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Thread: Ammo Life span

  1. #1
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    Default Ammo Life span

    Apologies if this has already been discussed!

    What is the expected life span on ammo?

    Besides corrosion what should be warning signs?

    I know that if you have any doubt one should rather toss them but I am looking for some guidelines.

    Thanks

  2. #2
    Moderator SSP's Avatar
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    I think it is greatly dependant on how the ammo is stored. Sealed in cans in a dry enviroment is going to be much better than loose in a damp cupboard.

    If it's corroded or has that green spooge on it, pull it or bin it.
    Cattle die, kindred die, every man is mortal:
    But I know one thing that never dies,
    the glory of the great dead.
    Havamal

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    Military ammo in sealed airtight packaging and kept cool has been known to last for decades and still function perfectly. If not sealed but kept cool and dry it may still last well past 10 years.

    Sean.
    Pain is just weakness leaving the body.

  4. #4

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    All depends on storage

    I found a box of .22 Hornet ammo after my dad passed away in he's safe
    The price says R3.35 for 20 , The ammo still looked ver good condition even the box

    I shot it with no issues


    I dont even remember buying .22 ammo for that price

    Any guess on how old it might be ?

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    Federal mentions on their website, if their ammo is stowed away under ideal conditions, shelf life expectancy is 10 yrs

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    Moderator ikor's Avatar
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    I have some 230gr .45 ball dated from the 1920s that has not been pampered in storage and it shoots just fine...but it ain't got any green slime on it either!
    Run Fast, Bite Hard!

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    I recently shot out some Hornady .303 ammo that I bought in the early 90's. Ammo had been stored in the safe in it's original cardboard boxes. Only the lead tips showed some oxidisation but the brass was still shiny clean. Ammo worked perfectly.

    Sean
    Pain is just weakness leaving the body.

  8. #8

    Default Re: Ammo Life span

    I just bought 300 wm and received some PMP ammo with a price of R 71 on the box.
    It looks just fine - no green or any other colour. Will shoot them trough crony
    and let you know how it performs.

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Ammo Life span

    I have some Winchester Ranger ammo (sealed primers) from around 1995 and it has shot fine, no issues. Provided the ammo is stored in dry conditions it will last a very long time. When my Dad renewed his license for his Berretta 71, he shot out some FN ball that he'd had since the mid 60's and it was flawless.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Ammo Life span

    In the 80's and 90's I was using the ammo for my .303 that my dad had bought for it when it was his in the 50's. No problems with any of the ammo - it grouped well (as best as could be done with iron sights) and I used it to hunt with a number of times. No misfires or any other problems. Not bad for 30 -40 year old ammo!

    When I took ownership of the rifle, he still had about 400 rounds of ammo (PMP if I remember correctly and about 150 rounds of MkVII military issue) - it had not been stored in a cupboard and at least 1/2 of it was not in any packaging, but in a material bandolier in 5 round stripper clips. It had spent about 10 years in the interior of the country and the last 20-30 years of it's life on the coast in a very humid environment, but none of the cases or bullets had gone green.

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