How long can you keep ammo?

[Bwana John]

My first centerfire rifle was a old M-1917 Enfield, and I used to get 60 year old loose FA 17 ammo cheap. Usually had about 1 dud in 20. Not so bad for WWI ammo that was stored poorly and had green stuff all over it.

 

[Ferrari308]

I've heard that over time ammo loses some of it's velocity. I'm not worried about my ammo going bad I'm worried it won't be as good as the day I bought it.

That is an intersting point. Maybe someone knows the answer.

 

[steveracer]

You can keep ammo forever,

unless you run out before they're all dead.

 

[Puncha]

From personal experience,

I do find that ammo does go bad. Check out my experience with a bunch of unreliable and decayed .38 squibs from the 50s.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=207018

However, that being said, it must be stated that I live in the humid tropics so rounds stored in facilities without 24hr extration fans and/or kept in air-tight boxes with dessicant materials tend to go bad after 3-4 years.

On the other hand, I know that my country's armed forces have a policy of rotating ammo stockpiles for training use every 10 years. As every training round that I have shot as a reservist has gone bang without deviations in accuracy, I do think that air tight ammo cans and dark well maintained warehouses can extend ammo life significantly.

 

[Hypnogator]

I've still got a bunch of Breneke slugs and buckshot that was given to me back in the early '70s. Goes "Bang" every time I pull the trigger. Wouldn't hesitate to use it for defense against critters, two-legged or four-legged.

 

[cassandrasdaddy]

50 year old 3000 rounds no misfires

bought 22 and 3000 rounds at estate sale ammo sat on shelf in a garage in virginia for at least 50years. guy who originally owned guns been dead that long all the rounds fired

 

[Kurt S.]

I've had a problem or two with some old milsurp-Misfires with Turk 8mm from the '40s, hangfires with Czech 7.62 Tokarev, and some strange things happen with some Brit 9mm form the '90s. Nothing that has stopped me from buying old milsurp.

I recently found a bulk-pack 250 round box of .22 LR that apparently I purchased at a K-Mart in 1983 and has been kept in various attics, garages, and pickups trucks all over Texas for the last 23 years. I've shot about 150 rounds of it so far without any problems whatsoever, pretty amazing.

 

[OldSchooler]

Ive had old ammo work just fine and new stuff misfire. I doubt there is a definitive answer to this one. Suffice it to say that as long as the ammo has been kept clean and dry and not subject to vagaries of temp and humidity, it most likely will be good. I guess attics, pickup truxcks and ex-wives are okay too

 

[cyanide]

how long from the purchase date is it okay to store before reselling to someone who will shoot, so you can replenish the stock with good ammo? Nobody wants to sell 500 rounds of bad ammo

When the brass starts to turn green -- use it up.

One time during a surprise inspection the Capt. unloaded his revolver (yeah it was a long time ago) and his brass was green............ LOL