20 years old ammo, safe to use?

[9mmlover]

I have 20 rounds bought in the early 90's. they look like new. The price sticker says $7

[Barth]

Ammo is all about staying dry.
If it's been stored well?
Really old ammo works just fine.
I wouldn't worry about it.

[CJB]

Only the standard precautions for all ammo apply. Be mindful hangfires and squibs. Neither are likely though.

In the early 1980s I shot barely post WWI military 06 and 45 acp. Both were fine.

Note - except for 30 Carbine ammo, all pre Korean War military ammo is corrosive, leaves salt in the bore.

Commercial ammo past the mid 1930s is non corrosive.

[berettabone]

" Choot it!!!!!!!!!!"

[marshal kane]

Bought in the early 90's? Looks fresh as the day it left the factory assuming proper storage! I just shot some government surplus .45 ACP military ball loaded in 1962. It all went "bang". I say you're good to go.

[Pistolpacker1911]

Just to be the devils advocate, personally, I would not risk shooting old ammo unless it was in an airtight container from the factory.
I say this because moisture is capable of causing a misfire that lodges the projectile in the barrel. If you are shooting rapid fire or double taps, you could blow the gun up in your hands. Just because some of the old ammo fires does not mean all of them are good, and it only takes one to turn what you save in ammo cost into an insurance deductible payment.
Or maybe I'm wrong, only one way to find out, right?

[Nytcrawler93]

I think it goes without saying that a little caution is in order but it is not a big deal.


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[yqtszhj]

Not too sure about that ammo. Better send me about 19 of those rounds and I'll test them out for you.

[Higgy Baby]

I quit hunting back in the 80's...and had quiet a bit of 12/20, 30.06, 357/38 left in the closet.

My two sons were both here last summer and they pulled out some guns and went for a shoot- not a hitch at all.
Even the 1100 cycled the ammo like all was new.

I even have a little 32 sw that came with my granddads old sw 32 police....that I know hasn't been used since the 50's- it ran fine.

[89grand]

A few weeks back I shot my 1891 Argentine Mauser with ammo that was probably 40 years old if not more. 90's stuff is new by comparison.

[CJB]

If you are shooting rapid fire or double taps, you could blow the gun up.
Or maybe I'm wrong.

No maybe. You and the statement are both incorrect in any autoloader.

[ltxi]

Twenty years isn't old in the least in factory ammunition years. My preferred carry load these days is HST and/or Gold Dot but I still have a bunch of Hydra Shok that dates back to the mid-late 90's that is completely carry trustworthy. A couple of my lesser used nines and .45s are still stoked with it and I use it as proof of lack of feed issues ammunition for new guns.

[SlowBurn]

Looks like very nice carry ammo, but I don't think I'd carry it. No problem as range ammo, just not 100% confident it will go boom

[9mmlover]

thanks guys for responding. seems mixed opinions. they look shinny just like new but I am worried about losing my fingers or damage my gun.

[ltxi]

Listen closest to the the older gunnies who still have both hands, 10 fingers, and no holes in their feet...