I was handloading some mixed 45ACP brass and among them was a bunch of WCC headstamps which are military brass. They have a two digit number for the manufacturing year and I found ones in there as old as 1942 so someone had fired them only recently before they got swept up from the range floor and bagged to be sold as used brass.
My dad was in the Marine Corps 88-91 active and was in the reserves for a bit. He was an MP so he trained with the armorers to be able to operate every weapon on the base and found a box of m1903’s still in there. Then they still had .45 and .50 cal from 1945 they used.
I never really realized how new plastic shot shells where... Even though I knew that reliable plastic manufacturing didn't really come around till around the 50's I just never put it together... I would have guessed to late 20's or early 30's...
It the late 70s early 80s we were shooting ammo that had been inspected in 1946 and used mortar shells inspected in 1956. the C rations were not as good as the ammo.
Amen to that. Consumed some WWII C rats in 1980, the chocolate cake would be better used as a weapon than as sustenance, but then again, maybe it was that bad when it was fresh in 1944.
I have found, through years of experience, that the life expectancy of a box of ammo is (about) 30 minutes after one opens the box. Storage time equals 1 hour after purchase. :-)
The only way to make sure it lasts, is to buy it in bulk, like the 50 pack of pudding when you gave 4 sons... Buy 20 boxes at a time, at different "grocery stores" all over town. 😀
"It came in these nice little brown paper packages tied up with string, which yes, are one of my favorite things". Am I the only one who finds these nice tidbits of comedy funny?
A whimsical measure on his part I'm sure for the exact purpose of showing off his instrument of which he would then use to make the music known well to firearms fans
@@BigBWolf90 it's so if you're forced to open your trunk in a vehicle inspection they dont see a weapons bag/case and change the whole nature of the stop. It also makes transporting it to and from your car less obvious.
This is a late comment but I just saw this video and thought an experience I had in the year 2000 might be instructive for some. In that year, I assisted with transitioning a 685 officer police department from their Sig P226's in 9mm to the SIG Pro in .357 SIG. The two reasons for the change were 1) dismal performance in the then-available 147 grain load issued to patrol officers, and 2) the desire to equip the whole department with the same sidearm regardless of hand size. At the time the SIG Pro was the only duty pistol with interchangeable backstraps. The officers were brought in to the academy range in small groups, and each officer reported to the classroom where they unloaded their pistol with it pointed toward a bullet trap, and then emptied all of their individual rounds into large plastic buckets. Each officer was issued a total of 46 rounds, and no officer had ammunition that was more than 18 months old, most of it was less than a year old. They then turned in their P226, drew a new SIG Pro, and an appropriate holster. They were then walked onto the indoor range for practice and qualification with the new gun. Everyone left after that with a clean gun and brand new ammo. This resulted in having a bit more than 31,000 loose rounds of Federal Hydro Shok 147 grain JHP in buckets. We also got about 1,000 loose rounds of Hydro Shok 124 grain +P+ from SWAT officers guns, who were the only staff authorized to carry the hotter load. I ended up purchasing all of the loose rounds for use as practice ammo at an incredibly low price. Since I was using it for practice ammo in my training school, I put it in 50 round baggies (with the help of some kids with time on their hands) and kept track of it. Of the 147 grain loads, I had just over 400 that failed to go off when an attempt was made to fire them. I had no misfires of any kind with the 124 grain loads from the SWAT guns. This was a failure rate of approximately 1.3% in the ammo actually being carried by the patrol officers, 0% for the SWAT guys. It was interesting to note that some of the patrol ammo clearly had lubricant on it, likely from the interior of an over-oiled P226. The other difference is that at the time, the patrol officers only had to qualify once a year (a few had missed a cycle) but the SWAT guys shot every other month and drew new ammo after each shoot. So this is a long winded way of saying that ammo may not really degrade with age under reasonable storage conditions in the factory box, but once you put it in your daily carry gun and expose it to extremes of temperature and humidity, not to mention certain types of lubricant that may be in your gun, in my opinion, that changes things. And things can happen with even top quality ammunition. Since that experience, I've made it a practice to advise people who carry daily to shoot their carry ammo at least once a year and load with fresh cartridges, and for police officers and other armed professionals to do so every time they qualify. For them that ends up being every six months usually. They tend to be a bit harder on their guns than civilians. Unless you are Paul Harrell, you probably don't stand out in the rain with your gun on regularly, but cops do. So I like to tell my civilian students, "Once it's in the gun, it's good for one" meaning years. It is a relatively small expense, so why take a chance? Just my experience, your mileage may vary.
