Old ammo usage . . . . Good? Bad? Ugly?

[69Shark]

Question about old ammo,

I recently came into a few boxes of old ammo. Say . . . guessing from the 70's.
Is there any reason this ammo should not be used for plinking?

No, it will not be used as self defense. No it is not expected to fire every time.

However is there any reason to to take it to a range and use it just to be rid of it?

Most of it was 38 special with a few 22 and standard 38.

Is there any standard school of thought with this stuff?

Thanks in advance for any input.

Scott

[porsche]

If it was always dry it should be ok.

[Charlie]

Agree with above. I've shot .22 and other ammo that is more than 50 yrs. old. I know this because I shot it when I was a youngster at age 12 or so. In fact, it was ammo that was still in the magazine of a Colt Woodsman! This stuff has been sitting in various closets and my safe (in the garage) for a long time and none of it has failed to work. Just my two bits.

[ralph7]

probably nothing at all wrong w/the ammo, however i am getting to where i hate to shoot the older stuff because you just don't see those boxes anymore.
in a few years the 70's stuff will be getting collectible, just not quite there, yet.

[GSO]

I've been cleaning out my boxes and closets shooting up some 80's vintage ammo in various calibers. My thought is that I may as well enjoy shooting it for fun at the range and leave the fresh stuff for "emergency" use. I am saving some of the empty boxes and tins out of nostalgia. I've not had any problems with the ammo other than some of the .22LR not firing, but this is even a problem with current production .22LR ammo, although not as prevalent.

[DWalt]

Given anything like reasonable storage conditions, ammunition will outlive all of us. Not long ago, I fired some grungy corroded WWI GI .45 ACP, and even so, about 60% of those rounds fired. I also fired a box of Winchester .38 Special from the mid-1930s. Not only did all of it fire, but I checked MV on my chronograph. It was right where it should have been. I still have considerable quantities of .22LR from the late 1960s, and it is also 100% reliable. I might hesitate to fire some really old ammunition because of its collectable value and/or presence of corrosive primers, but those would be the only reasons.

[6Actual]

I have shot lots of WW2 mil surp ammo, functioned fine. 30 carbine, 45acp, and 30-06 no issues.

[Oyeboten]

Should be fine...

One thing to look out for though when regarding old Ammo, is that sometimes it is someone's unknown re-Loads put back into a factory Box, from who knows when...and, can be 'iffy', especially if some rounds have a double-charge of Bullseye or other.

[69Shark]

Good info. I thought it might be OK.


Thanks!
Scott

[WIL TERRY]

I have shot ammunition from 1904, the '20's, the 30's, and the 40'S. I have NEVER had a single problem with any of it and that 1904 was 303BRIT we ran through a bREN gun without a single malfunction [ at least 10,000 rounds of it..] Anything made in the 50's or after is current production as far as we are concerned.