 years old at the time ( and water soaked ) They were dried out.

They worked just fine in a .257 roberts & a 30-06. Used all 800 with no failures. Dale

[Rick Hodges]

I am finishing up a K of Alcan SP primers I bought in '76. They have been going bang every time.