Does lube expire? stored ammo

[Animal]

Hello folks,

I'm wondering if there is any known expiration date to boolit lube like LLA? If I were to store loaded ammo, are there any preferred lubes or additives? Thanks,

Austin

[leftiye]

It lasts years and years, especially when sealed in a cartridge case neck. If kept in a glass (airtight, not plastic) jar it might be even better as there is nothing for it to react with. Many years. Plastic is good, but ain't airtight, gasses do pass through, at least in the case of films. Left out in the air, it will "dry" out. This may change its characteristics enough in such a way as to say that it has expired. Still years.

Sorry, nothing like a definite "how long," just a long time. Also sorry that you don't know anything new that you didn't already know.

[alamogunr]

I don't know the answer to your question, but I have a lot of commercial cast boolets that I received with a "used" Linebaugh revolver I purchased. The lube on those boolets has shrunk to the point that I question whether it is effective. Since I don't load to the max. for this gun(.475L) I'm not too concerned but I think that over a period of years that most lubes, with the exception of LLA and the derivative 45-45-10, would shrink(dry out).

None of the above is based on experience, just my SWAG.

[Animal]

Thanks guys,

I'm wondering if a good ammo can with a few O2 absorbents will do the trick...? J-word loads seem to hold up forever under this type of storage.

[6bg6ga]

Well, this 25year old + lube still works fine.91807

[leftiye]

There's your answer. Let it dry out for 25 years and then use it! (only if it isn't ruined by drying out - and there's your other answer)

[6bg6ga]

There's your answer. Let it dry out for 25 years and then use it! (only if it isn't ruined by drying out - and there's your other answer)

I don't think there is a shelf life on the RCBS just to name one. Its not dry by any means. I just unrolled it for the first time and its still moist and ready to be used. So its "your other answer"91828

[Animal]

The only lube i've dabbled with so far is LLA and 60/40 beeswax/Vaseline... I'm just curious because I'd like to store a few rounds. You know... just in case :wink:

[6bg6ga]

The only lube i've dabbled with so far is LLA and 60/40 beeswax/Vaseline... I'm just curious because I'd like to store a few rounds. You know... just in case :wink:


Animal,

I can tell you of my experience. I sized and lubed several 0ne pound coffee cans full of 230 and 200 gr bullets for my 45acp over twenty years ago and they got packed away. I recently came across them and the bullets and lube were fine. I then pulled a 1/2 dozen of the loaded rounds and they were fine also. I would load what you wish to load and don't worry about it.

[Animal]

Animal,

I can tell you of my experience. I sized and lubed several 0ne pound coffee cans full of 230 and 200 gr bullets for my 45acp over twenty years ago and they got packed away. I recently came across them and the bullets and lube were fine. I then pulled a 1/2 dozen of the loaded rounds and they were fine also. I would load what you wish to load and don't worry about it.

Very good to know. Thanks, and I will follow your advise.

[Big Dangle]

Storage is the key, powder from the civil war found in a cave is still shootable. I got some lubed .44 and .45 ACP from a buddy that was in an open bucket in his garage for years, yea I had to boiled off skimmed used for flux and relube the boolits.

[dragon813gt]

I don't know about LLA. But I had to relube some Hornady cast HBWCs that were gifted to me. I don't know how old they were. The lube was cracking and falling out of the lube groove. They were stored in the cardboard box they were sold in. I can't be sure of storage conditions over the years. But lube will dry out over time.

[6bg6ga]

I don't know about LLA. But I had to relube some Hornady cast HBWCs that were gifted to me. I don't know how old they were. The lube was cracking and falling out of the lube groove. They were stored in the cardboard box they were sold in. I can't be sure of storage conditions over the years. But lube will dry out over time.


Depending on the lube your using you can have cracking in the lube groove when the lubed bullets have hardly aged. I've had that myself and then had to go back thru and resize and lube.

[dverna]

I had some .38 target loads loaded with 50/50 that had been stored for 30 years in good conditions. Only about 20% would fire.

I would not trust ammo loaded with a soft lubed bullet that was stored for more than 5 years based on that experience. I believe if the stored ammo sees high temperatures there is more risk of lube killing the charge/primer.

The hard lubes may perform better but I cannot provide any experience with them stored for any longer than 8 years - but they all fired.

Don Verna

[bhn22]

I just remelted a couple of hundred muzzleloader maxis that the lube dried up and fell off, like dust. This was TCs "all natural" lube too. They were only about eight years old, too.

[smokesahoy]

nothing really happens to beeswax, and the oils have been around for millions of years (or at least 6000...) i'm not too concerned with it going bad i guess.