22lr ammo.... Truth or myth

[aestus]

Ammo will outlast you if stored properly.

My dad had a bunch of loose .22lr in a metal bandaid tin for almost 30 years. This tin full of .22lr has been left outside, been through hot and cold weather, and even changes in humidity. It travelled with us when my parents moved out to California and travelled back with us when they decided to move back to Oklahoma a year later. It's been through 3 houses, transported and forgotten in the back of my car for 6 months through the rain, snow and ice and some even developed some oxidation on the outside.

It took me buying a new brick of .22lr for my dad to finally get him to let go of his trusty tin of .22lr. He's the type of person that stores and saves everything and doesn't let a single thing to waste. Loaded them up into a Marlin 60 and about 400 or so out of the 500 went bang. I reloaded the ones that failed to fire and most of them fired on the second try. Only about 20 or so rounds were duds.

 

[WessonOil]

Keep it stored in an ammo can or tupperware container with some sort of moisture absorber, and you and your children and grandchildren will probably never have to worry about it.
I just ran 100 rounds of 22 from 1980 through my rifle and it's 100%.

My favorite ammo is 1930's and 1940's 8mm.

Seems like smokeless powder that's been stored correctly still hasn't been found to "go bad" since it was first invented.

 

[HackerF15E]

Metallic cartridge ammunition, by and large, has a shelf life longer than any of our lifetimes.

Outside of serious abuse, like being submerged in a flood or surviving a fire, it will be just fine to use for a LONG time.

 

[Old Fart]

I think the question has been answered, but just wanted to add I have a couple old boxes of 22 short my dad had when he was a young fellow.
Impotent, but still goes bang. Probably in the 60-7- year old range. I have an old saturday night special in 22 short and fire it every couple years.

 

[jmusteen]

Think it just just depends on humidity and such, my Grandpa's been shooting from i guess the word is a lot of .22 shorts since the 50's and his dad was using them long before that, i don't think id worry unless u see some kinda build up, or some sorta odd case warping

 

[dennishoddy]

Like the rest, I have some ammo from the 60's, and it shoots fine.

 

[AKguy1985]

I've shot 40 year old .22 ammo and it shot just fine.

 

[Fyrtwuck]

I have heard that it will go bad as well. With .22 LR I usually get about 10-20 rounds that won't fire in a 500 round bulk pack. Most fire when I reload and try to shoot them again.

I was taught in an NRA Instructor class the supposedly the reason for the failures is the (what I call the primer fluid in the rim for lack of a better name) drains to one side of the case or the other and when the firing pin hits the rim, that substance is not there to ignite and fire the cartridge. When reloaded, the case is turned away from the previous firing pin strike area to where the fluid actually is and the round goes off.

I was also told at the same time to not buy bulk ammo that lies in just any position in the box, but to buy the ammo that has the individual holes for each round and make sure to store in an upright position.

Is this valid? Does it work? I have no idea. Like I said, this is what I was told in a class. I still buy the bulk packs 500 rounds at a time and shoot till I get tired.

 

[HackerF15E]

drains to one side of the case or the other

Fluid primer -- interesting idea.

 

[n423]

I have some .22 ammo from the 80's that still goes bang.


I have bought mil surplus that did not always fire. Guess it was a bad batch.