Old Ammo Question

[jacobslagle018]

Alright everyone I have some questions for the experts. Recently I came into a stash of ammo. An old family friend passed away, and was a big gun enthusiast. I was helping his sister pack some stuff up, and when we went out to the shed, there was a shelf with all sorts of ammo on it. There was a lot of shotgun stuff, 9mm, 45, and a little of all of the major calibers. She gave me everything in the calibers that I use, or plan on using, and the rest she gave to the local gun club that her brother was president of.

I got home and started looking though the ammo. This stuff is OLD. Some of it way more than others. Some of them are boxes of 25 self defense rounds with 8.99 on the box! What really blows my mind though are some of the 9mm rounds. These are not reloads, but some of the headstamps have 42, 43, 44, and 45 on the headstamps. If that is the year, are these ok to use? They are not in original boxes, but they look like they just came off of the factory line.

Second question is one piece of brass out of all of it. It has an RP 9MM headstamp, but is jet black and has no flash hole. There is a bullet in it, but I don't know why. Is this some sort of old snap cap?

Last thing is some of the ammo has "fuzz" on it. Is that corrosion on the bullets? Theses were left in a garage/shed that did not have any climate control in it.

Thanks again for any info on this stuff. I don't play to use all of it, but if it is shootable, I wouldn't mind to use some either. Below are some pictures.

http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k528/myfragis*****/Mobile%20Uploads/20140801_011109.jpg (http://s1114.photobucket.com/user/myfragis*****/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20140801_011109.jpg.html)
http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k528/myfragis*****/Mobile%20Uploads/20140801_011147.jpg (http://s1114.photobucket.com/user/myfragis*****/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20140801_011147.jpg.html)
http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k528/myfragis*****/Mobile%20Uploads/20140801_011310.jpg (http://s1114.photobucket.com/user/myfragis*****/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20140801_011310.jpg.html)
http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k528/myfragis*****/Mobile%20Uploads/20140801_011337.jpg (http://s1114.photobucket.com/user/myfragis*****/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20140801_011337.jpg.html)
http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k528/myfragis*****/Mobile%20Uploads/20140801_011356.jpg (http://s1114.photobucket.com/user/myfragis*****/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20140801_011356.jpg.html)
http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k528/myfragis*****/Mobile%20Uploads/20140801_011435.jpg (http://s1114.photobucket.com/user/myfragis*****/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20140801_011435.jpg.html)
http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k528/myfragis*****/Mobile%20Uploads/20140801_011504.jpg (http://s1114.photobucket.com/user/myfragis*****/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20140801_011504.jpg.html)
http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k528/myfragis*****/Mobile%20Uploads/20140801_011524.jpg (http://s1114.photobucket.com/user/myfragis*****/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20140801_011524.jpg.html)
http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k528/myfragis*****/Mobile%20Uploads/20140801_011545.jpg (http://s1114.photobucket.com/user/myfragis*****/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20140801_011545.jpg.html)

[MaryB]

Ones with the corrosion spots may or may not be safe. Rest I would shoot. I am shooting some 7.62x54r that is almost that old.

[desi23]

The two odd R-P cases look like action testing dummies not snap caps. They would be used to check feeding out of a magazine but have no pad or the firing pin. Some of the 9mm you show is Finnish VPT, I have had excellent results with this ammo and still have a stash of it. Some of the Finn ammo was reprocessed in the 60's and have non corrosive primers, I would have to go dig them out but I believe they had a re-pack date on the label and used the german Sinoxid primer. If they don't have any such markings they are probably corrosive but usually shoot fine, just need a soap and water clean up to remove the salts.

The stuff marked 9MM 43 was once believed to be WWII stuff but is pretty positively identified now as post war, made for the CIA during the cold war for clandestine use. It is non-corrosive and boxer primed. Need to remove the primer crimp after decapping but it is excellent brass, and I have a good bit in my reloading stash.

Nothing special in the other stuff, still lots of Match ammo around and unless the boxes are near perfect not much collector interest. Unless the ammo is growing green corrosion out of the primer pockets or around the bullet I would consider it all to be good shooting ammo.

[lylejb]

The only other thing I might caution about is corrosive primers. I have no idea if that ammo is corrosive or not, but it may be.