Thank you for making us smarter. 24 years with DOJ law enforcement, heard about the lube on ammo, but usually replaced carry ammo (HST 147 gr) with 115 tmj for qualifying. Put the HST back in the magazine. DUH.. I'll shoot it up at least annually. Thanks.
I follow a similar routine and replace my carry ammo every 6 months. Every Thanksgiving and every birthday in May. Buying two boxes of carry ammo for each caliber carried in the course of the year ends up being a $100 a year so I think that's cheap insurance for the peace of mind factory fresh ammo that I'm relatively sure will go BANG!! when I pull the trigger..
I love your sense of humor. Sometimes I'm laughing so hard I have to pause the video. It also helps that you know your stuff, I'm ex military, M16 qualified in 1973 and an hobby re-loader/shooter since then. I don't believe in experts, but you certainly know a whole lot more than I do and I enjoy the way you present it. You're a great reviewer Paul, keep it up !
When is ammo too old? When you can't remember what it is, or when you can't remember where you put it, or when you can't remember which end goes in first..
Stephen Russell So true! I laugh when the gun range owner or Gun and Ammo dealer says to shoot all your ammo once it reaches a year old. My father had a .380 ACP (a.k.a. 9mm short) back in the late 60s-70s. My father told me stories of how it had a hair trigger and was too dangerous , so when I was born he sold it to someone that was willing to get it worked on. The gun has long since been gone, but I still have a small box of his old ammo with about a dozen or so rounds left. It was handled and is very tarnished, but not corroded at all and was always kept indoors. Would probably shoot just fine. Since my father passed away in 07 and I don't have anything much of his, since the gun was sold eons ago, I will just keep the ammo in the box just as I found it and have it for a keepsake. The box is in great condition for as old as it is. It is old Super Vel hollow points in a still bright yellow box with red lettering. Strange keepsake I know, but my father fired expert in the Army and I only took up shooting and bought my first pistol, a year or two after he passed. I missed the opportunity of going with my Dad target shooting or any kind of hunting at all. He talked of firearms and taught me all the rules of handling though. I just can't bring myself to get rid of it. As silly as it is, I am gonna keep it.
dtnetlurker I know the feeling. Keep two Japanese carbines and samurai sword in the best shape I could the past 34 years since my dad passed. Just felt I would let him down if I didn't. Respect...
I had some 1937 dated 8mm Mauser. About 5% wouldn't fire. I pulled a bullet from one that didn't fire, not a spec of powder in there. The rest ran fine
I once saw a guy demonstrating some old guns from the 1870's and 1880's. He had ammo from that era as well. At that time it would have 100+ years old and it fired without any problems.
@@RockyMountainWest13 no I think he had one video where he'd found some old school ammo. But my point was it's not particularly the round. Ammo doesn't go bad so long as treated half way decent
I was given a nearly full case of mid 1960's vintage Remington-Peters 12ga that had been stored in an unventilated garage attic in Houston, Texas for 41 years at temperatures varying from the below freezing to "hot as hell" and humidity usually at 70 to 100%. I didn't trust it so I gave it away after telling the new owner the situation. He and his boys shot over 400 rounds and said it shot 100%.
me and my pops was Sitting on the porch having a beer. While getting are Peter's sucked off by are old ladys. just Shooting some rusty barrel with holes in it from all thoes bonfire we had for no reason But more Shooting. He said i can't reload and shoot the berrel before he can shoot his wife And i said how? And right before i shot. He sprung up and Yelled. but when he yelled He jizzed on his Old lady. POPS WAS RIGHT AGAIN!
I loaded a variety of 9mm rounds myself in the mid to late 70s. I still have a few of those rounds left and still fire a few occasionally, including last summer.. Of the hundreds of rounds loaded and fired in the ensuing decades, there has not been a single failure.
I have an old 1921 vintage 1903 Springfield rifle which my dad picked up in the mid '50s, and a several ammo boxes of Korean War vintage ball ammo in 30-06 that Dad picked up around the same time. This was several years before I was born (in 1960). Last time I was at the local range it not only shot 100% but using the '03 peep sight I was able to hit the 200 yard 8" steel gong target 20 times in a row. I stopped at 20 (quit while I'm ahead and the boys impressed). I still have one ammo can left of this ammo as well as several boxes of ball and commercial 38 Special ammo from the mid '50s to the early '60s. I have complete confidence they will fire when the trigger is pulled. Thanks for the great video!
