Bullet life if lost.

[30-6]

I was talking with a friend how i am still using "old" shotgun cartridges from at least 10 years ago. The conversation changed to how he once found an unfired but deterioated cartridge in a field, but still "whole".

 

When i go out with shotgun or rimfire, i always take multiples of "25's" of ammo, and count back in fired and unfired to make up the correct number of going and coming back. I have sometimes dropped a fired rimfire case and lost it but that is accounted for.

 

So it got me thinking, how long would an unfired round if dropped in a field take to become "safe" and of no danger. I would imagine on shotgun cartridge and centerfire rounds the primer would eventually break down, but how long would that take ?, but on a rimfire round with no external primer, would it stay fireable indefinetely ?

 

 

[Livefast123]

I would imaging that it would be a long time in normal outside conditions, maybe 20 years plus

[fieldwanderer]

I dunno, isn't some soil in the country quite acidic or contains a lot of salt? Given that, I guess it would vary. If you found ammunition in a building or somewhere else that protected it from the elements I guess it could last a long time. I've read that shotgun cartridges kick more when old or stored in damp conditions, I think that's a good sign that they do age and may well become unsafe to use.

 

Considering what they cost though, I think I'd rather keep it as a sort of ornament or simply strip and discard (burn).

[mark@mbb]

I would guess a couple of years how many shotgun cartridges have you found with the end cap rusted away

[zx10mike]

i would wager damp would get to the powder in the first rainfall

[30-6]

Yeah, i have found old shotgun cartridges with the metal head corroded away.

 

But with the cases being brass and no external primer component showing, what about RIMFIRE ammo ? As in op, does it last indefinetly, or will damp eventually get through past the bullet head ?

[Breastman]

I would guess a couple of years how many shotgun cartridges have you found with the end cap rusted away

 

I've seen it first hand after just 1 month! Found a shotgun cartridge that was dropped 28 days beforehand and the 'brass' had eroded/bubbled up to the point that it would chamber Just cut it up and discarded

 

With rimfire ammo i would think it would depend on so many factors it would be impossible to say. Personally i wouldn't put any ammo i'd just found on the floor through one of my guns

[kent]

There must be a stack of .22rf dropped out lamping etc. there must be implications to stock safety but I have never been told of any, I have seen 12 bore shell cases removed from cows stomachs though

[dadioles]

I live in a house that was used by the Home Guard during WW2 and a few years ago I found 2 clips of bullets (303) hidden in the junction of the wall and ceiling in what was the wash-house. The building and walls (1850's) were cold and damp and the brass was "aged" but when I opened a bullet the powder (like short bits of chopped up pencil lead) was perfectly dry and ignited beautifully. Putting the brass cartridge (with the bullet removed) in a vice and hitting the cap with a hammer and nail fired the charge without a problem. My hearing returned the next day! The bullets were perfectly viable after 70 years.

[njc110381]

I'd say it would last a very long time. When you think how tight a fit a bullet and primer has in a centrefire case I can't imagine water would penetrate without being under some pressure? Rimfire though, who knows? Sometimes the bullets can feel quite loose and if that was the case I would think the damp would get in quite quickly?

[Beretta28g]

People sometimes still use 1942 .303 ammo, so it will keep a long time if stored right.

 

What about all these unexploded ww2 munitions that keep being found, and are termed unsafe???

[turbo33]

Many variables I guess. Stored in dry conditions, possibly indefinitely. But with the op, lost....dropped in grass etc? I wonder if capillary effect would let water/damp past the bullet head and to the powder? I would think so, and particularly

on a lot of less sophisticated ammo like rimfire. Especially some of the hmr stuff.

It would be easy enough to do a controlled test.

Edited August 14, 2013 by turbo33

[kent]

I live in a house that was used by the Home Guard during WW2 and a few years ago I found 2 clips of bullets (303) hidden in the junction of the wall and ceiling in what was the wash-house. The building and walls (1850's) were cold and damp and the brass was "aged" but when I opened a bullet the powder (like short bits of chopped up pencil lead) was perfectly dry and ignited beautifully. Putting the brass cartridge (with the bullet removed) in a vice and hitting the cap with a hammer and nail fired the charge without a problem. My hearing returned the next day! The bullets were perfectly viable after 70 years.

 

Not to be recommended, primers can come out backwards with some force at times (an old school mate lost an eye to a similar situation)

[Imperfection]

I live in a house that was used by the Home Guard during WW2 and a few years ago I found 2 clips of bullets (303) hidden in the junction of the wall and ceiling in what was the wash-house. The building and walls (1850's) were cold and damp and the brass was "aged" but when I opened a bullet the powder (like short bits of chopped up pencil lead) was perfectly dry and ignited beautifully. Putting the brass cartridge (with the bullet removed) in a vice and hitting the cap with a hammer and nail fired the charge without a problem. My hearing returned the next day! The bullets were perfectly viable after 70 years.

 

 

I buy old milsurp ammo-the oldest so far dating from the mid 1930's and its never failed to go bang. I once bought a job lot of 1945 7.92x57 (for my Mauser) which was originally machine gun rounds for the MG42 (you could see where it had all been de-linked) and this stuff looked like it was dug out of a field! However,every single round went off fine and was very accurate.

 

Then the flip side with same calibre.I've bought 1953 Yugoslavian ammo which is poor quality despite being cheap.Out of say 100 rounds 5-10 will fail to fire.

 

I've also used 303 ammunition in another of my rifles which despite being jacketed had a round bullet.This stuff was made about 1905 and all went bang.

[30-6]

There must be a stack of .22rf dropped out lamping etc. there must be implications to stock safety but I have never been told of any, I have seen 12 bore shell cases removed from cows stomachs though

Litter, including the lazy shooters who fail to pick their emptys are a pet hate of mine. I have never left behind a shotgun cartridge, i always count them out and in to make sure.

 

I have i admit dropped an empty rimfire case and been unable to find it, and would definetly not have an auto which just chucks them out. Like KENT said, animal damage. If a cow stepped on an empty case which happened to be in the upright position while on a hard surface, i reckon that would cut into its foot.

 

Also, when people shoot out of vehicles and the cases are ejected inside, how do they find everyone ?, i bet MOT's and servicing throughs up a couple in such circumstances.

[kent]

Litter, including the lazy shooters who fail to pick their emptys are a pet hate of mine. I have never left behind a shotgun cartridge, i always count them out and in to make sure.

 

I have i admit dropped an empty rimfire case and been unable to find it, and would definetly not have an auto which just chucks them out. Like KENT said, animal damage. If a cow stepped on an empty case which happened to be in the upright position while on a hard surface, i reckon that would cut into its foot.

 

Also, when people shoot out of vehicles and the cases are ejected inside, how do they find everyone ?, i bet MOT's and servicing throughs up a couple in such circumstances.

I wish I could say I have never lost a 12 bore case and I even have a dog that collects the empties after evening flight and Hornet cases are a devil to find in long grass at night

[Amazed]

I wish I could say I have never lost a 12 bore case and I even have a dog that collects the empties after evening flight and Hornet cases are a devil to find in long grass at night

There a pain in the daytime too some of the best camo is in dried grass