Old handgun, old ammunition ...

[DavidR]

Planning to spend next Saturday with my elderly Dad. He has a 357 revolver (probably an S&W) at his house for self defense. He bought the gun somewhere around 1980 and my guess is he bought his ammunition at the same time. It's been at least 30 years since he fired it, if he ever fired it. The gun has been kept in an air-conditioned house in Florida the entire time.

I'm going to try to talk him into letting me borrow it so I can clean it and lubricate it and test fire it with new ammunition.

Should I be worried about test-firing a gun that hasn't been fired in 30 years?
How do I safely dispose of his old ammunition?

[RRP]

Should I be worried about test-firing a gun that hasn't been fired in 30 years?

Not at all. Clean it; lube it; shoot it.

How do I safely dispose of his old ammunition?

Point the gun down-range. Pull the trigger. Seriously, if the ammo was stored in a conditioned space, it will work fine. Don't use it if you see heavy corrosion on the cases, but otherwise, you'll be fine.

[Bob T]

Point the gun down-range. Pull the trigger. Seriously, if the ammo was stored in a conditioned space, it will work fine. Don't use it if you see heavy corrosion on the cases, but otherwise, you'll be fine.

Yup, this. The ammo will work just fine. Have fun!

[kwh]

What did he pay for the ammo 30 years ago?

[muggsy]

If you have 30 year old S&W NIB un-fired with the original paperwork. You may not want to shoot it. It could be a collectors item.

[Sheepdog689]

If you have 30 year old S&W NIB un-fired with the original paperwork. You may not want to shoot it. It could be a collectors item.

What he said!

[Pointblank]

Just be on the alert for a squib load that might stick in the barrel. A second shot would blow up the barrel.

[Baklash]

My dad was a deputy sheriff & city marshal back in the 40's & 50's. About 10 years ago I inherited his S&W 32 revolver from my older brother. I cleaned it, inspected the ammo and took it to the firing range. Worked great.

[DeaconKC]

It's a S&W, unless you know it's unfired, enjoy shooting it!
One drop of oil on the cylinder crane, one drop on the ejector rod and one at the base of the hammer when in the cocked position.

[DavidR]

Spent the day with Dad. It's a Smith and Wesson Model 19-4 with a 4 inch barrel. Serial number 51K9xxx suggests 1978 or 1979 (more likely 79). He acquired it used in the early 80s. It has not been fired since he acquired it. He also has a box of 50 38 special rounds that I haven't looked at yet.

I plan to clean it, lube it and shoot it like I stole it.

[RRP]

Very nice pre-lock pistol. It's a keeper. Have fun at the range.

[RainingAgain]

Planning to spend next Saturday with my elderly Dad. He has a 357 revolver (probably an S&W) at his house for self defense. He bought the gun somewhere around 1980 and my guess is he bought his ammunition at the same time. It's been at least 30 years since he fired it, if he ever fired it. The gun has been kept in an air-conditioned house in Florida the entire time.

I'm going to try to talk him into letting me borrow it so I can clean it and lubricate it and test fire it with new ammunition.

Should I be worried about test-firing a gun that hasn't been fired in 30 years?
How do I safely dispose of his old ammunition?

I acquired a SW 19-5 in about that same condition. Start out shooting some 158 gr 38 SPL loads.

[DavidR]

Old handgun, old ammunition ...

158 gr 38 - thanks


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[DavidR]

Old handgun, old ammunition ...

Spoke with Dad yesterday. It seems he'd still like to have a handgun at his but the 19, at 39 ounces unloaded is way too heavy.

He indicated some interest in a small semi-auto but I think a smaller revolver would be best for a couple of reasons: at 87 I'm concerned about hand strength and his ability to rack a semi; he is not going to spend time at the range training so I think its best to stay with a revolver as he knows how to operate one.

He's not thrilled with the idea of a snubby as he feels they're too inaccurate but I think that's where we're headed.

Any thoughts from you guys and gals would be appreciated.


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[muggsy]

He could probably handle a Bersa .380. Aluminum frame, easy to rack and very little recoil. It won't break your bank book.