Ammo thru a clothes washer?

[Rick Mason]

Okay, so I left a full mag of factory ammo in my pants pocket the other day, and due to unusual circumstances the pockets didn't' get checked as they always (ALWAYS) do before hitting the washer. Fortunately I caught them as they finished so they never went into the dryer.

I am going to take them to the range and fire them off, as I don't really trust them anywhere else now. Anybody have any experience or advice as to whether or not the ammo is still good enough to run thru a handgun?

 

[Ingomike]

A friend once tested factory personal defense ammo by putting a bunch in a sock and running it through the washing machine like twenty times. Every round went bang. I bet yours do too…

 

[t-squared]

It would be interesting to see how many fire and how they perform, but be SUPER mindful of squibs......

 

[RCB]

I washed a magazine once. All the ammo was fine.

 

[VERT]

I have run ammo through the washer. Just tossed them in the “Glock Food” bucket. They all went bang.

 

[shibumiseeker]

It takes a lot more than that to kill factory ammo.

 

[firecadet613]

Interesting. So are those storing ammo is sealed cans with desiccant bags overdoing it?

 

[Leo]

I have shot USGI ammo that was improperly stored. It was so built up with green corrosion, I had to clean them with sandpaper before chambering. They all fired. The USGI ammo had a tar sealer on the bullet base, it must have sealed fine.

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

Something Something dirty magazines....

 

[VERT]

Interesting. So are those storing ammo is sealed cans with desiccant bags overdoing it?

No. Ammunition is expensive. Desiccant bags are cheap insurance. Green nasty ammo ain’t no fun. Ammo cans or keeping ammo in a climate controlled environment is good for long term storage.

I also recommend rotating out your carry ammo.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Interesting. So are those storing ammo is sealed cans with desiccant bags overdoing it?

Not really if the intent is decades. Galvanic corrosion is an issue for long term storage. It’ll still go bang though. Stable temperature in a low humidity is the best overall storage. Extreme heat and wild temperature fluctuations is the bigger enemy for storage.

 

[Pepi]

I remember walking for 25 miles in the Mekong River with my M16 fully underwater.

 

[BigRed]

I put some ammo through a washing machine filled with tannerite. Ammo worked fine. The washer did not.

 

[BigRed]

I remember walking for 25 miles in the Mekong River with my M16 fully underwater.

Hell of a hike through Hell

 

[nmeyers11007]

Been there done that. It should be fine.

 

[Pepi]

Hell of a hike through Hell

And the ammo still worked. I would trust the ammo before the M16 LOL

 

[foszoe]

Okay, so I left a full mag of factory ammo in my pants pocket the other day, and due to unusual circumstances the pockets didn't' get checked as they always (ALWAYS) do before hitting the washer. Fortunately I caught them as they finished so they never went into the dryer.

I am going to take them to the range and fire them off, as I don't really trust them anywhere else now. Anybody have any experience or advice as to whether or not the ammo is still good enough to run thru a handgun?

You sir, have the genesis of a youtube career

 

[WanderingSol07]

Did your magazine get clean? What cycle did you use?

 

[Donovan48]

I once bought several thousand rounds of surplus G.I. 45 acp that had been stored for at least forty years in the Philippines under less than ideal conditions. They were all heavily tarnished. I tumbled them with ground walnut shells and jeweler's rouge to clean them up. They all fired fine.

 

[Alamo]

I think they wiilwork just fine.

Probably 15 years ago I Soaked 9mm blazer aluminum case ammo, and some premium self-defense ammo, forget the brand, in two types of oil: Kroil penetrating oil and one of the gun lubricant oils. 10 rounds of each type of ammo in each type of oil, so 40 total.

The rounds were completely immersed in oil inside sealed plastic cases, and rode around in the metal toolbox in the back of my truck for two weeks in the Texas Sun.

I wiped them off and fired all 40 without a problem, altho there was a little more smoke than usual.

After that, I quit worrying about oil damage to my ammo, and I doubt washing rounds in the machine harmed them either. I would be ultra safe and just use them for practice ammo, but they should work just fine.