Old Ammo

[CWarmouth]

Hey Folks,

What's the best way to deal with old ammo. I have a box of .35 Remingtons, some Remington shotgun shells, some Winchester shotgun shells, and some J.C. Higgins shotgun shells. They are 30+ years old. The .35 shells are probably older. Are they safe to shoot? Should I just let them sit around and collect dust or should they be disposed of in some way? Somebody told me to soak them in kerosene. Any thoughts?

Carl

[Wulfman]

First of all, I'm sure that it's all "safe" to shoot.
Plastic shotgun shells will virtually last forever. Paper shotgun shells, if they aren't swollen from humidity or split would be shootable, too. Rifle ammo also has a long shelf life.

However, for me, personally, I prefer to squirrel that stuff away as "collector's items". I don't "collect" cartridges, per se, (but there are a lot of people who do) but I have a lot of old stuff that I've hung onto because "they don't make it like that anymore".


Den

[John Gyde]

I have some plastic shotgun ammo that has burst near the base. I also have a hundred rounds or so of old corroded rifle ammo. My don't have my old bullet puller any more. Is there anything I can soak the ammo in to make it safe to dispose of???

[Wulfman]

I have some plastic shotgun ammo that has burst near the base. I also have a hundred rounds or so of old corroded rifle ammo. My don't have my old bullet puller any more. Is there anything I can soak the ammo in to make it safe to dispose of???

Well, there are exceptions to what I stated above.....

Do you have a reloading press, or have a friend who does? (with the appropriate shell holder)

Depending on whether a person wanted to salvage the bullets, the loaded round can be inserted in the reloading press (with no die in it)......ran up and then using a pliers or something to grip the bullet with......then as it is gripped above the top of the press, raise the lever and pull the the bullet out on the down-stroke. I've used that method a few times (when I made a boo-boo loading some rounds) because I've never owned a bullet puller.

As I was typing that, I also envisioned the possibility of using a bench vise.....putting the neck of the cartridge in the vise and using a chisel to just split the neck so the bullet could be twisted loose......then the powder could be dumped out. I've never tried that, but I don't know why it wouldn't work. You wouldn't be near the primer and it shouldn't be able to cause a spark since the case and bullet are brass and copper.


I don't recall reading of what a person could use to soak them in, though.


Den

[BrotherRockeye]

if they don't show any signs of distress I'd keep em.
as Wulfman said-they don't make em like that any more.
I have some full old dominion boxes that collectors would fight over.


if they appear unsafe then stand them in light oil(sewing machine,diesel,kerosene)for a bit to contaminate the primer so it won't go boom.(the oil from your fingers can dud a primer)
it's a reloaders trick if you ever seat a primer backwards-bin there,dun it
if you don't like that and the bullets aren't an issue use the vise trick as stated,but clamp the bullet in the vise and just "bend" the case off it.You might need a box end wrench for enough leverage

[CWarmouth]

OK, couple more questions... When you say it's corroded, or if it appears unsafe, shows signs of distress, etc. how do you know how bad is bad. If the .35 shells are brownish and have a few spots of green corrosion on them, is there anything that would make them un-shootable? The reason I'm asking all this is just because I think it would be cool to get a deer with this old gun loaded with old ammo. What I DON"T want to have happen is to squeeze the trigger and have nothing happen, then unexpectedly go off.

[John Gyde]

I have left some extra ammo in my uninsulated garage for many years. I plumb forgot about it. When it surfaced I noticed that some of it was badly corroded. There was no doubt in my mind that it could not be salvaged.

There is still old ammo to be found that is in good condition. I would look at gun shows. Make sure it's not reloads since the origin of those can't be determined. I would not shoot hi-power ammo with any corrosion on the brass. I'm not a chemist, but it seems to me that the brass has to have been weakened.

[remington600]

I know everyone on this forum is here to help, but it would be pretty stupid and irresponsible to tell CWarmouth that his ammo is probably safe to shoot. Its a major liability. For one someones idea of bad corosion might not be the same as someone elses. We don't even know the type of situations this ammo was stored in for even the last 6 months. The only answere here is to shoot at your own risk. If there is any doubt its not worth shooting them. Older 35 Remingtons are easy to find. I would just buy another box. I am also curious what your idea of old is. Post a picture.

[Wulfman]

I was also suggesting that they be relegated to "collector" status. Just because they may chamber and fire, doesn't necessarily mean they SHOULD be. Heck, I've got some (REALLY) "old" stuff that I'm sure is "safe" to fire, too......but that doesn't mean I WOULD use it.
I had a batch of Remington large rifle primers, years ago, that occasionally suffered pin-hole ruptures in the corners. After a few of them burned holes in the bolt face of my .25-06, I decided there was a problem with them and bought new ones. I've also had a couple of (literally) new (7mm Mag) cases blow pin-holes out of the front of the belt in the side of the case......apparently they had a weak spot there. I've also had a couple of Magnum cases completely rupture ahead of the belt......and that didn't really hurt anything (it was a Remington 721 that had been rechambered as a .308 Norma Mag......but whoever did that work long before I got it, had run the reamer in too deep......so, after I acquired it and experienced the case ruptures, I had a knowledgeable gunsmith set the barrel back, rechamber and reblue it.....I refinished the stock.....and it's a nice looking gun now) .
The point I'm trying to make with those examples is that there can be any number of reasons for leaks and failures in cartridges besides them being "old" or corroded.....and doesn't mean that "appearances" can be the exclusive indicator of how a cartridge will or won't perform when the firing pin hits the primer. Additionally, if there should happen to be a case "failure", it's not a foregone conclusion that the rifle will be (seriously) damaged or the shooter injured. However, it's not necessarily a good idea to tempt fate.

The "green corrosion" could be caused by carrying the ammo in a leather cartridge case or belt loops. I've also seen some cases do that after coming in contact with Hoppe's #9 Solvent. That's not uncommon to see those scenarios. It should also wipe off fairly easily.

Another problem with "old" ammo is that the case neck and bullet can become "adhered" (stuck like glue) to each other and produce erratic results when fired.

Cruddy, greasy firing pins can also cause a gun to not fire when the trigger is pulled. Cold temps can cause some gun oils to gel and prevent the firing pin from reaching the primer (when you expect it to).

I prefer fresh ammo when I go hunting.


Den

[BrotherRockeye]

that was a fine post Wulfman!