I went through more than a thousand rounds of WW2 30-06 and it was all fine, for the most part. But I had some older ammo, nickel plated cases marked WRA 1903 and those were another matter. 75% of them fired, but ALL of them had a half second hang fire. The rest were mostly duds, although now and then there would be one with a minute or two hang fire, those would just pop on the ground and surprise a guy. WATCH OUT FOR WW1 AMMO! Don't use it in something like an M1 Garand, you'll destroy the gun. The original WW1 "M1" loading turned out to be too hot, and was easily capable of exceeding the maximum allowable range considered when they made the shooting ranges. So they reduced the loading to keep the range down to what was acceptable to them, called the M2 loading, and tried to burn off all the M1 ammo they had. It's okay for a Springfield, or an M1917 Enfield, or bolt action rifles, generally, but WW1 M1 ammo will completely destroy any kind of automatic like a Garand or a BAR. Those were designed later, with only the M2 loading being taken into consideration! And since I have nearly explained the whole thing already, here is why they phased out 30-06 in favor of the 308: consider that the now standard M2 loading of the 30-06 is already a reduced load for the case, and consider that more powerful powders are available, the 308 is more than 90% of an M2 30-06 loading, which is insignificant, but in a more compact package. It has close enough to the same power, but less weight and all the other advantages of a smaller cartridge.
@@alanbud5181 No, they had the venerable M1903 Springfield, and more commonly, my favorite bolt action rifle, the M1917 "Enfield". But they found that the original 1906 "M-1" loading for the .30-06 was easily capable of exceeding the maximum safe range of the shooting ranges they had, so they reduced it a bit to compensate, and that became the standard "M-2" loading. M-1 loads can damage later weapons like the Garand. That being said, after WW2, with the new, more powerful powders they had developed, they found they could get 90% of the power of the M-2 loading in a shorter case that could be used in a 3" action, and that's the 7.62x51 or .308.
Very scientific analysis, thanks for making this. I can't tell you enough I value your skepticism throughout the video -- it shows you truly considered all the potential variables and were not disillusioned into thinking we had more than enough data (you talking about what would've been required for a true empirical study at the beginning) to declare this a clear cut and dry case. Most people like their answers in black and white, all wrapped up in a tidy box, easy to digest... But you acted like a true researcher by addressing the grey area, which in my eyes makes your video that much more credible. Awesome work, and thanks again for taking the time.
I purchased some 9mm that a guys day brought back from Germany after WWII. For the history I wanted to keep it but curiosity got the better of me. I picked up 80 rounds of the 9mm and 30 rounds of some old .308 the father had purchased back before he died. I know the 308 was from the 60's as the father was a hunter and he passed in 68. The kids knew nothing from hunting or guns so sold the guns after the father passed. They found the ammo about 2 months ago while cleaning up the garage. We live in the desert of Nevada! The brass was all green and the ammo was all greasy. Well I cleaned up the ammo with some Ballistol and shot the 30 extra 9mm rounds. They fired great! No malfunctions and were actually a lot of fun as they seemed a bit hotter than my normal Blazer and Federal ammo. Oh I also got 300 .22 rounds with these. Shot most all of the 22 without any issues. Just FYI
"We live in the" And there ends ur comment. I see this more and more often now here on RU-vid... what are they doing that comments get chopped off even if u click on "Read more"?
This time it worked for me, this is what he said: "We live in the desert of Nevada! The brass was all green and the ammo was all greasy. Well I cleaned up the ammo with some Ballistol and shot the 30 extra 9mm rounds. They fired great! No malfunctions and were actually a lot of fun as they seemed a bit hotter than my normal Blazer and Federal ammo. Oh I also got 300 .22 rounds with these. Shot most all of the 22 without any issues. Just FYI"
After watching your video, I feel a little bit more confident about my two bricks of 1970's .22 LR ammo. Back then I think I paid about $8 per brick of 500 rounds on sale. Thanks for the upload.
Have recently fired approx 100 rounds of .44mag hand loaded in 1977 without a single misfire. It's been kept in relatively cool garage and the only thing I notice is a little more smoke than usual when the shell casing is extracted. Also have been using some old .22lr, I don't know the exact vintage but the boxes are labeled at 78 cents each and not a single misfire. Hope this helps the discussion.
