Author Topic: 25 year old ammo worked well  (Read 2217 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Tim_B

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 143
25 year old ammo worked well
« on: January 05, 2019, 06:22:09 PM »
Back in 1993 I stashed away some ammo in a storage shed behind my parent's house and forgot about it.  This year I came across the stuff and I decided to test it to see if it still worked.  It was about 30 boxes of various kinds of ammo but mostly Remington 9mm +P 115 gr JHP's, Remington .45 ACP +P 185 gr JHP's (a particular round Remington doesn't make any more), and Federal Hydra Shok .45 ACP 230 gr JHP's.  Last week I shot a 20 round box of the Hydra Shoks and they all fired with no problems and the feel of the recoil and the sound of each was consistent with no underpowered shots or squibs.  Today I fired 100 rounds of the Remington 9mm +P 115 gr JHP's.  The cartridge cases and the copper jackets were tarnished and the boxes were a bit faded and weakened a bit by moisture but every round fired full power with consistent recoil and sound from each.  I had kept the ammo in their original boxes and those were packed in a larger corrugated cardboard box and left in an outdoor storage shed that was not climate controlled.  I live in south Louisiana and the summer often reach 100 degrees farenheit in June, July, and August and the temperature in that shed in bright summer sunlight can get over 120 degrees.  In the winter it does not go below freezing very often in south Louisiana but it has snowed about half a dozen times over those 25 years.  So those boxes were left there in fluctuating temperatures and without moisture protection other than a roof over them for all that time but the ammo worked when fired.  I still have a several hundred rounds left and it will be interesting to see what happens.

Offline elongobardi

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 915
Re: 25 year old ammo worked well
« Reply #1 on: January 05, 2019, 06:41:49 PM »
Keep us updated on the rest of the Ammo. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Offline M1A4ME

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7453
  • I've shot the rest, I now own the best - CZ
Re: 25 year old ammo worked well
« Reply #2 on: January 05, 2019, 07:23:58 PM »
I have ammo in my attic.  What's up there now is a combination of reloads from the early 80's (when I get some out it goes bang and is accurate) and some I bought a few years after moving down here (makes about 25 years upstairs).  The attic gets up to 110 to 115 F in the summer and very humid.  In the winter it can get below freezing (busted a can or two up there over the years).

I have ammo in the shed that's been there for about 15 years.  No idea how hot the sheds get in the summer when it's 95 to 100 F here (and humid).  In the winter they go below freezing.

I got 4,000 primers off the shelf upstairs that had been up there 25 years and used them all up.  Not a single dud/misfire.

It's tougher than people think it is.
I just keep wasting time and money on other brands trying to find/make one shoot like my P07 and P09.  What is wrong with me?

Offline Texas377

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 121
Re: 25 year old ammo worked well
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2019, 07:36:42 PM »
In the late 1970's I fired some 30 cal. armor-piercing ammunition that my father-in-law brought back from Europe in 1945.  It didn't have a box and I don't recall the brand.  It had been stored in a Texas farmhouse basement for over 30 years and fired with no problems.
CZ Compact PCR
Sig Sauer P320
Ruger LCP
Others, etc.

Offline mauserand9mm

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 306
Re: 25 year old ammo worked well
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2019, 03:40:58 AM »
Just under 10 years ago I bought a crate (1400rnds) of 8x57 Turkish ex-military ammo that was made in the 1950s, so it was close to 60 years old when I got it. All fired just like new. Mind you the ammo was sealed in a lead lining so that kept the moisture out of it. Don't know how it was stored over that time.

I have even reloaded the brass, using hydraulic decapping and RWS Berdan primers. BTW, this is the only ex-mil ammo that I have used where the brass was actually thinner (+ lighter) than modern factory brass, contrary to modern warnings of reducing loads for military cases because they are thicker.

Offline goodguywithagun

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 4
25 year old ammo worked well
« Reply #5 on: January 06, 2019, 04:58:12 AM »
Back in the day, Winchester used to sell primed paper shotgun shells. These are at least 60+ years old. I loaded some up and they went bang.








Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Offline SI VIS PACEM PARRABELLUM

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5694
Re: 25 year old ammo worked well
« Reply #6 on: January 06, 2019, 07:03:45 AM »
Years ago My dad had a dozen 1911 magazines loaded with WWI ammo that was 70 years old at that time. Every round fired as though it was just made,no issues at all.

