question about old ammo

I

IRONPONY

New member
I was cleaning my room a few days ago & found an old box of blazer 25 auto shells.
If I remember, I bought the shells back in the late 90"s.
I still have the pistol & was wondering if it would be a good idea to take it out to the range & fire them ?
What is the average shelf live of that size ammo ?
 
Well, it should be ok in my experience. If they are lead bullets are they corroded? (Greenish/white fouling in the projectile).

If not, they should be ok, give them each a thorough inspection for cracks, or spots where the brass is seperating from the bullet. Finally, check the primer area, and see of they are looking normal.

They should be fine, but never hurts to be safe.
 
I'd eyeball it for any visable signs of corrosion and shoot the heck out of it. If it has not gotten wet along the line, it should be fine.

Disclaimer:

Of course, if it isn't, I must point out that I am in no way a professional and my opinion on the internet does not constitute any real status that would hold me liable.

Sorry, just had to get my daily dose of lawyer out of me...:p
 
Ammo from the late 90s isn't anywhere near old unless you mean 1890s. 10 yr old stuff isn't old. Kept in cool dry conditions ammo will last for many decades. If it's been kept in your room that would most likely be "cool, dry" unless your room is in a cave or a sauna.
 
Awhile back I found some .25acp that I had bought in the 60s, Have never gotten around to see if they shoot but I bet they do.:)
 
Two years ago I fired a round of 8MM Lebel from WWI. A little bit of delay between the click and bang, but it did go bang just like it should.
 
They will work

I had a friend that inherited a .25 Baretta from his father. There were two boxes of shells that came with it, along with a receipt for the gun and shells. It was dated 1962. We took the shells to the range and fired an entire box without fail.

Enjoy shooting.
 
Hello NavyLT

Was that the Lebel Pistol or the Rifle?

Just curious,,,
I have a Lebel 8mm pistol,,,
I found some antique ammo for it at a gun show.

All of the 12 rounds I purchased fired just fine,,,
Now I wish I would have kept them.

I have a friend who loads ammo for me,,,
He cuts down 32-20 cartridges,,,
and loads em real light.

I only shoot it about once a year,,,
it always starts a conversation at the range.

Aarond
 
Mine was a carbine rifle. The soon to be ex-wife has it in her possession and I am sure I will never see it again. I about cried when I saw the same gun in a local museum behind glass. I extrapolated my own loading data from the historical data I found on the internet and used to load my own rounds. You can get modern 8mm Lebel brass fairly easily. I bought that gun for $150 and it was an absolute blast to shoot!

I would love to try one of the pistols!

You can get dies from LEE and the brass from Graf & Sons (I think...)
 
I see the Lebel pistols all the time,,,

In fact I saw one at the Tulsa gun show this last weekend,,,
If I remember right the asking price was $175.00.

They are elegant pistols,,,
and I was told that they were the first military pistol designed for smokeless powder cartridges.

I bought mine when I was a kid,,,
If I remember right I paid $12.00 for it,,,
I just remember liking the fact that it had a lanyard ring.

What a thing to base a purchase on,,,
I was just a gun-crazy kid.

Here's a pic of one,,,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MAS_Mle_1892_1685.jpg

Aarond
 
I still have ammo that I loaded in the 70s

Not much, but some. And guess what? When I shoot them, they work just like they did when I loaded them!
 
If I remember, I bought the shells back in the late 90"s.
Click to expand...

Exactly what ISP2605 said: That ammo is barely out of it's infancy.

Back in the 1960s and 1970s I was shooting 11mm Mauser surplus ammo that was loaded in the 1870s.
 
Back in the 1960s and 1970s I was shooting 11mm Mauser surplus ammo that was loaded in the 1870s.
Click to expand...
No doubt. Don't forget too that your ammo made in the 1870s was made using 1800 technology, powders, and equipment and even then it still lasted 100+ years. With the improvements in powders and technology the ammo made recently (during the past 50 years) should last a whole lot longer.
 
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