Older primers

[frednaz]

I have just gotten back to reloading after 5 years or so. I found a box of
210M Federal primers in the basement, 1000 of them. The basement is not wet but high humidity. The primers have been there for 5 years, are dry, and in unopened boxes. My question is: Will these primers be worth using, or should I just buy new ones ?

 

[Hazzard]

If kept in a dry place, primers will last for many years. If they were stored in high humidity it may not be worth the ~$20-$25 to have to pull bullets or worse, get hangfires. If it were me, I would't use them.

 

[jerkface11]

Just randomly select 20 primers from different boxes seat them into cases and see if they go off.

 

[ReloaderFred]

I've used primers that were over 20 years old (and still using them), and they all go off. They were all stored properly, which can make a difference. Like posted earlier, just prime some cases and see if they go off. You'll have your answer without fully loading any ammunition.

My bet is they will all ignite just fine.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[USSR]

My bet is they will all ignite just fine.

+1. I agree with Fred.

Don

 

[3rdpig]

I just got back into reloading after many years and I found that my Dad, now deceased, had left a 50 caliber ammo box full of primers of all sizes including shotshell primers. They're at least 15 years old. I tested a few by loading them into .38 Special cases and firing the primed cases. They worked fine. I've used about half of them and haven't had a failure yet! Thanks Dad!

 

[Fatelvis]

They're still good.

 

[Geno]

+1 for Jerkface11

Jerkface is right. Randomly select just a couple (2 or 3) from each disk of 100, and re-load them into cartidges.

DO NOT ADD POWDER OR PROJECTILE.
DO NOT ADD POWDER OR PROJECTILE.
DO NOT ADD POWDER OR PROJECTILE.

Mark each disk, and mark each cartirdge to correspond. Then, take to safe location and test. If they all fire, you are good to go. If ANY fail to detonate, check additional from that corresponding disk of 100.

Be safe,

Gene

 

[fecmech]

For long term storage of ammo or components a cool (high humidity) basement beats a hot dry garage! It's my understanding that priming compounds are manufactured wet to begin with. I don't think you will have any problems.

 

[frednaz]

Thanks for all the input. I tried several primers as suggested and they all worked fine. I loaded a few light rounds and fired them from .308 and some from 7mm-08 and they both performed as new ones would.
Thanks again, Fred