Does Ammo Go "Bad"?

Laneco · 09-24-2009, 07:12 AM

A few years back, I purchased a Sig Sauer - shoots 380 ammo. I had quite a few acquaintances who were replacing their guns (LEO - ankle holster guns), who gave me their leftover unshot ammo. Quite a bit of it.

All of the ammo is whatever you call "first run" - I don't know the term, what I'm trying to say is that these aren't reloads. It's also all hollow point, but I don't think that's relevant to my question.

My question is - does ammo go bad? I have always kept it stored in a very dry location within a large locking trunk. When I go to the range, I usually run about 200 to 250 through the pistol but even at that rate, it's going to be several years before I burn through this cache.

Zero evidence of any corrosion, discoloring and never once has a bullet jammed in this gun.

The ammo is 5 or 6 years old now.

thank you,

angela

legion · 09-24-2009, 07:15 AM

You're not even close to going bad.

I just picked up some of my grandfather's stuff that is 30-50 years old, stored in his Chicago garage then his Florida garage.

Most of it was just fine. I did discard (after disassembly) some badly corroded rounds.

masraum · 09-24-2009, 07:16 AM

I'm 99.5% sure that it doesn't go bad unless it gets wet.

I'm not suggesting that you do this, but I've heard that 380 is in such short supply that there are places charging $50 for 50 rounds (on the extreme side). Sounds like you could finance the 904 on your free ammo. Hahah.

Laneco · 09-24-2009, 07:39 AM

You have GOT to be kidding!? $50 for 50? At that rate, I've got more 380 ammo than my 911 is worth...

Certainly enough for the stage II of the engine upgrade for the 904 (think turbo...)

angela

Jeff Higgins · 09-24-2009, 08:03 AM

I've fired .45 Colt and .45-70 ammo loaded in the 19th century that worked just fine. I've fired surplus .45 ACP and .30-'06 loaded during or just after WWII that worked just fine.

jyl · jyl's Garage

I had some 9mm that was 15 y/o, two were misfires out of 200 rounds or so. This was reload stuff though.

In your shoes, I would sell the .380 or most of it. Take advantage of the boom. .380 is not real effective against zombies anyway.

m21sniper · 09-24-2009, 08:33 AM

Factory loaded ammo will last many decades.

vash · vash's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by m21sniper

Factory loaded ammo will last many decades.

..............stored properly.

m21sniper · 09-24-2009, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vash

..............stored properly.

Stored even remotely properly.

Stored PROPERLY, it will last for a century.

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

Agreed. I have some WW2 vintage 8x56R ammo (actually manufactured in Nazi Germany late 1930s) for my Steyr. Because it has some "collectible" value I didn't fire off too much of it - only about 20 rounds and all fired perfectly.

I've had similar good luck with Russian and Eastern Bloc ammo (7.62x39, 7.62x54R, 7.62x25 Tokarev, etc.) It's pretty reliable, even if it's old and "cheap" former Soviet stuff. Very few misfires.

fingpilot · 09-24-2009, 09:35 AM

I always judge ammo by how far I can drop the target.

Hollow point? How far it knocks him/her.

Shotgun? Pink cloud or not. (varmints, of which the definition is expanding to include zombies and growers).

BlueSkyJaunte · 09-24-2009, 10:43 AM

I had heard that the USA finally expended the last of the WWII munitions lying around during the "shock and awe" in Iraq.

Perhaps this is apocryphal.

I finally ran through the last of the .45 ACP I got in an ammo "inheritance" from my father (he just handed me a crate). Most of it was 60's vintage. Some of it was rather smoky but otherwise it ran just fine. There's a bunch of .38 Special LWC in there that I have shot through as well. I think I've hit 2 duds so far.

I still have a few hundred rounds of .22 LR from that batch that runs just as well as newer stuff.

m21sniper · 09-24-2009, 11:40 AM

I honestly don't even know what WWII munition would've even been in use during OIF except for .50BMG ammo.

Everything else used in WWII, in every caliber or configuration, has been long since retired.

Jeff Higgins · 09-24-2009, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m21sniper

I honestly don't even know what WWII munition would've even been in use during OIF except for .50BMG ammo.

Everything else used in WWII, in every caliber or configuration, has been long since retired.

Maybe some artillary stuff? No small arms other than the .50 BMG you mention, and possibly the 20mm cannon stuff as well.

Looking_for_911 · 09-24-2009, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by masraum

I'm 99.5% sure that it doesn't go bad unless it gets wet.

I'm not suggesting that you do this, but I've heard that 380 is in such short supply that there are places charging $50 for 50 rounds (on the extreme side). Sounds like you could finance the 904 on your free ammo. Hahah.

I've been away from guns and shooting for a long while and now read with somewhat quizical interest that .380 ammo is hard to come by?

How come, fellers?

BTW, you gun guys posting pics and tales of your weapons have made me get the "fever" again!

m21sniper · 09-24-2009, 12:10 PM

See: PPOT Bullet Bubble thread.

legion · 09-24-2009, 12:15 PM

There are a lot of popular new handguns that use .380, like one from Kel-Tec and one from Ruger.

***

The M1 Garand was chambered in .30-06, correct? Don't some current sniper rifles use that? Anyway, it makes sense to me that it would take a while to burn through the WWII surplus because the number of military weapons chambered for the round used in WWII decreased dramatically after the war (though did not go completly out of use--they were just used only by specialized units).

m21sniper · 12:31 PM

No, no US rifle or MG has used US M1 .30cal (essentially low powered .30-06) since the M-1 Garand and M-1919 were retired.

The M-1 Garand was replaced in the mid 60s by the M-14 7.62x51mm (.308 Win), the 03 Springfield Sniper Rifle was replaced by the M-1D in the 50s, and then the M-1D was replaced by the M-21 in the same time frame as the M-14 replaced the M-1.

The M1919 and the BAR were replaced by the M-60.

The M-1 Carbine was completely out of service by the early 70s and was never replaced until the M-4 rolled around in 95.

The last WWII compatible cartridge held over (besides the M-2 .50cal BMG) was the M1911A1 chambered for .45ACP, which was phased out in the mid-late 80s. I imagine that by about 95 at the latest they were completely phased out of service in every guard and reserve unit as well. We got our M9 Beretta 9mm's at my unit in 1988.

Actually the M-1 Grease Gun remained in service with many tanker units until the introduction of the M-4, so some of those might have remained in service until about the 2000 time frame...maybe. Our tankers still had M-1 Grease guns when i ETS'd.

The M-2 HMG/BMG is still in service today.

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

It goes bad... send it to me for inspection and disposal. Seriously, it doesn't go bad as long as it's been kept dry.

jyl · jyl's Garage

Could the story be referring to some artillery munitions?

Quote:

I honestly don't even know what WWII munition would've even been in use during OIF except for .50BMG ammo.

Everything else used in WWII, in every caliber or configuration, has been long since retired.