Surplus Turkish 8mm Ammo Question

[timetofly]

I recently picked up a Turkish Mauser 98 and a Yugoslavian Mauser 98 both chambered in 8X57 Mauser.  Part of the deal was two 50 cal ammo cans pretty much full of Turkish surplus ammo with a 1947 date code, yeah!  I pulled 10 cupro nickel (sp) bullets out of the  cartridges and the powder seemed to be in great condition and not deteriorated at all.  Some of the bullets took considerable force to pull and others pulled way too easily due to cracked casing necks.  The bullets had been crimped into the casing by six flat blades spaced at 60 degree angles in a circular pattern.  This formed a "ring around the base of the bullet.  All of this is Berdan primed and corrosive. 

My concern is with the age of the cartridges that some of the powder might have deteriorated.  Would it be reasonable to assume that pulling all of the cartridges apart, destroying the powder, rendering the primers inert would be the best course of action.  Then there is a question about the bullets.  Can they be loaded and used as plinking loads in spite of the ring where the crimp was?

I've got a little bit of a tiger by the tail, but it should be fairly easy to back out of with some sound advice.

[mauserand9mm]

Personally I would shoot it. I've used 1950s vintage Turk ammo and it was fine.

If the cases look okay and there's no seepage or discolouration around the primer or projectile then the powder is likely okay. Deteriorated power will cause corrosion around the primer and projectile - I think it must form an acid. I've had this with more modern ammo that was stored for a few years next to a hot wall (in summer) of a garage. High temperature will increase the rate of deterioration of powder - I think powder has a nominated 10 year shelf life at a temperature of 25 degrees C.

In my 35 years of shooting I've never seen or heard of old, deteriorated ammo blowing up a rifle, but I have seen and heard of fail to fire of old ammo.

Of course the safest advise is to not fire it, but I've never seen the perceived risks ever eventuate.

You could use the pulled projectiles without issue.

[Wobbly]

Apparently, from what I read, deteriorating powder does become unstable and is likely to do anything, including explode.

However, as Mouser&9 explained, powder that is going bad often leaks at the primers and bullets. If a cartridge or can is opened, it will have a very distinct acid smell as the nitric acid leaches out of the nitrocellulose. It will often display a reddish bloom that works though the powder and keeps it from pouring like we're accustomed to seeing.

You are correct, the primers are corrosive. My son had one of those Mousers and the bore and head spacing was shot. If your bore is already showing signs of demise, then (after a thorough external exam) you might shoot some of the ammo and see.

A few stolen photos for my pals....

This may be the only indication you see...


Here's some US-made 30-06 from 1989 already gone bad...