# How Old is Too Old?



## HOO'S NEXT (Aug 22, 2009)

A guy at work gave me a couple hundered rounds of 44mag. ammo, hand loaded back in the 80's. It has been kept inside inside a safe, climate controled environment the whole time. Is it safe to shoot? Looks like it just came out of a new box from the store. Just wondering before I go out and hurt myself or my gun. Thanks

Eric


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## CHARLIE (Jun 2, 2004)

Well normally when ammo fails it wont shoot or has less power. Normally doesent "blow up" I wouild be more concerned about the "handloads" like who loaded them and did he know what he was doing than the ammo being old.. But dont listen to me do what you want. I has fired lots of GI ammo loaded in the 40's with no problems.


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## Wolf6151 (Jun 13, 2005)

Like Charlie said, I wouldn't worry about the age of the ammo. at all. I've got ammo. from WWII and it's fine. I'd be more concerned with whether or not the person I got it from knew what he was doing when reloading it. If your confident with the reloaders expertise then shoot away.


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## B-Money (May 2, 2005)

You could always pull a couple and check the powder weight and bullet weight against the charts.


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## CHARLIE (Jun 2, 2004)

Sure could check the powder if you know what it was.


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## spurgersalty (Jun 29, 2010)

Gotta agree with these guys, if the powder has "deteriorated" thee would be less boom.
Only worry about your faith in the loader.
Also, if fired, pay attention for squibs. Rounds that failed to exit the barrel but are a catastrophe waiting to happen.


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## CDHknives (Mar 17, 2012)

Surplus ammo that was stored in hot bunkers for 50 years still functions safely...deterioration is no issue here.

Weighing charges is only half the story, you have to trust the loader about what powder is used too. Personally I am meticulous about labelling all continers with bullet, powder, and primer, but not everyone is as careful.

I once read: Handloads are like underwear...be very careful who you swap with.


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## hotfoot (Mar 22, 2008)

I guess my experience has been somewhat different with older ammo. Case in point: Last year I bought a 7STW and was given several boxes of factory ammo manufactured in the 90's. Not too old right? The Federal stuff was fine with no problem but the Remington's were a different storey. First shot locked up the bolt. I had to put it in the freezer a while to open the bolt. Gun was fine so I pulled a bullet to see what was up. The pulled bullet was very corroded and hard to pull. The powder was clumped together and covered with a gel like substance. Of the 3 boxes of this stuff only 12 rounds looked ok. I would pull a bullet and check before shooting any of them..


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## THE JAMMER (Aug 1, 2005)

*Handloads are like underwear...be very careful who you swap with. *

LMAO at that one. Love it.

Since there is really no way of knowing exactly what powder was used, as far as I'm concerned it would be a **** shoot. Unless I totally trusted the reloader, I think I would pull the bullets, back out the deprimer pin and resize the cases, and reload them with a known powder type and weight. Your only loss then would be some powder and some time. You would then have exactly what you wanted.


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## HOO'S NEXT (Aug 22, 2009)

Thanks for all the help guys. This guy was pretty meticulous about his stuff, all the boxes are marked with brand,type, and wight of bullet; type and amount of powder and what primer he used. I will compare his numbers to a chart and go from there. Thanks again.

Eric


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## THE JAMMER (Aug 1, 2005)

Hoo's

Knowing that information, I would still pull at least one of them, weigh the powder, and compare the appearance of that powder to what he said he used- just to make sure. Remember it's your eyes and face.


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## B-Money (May 2, 2005)

If it is labeled, you will not know exactly what powder was used, but will be able to make some headway...ie if labled "BlueDot" and it is little spheres or rods, you will know the tag is wrong.

Also, if there is 30 grains under a 240 grain bullet in 44M, you will probably have some issues.

What is the best tool to pull bullets? I have a couple of those hammer type inertial pullers, but that is too much work for 200 rounds.


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## Ernest (May 21, 2004)

The collet style bullet pullers work, but are slow. 

The hammer style ones sux for rounds like .223. I thought I was going to pound a hole in the floor or break the hammer thing. With heavier bullets, apparently they work better. They could not work any worse.

But, as a rule, I don't shoot other people's reloads, except my father's reloads. Have one weapon come apart, and you tend to learn quickly to avoid reloads from other folks.


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## HOO'S NEXT (Aug 22, 2009)

Thanks again for the info guys. Reading what I am reading, I think I will just keep them in the safe for end of the world ammo. LOL Thanks again.:cheers:

Eric


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## B-Money (May 2, 2005)

My 44M likes em loaded with 240 JHP's and a full shot of #9 or H110. It clover-leafs at 25yd and 3" at 50yd.... a gooder shooter could do a little better. I am so thankful the gang-bangers are either too dumb or too soft to carry 44's.


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## Podzie (Feb 8, 2011)

Funny this was brought up. I've got some old 20 ga. shotgun shells that were my grandfathers!


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## mywifeshusband (Nov 19, 2006)

The BIL that got me into loading my own ammo gave me a big box of 308 that his dad and another guy reloaded and they did not need them was going to try them out till I did a close inspection of the loads found a bunch with split cases they were buried real deep in a lake look them over real good before you do anything. Beau


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## FearNoFish (May 22, 2005)

I shot 40 year old handloads from my dad that were stored in a hot & humid Houston workshop and while most shot well I did have a few hangfires. There is still a lot of WWII and even WWI ammo being shot today. I would care more about the skills and common sense of the person who reloaded them then the age of the ammo. Be careful, know how to handle a hangfire and be careful about squibs.


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