Old primed cases

[melw]

In my 20's I shot a lot of 223 and 45. I was loadjng on a single stage press back then so i would load in batches. By batchs I meen 500 to 1000 rounds at a time. I would deprime them, clean, lube, size, prime all in large batchs. This went on for a while. Then I got married and she did not like guns. But mostly she did not like me to have any hobby that cost money. So all my reloading/shooting got put aside. Well after I got out of that bad place and found a good women I have over the last while i have been going through all my old reloading supplys. I found a large batch of 223 at the sized and primed stage. After I got done counting on my finges and toes it looks like they have been waiting some 30 plus years for me to compleat them. When I did these I was still useing the old RCBS case lube pad and lube. The primed cases have been stored in cardboard boxes inside a larger cardboard box. In a dry shed. The cases have darkened and still feel some what lube covered.
I was wondering if the old primers would be safe to use. I did try one in my contender and it went pop. Any advice on removing the old lube if i do use them. The ammo would be for my AR as plinking ammo.
Thanks for any advice!
Mel W.

 

[JimKirk]

Yes ... the primers are still good ....

Wipe the cases with dry rag .. Or load and tumble them clean ...

 

[greyling22]

Throw them in a case tumbler.

 

[Englishmn]

They should be fine for plinking. I have used primed cases found at a yardsale older than that and all went bang.

 

[FROGO207]

Yeah those primers are as good as new. The problems with old ammo is when the propellant deteriorates. I once had a couple of cases of CCI primers I found in my grandfathers workshop some 25 years after he had passed. The packaging was from the early 60's. They were exposed to Maine climate swings in a covered outbuilding basically for all that time. They all went bang and made some of the most accurate ammo I have crafted. Seriously doubt that the case lube or time have hurt yours at all. You can tumble the finished rounds in corn cob or walnut to get the case lube off if you want. Or just wipe them with a good rag.

 

[melw]

Thanks for the replys! I will be useing the as suggested with a trip through the tumbler to cleen them.
Mel W.

 

[243winxb]

The cases have darkened

I would worry more about the brass. Test a small sample of reloads first.

 

[Slamfire]

I was wondering if the old primers would be safe to use

The lifetime of lead styphnate primers is orders of magnitude longer than gunpowder. That is why primers hardly every come up in Insensitive Munitions literature. The old chlorate primers would dud out, even though I have fired lead styphnate primers that were more than a half century old, I cannot say I ever had primer problems due to primer age.

 

[Walkalong]

The cases have darkened

Perfectly normal. No corrosion I assume. A pic would help, but it's unlikely anything is wrong there.

 

[Toprudder]

So, all you would have to do is drop powder and seat a bullet? I would just load them up and shoot them, don't worry about the dark color. If you really want to clean them, just dry tumble them after you have loaded them. Try a small batch first, though.

 

[mdi]

Yep as said above, choot 'em! They're more than likely still good. I had an "a-hah!" the other day when digging through some brass I stored. In the bottom of a box, covered by a few hundred mixed cases in baggies,I found aout 100 primed and ready R-P .44 Magnum cases in a plastic bag (I figger the primed 44 Mag. cases were at least 15 years old but prolly closer to 20). They are waiting on the bench so I can load some 240 gr Ranch Dog design bullets I recently cast. I have no doubts they will work as good as new...

 

[Walkalong]

I have 50 new nickle Starline .44 Mag cases I primed about 20 years ago, sitting in a red Midway plastic ammo box ready to go. The other 50 were loaded at the same time with the Speer 270 Gr Gold Dot bullet. Still have a few unfired ones left from that 50.

 

[lightman]

I bet the primers are all good. I would load them and either give them a quick run through the tumbler of lay them all out on a towel and spray them with brake cleaner. Tumbling loaded ammo had been debated for years but I have done it with no problems.

 

[CptnAwesome]

1) Congrats on finding a woman that is okay with your hobbies... Really... Life is so much sweeter, been there.
2) Are the cases showing any signs of corrosion (inside or out)? I'd definitely give a thorough check.
3) The primers are still safe and definitely good enough for everyday plinking but only if #2 is a no.

 

[melw]

Thanks guys! None of the cases show any signs of corrosion.
Still unboxing my reloading supplys. When I find the rest of my components I will load some to try.
Thanks again!
Mel W.

 

[MDof2]

Add powder, a bullet, and a trigger and my money says every single one of them goes bang.

While I haven't found any primed brass some 30 years old, I do compartmentalize nearly every part of my reloading workflow, so one month, all I'll do is resize brass, then the next trim, the next, prime, etc. Or, work my way through calibers in small batches, one at a time. That said, I've got primed brass in 50cal cans 3 or 4 years old, that I won't hesitate loading and shooting. So long as they've been in a dry environment, they're fine.

 

[Random 8]

Please DO NOT tumble them. Little bits of media will lodge in some of your flash holes. This can cause anything from loose primers, delayed ignition, inconsistency, or in a worst case (probably unlikely in .223) a delayed ignition coupled with a detonation pressure spike. If the brass is in serviceable condition, load and fire as is. Don't worry about a little residual case lube. If it is excessive, wipe with a dry rag or alcohol rag to remove. You could lightly tumble your loaded rounds, just do not overdo it to the point of creating powder dust.

 

[Walkalong]

Please DO NOT tumble them. Little bits of media will lodge in some of your flash holes. This can cause anything from loose primers, delayed ignition, inconsistency, or in a worst case (probably unlikely in .223) a delayed ignition coupled with a detonation pressure spike.

I am going to have to disagree with this, a piece of corncob in the flash hole has no chance in heck of stopping the primer from doing its job, plus it is just too easy to inspect and jar out any that do if one is concerned about it. Would I do it with match ammo I expect (need) to shoot aggs in the 1/4 MOA range? Probably not. )

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Like said above, if there is no corrosion they are fine. I wouldn't bother with the slight discoloration, just enough then and your next tumble will clean them. If it does bother you I would load them up and then tumble before shooting but like I said, just shoot them.

It's good to hear you are back to reloading and shooting, congratulations. I have been very lucky over the past 40 years, as long as the bills are paid my wife doesn't care how much I load, shoot, fish and other good stuff I do lol. She even comes fishing with me, she doesn't fish but like a to read sitting under the trees near the water. That works.

 

[Hondo 60]

If it were me. I'd add some powder & seat a bullet.

I'd be careful not to use a max load, but otherwise I'd just finish reloading & shoot 'em.