I run accross some bricks of Remington 22 LR at a local Radio Shack store while on vacation. (wouldn't it be great if all Radio Shack stores carried guns and ammo?). Anyway the brick is just $15. The downside is the ammo is probably 20 years ago that the franchisees picked up at a estate sale. They are "High Velocity" and are "exclusive golden bullet" along with "Kleanbore priming" that is supposed to help keep the gun barrel "bright and clean". Can ammo go bad? Looks OK to me. Would you take a chance or let it pass?
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Q:Is ammo ever too old?
- Thread starter k9cougar
- Start date
carguychris
New member
Ammo can go bad if it is stored in a wet environment, or someplace subject to wide temperature swings that can cause condensation.
OTOH ammo that has been stored in a reasonably cool and dry environment can last for many decades, even for over a century. Most climate-controlled homes are perfectly fine for long-term storage.
If the rounds look nice and shiny and there's no sign that they've gotten wet, they should be fine.
OTOH ammo that has been stored in a reasonably cool and dry environment can last for many decades, even for over a century. Most climate-controlled homes are perfectly fine for long-term storage.
If the rounds look nice and shiny and there's no sign that they've gotten wet, they should be fine.
I've got .22 ammo older than that, shot it to compare with recent stuff and the old stuff shot better!
The old ammo was Rem. "Golden Bullet" plated, and the new was Thunderbolt with that wax-coated bullet.
The only bad .22's've seen have been range pickups, exposed to the weather.
All such were duds.
I'd grab all the ammo in that Radio Shack, just to protect them from possible prosecution for selling ammo without a license! (If you scare them bad enough, you might get a discount for the lot!)
-Edited to correct a spelling error. I know, I'm too anal.
The old ammo was Rem. "Golden Bullet" plated, and the new was Thunderbolt with that wax-coated bullet.
The only bad .22's've seen have been range pickups, exposed to the weather.
All such were duds.
I'd grab all the ammo in that Radio Shack, just to protect them from possible prosecution for selling ammo without a license! (If you scare them bad enough, you might get a discount for the lot!)
-Edited to correct a spelling error. I know, I'm too anal.
30-30remchester
New member
I harvester a buffalo a few years back with a cartridge loaded in the 1870's. The round went off like it was built yesterday. So if not corroded go ahead and shoot the stuff.
Mike Irwin
Staff
I've fired 100+-year-old ammunition, Spencer .56-56, with no problems other than about 30% failure rate.
Another opinion on that:
It might be worth while to determine if old ammunition would be more valuable as collector fodder than shootability. I'm still amazed at what vintage packaged ammunition will bring at times.
Your .22lr is probably far from vintage, but still, I thought I'd throw that out for everyones ponderance.
It might be worth while to determine if old ammunition would be more valuable as collector fodder than shootability. I'm still amazed at what vintage packaged ammunition will bring at times.
Your .22lr is probably far from vintage, but still, I thought I'd throw that out for everyones ponderance.
"I've fired 100+-year-old ammunition, Spencer .56-56, with no problems other than about 30% failure rate."
Mike, not to be too nit-picky, but I think that a 30% failure rate qualifies as a problem! I'd also imagine you shot that old .56 RF ammo before you knew how much each round is worth to collectors!
Mike, not to be too nit-picky, but I think that a 30% failure rate qualifies as a problem! I'd also imagine you shot that old .56 RF ammo before you knew how much each round is worth to collectors!
Mike Irwin
Staff
For ammo that old, a 30% failure rate is actually far better than what we expected it to be.
As for how much it is worth to collectors, it was worth more to us to actually shoot a historical gun than it was to try to get rid of the rounds at a gun show. At the time it was bringing maybe 75 cents a round, and you could find .56-56 at gunshows in boxes of loose cartridges for less than that.
HUGE quantities of .56-56 were loaded in the United States right up through to about 1920 when it was finally dropped by American manufacturers.
I have a couple of the rounds in my personal collection. At this point it's 130+ years old.
As for how much it is worth to collectors, it was worth more to us to actually shoot a historical gun than it was to try to get rid of the rounds at a gun show. At the time it was bringing maybe 75 cents a round, and you could find .56-56 at gunshows in boxes of loose cartridges for less than that.
