Shells - How old is too old?

M

mitchntx

New member
After many, many years, I finally have a place to store all my weapons, many of which were my dad's.

Going through an old cedar chest that's been in storage for well over 10 years, I come across a cache of 20 gauge shotgun shells.

My first inclination was to dispose of them. But are they still OK to cycle though a gun?

The cedar chest has been indoors, air conditioned and rarely opened since we brought it back. I would imagine the shells are 15+ years old.

As an example ...

Remmington Express - 20G - 2.75" - #8 - 3 boxes marked at $2.95 for a box of 25

Winchester Ranger Mark 5 - 20G - 2.5" - #9 - 2 boxes marked at $2.65 for a box of 25

Federal Hi-Power - 20G - 2.75" - #9 - 1 box marked at $3.09 for a box of 25

And then another 30 or so loose in a bag.

So what would TFL do?

I also stumbled across a Norinco 1911 45 ... but that's for another thread ...
 
IF they've been kept in a dry environment and show no signs of serious corrosion on the base or hull swelling then shoot them.
 
Shoot them up I still have some ammo I loaded prior to 1994 (dated om the box) that I'll shoot now and again

Unless there is sign of serious deterioration, they'll be fine
 
A couple of years ago I used up the last of my handloads from my college days in 1983. They had been stored in the garage all these years and still shot just fine.
 
I am still shooting a lot of ammo from early WWII - shoots fine - have to watch for corrosive ammo at that age, but not post war US ammo.
 
I would just shoot them ...shouldn't be a problem....

The only shells I've seen be an issue - is when they are in a very wet environment / lots of condensation and dampness ( stored in cardboard cases or boxes that got wet and stayed damp in an old shed or garage that leaked.

I suppose excessive heat could be an issue as well ...where they might be exposed to temps over 125 degrees month after month ...it might cause the powder to breakdown....

but that's clearly not the case in the shells you have ....

I still have some "hunting" shotgun shells - that go back to the 1950's ...in the back of my safe ...where its warm and dry ...and they're fine as well.
 
Recently, I touched off some lead 2 goose loads I had since the early 60s while doing a T&E on the Saiga 12 gauge. No probs.

As a boy, I shot off Black Powder loads that predated WWI. No probs.

Ammo kept cool and dry lasts a very long time....
 
OLD shells.....

I still use some of Dads 1950s vintage paper shells when Im feeling nostalgic....Grab his Ithaca 37 out of the safe and away I go....
 
And anyways whats the worst that could happen, they just wouldnt fire? I dont think even if something was majorally wrong with them that you would risk hurting you or the gun
 
If they stayed dry go shooting I have 12 ga from the 1970's still shoot good.

pistol & rifle ammo stored since the 1940's shoots good no cracks. And I actualy shot a 45acp from WWI about a year ago to see if it was still good.
 
Hell, I'm slowly shooting up paper shells that I'm pretty sure my grandfather bought in the 1930s, along with ones that my Father bought in the 1950s.

Everything has been going bang and functioning just fine.
 
Might as well join in....

I shot some old rounds from my Dad just last week to test the Superposed....they were AT LEAST 30 years old. I also have 4 old paper-hull 12 guage shells someone gave me years ago that I am saving for a special hunt to dispose of - if only I could figure out what shot size they are. Haha.

J
 
Shoot the stuff in the boxes - be careful with loose rounds. A few years back I was given some 2-3/4" ammo from my SIL that his deceased dad had reloaded. It was only after I touched off a few that I suspected the rounds were a little powder heavy. Took one apart and measured the powder. He had shoved almost 30 grains under 1-1/8 #7 shot.
 
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