The VPT headstamp is Lapaua's Military production ammo, from Finland

[GoodOlBoy]

The other thing the 9mm with no primers might be is somebodies guide for setting up their dies. I keep a round loaded of each type I shoot with no powder and no primer that is SOLELY for setting my dies in case something gets fudged, or in case I move to a different set of dies. The corroded ammo I would pull the bullet, dump the powder on the lawn, and toss the brass into the recyc bucket. The rest I would shoot IF they look to be factory ammo, then reuse the brass. If you are not certain they are factory loads pull the bullet, dump the powder on the lawn, and reload any of the brass that looks useable to you. Forget about dates on the head stamps. If the brass looks good, loads good, and doesn't split then you are good to go. If it is otherwise? Toss it in the recyc bucket and get .XX per pound for it salvage. Then save up the .XX per pound to buy more brass and components. I see alot of posts about corrosive, vs non-corrosive primers, particularly in old military ammo. I have shot both. So long as you keep your gun clean and oiled there isn't an issue. Remember some of those old military firearms stayed in the field for YEARS without shooting anything BUT corrosive primers, and yet they still exist. Any tales of a barrel rotting out overnight from a corrosive primer is just that a tale made of whole cloth designed to scare the kiddies off of the corrosive boogeyman. If that had happened we would never have won a war between the time flintlocks went out and non-corrosive primers were invented.

My 2 cents.

GoodOlBoy

[Pb2au]

I would bail on the corroded ones. Everything else, when in doubt, treat as corrosive ammo and clean accordingly.

[Blammer]

I'd shoot it all.

[MtGun44]

I'm with blammer. They are action proving dummies, for sure.

+1 on treating any milsurp ammo like corrosive.

Bill

[Malamute]

I would bail on the corroded ones. Everything else, when in doubt, treat as corrosive ammo and clean accordingly.

I've shot quite a bit of corrosive ammo. Hoppes No 9 or Shooters Choice both clean corrosive primer residue up just fine. If being extra careful, clean again the next day.

[MaryB]

I shoot corrosive all the time in my Mosin Nagant, a little windex down the barrel at the range will stop any corrosion until you have time to clean.

[fatelk]

The Canadian 9mm is non-corrosive, good ammo. The rounds with corrosion spots could be one of two things- either external corrosion spots from prolonged contact with the packaging they were in (in which case I'd shoot them up no problem), or corrosion working it's way from the inside out. I can't tell you for sure from a photo but they look like the former to me. In my experience if it's the latter they just won't fire.

[MtGun44]

Clean the barrel after shooting corrosive ammo, preferably at the range, by pushing 2 or 3 patches wet
with Windex WITH VINEGAR down the bore. Then follow with a dry patch and then a patch with Hoppes#9.
Wipe the bolt face (primers often leak gas) and the cleaning rod end near the muzzle on misurps and
around the muzzle with a patch with Windex, and follow with a patch with Hoppes #9.

No corrosion.

Some folks still insist on pouring boiling water down the barrel and scrubbing
and then other stuff, but the Windex with vinegar and Hoppes will work and is
far easier and quicker.

Bill

[Malamute]

Some folks still insist on pouring boiling water down the barrel and scrubbing
and then other stuff, but the Windex with vinegar and Hoppes will work and is
far easier and quicker.

Bill

Keep in mind, Hoppes No 9 was developed in 1903, the corrosive primer era, its very purpose was to clean corrosive residue as well as jacket or lead fouling. It has worked very well in that role for many years. The windex may indeed work, but would seem redundant.

[MaryB]

Many think if you don't instantly clean it after shooting corrosive it will eat the barrel. I have skipped a day after and been fine when I was working and didn't have time to get to it.

[MtGun44]

Depends a ** LOT ** on where you live - specifically, the relative humidity. THe
salts pull moisture out of the air. I bet in Pheonix, you can leave it for a month and
be OK.

In FLA, you can get red rust overnight for sure, been there and (stupidly) done
that. Got the pitted bore to prove it.

Bill

[MaryB]

Minnesota gets humid but guns are stored in the room with the air conditioner so they stay at a fairly low humidity. Last year it was 100 degrees and 90% humidity at one point during the summer. Winter is very low humidity in the house, under 30%

[Just Duke]

I'd shoot it all.

Ditto!!!

[Le Loup Solitaire]

You can shoot it all;even if some of it is corrosive just as long as you clean it well afterward. I keep a can of the old GI bore cleaner around for such occasions, but Hoppe's #9 will do the job too. If you have doubts then clean the barrel twice. Don't forget any surface that may have gotten a dose of the fouling and make sure to be generous with the oil. LLS

[M-Tecs]

One more for shooting and cleaning. The corrosive agent is salt. Not all modern cleaners dissolve salt so the advice is use hot soapy water, Windex WITH VINEGAR or Hoppes #9 is sound.

Like Le Loup Solitaire liked the old GI bore cleaner. But I ran out a couple of years ago. I now use Windex with vinegar. Some for my blackpowder guns.

http://blog.cheaperthandirt.com/corrosive-ammunition/

[lefty o]

all the pictured ammo will be perfectly safe to shoot. as for cleaning after corrosive ammo, a little water, then clean as normal.

[1Shirt]

Some good advice. I would shoot some of it, and clean as if corrosive, because it may or may not be. Some in original boxes, I would sell or trade as collector items.
1Shirt!