whughett
Member
My understand of cordite is it’s loaded into the case before the shoulder and neck is formed. I may be mistaken, that would be tricky in a small a case as a 5.56. Perhaps there are other forms of cordite.
Old primers
- Thread starter hdtramp
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AgPilot
Member
If a frog didn’t jump He wouldn’t........ Well Ya know what I meanWish I knew in the early eighties what the twenties would be like. Never got primers at $0.79 a hundred but shot many at $1.00 a hundred. Just never stock piled any.....
I had 30-06 ammo I loaded in 1994 and shot a few about 5 years ago to check if they lost anything but they all worked. Went to the range last week and took the remaining 10 rounds with me and put them through the chrony and it registered a 100 fps decline from my 1994 records. But don't know if it was the powder, the recoil felt the same or weather condition, new chrony,etc. Keep 3 rounds for prosperity.
AgPilot
Member
My best Buddy always loaded Our Deer Hunting rounds for years (At time I wasn’t loading my own). Now We both do them together. But the rounds He loaded 20 some odd years ago still do the trick. Maybe I oughta chrono a few to see if they have lost anything... just out of curiosity. Nahhh they still kill
Swampman
Old Fart
Corrosive chlorate primers will last LONGER than modern noncorrosive lead styphnate primers.
That's one reason the Soviet/Russian military used them at least into the 90's.
There's nothing wrong with using corrosive primers as long as you clean your fired weapon promptly with hot water, followed by normal cleaning methods and oil.
Mercuric primers are also long lasting and noncorrosive. The problem with mercuric primers is that when fired, they liberate free mercury which amalgamates with the brass case, causing it to become brittle.
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The thing I would be worried about is, if you look at the Box. Someone has crossed off No.1 1/2 and wrote something else in there . Are you sure they are what is advertised ? The white box just says FA 70 I am not sure but I think FA stands for Frankford Arsenal Also these may be corrosive despite what the box says so if you do use them be sure to literally wash your firearm in hot soapy water after shooting these.
Found it in Wikipedia "] Frankford Arsenal FA-70 primers used potassium chlorate as an oxidizer for lead(II) thiocyanate, to increase the sensitivity of potassium chlorate, and antimony trisulfide, as an abrasive, with minor amounts of trinitrotoluene.[18] These corrosive primers leave a residue of potassium chloride salt in the bore after a cartridge is fired. These hygroscopic salt crystals will hold moisture from a humid atmosphere and cause rusting.[19] These corrosive primers can cause serious damage to the gun unless the barrel and action are cleaned carefully after firing."
Between somewhere around 1980 and 1983, I purchased several thousand primers at various stores in Northern Arkansas.
These were stored in an Un-air-conditioned garage in either Arkansas or Texas for the following 30 to 37 years.
These primers were subject to repeated cycles of tropical levels of humidity as well as desert humidity and temperatures.
Between about 2016 and 2018, all of these previously unused primers were loaded and many expended.
There was not a single failure.
In the absence of contrary data, my experience suggest that you should assume modern (I.e. post 1970) primers stored in other than saturating conditions will be good.
These were stored in an Un-air-conditioned garage in either Arkansas or Texas for the following 30 to 37 years.
These primers were subject to repeated cycles of tropical levels of humidity as well as desert humidity and temperatures.
Between about 2016 and 2018, all of these previously unused primers were loaded and many expended.
There was not a single failure.
In the absence of contrary data, my experience suggest that you should assume modern (I.e. post 1970) primers stored in other than saturating conditions will be good.
OhioShooter75
Member
the OP didn’t post that picture.
the only primers I have right now are CCI red/white and green/white boxes from the 70’s I think. They work just like the new ones.
Load some up and test them out, I’m sure they’ll be fine.
My Bad didn't catch that.
memtb
Member
Oils/ cleaning solvents are the primary enemy of primers. I try to never leave any excess oil anywhere on my firearm that may contact the primer!
If it’s a hunting cartridge or a defense cartridge the primer is sealed (I use fingernail polish) as added insurance that the primer will not be contaminated or get wet if submerged for a brief period of time. The “plinking” stuff doesn’t get the extra attention! memtb
If it’s a hunting cartridge or a defense cartridge the primer is sealed (I use fingernail polish) as added insurance that the primer will not be contaminated or get wet if submerged for a brief period of time. The “plinking” stuff doesn’t get the extra attention! memtb
memtb
Member
I think that cordite acquired it name from the fact it was actually a “cord”! Originally used in the big bore, straight walled African cartridges. I believe it was Britons first attempt at replacing black powder. I don’t think it was ever used in bottleneck cases! Though, I believe the Brits occasionally refer to smokeless powder as cordite! memtb
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__steve__
Member
If they're "Staynless" they will "stay" the same for decades, ha! I like it
GeoDudeFlorida
Member
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Radway was still loading.303 with Cordite well into the late 60’s. I pulled about 70 rounds of ‘68 dated Radway Green that were corroded back in January. Cordite is smokeless. I wasn’t serious about 5.56mm being Cordite, though I don’t see why it couldn’t be. The Brits used Cordite loaded.303 in aircraft mounted Browning machines guns. It’s just the way it was described sounds like Cordite but I doubt it could be.
whughett
Member
Looks like short spaghetti. It was loaded into bottle neck cartridges,(Google photos) and I have read that the neck was formed after the cordite is loaded into the case. Same basic composition as smokeless, nitrocellulose.
W/Vickers1938
Member
this thread has done a bit of wandering. Be that as it may, my comment is: Is there a way of discerning age of Winchester primers by color of box? I have in my cabinet Yellow box, white box, blue box, and red and black box. I assume that the most recent manufacture is the red and black box, whereas the yellow box is oldest. Any insight would be appreciated.
thanks w/vickers1938
thanks w/vickers1938
WeekendReloader
Member
Google 'vintage winchester primer boxes'.
Newest to oldest is Red/Black, Blue, white, yellow
Red/black is super recent. I bought the blue up through last year. I have some white from the 90's.
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