I may be only 29, but I am an old soul. I like the contents of your videos as well as your style and interest of firearms. Keep it rolling and always be real. Thanks
I'm 17 but people say i'm just an old man in a teenagers body. Although I consider myself as more of a traditionalist than anything. I very much love these videos along with his unique style. Thanks for the video Paul, stay safe
trololol naw screw cable. RU-vid is where it’s at. Free and as long as it has to be to teach us. Cable has too many restrictions on content (like what can be said and how long you have to talk)
I love this guy! I've learnt truck-loads in a few days of binge watching his videos as I gear up for the looting that I see coming in the next few months. March 2020.
The oldest ammo I own is 3k rounds of 7.62x51 Malaysian Military surplus from the early 80s. They shoot just fine, and true too. Take it easy, Paul. Congrats on a million subs, well deserved. Better late than never!
I have a Remington Rolling Block in .43 Spanish. Someone gave me a box of Remington ammo dated 1892, black powder loads. I fired all ten rounds with no problems and they were accurate too
I'm still shooting some 60+ year old 30-06 from Lake City in my M-1 Garand. No problems. I've also shot some very old 303 British...if it's kept well, it will last a long time.... re: C- rations...we were still getting some 35 year old C-rats in the early 70s.
I had several boxes of PMC .223 Rem that I bought in florida in the 1980s. That ammo spent years in the trunk of my car and attics in Florida and Georgia (humidity, cold, and heat). Three years ago I shot that ammo and it performed flawlessly. So this ordinary quality ammo survived 30 years of storage in less than ideal conditions.
had 9mm umc 115gr from 93. 45 rd out of box of 50. been in attic in va for 23 yrs.hot humid summer's and cold winters .took it to the range and shoot flawless.
I have found that it is typically rimfire ammunition that goes bad. I think it is from the loose fit between the bullet and the case. I’ve had several instances where an entire box would not shoot after being stored for several years. I took three boxes of “plastic tray” 100 round .22lr out to shoot. Not one round in 300 rounds (3 different brands) would cycle the slide on my pistol and some would not fire. It had been stored inside but in an old house that was not air-conditioned. Additionally I’ve found that gun lubricant will ruin a 22 bullet if the bullet is left inside the chamber. One other note, if your ammunition brass has corrosion in spots, it is weaker and is likely to rupture when fired. I’ve seen this on centerfire ammunition of rifle calibers and also shotgun shells. I recently had a shotgun shell stick in the chamber after a rupture in my double barrel 12 gauge. I had to take the shotgun apart to remove the stuck round because the extractor slipped over the case lip.
in 2012 i took a small sack of 30-06 ammo out of a detachable trunk on a 1928 buick stored in our barn.....my late uncle put them there when he came home from army air corp in 1934 (43 rounds) ......most were dated 1914, a few 1912 and a few more 1915.....we used them all for target practice only....(did not trust them) ......all 43 were good and accurate....but somewhat dirty (if i remember correctly the ammo was "frankfort arsenal")....when i served in usmc in korea in 52-1953 most/all of our ammo was 1943- 45.....so i believe it would safe to say modern day ammo (1970 to present would be reliable for a 120+ yrs. in my opinion.......what do you think??
There's a guy on RU-vid who shot a box of WW2 era military .45acp ball ammo and it shot fine. I think that as long as the powder doesn't get wet it will last forever.
