Joe Doakes from Como Park emails:
My Dad did some Spring Cleaning. “Here, you shoot .45, don’t you? Been saving this box a while.”
Eight bucks a box for .45’s at Monkey Wards? Geez, Dad, how old ARE these? Do I dare set them off?
Joe Doakes
Cue the raft of “oldest ammunition I shot” stories.
It depends on where the box was stored. If it was in a temperature and humidity controlled environment and there are no signs of degradation of the brass, particularly around the crimp, it might be OK. That said, I doubt that I would take the chance.
I routinely shoot stuff my father bought in the early 70s with no problem aside from some accuracy issues at 200+ yards. OTOH some WWII era 8mm stuff can be really dicey and the Soviet era AK-47 ammo seems to have consistent quality issues.
I’ve shot some wadcutters my grandfather loaded in the 50s without trouble. As BH said, it’s all in how it’s stored.
Joe, I don’t think you’ll have any problems as long as you are certain you don’t have a squib round in the barrel before the next shot is fired.
I’ve shot 40 year old .22 shorts out of a 1906 pump action .22 that fires shorts & longs. I think it’s shot out pretty bad, but it’s a fun gun.