How old is too old to rely on?

[Notavictim646]

Ok so I had a fellow INGO member fix me up with some vintage Speer Gold Dot (flying ashtray) Hollowpoint in .45 ACP. I figure the ammo is perhaps 20 years old based on the appearance of the box (ammo appears perfect). I know some folks talk about replacing their Self defense ammo every so many years.

So how old is to old and what actually fails? Primer, Powder? Has anyone actually had ammo show signs of being unreliable due to age?

Enlighten me guys!

 

[Maximinus Thrax]

I'd probably have no problem shooting it to have some fun with it at the range but I wouldn't trust my life to it when there are so many newer and more advanced products on the market today. Find yourself some gallon jugs full of water and see if you can capture a few!

Properly stored ammo can last longer than many readers of this forum will live. If you see corrosion, find a way to dispose of it safely. Since you say it looks new I don't think you'll have any problems.

People replace SD ammo every so often because as they unload and reload their firearms the bullets can experience "setback" where the projectile is seated further into the case. This increases the pressure and can be dangerous especially with hot SD rounds.

 

[BogWalker]

First thing to fail would be the primers. If stored even just in a drawer somewhere 20 years shouldn't have degraded it enough to cause problems, but when it comes to defending your life I wouldn't want to take the risk. Relegate them to practice use.

 

[Slawburger]

I'd probably have no problem shooting it to have some fun with it at the range but I wouldn't trust my life to it when there are so many newer and more advanced products on the market today. Find yourself some gallon jugs full of water and see if you can capture a few!

Properly stored ammo can last longer than many readers of this forum will live. If you see corrosion, find a way to dispose of it safely. Since you say it looks new I don't think you'll have any problems.

People replace SD ammo every so often because as they unload and reload their firearms the bullets can experience "setback" where the projectile is seated further into the case. This increases the pressure and can be dangerous especially with hot SD rounds.

^^^ This.

If it hasn't been carried daily or loaded and unloaded umpteen times then it is probably fine to shoot. Ammo lasts a long time in indoor storage. However, there have been a lot of advances in ammo over the past 20 years so I would probably opt for something of more recent design for self-defense. I wouldn't have any problem shooting it at the range though.

P.S. I was worried that the title might be referring to people and not ammo.

 

[halfmileharry]

I shoot vintage ammo all the time and from my experience the old ammo is more consistent, accurate, and dependable than the new ammo.
I wouldn't worry about carrying it in my SD gun at all.

 

[sloughfoot]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^This.

I still have several pistols loaded up with Winchester Black Talons. In both 9mm and 45ACP. They stopped making them like 20 years ago.

If your ammo looks good on the outside, it will be good on the inside. Nothing goes bad on properly stored ammo.

 

[ModernGunner]

Well, generally speaking, I agree with those above. It's probably not a problem.

There IS a chance humidity has taken it's toll, depending on where the ammunition has been. Unlikely it's been kept in a humidity controlled environment for the last 2 decades. The box may, or may not, show any indication of that. Again, probably not an issue.

That said, do you want to bet your life on 'probably'?

A lot of folks figure their life is worth the $25 - $30 +/- for a box of new self-defense ammo. Up to the individual, of course.

 

[Broom_jm]

In this case, the statistical difference between probably and absolutely is nominal. The bottom line is that if the first 50 go BANG, the odds are high that every round will do the same.

If you want some extremely low odds, try to calculate the likelihood that even one round of this old ammo happens to fail when you are forced to use your gun in self-defense.

Shoot it, test it and, if that goes well, carry it. Be aware of your surroundings at all times; that is more likely to keep you out of trouble than insisting on brand new SD ammo.

 

[XtremeVel]

If its Speer Gold Dots, it not as old you as you are thinking and SD ammo doesn't get much better... Like with any carry ammo, a quick visual inspection when loading and I would trust it to go boom...

The problem I would have would be if you only have a few 20 round boxes and had never verified your EDC reliably functions with that load/bullet profile... If you have enough of this ammo to verify function and still load a few mags, I wouldn't hesitate to carry it....

Ammo will keep for a very, very long time... The bigger issue will be will it function flawlessly through your gun....

 

[Sniper 79]

I would just shoot it up at the range and not worry about it. I have shot ammo that was fine from the forty's but would not go to war with it.

Carry what you have tested and are confident with.

 

[Notavictim646]

I think the biggest risk that I can see is the giant hollowpoint / feed issue. Especially since I carry a 1911. When it is clean (the gun) I have never had a feed issue with either round nose or Hollowpoints. Has anyone here ever had an actual failure (to go bang) of any ammo due to age?

 

[Joniki]

I have several boxes of ammo that was purchased in 1905. They have yet to fail.

 

[calcot7]

I think the biggest risk that I can see is the giant hollowpoint / feed issue. Especially since I carry a 1911. When it is clean (the gun) I have never had a feed issue with either round nose or Hollowpoints. Has anyone here ever had an actual failure (to go bang) of any ammo due to age?

I can't 100% blame it on age, but I did run across some very old 9mm ammunition at a garage sale once upon a time. I can't recall the brand of manufacture but it was one of the "Big" ones. It was copper jacketed 115 grain ball and the brass case was tarnished. It looked good to go but would not. None of it would function. The primers had all gone bad. I ended up pulling the bullets and reusing them as well as the de-primed brass. I also had a similar experience with some old paper hulled WW 20 gauge shells.

 

[Fullmag]

Well, generally speaking, I agree with those above. It's probably not a problem.

There IS a chance humidity has taken it's toll, depending on where the ammunition has been. Unlikely it's been kept in a humidity controlled environment for the last 2 decades. The box may, or may not, show any indication of that. Again, probably not an issue.

That said, do you want to bet your life on 'probably'?

A lot of folks figure their life is worth the $25 - $30 +/- for a box of new self-defense ammo. Up to the individual, of course.

If humidity or moisture of any kind got to powder or primers then it would show on the outside first around the bullet or primer. It is a chemical reaction that puts off gasses and they would have to escape just like when a shot is fired.

Ya know this thing I've been seeing 'factory fresh' is just a marketing ploy. Powder and primers have a very long shelf life if stored properly, extreme heat is the big killer. Powder is to a point it's own desiccant and primers are made of some nasty chemical stuff, only to be ruined by some oils, that is set in brass. All of this is, bullet and primer are pressed into a brass case that's designed to be weather resistant and reliable. There are video's of modern guns firing under water out there to prove it.

So it doesn't have to be '''''''''''''factory fresh''''''''''''', that just drives me crazy what people will do to sell something.

The 'flying ashtrays' might not feed well and that's why they were discontinued. Only one way to find out.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Well, with the availability of certain "enhancing" drugs now, as long as the heart is healthy enough to...wait, what's the topic? Right, nevermind.

 

[BE Mike]

Ammo stored properly is good to go for many decades, at least. Shoot some of it and if all is ok, then carry it for self-defense.

 

[xM3RC1L3SS1x]

I would shoot it at some ballistic gel and maybe other targets to see the wound channel expansion and what not. As far as carrying it SD ammo is readily available so I would just replace it.