# Old Ammo



## murphy12 (Oct 1, 2011)

Greetings. Getting back into hand gunning, thanks to a new Xdm 9mm. I have several boxes of old(10 yrs) 9mm of various types. All have been stored in a closet, and kept dry. Would they be safe to shoot?
Many thanks, murphy12


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## TedDeBearFrmHell (Jul 1, 2011)

yes, if stored correctly and the look good with no obvious defects, blaze away


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## fiasconva (Jun 14, 2009)

Should be no problem at all. There are people still shooting ammo from WWII that was stored properly.


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## denner (Jun 3, 2011)

If stored properly ammo will last for decades. I have a friend that has old wwii era rifles and some ammo for his german mauser's have Nazi headstamps on the primer with production dates of pre wwii and the ammo fuctions flawlessly. Same with the pre wwii Russian ammo. The main concern is the primer and seal; oil, water, solvents etc... can reak havoc on ammo as this is the ammo's achilles heal. Likewise, improperly stored ammunition would be a concern. If the primers and the seal are in good shape you should have no issues whatsoever.


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## jtguns (Sep 25, 2011)

Agree that the ammo is probably ok, use it for practice only, I would not use it for carry ammo. I only use new factory ammo for carry.

Shoot safe and have fun.

JT


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## berettatoter (Sep 1, 2011)

murphy12 said:


> Greetings. Getting back into hand gunning, thanks to a new Xdm 9mm. I have several boxes of old(10 yrs) 9mm of various types. All have been stored in a closet, and kept dry. Would they be safe to shoot?
> Many thanks, murphy12


As long as it has been properly stored, then yes it will be safe to shoot. If ammo is kept properly, it should be able to last for decades.


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## Rockhound (Sep 28, 2011)

I have ammo that I have stored in a closet for over 20 years (Winchester 9mm). It works fine.


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## JohnnyFlake (Jan 30, 2008)

If there are no obvious visual concerns, it should be just fine. Up until last year I still had WWII .45 ACP Ball Ammo that worked flawlessly.


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## Packard (Aug 24, 2010)

You should only be sure that you know the drill in case of a primer failure, or a low powder charge. 

Is this for a revolver or a semi-auto? The two problems you can face are a primer that fails to go "bang" and a round with insufficient powder charge (or weakened charge due to age). In either case, keep the gun pointed down range until you have done the safety drill.

(Someone else will have to go over this drill. I started writing and I cannot remember enough of the details--I could use a refresher course on this too.)


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## FNISHR (Aug 9, 2011)

I'd think it should be fine for range work. For a nightstand gun, with my family's lives depending on it, I'd use new factory ammo only.


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## Gunners_Mate (Feb 17, 2010)

Packard said:


> You should only be sure that you know the drill in case of a primer failure, or a low powder charge.
> 
> Is this for a revolver or a semi-auto? The two problems you can face are a primer that fails to go "bang" and a round with insufficient powder charge (or weakened charge due to age). In either case, keep the gun pointed down range until you have done the safety drill.
> 
> (Someone else will have to go over this drill. I started writing and I cannot remember enough of the details--I could use a refresher course on this too.)


The way we train it these days (as least navy side) is if you feel reduced recoil or notice an audible pop (as opposed to bang) keep the weapon pointed down range for a count of 10-15 seconds (in case the rest of the powder should decide to ignite) while holding up your non firing hand to signal a problem on the range to the line coach. from there, line coach takes control of the weapon, racks the slide to the rear, inspects spent casing (looks unburnt powder, primer hit center and to an appropriate depth) , and, with a clear and safe pistol, will inspect the barrel. a chamber inspection tool is recommended, but again, with a clear and safe pistol, you can look for an obstruction from the muzzle. if there is one, disassemble, use a cleaning rod from chamber to muzzle to push it all the way through, and then give the bullet to your enemies as a bad luck charm, lol. definitely do NOT fire another round to clear the barrel.

I know on the 16 inch guns the battleships used if one of those 2 ton bullets got stuck in the barrel they used a reduced charge to push it all the way through, makes me wonder if using a blank, if I round were being particularly tricky to get out, would be appropriate in small arms... just an idea there, not navy doctrine,


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## Packard (Aug 24, 2010)

Gunners_Mate said:


> The way we train it these days (as least navy side) is if you feel reduced recoil or notice an audible pop (as opposed to bang) keep the weapon pointed down range for a count of 10-15 seconds (in case the rest of the powder should decide to ignite) while holding up your non firing hand to signal a problem on the range to the line coach. from there, line coach takes control of the weapon, racks the slide to the rear, inspects spent casing (looks unburnt powder, primer hit center and to an appropriate depth) , and, with a clear and safe pistol, will inspect the barrel. a chamber inspection tool is recommended, but again, with a clear and safe pistol, you can look for an obstruction from the muzzle. if there is one, disassemble, use a cleaning rod from chamber to muzzle to push it all the way through, and then give the bullet to your enemies as a bad luck charm, lol. definitely do NOT fire another round to clear the barrel.
> 
> I know on the 16 inch guns the battleships used if one of those 2 ton bullets got stuck in the barrel they used a reduced charge to push it all the way through, makes me wonder if using a blank, if I round were being particularly tricky to get out, would be appropriate in small arms... just an idea there, not navy doctrine,


Thanks for the reminder.

For a revolver the clearing of the chamber is simpler and once the cylinder has been swung open you can safely check the barrel for any obstructions.

You need to push the round (if it is stuck) back through the barrel. A wooden dowel and a hammer will ensure that you do no damage to the rifling. A brass rod would be OK too. Don't use steel though as you can nick the lands (or scratch the hexagonal); this would not be good for the future accuracy of the weapon.

All this said, I would use the old ammo for practice. I see no harm. Just be aware what to do if you do not get a resounding "bang" when you pull the trigger.


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