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Shelf life ammo1/2/2024 ![]() Full Metal Jacketsįull metal jackets and brass-lined ammunition are both highly resistant to lead degradation. However, no studies have proven such claims to be valid. Speculations are suggesting that newer ammunition with lead-free primer type has an expiration date of 25 years. Read: FMJ vs Hollow Point Non-corrosive AmmoĬontrary to popular belief, non-corrosive ammunition has a shorter shelf life than its corrosive counterparts. Proper sealing of bullets against moisture and corrosion observed in modern ammunition also plays a significant role in their better storage potential. This can be attributed to the propellant used in modern ammunition, a smokeless powder that can last for an indefinite length of time, as opposed to black powder in old bullets. Make sure primers are snuggly seated and not loose before using.Modern ammunition is designed to have a considerably longer shelf life. Aside from preserving the life expectancy of your shells, the key is to identify the warning signs that ammunition might have reached the end of its usable life. The universal recommendation is ten years, although there’s no doubt that ammunition can last longer if stored properly. It's difficult to propose an accurate shelf life for ammunition since there are so many factors at play. If either of these problems exist it’s wise not to use the ammunition. The most obvious visible clues that shotgun ammunition has gone bad are damaged hulls and corroded brass. Obviously, avoid ammunition without discernable markings that indicate gauge and so forth, but also pay close attention for signs of damage. The most important factor is to use firearms in good working order and ammunition that matches. If a shell is bulging or has an irregular shape, don’t force it into your magazine or chamber as it may not feed or eject properly. ![]() That doesn’t mean that paper hull ammunition from the 1960s, and even before, won’t work-but paper absorbs moisture over many decades (which can also cause shells to swell and not fit into your shotgun’s magazine and chamber). Modern plastic shotshells were introduced by Federal Ammunition in the 1960s, and plastic shotshell hulls undoubtedly protect internal components more effectively that paper hulls used previously. That might have been different if the ammo was stored in a vest pocket in a garage where heat and moisture were impacting the powder over the last decade. That ammunition was stored in boxes inside a gun room where the temperature and humidity were monitored and controlled, so the ammunition shoots perfectly well. I recently picked up several cases of Winchester AA ammunition that had belonged to a competitive shooter who passed away over a decade ago. Uncooled buildings, car interiors, basements that aren’t temperature controlled, and other storage sites are terrible for ammunition.Īnother factor impacting the shelf life of shotshells is how they’ve spent the years between manufacturing and use. Reactions within the powder itself may eventually cause the load to weaken, but if the powder is kept cool these oxidation reactions occur at a slower pace than in very cold environments. You’ll also slow the natural breakdown of smokeless powder that occurs over time. Keep an eye out for excessive corrosion and other signs of damage to a shell before loading. Just about any place where the humidity is kept below 50 percent and the temperature is mild and stable (say 70 degrees or colder) and you’ll reduce the odds that moisture or corrosion cause issues. Heat and moisture are the two most common factors that cause shotshells to fail, so you need to pay close attention to where you store your ammunition for maximum shelf life. So, what are the right conditions to preserve shotshells? Primarily, you’ll need a cool and a dry environment to preserve ammunition. Appropriate Ammunition Preservation Conditions In bad conditions shells may not even make it to ten years. In truth, shotshells may last considerably longer than that under the right conditions. ![]() Ten years is not a magic number, and shotgun shells don’t automatically sour after a decade of storage. If that’s your plan, be certain to write the date of purchase in large lettering on the box so that you’ll have a reminder of when you purchased the ammo. ![]() If you like, you can use that standard yourself, clinging to the decade policy. That’s a rather simple and straightforward answer, and Federal is no doubt using ten years as a conservative estimate of how long a shotshell would last. I expected an extensive response with a lot of complicated chemical analysis, but Federal’s stance on aged-out ammunition is simple: in their FAQ section, the company lists ten years as ammunition shelf life. I contacted Daniel Compton, product line manager at Federal Ammunition, regarding the shelf life of shotgun ammunition. ![]()
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