ammo shelf life

[pokeyman]

I was wondering what is the shelf life of an ammo and what is the best way to store ammo so it would have a longer shelf life?

[koehn,jim]

I have some ammo made in 1917 for one of my 98 mausers and they work just fine. The ammo needs to be kept at a fairly constant temp and low humidity and it will last longer than you would think. the army snipers are using 50 caliber made during WW2

[boingo]

This comes up very frequently on a lot of similar forums. What Jim said is pretty much the consensus, although I have also heard that concerns over humidity are a little over-blown (so long as it isn't unprotected steel case ammo). As long as you don't leave it out for years in the rain, for instance your ammo should be fine. More precisely, storing it indoors will keep it good to go for longer than you will be.

[JagerDog]

Cool and dry = 50+ years.

[SamIAm]

You'll either be dead or have shot it before it goes bad.

I fired some WW2 surplus ammo in the mid 1990's. Still went bang after 50 years.

[Wrangler John]

Store ammo in plastic containers, preferably with a lid, http://www.sterilite.com/ProductCate...y=17&section=1 and toss one of these in each container: http://www.amazon.com/HYDROSORBENT-S...gel+desiccants

Follow the instructions to renew the silica periodically and the ammo will last longer than you.

[Mssr. Eleganté]

DUPE!!!

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?p=11132795

[Munk]

Functionally indefinite.

If you want to guarantee that it'll last nearly forever in almost all conditions just treat it like dry food storage:

- Use an ammo can with an airtight seal.
- Use some desiccant packs.

From there, anything that doesn't break the seal won't be able to hurt your ammo. You can bury the can, or stick it in a closet or whatever.

If you want to go pretty far overboard with preservation, you can pour some nitrogen into the can (not liquid... nitrogen is a heavy gas, and gently letting it flow into the can will displace the oxygen). The easiest way to make sure you get as much of the oxygen out is to get a large bucket, put the ammo can into the bucket, then start filling the can and bucket with nitrogen. You can test the displacement by trying to lower a candle or match very slowly into the bucket and see if the flame is extinguished. When it happens, just close the can up and you're good to go. (Danger: Do NOT do nitrogen in an enclosed space, you can suffocate without even realizing it. Immediately after sealing one can, head way, WAY away from the nitrogen you are handling and spend a few minutes there, outside.)

[Rover]

Your great grandkids will be dead before it goes bad. Don't worry about it.

[sixgunner]

I have some Rimfire 38 thats i am pretty sure was made in the 1860's. Most of it shot fine a few didnt.

[classwarfare]

I recently came across some .243 that I loaded in the late 60s. No special handling. I schlepped it through God knows how many moves. Stuff shot great. Much better than factory.

[knucklehead0202]

got a bunch of '20s production 7.65 argentine. about 1 in 5 went bang, even though it all looked good. sealed primers and bullets. none went bang on 2nd or 3rd strike either, just total duds. pulled a lot of bullets. they weight out at about 186gr so i'll work up a load after i buy another arg mauser. sold all mine but have lots of brass and ammo still.

[SonofWWIIDI]

Climate and humidity are the key. If you store it as mentioned above, sealed container with desiccant, indoors at room temperature it will last a very long time.

I have also heard of people sealing it in plastic bags using a food saver, or putting a hand warmer in the ammo can when you seal it to eat the oxygen (if you don't want to go the nitrogen route). Never tried this myself, but a quick search will probably turn up some who have. Good luck!

[DelDanko]

i was in iraq loading 50cal ammo made for vietnam useing an M-2 made in a GM factory for WW2. pretty awesome. but yes ammo last longer than you will

[JagerDog]

got a bunch of '20s production 7.65 argentine. about 1 in 5 went bang, even though it all looked good. sealed primers and bullets. none went bang on 2nd or 3rd strike either, just total duds. pulled a lot of bullets. they weight out at about 186gr so i'll work up a load after i buy another arg mauser. sold all mine but have lots of brass and ammo still.

The older priming compounds are much more likely to fail over time than the powder. Modern primers are pretty hardy as long as they are stored correctly.