Different ammo question

[Akusp]

Would you use your battle packs of DAG and SA 7.62 x 51 before you start using newer factory ammo? Save the battle packs because they are sealed? I keep everything other than battle packs in ammo cans with desiccant so I expect that I can store it for quite some time. I’m just curious about what others think.

 

[Murphy4570]

Use whatever you like. Ammo tends to stay "fresh" pretty much forever as long as it is kept in the proper storage environment.

 

[medalguy]

I'd probably open and shoot the packs. Several of them have been bad when opened in the past, so I'd like to know about it now rather than later if that's the case.

 

[rcmodel]

+1
I still have a cloth bandoleer of LC 5.56 NATO from my late 60's army days in storage.

It's very very likely still good.
Because it wasn't surplused out for some problem with it, but rather 'liberated' by me from good stocks
But I would not bet my life on it.

I had a few without flash holes in the cases in 1969!

I know for a fact all my reloads all have flash holes at least!

rc

 

[Certaindeaf]

Probably a zen/research thing. Some ammo is just bad (history/research shows) and some is good, almost regardless of "storage" conditions.
Maybe cap off twenty of each and see if some suck and the other don't.

 

[Akusp]

thanks

Thanks for the input. I guess I do worry a little bit about opening a battle pack only to find unuseable ammo. My luck has been pretty good with the stuff that I have though. I remember some Guat 5.56 battle packs a while back that were hit or miss. Some of it tarnished and with a little corrosion but it did clean up and all of it fired.

R

 

[baz]

I'm keeping my battle packs intact, and only shooting newer stuff. I don't recall their provenance (but not GA, probably Prvi), but I figure they will keep, and that I'm more likely to sell them than I am to ever have to use them (you know, for the Zombie Apocalypse or whatever).