When I served in the Army, we had to qualify with both sidearms (M1911A1) in .45ACP, our Crew Served (?) guns (M3A1), also in .45ACP as well as ubiquitous M16 in several variants, not to mention the REAL Crew Served weapons like the Main Gun of our tanks plus the Coaxial mounted 7.62X51mm machinegun and the .50BMG machinegun as well. WHAT A HOOT! WRT the .45ACP anmo, I saw some boxes, which we removed out of metal ammo cans, sealed with wires which were themselves sealed with a lead seal, and the cardboard boxes were all dated in the early 1940's, as long as we picked from the same container. As we expended ammo and got into different LOTS, the dates would change, some older some newer, but always in the early to mid 1940's. My point being that I never once saw or experienced an "Alibi", dud, cook off or otherwise less than perfect discharge of the ammo while we went about our qualifications courses, including with the Full Auto M3A1. Pull the trigger and get a satisfying "BANG" for your efforts. I couldn't tell you the conditions the ammo was stored in, outside of being in sealed metal ammo cans with those secured inside of a wooden crate, but I suspect the US Gubment, in its actual intelligence, DID, in fact, properly store the ammo in a cool and dry ammo bunker somewhere nearby in case we actually had to get it and head off to war at a moments notice. Mind you I was enlisted during the "Cold War" from 1978 to 1982, most of which was spent overseas in West Germany (now part of the EU, sadly) then a couple more years in the AZ ANG in Arizona, naturally. So I tend to think that there are SOME things the gubment gets right. At least in the ammo department since lousy ammo can literally mean the difference between winning wars or not and a LOT of dead soldiers as a consequence. So if anybody has any really old ammo they want to divest themselves of because they are skeered of it, let me know and I'll send you my address. It may just make BOTH of us happier people. LOL Overnout
Wait, did you say store some in a "BASEMENT" in LOUISIANA?? we do have "BASEMENTS" here in Louisiana but we pronounce them "Swimming Pools"!! A basement in Louisiana, now that's funny!! Keep up the great videos. 🙏⛪🇺🇸MAGA🇺🇸⛪🙏
Totally unpredictable. In 1993 I bought a 1200 round crate of .308 made by S&B in 1982 and the squib count was already very high; about 1 in 10. Pulling it down revealed the Berdan primed cases often had the powder stuck in them, the grains having become oily looking and clotted together. After-rust formed in my M1A barrel from shooting it, despite normal cleaning, initiated by the nitric and nitrous acid breakdown products in it (the primers were non-corrosive, which I proved by testing later). Contacting S&B they said they have never computerized their records from "the iron curtain days", so they couldn't give me information on who it was made for or where it went originally. The FMJ bullets had 2 mil copper plating over a soft steel jacket, like 7.62, but the cases were headstamped .308, so I expect it was a 7.62 substitute and so labeled because it wasn't coming from a NATO country and may not have met some of the compatibility requirements (the cases were pretty light). Following up that ammo-encounter, I looked more closely into what can go wrong. I learned that with bulk powders, military arsenals in the U.K. (and, presumably, other NATO countries like ourselves) will stockpile ammunition made with single-base powders for 45 years and those made with double and triple base powders for just 20 years. They breakdown more easily. The U.S. Navy did a study with M80 7.62 NATO ammunition loaded with double-base spherical propellant in which they aged it 18 months at 140°F and found the pressure went from about 48,000 CUP to 72,000 CUP (yeah, I know; the military calls it psi by copper crusher instead of using SAAMI's CUP, but it's the same thing). It turned out the acidic breakdown products were destroying the deterrent coatings in that powder faster than the rest of the nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin with the result they got a slightly weakened powder but with a much higher burning rate than it originally had. Online you can find photos of an M1 Garand blown apart, including the receiver ring, by 1947 U.S. Army surplus powder that apparently suffered this problem. At the other extreme, I know folks who've fired M1 Ball made in the 1920s and '30s. Another person here mentioned using some cordite loads. I have concluded that if you could keep ammo in a deep freeze from the day it was new, it would probably last several lifetimes. One other thing to keep in mind: Water molecules are the smallest molecules there are. A surface that looks mirror-polished to the eye can look like a collection of hills and valleys to a water molecule. As a result, Norma's 2013 hardcover manual points out that whatever humidity you store ammo in, over about a period of a year the powder inside equalizes to the water content level it would have had if it were stored in that humidity all along. Norma says that going from high relative humidity to very dry raises powder burn rate about 12%. So it is actually not a good idea to keep loaded ammunition in a sealed bag with a desiccant. Powder is stored in the 40-70% RH range (depending on the maker) and loads are developed in manuals with it that way. 50% is generally where you want to keep ammo to prevent corrosion, so keep it there all the time.
I've fired .30-06 rounds from WWI, and they worked great. Kicked like a mule. It was stored in my grandpa's closet, in their air conditioned house. He had it buried under old moisture packets from his vitamin pill bottles. Like hundreds of moisture packets.