HUGE quantities of .56-56 were loaded in the United States right up through to about 1920 when it was finally dropped by American manufacturers.
I have a couple of the rounds in my personal collection. At this point it's 130+ years old.
If it looks good, it likely is...
However, its no guarantee. If you are talking about ammo from one of the major makers, 30-40 years is nothing. Hell, I have some of my own reloads that are getting nearly that old! And yes, they still work fine.
.22LR more than a few decades old might give you a bit more trouble than fresh stuff, or it might not. As long as the cases look clean, its probably fine. RF ammo (even from major makers) has a higher expected percentage of misfires than centerfire ammo, its the nature of the beast. Budget .22RF ammo is often less reliable than their premium stuff.
Remington Golden Bullets were their high end .22 round, back before the "hyper velocity" .22s came out. Stingers, Vipers, Yellowjackets, etc. are hyper velocity, and Golden Bullets are "high velocity". This is compared to the "standard velocity" rounds from generations before. Today most standard velocity ammo is target/match ammo, and "high velocity" is what is more or less standard (i.e. commonly found).
I have seen .22s so old their bullets had oxidized (turned white on the surface) that still shot fine. I have seen cheap stuff I bought last year have multiple duds. If your Rem ammo is in the old red and white (1960s eras) packaging, and is in pristine condition, it might be worth a little more than new ammo, to the right collector. Might. A Little. Maybe.
However, its no guarantee. If you are talking about ammo from one of the major makers, 30-40 years is nothing. Hell, I have some of my own reloads that are getting nearly that old! And yes, they still work fine.
.22LR more than a few decades old might give you a bit more trouble than fresh stuff, or it might not. As long as the cases look clean, its probably fine. RF ammo (even from major makers) has a higher expected percentage of misfires than centerfire ammo, its the nature of the beast. Budget .22RF ammo is often less reliable than their premium stuff.
Remington Golden Bullets were their high end .22 round, back before the "hyper velocity" .22s came out. Stingers, Vipers, Yellowjackets, etc. are hyper velocity, and Golden Bullets are "high velocity". This is compared to the "standard velocity" rounds from generations before. Today most standard velocity ammo is target/match ammo, and "high velocity" is what is more or less standard (i.e. commonly found).
I have seen .22s so old their bullets had oxidized (turned white on the surface) that still shot fine. I have seen cheap stuff I bought last year have multiple duds. If your Rem ammo is in the old red and white (1960s eras) packaging, and is in pristine condition, it might be worth a little more than new ammo, to the right collector. Might. A Little. Maybe.
riggins_83
New member
I fired a bunch of WW2 45ACP surplus ammo last summer.. never an issue.
FairWarning
New member
20 years is nothing at all if stored properly.
I've shot plenty 1950s vintage 8mm Mauser rounds without problems. I suppose the oldest modern ammo I have is a box of original Win 9mm Black Talons, by now nearly 20 years old and as rare as hen's teeth, but many decades away from being too old to shoot.
I've shot plenty 1950s vintage 8mm Mauser rounds without problems. I suppose the oldest modern ammo I have is a box of original Win 9mm Black Talons, by now nearly 20 years old and as rare as hen's teeth, but many decades away from being too old to shoot.
starbuck125
New member
i shot some 8 x 56r nazi stamped ammo stamped 1938 awhile back, worked great.
Thanks all
Thanks all! I bought and shot the some of the old ammo. Worked great! BTW, if you ever in Lincoln City, Oregon, swing by the local Radio Shack. Not a bad selections of guns and ammo considering they are, after all, a Radio Shack. Prices for guns and ammo seemed a bit more reasonable then their prices for electronics which I have always felt were a bit expensive.
Thanks all! I bought and shot the some of the old ammo. Worked great! BTW, if you ever in Lincoln City, Oregon, swing by the local Radio Shack. Not a bad selections of guns and ammo considering they are, after all, a Radio Shack. Prices for guns and ammo seemed a bit more reasonable then their prices for electronics which I have always felt were a bit expensive.