Interesting 73 year old ammo

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tark

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My collector friend in California gave me three boxes of this old 7mm ammo. I have not seen ammo packaged like this before. An even 100 rounds per box, neatly stacked like 22 ammo. Two of the boxes are still wrapped in heavy paper and taped shut. Oddly enough, there are no outside markings on these.

The ammo itself was loaded by FN and is bright and clean. 1936 dated. I would try shooting it, but I am just a little wary of shooting ammo that old.

Besides, I hate to disturb those neatly stacked rows......
 

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Cool looking packing and stacking... I have shot some Fn ammo about that old, there were a few hang fires but I think all went boom..
 
Pull a bullet and look for signs of corrosion

You don't want to see things like this:

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If you don't see signs of case corrosion, for 1936 powder, I would still recommend dumping the powder and reloading a few cases with nice new powder. And then, if you have issues like this:
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or this

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Then your cases have been ruined by nitrogen di oxide outgassing from the gunpowder, and pretty much all you will be able to salvage are the bullets.
 
I've fired that stuff with great results. Also shot up a 100 round box of UMC 1900. Actually pretty accurate! Will be corrosive, but just clean accordingly. I only shoot 7mm in my two Rolling Blocks.
 
today I shot 15 rounds of 1953 Yugo - three rounds required a second strike, but stayed in the group.
rifle was a Yugo M2/47; I put a new main spring in my GEW 98, and that cured the second strike issue.
probably should do the same with the M24/47 - no telling how long it sat cocked in the arsenal......
 
Before my rant....

There is a good book The Mauser Rifle in Chile......it goes into great detail on how they got into south america and the tension between Chile and its neighbors....including Argentina.....if you are interested in this kind of stuff it is worth a grab.....I think I am safe in saying it is THE BOOK on south american mausers....it does not cover mexican mausers so if your interests drift that way this is not the book for you.

Now for the rant.

Why would you bother shooting it....it is not like 7mm is hard to come by.....or that expensive.

I understood the love of 54R when it was pennies per round in a spam can.....those days are long gone....you have a historic rifle, most nearing if not over 100 years old....and you want to shoot a chemical compound that is pushing a century old....all to save a buck or two. Really IMHO if you can't spring for the $30 for a box of new then you are in the wrong hobby.

If dated 1936, that would be interesting 83 year old ammo. I still wouldn't want to stand in front of it.

Have fun!

I am not sure I want to stand behind it.
 
I would try shooting it, but I am just a little wary of shooting ammo that old.
Like Slamfire pointed out, corrosion would be my concern. I was given some 1943 ammo of the 45 acp variety. It sits neatly behind glass.

Mighty fine cartuchos you have there.
 
I have no plans to shoot it. And I need to go back to school and learn how to count!!! That ammo is 83 years old, not 73 !!!
 
Because you can negotiate with your wife that you are only going to shoot one box of ammo at the range ;)

You need to work harder at being a real husband! I tell my wife I'm going to the range and shoot 100 rounds and she does cartwheels! Then asks me; "Wouldn't 200 be better?".
 
I’d shoot them. If they look that nice I doubt there could be any issues. Usually bad ammo looks obviously bad. At the least a few in the box would show some sort of warning sign.

Check the necks for cracks. I’ve seen that kill old ammo that’s been stored correctly. Push on the bullet with your thumb, the neck will split if there is an issue.
 
I have no plans to shoot it. And I need to go back to school and learn how to count!!! That ammo is 83 years old, not 73 !!!

I really like your way of counting, tark; I was born in '36. :rofl:

I bought a bunch of FN 30-06 ammo packed like that in the 50's. Don't remember the headstamp, but IIRC the batch I bought was non-corrosive. May have been berdan primed, but don't remember for sure.

That batch of 7mm sure looks clean to be that old.

Regards,
hps
 
I have two 7mm rifles, a seemingly unfired, brand new as issued Chilean Mauser and a 1902 Rolling block. The collector in me won't let me fire the first one and I have plenty of new ammo to fire in the second.

The mauser is obviously on the left. The two M-1s are both circa 1955 and are new, as issued.
 

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I don't really have anything to add.

Neat boxes and nicely aligned cartouches tark.

Slamfire, that post of your post should be a sticky.
 
Brings back memories of when I bought about 500 rounds of old 7x57 from a Shotgun News retailer of Illinois for 5cents back in the 80"s. It was dated 99' as in 1899. Every other round was a hang fire or did not fire at all. When it did fire it was 50% split neck city. I pulled all the FMJ RN bullets and used them in target loads. This Boer war stuff used sheet powder. The granules were little flat square patches that were very consistent in shape and burned with a yellow flame when I disposed of it. I accepted it a a lesson in history. Ammo lasts a long time but not forever.
 

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