Ammo shelf life

[P-35]

I was wondering how long factory loaded ammo, stored in GI ammo cans indoors in a mild climate (no larger temp fluctuations) will last and still fire reliably? 10, 20, 30, 50 yrs/ A lifetime, two? I've read the stories about WWII surplus doing fine, just want to hear any first-hand accounts or knowledge.

The reason I ask is that ammo bans are starting to be seriously discussed here in Kalifornia and I wanna get some rounds for a rainy day. Thanks

 

[WESHOOT2]

True-long time...

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"All my ammo is factory ammo"

 

[Abe Normal]

A friend and I have shot several hundred rounds from WWI with never a missfire. Further the storage on this batch was knowen to be less than ideal. The only down side was it was corrosive as damnit!

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Abe

If everyone thought like me, I'd be a damn fool to think any different!

 

[Art Eatman]

I have a little bit of "EC 43" .45ACP ammo which still goes bang.

In around 1990, I shot some .243 handloads I'd worked up in 1968...I guess I'll have to see if there're any left, and try them. But I'd be real surprised if they didn't work.

Stored under the conditions you describe, I'd say somewhere between 50 years and lifetime.

FWIW, Art

 

[John Lawson]

I, too, have fired rounds loaded by Frankford Arsenal in WW-I...not just corrosive, but mercurial primed.
The biggest problem with ammo coming out of long storage is that the necks of the cases may split before or during firing due to the neck expansion strain imposed during loading finally letting loose.
As a kid, my pal and I fired rounds that had been loaded during the Civil War with black powder for the trapdoor Springfield in 45-70.
Most all of them went normally, but when we tried firing some in a Marlin 1894 lever action we had some hangfires.
Modern ammo in sealed cans will last in a normal ambient indoor temperature for more than your lifetime. Just remember to check the necks for signs of splitting. It will still fire if you absolutely must fire it, but you will get gas blowby and other problems such as a radical change in point of impact due to loss of bullet pull tension.
During WW-II the French Underground fired some ammo I have seen examples of that I would have sworn would not fire because of age, but it worked well enough to allow the shooter to defeat an enemy and take his weapon.
To be on the safe side with long storage of straight or slightly tapered wall pistol cartridges, you might store it without taper crimping it, doing this step when it comes out of storage. Taper crimping hasn't been available to handloaders long enough to check 50 year storage for problems. The same holds true for Lee's "factory crimp", which may be more prone to splitting than taper crimping. I'll check back with you in 50 years and let you know. I'll be behind the question mark on your Ouija Board.

[This message has been edited by John Lawson (edited December 30, 1999).]

 

[TheOtherMikey]

Sorry for the double post, Mikey.

[This message has been edited by TheOtherMikey (edited December 30, 1999).]

 

[TheOtherMikey]

Moisture is ammo's biggest enemy. Second place belongs to heat and big temperature fluctuations.
If you store your loaded ammo in cans, with reasonable temperature and humidity control, it will last longer than you will remember you have it. In other words, your memory will go before your ammo does.
On the issue of taper crimping, I don't see any problem. All you are doing is applying the correct crimp on the ammunition. I would think that a nice snug fit would fight moisture penetration into the case. I think it would be a good idea to steal a little of your wife's clear nail polish to seal the primer and projectile.
Hope this helps, Mikey

 

[John Lawson]

Any kind of crimp stretches and strains the brass at the mouth. We're talking about 50 year storage here. Look at some collector ammo from 50-100 years ago and you will see an emerging pattern of cracking failure due to this applied stress.
For short term storage (the rest of my life, for example,) there is no reason to fear this problem.
From old time handloaders (since I am old, these guys were REALLY old) it seems that early military brass failed more often than commercial brass. Sealing a bullet in place with lacquer increases bullet pull and internal tension, aggrivating the problem. If you use a package of dessicant in your can of ammo when you seal it, there will be no inside the can humidity problem. In talking to some survivalist types I know, the cans can be buried and dug up a long time later with no deterioration. I know of one case (you can verify it by contacting Don McLean, Editor of SOF) where a diver brought up a sealed can of .30-06 belted ammo from a Navy dive bomber that was deep sixed during WW-II, and the ammo fired, even after many years of immersion in salt water at Kwaj. So, I would say offhand that storage in a G.I. ammo can with a gasket in good condition would be the way to go. It's the way I store all of my ammo.

 

[Patrick Graham]

Ther are a lot of ads right now in shotgun news selling WWII 8mm, 30-06 and 45acp ammo. That's putting the shelf life at more than 55 years.

 

[wildcat]

I have fired many rounds of WW2 30-06 ammo without any problems.However the last batch I bought was the exception the case ruptured on about half of the rounds that I fired in my 03-A3 springfield.
As I was starting to develope a bad flinch after 20 rounds (slow learner)I pulled the bullets for future use and scrapped the brass and powder.If I was going to store ammo for a long period I would start with new stuff.