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Centerfire Rifles - Semiautomatic or Gas Operated Centerfire rifles, carbines and other gas operated rifles. |
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#5
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Check for corrosion discoloration etc.
But like some to her said without firing it there's no sure way to tell. But if it's been stored properly there really shouldn't be any problems. There's ammo out there still being shot from ww2 and prior |
#6
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The condition of the packaging may be an indicator. Heat and moisture are the enemy of ammunition.
I have a spam can of Greek 30-06 ammo I got from the CMP that had rust bad enough to go through the can. This ammo is headstamped 70......from 1970. I figured the ammo would be in iffy condition. When I opened the can this past weekend, the ammo was in 20 round boxes and it all showed moisture damage. All ammo had light corrosion on it.......not enough to be structurally compromised, but the outside of the cases were not smooth and jammed in the enbloc clips of my Garand....also had some dead primers too. I fired off about 20 rounds and then stopped due to jamming. I took the rest of the ammo home and threw them in my tumbler for an hour or so and they are smooth now and will probably cycle fine if they have a live primer. |
#10
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Quote:
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Unless we keep the barbarian virtues, gaining the civilized ones will be of little avail. Oversentimentality, oversoftness, washiness, and mushiness are the great dangers of this age and of this people." Teddy Roosevelt I Hate California. |
#12
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30 years isn't all that long for ammo and appearance isn't going to tell you much: most current production Federal XM193 looks like it was made before the dawn of time (and is about as accurate as if it was…).
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#13
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I have a bunch of "White" Box Winchester 5.56 I bought at B&B sales back in the 80's. No special storage and it all shoots great. As long as its clean and not oily or corroded it should be fine. I shot some 30-06 my dad brought back with him from WWll and it shot fine.
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#14
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For the guys that think 30 year old ammo is old you guys must not have any milsurp guns. For milsurp ammo 30 years old is pretty new. I have stuff that is 75 years old that I shoot. There is lots of WWII ammo still out there.
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#16
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so I was doing some internet searching, and from what I read, heat isn't a big deal.. if the cartridge is still intact, and hasn't busted itself open, or popped itself off, it is pretty much fine
water on the otehr hand is no bueno |
#19
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OP just make sure the packaging does not have water damage, look for blue/green on the cases, ask to open one or two random rounds and check to see if the powder is clumped together, or is there is any green/blue inside the case
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#20
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I would visually inspect a few random rounds from a few random boxes..
I would also ask to shoot a few random rounds from a few boxes, if possible. Lastly, I would inquire about the original boxes they were stored in. If they were stored in the same box the entire time and the box isn't warped from moisture, etc., then you might be safe, but I'll agree CWDraco, I wouldn't buy 30 year old ammo its just not worth the safety worries....i mean, if i got 1k rounds for $5 i might consider it |
#22
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OP, how much and what price are you looking at?
If it's a large amount and the CPR is close to current market then balance the risk vs. savings. If we're talking 10k+ at .18 - 20cpr, then take a little time inspecting the entire lot and buy it all!! |
#23
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WCC is Western Cartridge Co by Olin/Winchester, MAL is Malaysian military.
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#24
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30 years old. That means it was manufactured in ~1986.
Personally, as long as the ammo looked fine, I wouldn't sweat it. I've bought plenty of milsurp ammo that was older than that. Some milsurp .308 ammo made in the 70's and 80's recently became available and I haven't heard of any issues with those. |
#25
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I've still got a buch of that too. If I remember it was under $2 per box of 20. During the last shortage I traded 40 boxes for a very nice old model Ruger Bearcat the guy had advertised for $400.
Last edited by M1NM; 06-12-2016 at 9:42 PM.. |
#26
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smokin good deal for new current ammo....30 cent per round..........roll your own 21 cents average to high.
30 year old milsurp 556 is nothing special or super accurate.........unknown ammo from a unknown person, honestly it would have to be cheaper than I could load it for. At 20 cents a round it better not be suspect in any way......... I think it was LAX that just had 556 reloads on sale for 250 per 1000............. I would need detailed history from the fella for loose rounds in 50 cal can......when did you get them, where have they been stored, have you shot any, did you have any problems.........I would imagine him to be on the up and up, he is selling some one a bunch of ar ammo, not a deal where you want to piss off the buyer...just sayin. |
#27
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Quote:
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#28
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Unless the ammunition was baked in an oven it should be just fine. Like others have testified, I have shot pre-WW1 ammo and it all went bang. 30 year old ammo is nothing, age wise.
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#29
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I've got a bunch of the MAL -83 ammo that I shoot with regularity, I think mine is one month newer (5-83 vintage). Given how I usually shoot Wolf or Tula, I consider that stuff my 'good' ammunition.
__________________
NRA Life Member CRPA Life Member Registration is the first step towards confiscation. I identify as Non-Bidenary |
#30
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Yea, I don't like buying that newer crap either. But, it's getting harder to find 1960's vintage 5.56 now so, I might have to lower my standards and buy newer ammo.
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NRA Certified Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun and Metallic Cartridge Reloading Instructor California DOJ Certified Fingerprint Roller Ventura County approved CCW Instructor Utah CCW Instructor Offering low cost multi state CCW, private basic shooting and reloading classes for calgunners. CCW SAFE MEMBERSHIPS HERE KM6WLV |
#31
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Finally met the seller. The ammo all look fine. But two types of them just did not cycle well ---- they could not feed after 1st rd went off.
And after firing 5 rounds of the third type, I found a primer cap (I don't reload so I don't know what it is called.) fell off the spent casing and left in the upper. I shot more of the third type and did have any problem afterwards. So are the first two types under-powered? Last edited by mi4; 05-15-2016 at 8:05 PM.. |
#34
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Shoot all of it and then say you changed your mind.
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"If he won't walk, walk him...be nice" -Dalton WTS: 870 Barrel Clamp/Railed Mount http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/...af415fafe8.jpg |
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