Paul ...slightly confused....re: the squib round - was the projectile still seated? I had a squib once(in a semi-auto carbine). fortunately I recognized the sound and didn't pull the trigger again......yep, bullet was in the barrel....rammed it out and continued with the range session. since you didn't inspect the barrel I assume the round was intact.............JRW
A squib is a significantly underpowered round. Some people say it's only a squib if it's stuck in the barrel. In this case I knew it was way under powered because I felt the recoil, or lack of it. I knew the projectile was not lodged in the barrel because I saw it hit the target. If I hadn't seen the impact I would have checked the bore before continuing.
thanks...I thought that was the case ....................I really enjoy your take on firearms topics ....keep up the good work(Shattneresque pauses and all)........JRW
I know glock 17 is strong , I shot 2 slugs out with one shot ........ I didn't know till later , no sign the shot was too hot & gun is a tack driver ! Check your barrel folks !!
I'm 70 now and renewing and reviewing my Firearms knowledge. Perhaps the Biggest Mistake us old times do is think we're the same 27 year old who often punched holes in paper and screw up and do harm or worse! You, I do like! Thank you for you excellent Effort!
*Wish I knew back when Moses wore shorts and I was a young cop, carried my model 10 .38 service revolver and every two years would shoot off quality ammo!* 😵
I was cleaning out my Grandpa's closet in the spring of 2014, my Grandpa died in 1992. I found his old hunting vest with 20ga shot shells in the shot shell loops, at least 20. I was born in 1980 and to my memory my Grandpa hadn't gone hunting in my life time, he was 77 when I was born. I loaded those 20ga shot shells in my JW Coach 20ga shotgun and I fired. They dirtied up the barrels but were affective against the target, a laundry soap container. 7 years after finding the shells I have about half of them still, I plan on shooting them as well. Post Script; I'm binge watching Paul Harrell videos because he's quite honestly the best youtube channel.
The same guy who told me "there's no such thing as a .357 magnum M1911"... Very authoritatively informed me "I'm wasting my money stockpiling ammo because ammunition can not be kept for more then 6 months"
SilverStar Heggisist lol. Wow how incorrect he is. A friend gave me 22lr last year that was 25 years old. It sat in a desk drawer all its life. I shot 35 rounds and they all went bang. If it's stored in normal climates and kept dry it'll last many many years.
I really enjoy your channel. You have a many varied and diverse amount of topics not covered on other sites. Always good information here, as well as expertly explained and demonstrated.
or in a z corr bag. The bag has chemical fumes in it somehow and preserves the ammo damn near forever but, every time you open that bag its loses some small amt of effectiveness.
All 1,850 rounds of 1936 Turk 8mm Mauser ammo worked just fine. If you have steel cased ammo from WWII, it could possibly be dangerous to shoot because the cases corrode from the inside and get thin weak spots, and you may experience casing failure when it's fired. The type of casing, the sealant used to seal the primers and bullet joints, and powder type all have an impact on casing longevity. The biggest factor seems to be the quality of the ammo when it was made. How ammo is stored with regard to temperature and moisture conditions is very important to extending its life for decades.
I've fired 30-06 that was in a Minnesota garage for at least 20 years. No issues there but the brass was corroded and not worth keeping. I've also fired shotgun shells that were left in a leaking barn. The steel bottoms were all rusty, but zero failed to fire.
My grandpa gave me some 25+ year old Remington thunderbolt 22 ammo. Honestly in my opinion the 25+ year old stuff shoots better than the new stuff. But that's just the way I see it.
that makes perfect sense to me. back in the day like that the rem thunderbolt was the deepest penetrating 22 lr round you could get, ive shot alot of it. now a days remington seems to have occasional qc issues
I have some old Belgian nato 7.62x51 that's been in the same plastic bag since the '90s. One of those bags that has a handle on each end and is made of the same green plastic as mres. Since it has a handle, I've kept it to grab on the run like bugout ammo. I keep my stuff in a safe, but I always wondered how long it would last. Thank you for giving me more confidence in that ammo, jic.
Been watching a bunch of your videos;...bored); I admire your accuracy and your videos seem honest. The humor is quite entertaining as well. Thumbs up.
A partial box of 20 gauge Hawthorn ammo purchased at Wards in 1971 came out of an old trunk last year. Storage included a decade of temps ranging from Summer temps of 110° to Winter temps averaging 45°f. High base and heavy hitting to begin with, three successive rounds sprang the action of my H&R single shot open, allowing the barrel to drop down and surprising me in the biggest way! Three was plenty enough: I cut the remaining shells open to save the shot and kept the bases with wads in place to work as noise making props to drive woodpeckers away from the house and garden. The rims showed small peirced points in their rims but no visible rust or defects. DOUG out
I bought some 303 that was about one hundred years old, and some of it would still shoot (some had hang fires) so I pulled the bullets and put them in good cases with good primers and Bam!!! I was back in business (: . The bullets were the ones with a wooden tip, (the wooden tip would cause the bullet to tumble and do more damage to the target) I still have some of these today.
