How Old Is This Ammo?

[Sam Adams]

I just had a client walk in and drop off (i.e. give me, for free) some old factory match ammo that belonged to his now-deceased father. The client is about 55, so his dad would probably be about 85. Yeah, it is nice to have clients like this!

The first batch is Remington 38 Special Targetmaster, 148 grain wadcutter, Index 6138. The box is mostly a dark green, with a red "Remington" in the middle. 5 boxes, 250 rounds total. The lot # is XO8U.

The second batch is Remington 45 Targetmaster, 185 grain wadcutter, Index 6745. The box is identical, save for the information about the caliber. 2 boxes, 100 rounds total. The lot number is B02Y 60.

The third batch is a single box of Western Super Match .38 Special Mid-Range Match (Oil Proof), 148 grain lead clean-cutting (i.e. wadcutter). The number on the box is 38SMRP. The box is mostly yellow, with a red script "Western" on top and a big "X" in the middle - over which is superimposed a target and the words "Super-Match." 50 rounds total. The lot number is WCC 6050 83TE42P.

I suspect that this is vintage 1960's ammo, but I'm not sure. My father still has a bunch of ammo from 1968 in similar looking boxes, but I haven't looked at it in 8 or so years (and he's halfway across the country, so I'm not getting another look anytime soon). BTW, I fired the .38 wadcutters that my father had back then, and it was amazingly accurate for what was then 35-year-old ammo. There were also zero misfires. I expect that this will be similarly accurate and reliable - ammo tends to keep pretty well.

Moderator - if you think that this belongs in the Reloading section, by all means move it there. However, this is not reloaded ammo, it is factory stuff.

Thanks, in advance, for any comments.

 

[foghornl]

Hmmm

Haven't dated any ammo with Winchester, but Remington will give you a D.O.M. [Date Of Manufacture] usually in a couple of days if you will send them an e-mail with lot numbers.

 

[Sam Adams]

Thanks for the info regarding Remington - I've sent an email to them, and I'll let you know the results.

BTW, their website indicates that properly stored ammo has a shelf life of 10 years, after which it should be disposed of (by bringing it to the police). Yeah, right! I've personally shot 35-year-old ammo with 0 failures to fire, and with great accuracy. I've also shot 12-year-old ammo that I bought which was very definitely IMproperly stored (as in a very hot garage). Also no FTFs and good accuracy. Methinks that Remington is trying to bump up sales for the ammo that any idiot taking their advice actually gives to the cops. Speaking of which, I am very sure that I know how the ammo is "disposed of." Something like "shooting it off at the range in the basement" or by "storage at a safe location (i.e. some officer's closet at home)."

 

[Dead]

I bought some Rem 40cal HP's NEW, Failure to Fire 1 out of 10 rounds.... Whats their email address?

 

[kudu]

If the boxes are in good condition do not do anything with them. There are collectors out there that will pay high dollar for mint boxes. If the entire amount of ammo is also in them that's a bonus. I know some old shotshell boxes go for mint prices. A buddy of mine is into collecting them.

 

[Smokey Joe]

Collectors!!

Collectors!!

(Rant mode)
Anything old, expecially in perfect packaging! You'd think they were really collecting packaging material!!

It'll be interesting to see, in another 40 yr. or so, what the collectors do about the plastic blister paks, where you HAVE to destroy the packaging in order to use the goods!

I've got waterfowl decoys in perfectly good shape (well, used for years for actual waterfowling--gasp) that I'm afraid to use any more.

Stuff I played with as a kid (and mostly wrecked) is now worth a fortune, if only I'd been anal enough to put it back in the original box, wrap the whole thing in cellophane, and store it.

I wouldn't mind so much except that perfectly good old guns that I'd like to shoot, are also collectible and thus unavailable to ordinary shooters like myself.

Collectors! (/Rant mode)

 

[Sam Adams]

New Information

I wrote to Remington yesterday, and they wrote back the following today:

"Response (Kay) - 08/05/2005 11:48 AM
Remington 38 Special Targetmaster, 148 grain wadcutter, Index 6138. The box is mostly a dark green, with a red "Remington" in the middle. The lot # is XO8U. Manufactured approximately November, 1961.

Remington 45 Targetmaster, 185 grain wadcutter, Index 6745. The box is
identical, save for the information about the caliber. The lot number is B02Y
60. Manufactured approximately December, 1963.

We are aware of older ammunition that will still function as though it was fresh out of the manufacturing process. Inquiries for "approximate" shelf life are answered in "approximate" terms; taking the best data available and giving a time period that should cover most, if not all, ammunition.

Have a good day!"

Kudu, thanks for the info on the collectibility aspect of things. If someone wants to pay me a bunch of money for the boxes, fine - I just want ammo that goes bang when I'd like it to, and which also functions consistently. I guess that I need to check out Ebay or Arms Collectors to see what this stuff is going for.

 

[Nick1911]

Ebay

Pretty sure you can't sell ammo on ebay. (Or for that matter standard cap mags )

Cool about the ammo though... It should still function fine.

 

[Dr.Rob]

I know for a fact a box of steel case US GI .45 call ball that came back from Korea and stored in a hot, if dry attic shot just fine.

"Old" ammo isn't necessarily bad if lept dry.

Neat info about Remington... no idea thay'd do that.