Ammo expiration?

**mrjam2jab** · July 23rd, 2009, 11:38 AM

Co-worker asked if ammo expires. He has a box (9.2mm) that he bought about 7 yrs ago for a Makarov 9mm that he purchased at the same time. Its stored in a closet and no chance of getting wet....and he asked me if time affects it.

I wasnt sure but told him i would certainly find out for him.

Oh, and i also gave him a flyer....

**Guns4Fun** · July 23rd, 2009, 11:40 AM

Nope - as long as it was stored well and kept dry, it will last forever.

Hell, there's surplus ammo out there from the early 1900's that is still being shot.

Edit -- too bad he doesn't have plain 9mm you could have told him it was bad and that you would properly dispose of it

.

I still have ammo from the 1980's that i shoot.

**Dodahdude** · July 23rd, 2009, 12:57 PM

It will only stay good until you use it. Then after a good cleaning re-load it.....

**levib** · July 23rd, 2009, 02:58 PM

I have some 40 year old 7.62mm I shot out of my SKS just a week ago. Not one failure to fire, feed, or eject in about 150 rounds. Can't wait to shoot up the rest of it!

**imashooter2** · July 23rd, 2009, 11:08 PM

There are an awful lot of people happily blasting away with surplus 8mm loaded in the 40's.

7 year old ammo in climate controlled storage is as reliable as the day it was made.

**RandomTask** · July 23rd, 2009, 11:10 PM

All ammo only has a shelf life of one year.
Send all expired ammo to me for proper disposal.

**Emptymag** · July 23rd, 2009, 11:52 PM

I've even fired .22LR ammo that had been submerged in flood waters.
Took it out to shoot it a few years later and out of a few hundred rounds, less than ten failed to go bang.

That said, yes, moisture is the enemy, not time.

**stephpd** · July 24th, 2009, 07:41 AM

I do remember hearing a few stories from the first Gulf War that the soldier were complaining about misfires from shooting old ammo. But the military has warehouses of that stuff. Some from back in WWII.

I just consider it a good training experience. Weapon jams and clearing is much better practiced when not being shot at. Of course when it came time to invade they gave them newer ammo. But 60 year old ammo still works, for the most part. The better it's stored the higher chance of nothing being wrong with it.

Worst thing about really old ammo is corrosive primers. Not a problem with anything make recently (like since the early 50's).