atvalaska
Member
stored in ammo can w/ a drys-e-air bag at about 55 to 60 degs they work when i hit them with a hammer and the pop in the wood stove...
old primers,15 years,from the clinton scare use or?...
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stored in ammo can w/ a drys-e-air bag at about 55 to 60 degs they work when i hit them with a hammer and the pop in the wood stove...Chihuahua Floyd
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use em. i've had 209 shotshell primers stored less properly than yours, Dad's dirt floored basement for that long or longer, all went bang. I've shot 100 year old ammo, not much of it, but it still went bang.
This stuff ain't tissue paper. Just keep stuff dry.
CF
This stuff ain't tissue paper. Just keep stuff dry.
CF
ReloaderFred
Member
They should work just fine. I'm still using Winchester primers that I bought in the early 1970's. I'll work up to the newer stuff later.
Hope this helps.
Fred
Hope this helps.
Fred
My dad gave me some 223 brass that he had primed in the early 80s. I loaded all of it up (300) cartridges, and shot it all without a single failure. They were stored in a plastic can when they were given to me, not in a specially sealed environment.
I think primers are pretty darn durable. I would load them and shoot them.
I think primers are pretty darn durable. I would load them and shoot them.
jcwit
member
Use them I've used primers from the early 50's with no problems. I've got some Winchester Staynless Primers Non-Mercuric No. 115 that I've used recently and they all went BANG. BTY these boxes had the wooden dividers and the primers were dome shaped. No zip coad on the address either (of course).
I've also shot ammo marked with the swatstika (?), which would have been before 1943.
I've also shot ammo marked with the swatstika (?), which would have been before 1943.
mallc
Member
Very Dangerous
Better send them to me for proper disposal.
Scott
Better send them to me for proper disposal.
Scott
Kernel
Member
I won't be surprised if the shelf live of a properly stored primer was several hundred years. 10 years ago I bought a case of 8mm Mauser from the 1950s. Admittedly, they were Berdan primed and corrosive, so the technology is different, but they still went "bang" every time I pulled the trigger. I still have some "Clinton Ban" primers in ammo cans too. Kinda makes you want to cry when you see those $12 and $13 per 1000 price tags.
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This thread is particularly interesting and relevant to me. I have about 20,000 primers that I bought 12 or so years ago ... I've been using them for .45 Colt and .45-70 loads over the last couple of months. For the first seven years they were stored under relatively good conditions but they've been in a fairly humid and warm (but dry) garage for the last 5 to 6 years. So far no misfires but I did wonder about a couple of loads ... didn't quite sound the same but I'm not sure yet.
Ridgerunner665
Member
I wouldn't give a 2nd thought to using 20 year old primers...matter of fact, the last shotgun shells I loaded used primers that are over 30 years old with no particular attention paid to storage...just sitting on a shelf...all went bang.
jcwit
member
I think the sound has more to do with the powder than the primer as long as it goes bang. If its a pop primer problem.
Worse case to watch out for is hangfire.
I had some primers accidently drop into the cats water dish and they got totally soaked. I let them dry in the sun for a week or two and used them, no problem.
Worse case to watch out for is hangfire.
I had some primers accidently drop into the cats water dish and they got totally soaked. I let them dry in the sun for a week or two and used them, no problem.
Floppy_D
Member In Memoriam
A delay of fire after primer strike.
jcwit
member
Hey!! They got 9 lives remember.
Claude Clay
Member
i'm working with primers from the $17.99 era. no problems.
and 70 odd year old mosin ammo goes bang every time. and is scary accurate.
and 70 odd year old mosin ammo goes bang every time. and is scary accurate.
easyrider604
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- Joined
- Mar 28, 2008
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- 735
In the early 90s, I reloaded recycled shotgun primers from WWII mortar shells. No problemo.
Around the same time, I picked up WWII (1942 headstamp) steel .45acp casings (thought they were some kind of dull nickelled brass). Being empty when I found them, I can assume they fired.
The primers, both shotgun and .45 acp had some red varnish-like residue. Fifty years of questionable storage facilities in the tropics and the primers survived.
Around the same time, I picked up WWII (1942 headstamp) steel .45acp casings (thought they were some kind of dull nickelled brass). Being empty when I found them, I can assume they fired.
The primers, both shotgun and .45 acp had some red varnish-like residue. Fifty years of questionable storage facilities in the tropics and the primers survived.
Float Pilot
Member
I am now using up my primers from 1976. They work fine but I have noticed that the quality control of the old CCI primers was pretty bad. (I was going to college not far from the CCI headquarters and they were cheap)
The 1993 primers from the Comrade Clinton era are still sealed up as best I could. I have used a couple trays of those and they work just fine.
Hopefully my latest stockpiles will one day let my grandkids continue in the spirit of 1776.
By the way, it is January 21st.
General Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863)
The 1993 primers from the Comrade Clinton era are still sealed up as best I could. I have used a couple trays of those and they work just fine.
Hopefully my latest stockpiles will one day let my grandkids continue in the spirit of 1776.
By the way, it is January 21st.
General Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863)
jjohnson
Member
Yeah, what they said.
Indeed, I've realoaded this year using primers I bought in the 70's that were never sealed up, just moved a few times from Indianna > Colorado > Indiana > Florida > Minnesota since then, and they're STILL 100% good.
Indeed, I've realoaded this year using primers I bought in the 70's that were never sealed up, just moved a few times from Indianna > Colorado > Indiana > Florida > Minnesota since then, and they're STILL 100% good.
Ben Shepherd
Member
Good to go. I've still got primers dad gave me with tags saying 9.98/1000. Still work just fine.
rfwobbly
Member
For 1858....
1858 -
No more sleepless nights. I'll pay you $11 a 1000 for those nasty old, untrustworthy primers.
1858 -
No more sleepless nights. I'll pay you $11 a 1000 for those nasty old, untrustworthy primers.
rfwobbly said:
I think a better solution would be 2000 "nasty old, untrustworthy primers" for 1000 shiny, new primers ... I think they call that "primer laundering"!!
Back in October of last year I bought 5,000 CCI small rifle primers for $20 per box ... they'd been sitting on the shelf at my local gun shop for months along with with a bunch of VihtaVuori powder ... I bought that too!!
Jefferson Herb
Member
Primers that old may not be reliable on the newfangled powders,better get them to the Black powder boys to use;we can reprime them w/ffffg and save you from embarresment.
Hairballusmaximus
Member
How old are ALCAN brand primers?
I just shot up about 700 old Alcan primers in a 45 colt with no issues, they were given to me by a friends dad who said he had them for years. Any idea what era these are from? I had never heard of them till I got them from him.
Hairball
I just shot up about 700 old Alcan primers in a 45 colt with no issues, they were given to me by a friends dad who said he had them for years. Any idea what era these are from? I had never heard of them till I got them from him.
Hairball
ReloaderFred
Member
I don't recall exactly when Alcan ceased to exist, but I believe it was sometime in the 70's, though I could be wrong. I still have Alcan wads and a few cases. It's been awhile.
Hope this helps.
Fred
Hope this helps.
Fred
Hairballusmaximus
Member
If thats the case, these were at least 30 years old and could have been 40-50+. Would it be safe to say then that primers have a longer shelf life than powders that have been opened?(but still stored with cap/lid on)
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