02-10-2005, 11:37 PM
Interesting question Dryrod,
I did a little checking and here's what I found:
"There is increased risk of a misfire with older shells,
so you don't want to depend on them, and you should be
mentally prepared to wait for 60 seconds minimum before
ejecting the shells if they don't fire, keeping the barrel
pointed safely, as you should do with any misfire. Hang
fires do happen and people get hurt that way."
Also found this:
"If the ammo is good to begin with, it will last a long time. I am
still using Winchester Mark II match ammo, loaded in 1959, and Mark III
loaded in 1972, which has been stored all these years in military steel
ammo cans. The stuff is still as accurate as it ever was. The
lubricant in Eley Tenex dries out after about 20 years, but if you
re-lube it with a little lithium grease and wipe off the excess with a
patch it will be as good as ever. Some of the cheap ammos may develop
rim spits as the brass is not annealed after the cases are drawn, so
you have to be careful. They often leave high velocity ammo hard
through the rim section for greater strength, and this can give
problems. However I have shot some Montgomery Ward high velocity which
was made by Federal in 1976, which is still as good as ever."
[#4040ff]I don't have any personal experience with older ammo however I have heard that the powder can become increasingly volitale with age. Sounds like its probably ok to use, of course I wouldn't use it in any situation where a misfire would cause problems.[
]
[/#4040ff]
[signature]
I did a little checking and here's what I found:
"There is increased risk of a misfire with older shells,
so you don't want to depend on them, and you should be
mentally prepared to wait for 60 seconds minimum before
ejecting the shells if they don't fire, keeping the barrel
pointed safely, as you should do with any misfire. Hang
fires do happen and people get hurt that way."
Also found this:
"If the ammo is good to begin with, it will last a long time. I am
still using Winchester Mark II match ammo, loaded in 1959, and Mark III
loaded in 1972, which has been stored all these years in military steel
ammo cans. The stuff is still as accurate as it ever was. The
lubricant in Eley Tenex dries out after about 20 years, but if you
re-lube it with a little lithium grease and wipe off the excess with a
patch it will be as good as ever. Some of the cheap ammos may develop
rim spits as the brass is not annealed after the cases are drawn, so
you have to be careful. They often leave high velocity ammo hard
through the rim section for greater strength, and this can give
problems. However I have shot some Montgomery Ward high velocity which
was made by Federal in 1976, which is still as good as ever."
[#4040ff]I don't have any personal experience with older ammo however I have heard that the powder can become increasingly volitale with age. Sounds like its probably ok to use, of course I wouldn't use it in any situation where a misfire would cause problems.[
] [/#4040ff]
[signature]