But truth be told, most ammunition can last for decades beyond that, so long as it’s stored in the right conditions. Most ammunition manufacturers will list an expiration date of around ten years following the date of manufacturing. If the cartridges in question have any of the ‘bad signs’ that we outlined above, don’t risk it and don’t experiment.
The round could explode to some degree, and damage the internals of the gun or you (this is the worst case scenario). 
The bullet may not fully expel from the shell casing or the barrel of the gun, and thus obstruct the barrel (potentially leading to disastrous consequences if the shell casing is ejected and another round is chambered and fired). The round could misfire, meaning that the powder is not even ignited. It’s impossible to know exactly what would happen if you fired old or damaged ammunition without first looking at the ammunition in question.Īny of the following could happen if you attempt to fire old or damaged ammunition: What would happen if you did, you might wonder? What Happens If You Fire Old or Damaged Ammunition? If you see ammunition with any of the above ‘symptoms,’ don’t shoot it. If the primer of the cartridge appears discolored or deformed in any way. If the length of the shell casing has visibly changed since you last saw it or in comparison to other shell casings of the same caliber. If the round feels distorted or damaged when you hold it. If there is any kind of damage to the lead or shell casing that causes it to look deformed or distorted. If there are any signs of rust, corrosion, mold, or discoloration of any kind on the lead or shell casing. Here’s how you can tell if ammunition has gone bad: Just as how your food and water storage can go bad if it’s exposed for long enough to moisture or extreme temperatures, ammunition can go bad if it’s likewise exposed to moisture or extreme temperatures as well. The short answer is yes, ammo can indeed go bad, as my experience I related above shows. That’s why it’s so important to extend the shelf life of your ammunition and protect it from going bad as much as possible.įor the remainder of this article, we’ll explore the different factors that can cause ammunition to go bad, and the steps you can take to realistically extend its shelf life for decades. It was only nine rounds that had been damaged, but what if I had stored nine hundred or nine thousand rounds equally as carelessly?Īmmunition isn’t cheap, and as we saw during the pandemic…people will buy it up fast until there’s none of it left on the shelves for months (or years) on end.Įven if you don’t plan on using your ammunition any time soon, it’s still a very valuable investment and would be an equally valuable bartering commodity in the event of an economic collapse or SHTF situation. And it was only then that it dawned upon me about how important it is to not be so careless about storing your ammo. This was my first exposure to the fact that it doesn’t take much to completely ruin ammunition and render it dangerous to shoot. I realized moisture had seeped into the leather belt and corroded the brass, and it didn’t take very long for it to happen either. I was smart enough to ensure I wiped down my pistol from the moisture it was exposed to each night, but I hadn’t given those bullets the same level of thought or attention. I was nineteen years old at the time, and very naive and inexperienced when it came to firearms and ammo storage (and life in general). To my surprise, and disgust, each one of the nine pieces of brass were completely corroded in an ugly, green-gray coloring that couldn’t just be wiped clean with a little oil as if it were surface level rust. One day a few weeks later, when I dug out the holster back out of the bin where I kept all my holsters, I curiously decided to inspect the bullets I had in the loops. I went back home (no luck that year) and continued to leave the bullets in the loops. 
However, I left the bullets uninspected in the cartridge loops of the holster, where they remained for a few weeks afterwards. The expensive 1911 was too precious to not take special care of like that. I was always careful to take the pistol out of its holster each night of the trip to wipe it down to prevent the possibility of rust and corrosion. As is the case with many fall hunting trips, there was no shortage of rain outside during the day and condensation dripping in the tent at night. I then wore that holster, with the pistol and spare ammunition in it, on an Idaho elk hunting trip I embarked on that fall. 45 FMJ rounds I had lying around snugly into the cartridge loops. This holster was unique in that it was designed with nine cartridge loops sewn into the side to hold spare.
Shelf life ammo series#
The year was 2015, and I had received a new leather holster for my Colt 1911 Series 70 pistol as a birthday gift.
0 kommentar(er)