I thought the wooden bullets were blanks/training rounds as they would leave the barrel of the rifle as splinters.. Are they still a metal bullet with just a wooden point? I've never seen bullets like that and would love to see a picture :D
zero accuracy with bullet tumbling ......all the damage in the world is feckless unless you hit target......tumbling bullets immediately lose velocity....
You know....as a new firearm owner, old ammo is not a problem for me. But you know what this video made me think about? How I store my ammo. Thanks again, Paul.
My dad brought home some German 9mm ammo from his stint in the army in WW2. It has been stored in his attic in Georgia since then. The attic is not climate controlled and is vented to the outside. Temps in the summer can be well over 110 degrees, and in the winter it has seen temps in the single digits on rare occasions, with generally high humidity. It was stored in it's original cardboard packaging, in another cardboard box. I fired about 200 rounds and they all fired fine.
I came across some boxes of old US Military Frankfort Arsenal 45-70 that were manufactured in 1892. Date came from both head stamp and pasteboard box. Huge unpatched lead bullets in what looked like tin or nickel plated brass. How long they were stored in Arizona? Best guess is a real long time. One box had only five rounds, so I fired all those in a modern Marlin model 1895 (did not want to use one of the trapdoor 1873 rifles in case of bad luck). Impressive smoke (black powder smell) and recoil, but flawless performance. Still have four boxes with two of those still sealed.
Good question. I have a bunch of surplus .45ACP head stamped FA42 and WCC43. I have run through almost a thousand rounds of it and so far every one worked. They were used shooting IDPA and IPSC and since the primers are crimped others picked up the brass. Corrosive primers but cleaning is simple, and the price was right less than a nickle a round.
I’m 67 years old and still shooting .30-06 ammo I helped my Dad load in 1962 when I was 7. It’s all M2 ball equivalent stuff, in en bloc clips for my Garands. It’s been stored in bandoliers in ammo cans, kept in crates on the floor of the closet, and looks like it did when it was loaded 60 years ago. I also recently fired some .380 ACP factory ammo stored in an old drawer in a damp basement with no protection that was bought in 1940. All of it was corroded and green, and the box literally fell apart. I wiped the green crud off it to get it to chamber in a Colt 1908 pocket pistol and 48 of the 50 rounds fired. Moisture and temp extremes are the enemy of ammo, and I’ve never had any ammunition I cared for at all “go bad.” By the way, the misfired round in your 7.62x25 wasn’t a squib load, or the round would have been stuck in the barrel, and when you cleared the case and fired another round your barrel would have blown out. You always manually clear the brass and look down the barrel after a no powder / low powder squib to check for an obstruction. If it fired normally and the bullet left the barrel and you were able to manually eject the brass, then it was an ejection failure, not a squib. Just saying, thanks. 🤔😉
Some people use "squib" to refer to severely underpowered rounds, whether the bullet gets stuck in the bore or not. In such cases, the bullet may fire with sufficient force to clear the barrel, but not fire in a way anyone would consider to be firing "normally." Consider a situation where the bullet is travelling slowly enough that you can, with your unaided eye, watch it fall to the ground just a few yards out from the muzzle. Ammunition like that has a very high likelihood of leaving a projectile stuck in the bore, but isn't necessarily guaranteed to do so. I'm not saying that's definitely what happened to Paul here. Just saying that might maybe be the context he's using "squib" rather than the "bullet universally gets stuck in the bore" context.
@@Kaelland Well, I’ll have to concede the point, as that makes sense to me. I hadn’t considered a squib to be anything but a dud round which bullet never makes it out of the barrel, but your definition makes better sense. Otherwise a round that makes it 1’ out of the barrel and falls to the ground would have to be lumped in with a normally shooting load, which it isn’t. I’ll defer to Paul then who knows best about what he experienced, and use your definition going forward, as it’s a better distinction of what’s happening. You’re never too old to learn so I appreciate the insight! 👍
With all of the concealed carry going on today, the issue of storing ammo in a revolver exposes it to the cleaning and oiling products used in the weapon. Recommendations back in the 60's recommended not trusting it after about six months because those products could get into the primers creating duds.