Offline lewmed

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 623
  • 135th & 240th AHC Vietnam 1967-1968
Re: 25 year old ammo worked well
« Reply #7 on: January 06, 2019, 01:56:01 PM »
 I still have several  WWII 1911 magazines sealed in the factory wax paper loaded with steel cased ammo.  The cartridge head stamp is EC 1943 the last time I tested one of the magazine's the springs still feed ammo and the rounds fired 100%
« Last Edit: January 06, 2019, 02:22:37 PM by lewmed, Reason: made change »

Offline M1A4ME

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7453
  • I've shot the rest, I now own the best - CZ
Re: 25 year old ammo worked well
« Reply #8 on: January 06, 2019, 03:00:47 PM »
I still have several  WWII 1911 magazines sealed in the factory wax paper loaded with steel cased ammo.  The cartridge head stamp is EC 1943 the last time I tested one of the magazine's the springs still feed ammo and the rounds fired 100%

Many people (on the internet, too) will state that the US never made/used steel cased ammo.  I have a couple boxes (no idea when/where I bought them) of steel cased .45 acp ammo in a crate in the shed.  Every now and then when I go to the range I'll find a few steel .45 acp cases lying on the pad.  I don't remember the markings on the empties but they're WW2 era GI surplus.

I'll bet that stuff is corrosive primed, being WW2 era GI ammo.
I just keep wasting time and money on other brands trying to find/make one shoot like my P07 and P09.  What is wrong with me?

Offline lewmed

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 623
  • 135th & 240th AHC Vietnam 1967-1968
Re: 25 year old ammo worked well
« Reply #9 on: January 06, 2019, 04:27:55 PM »
 Of the billions of 45acp rounds made by the Evensville Chrysler ordnance plant from 1942 until 1944 90% of it was zink plated steel cased.  Many 50 cal. and 30 cal. M1 carbine rounds were also steel cased and yes it was corrosive.

Offline Practical Shooter

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 523
  • Legio Patria Nostra
Re: 25 year old ammo worked well
« Reply #10 on: January 06, 2019, 04:38:46 PM »
In 1989 I acquired a French MAS 36 with a crate of Syrian made 7.5 French, Berdan primed, crate of about 1800 rounds made in 1953.
They where stored in a garage that followed the weather cycle of being hot and humid to cold and dry.
I fired most of them throughout the years with the last fired batch in 2016, with no problem. So, 60 years of good services.
I refurbished the last 500 rounds, saving the powder to be used in reloading my 5.56 and the bullets were reloaded for my 300 blk.

Offline Wobbly

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12478
  • Loves the smell of VihtaVuori in the morning !
Re: 25 year old ammo worked well
« Reply #11 on: January 07, 2019, 10:51:20 AM »
These are at least 60+ years old. I loaded some up and they went bang.



You're not getting very consistent closure on the hull ends. May I suggest suggest a dab of hot glue ?
In God we trust; On 'Starting Load' we rely.

Offline goodguywithagun

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 4
Re: 25 year old ammo worked well
« Reply #12 on: January 07, 2019, 10:57:24 AM »
These are at least 60+ years old. I loaded some up and they went bang.



You're not getting very consistent closure on the hull ends. May I suggest suggest a dab of hot glue ?

Thanks for the heads up. These were loaded with a hydraulic Spolar rather fast, so the quality is lacking. I appreciate the tip. Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Offline M1A4ME

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7453
  • I've shot the rest, I now own the best - CZ
Re: 25 year old ammo worked well
« Reply #13 on: January 07, 2019, 01:15:53 PM »
My dad used to drip candle wax on the ends if the shot was visible.
I just keep wasting time and money on other brands trying to find/make one shoot like my P07 and P09.  What is wrong with me?

Offline Wobbly

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12478
  • Loves the smell of VihtaVuori in the morning !
Re: 25 year old ammo worked well
« Reply #14 on: January 09, 2019, 08:13:24 AM »
Thanks for the heads up. These were loaded with a hydraulic Spolar rather fast,...


Spolar ? I'm impressed !
In God we trust; On 'Starting Load' we rely.

 

anything