What to do with old .22 ammo?

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DustyGmt said:
Yeah I was thinking something like this. Or maybe a lube/solvent that might make the coating retract or whatever you call it, not really much to lose at this point. I wouldn't try too hard or put too much time into $20 worth of ammo, but I would think it was a great excuse to blaze through a brick of ammo if you could make them function.....
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I'd be careful with solvents; they may penetrate between bullet and case and do something to the powder.
 
bangswitch said:
I'd be careful with solvents; they may penetrate between bullet and case and do something to the powder.
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Perhaps something acetone based that will flash right off during tumbling, idk. Like I said, he hasn't got much to lose if he has a few duds I doubt he'll be any worse off than just tossing them...... but I take your point.
 
Legionnaire said:
Rooting around in my garage I came across some old (more than 10 years) Remington Thunderbolt .22LR. Our garage gets hot in the summer, and the wax coating on the bullets seems to have oxidized and gotten very hard. I can force the rounds into the cylinder of my Single Six and they go bang, but loading is a chore. They won't feed in a 10/22 or Browning Buckmark as they are too tight to chamber easily. If I press the slide home on the Buckmark, the chambered round will fire.

Clearly, the bullets are now slightly oversized due to the hard wax. I'd consider tossing them, but there's almost a full brick there and I don't know how to dispose of them safely. What would you do with them?
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Shoot 'em.
 
Hmm. 22 rim fire is an externally lubricated round. Lots of folks suggesting various ways to remove the lube….. I’m not getting it. Spend some amount of effort/time to remove the lubrication so you can then fire them, then spend some amount of time/effort cleaning out the resulting leading. Ok.
Just take them to the local LE office or dud can at the range.
 
First thing I tried was some heat. Held the bullet end of a cartridge above a candle flame (wearing gloves) to see if the oxidized coating would melt. No joy. When I could start feeling the heat through the gloves with no apparent change to the bullet, I was done.

I then tried tumbling a box of 50 dry with some stainless pins in a small rock tumbler. After an hour all I had was a dusty mess. The pins seemed to be removing the oxidized lube, but not enough to reduce the outside diameter of the bullets. I let them go another hour with the same result. Still wouldn't chamber in my Single Six cylinder without forcing.

I think they're destined for the dud can unless I can rig up an easy way to pull the bullets and save the lead. I do plan to start casting one of these days ...
 
I would just drop them off to our local PD. They collect unwanted ammo for bomb squad training. It isn't worth my time or effort for a partial brick of Thunderduds.
 
I don't understand the problem folks have with "work" involved to support a hobby they supposidly like. Get an old "T" shIrt and 2 bowls and while watching the talking heads spin lies, wipe off the bullets and drop rhem in a bowl.​
 
PWC said:
I don't understand the problem folks have with "work" involved to support a hobby they supposidly like. Get an old "T" shIrt and 2 bowls and while watching the talking heads spin lies, wipe off the bullets and drop rhem in a bowl.
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If it were that easy, believe me: I'd do it.
 
  • Drill a hole through a scrap piece if plywood to accept a .22 round.
  • Clamp board in a vise.
  • Poke ,22 round in hole.
  • Grab nose of bullet with the pliers of your choice.
  • Pull, twist and pry until bullet comes iut.
  • Push out case and powder.
  • Poke in another round and repeat... .
 
I’ve pulled lots of 22 LR with a bullet puller. RCBS hammer looking thing. There are two sizes of bullet holders and the smallest holds a 22, short or long rifle, just fine. Not effortless but much better than a pair of pliers.
 
PWC said:
I don't understand the problem folks have with "work" involved to support a hobby they supposidly like. Get an old "T" shIrt and 2 bowls and while watching the talking heads spin lies, wipe off the bullets and drop rhem in a bowl.​
Click to expand...

Hobby "work" needs to have a positive return on the investment. Spending time trying to get some a bunch of poorly stored old Remington .22 to chamber and potentially fire really isn't on my list of "to-do's". If I want to shoot .22s, I will use ammo that I know functions correctly.
 
"This is going to sound a bit crazy, but leave the brick in the garage, but turn it upside down. See if the coating softens and redistributes itself. Nothing to lose."

Ummm... they are boxed with the noses and rims alternating. Ummmm... where ya been the last 50 years?

OK, here's the thing. I'm a post-depression baby, and lived through rationing in World War II and I am the last one to waste anything, but after loooong and sometimes <ahem> surprising experience, I do not screw around with anything "unusual" with ammunition.

Take this old fart's word for it. Dispose of it in the range dudbucket and be done with it. Do not leave them boxed up, but dump them out, so nobody's tempted to rescue ("Hey look a whole brick of .22s !") them and in two months we'll see this question asked again by the finder.

And please don't burden the Police Department with the same friggin' problem.

Terry said that and he ain't kiddin' around.

Terry, 230RN
 
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