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Does Ammunition Have a Shelf Life

This comes up from time to time - I think we've discussed it on here before. Last year I ran through a few boxes of .22LR that my mother-in-law found in a closet after my father-in-law passed away in 2014. She gave me his shotgun, an old beat up Marlin .22 rifle, and ammo for both. The 22 ammo had an Otasco price tag on it - something like 79 cents per box, for 50 or 100 round boxes. Otasco was a regional chain in the Southeast, and has probably been out of business since the mid 1970's, so that ammo was easily 40-50 years old.

I ran it through my Ruger Mark II and only had 2 issues - 2 stove-pipes that required me to clear the chamber after removing the magazine. But it all went bang and went down-range. I imagine the stove piped rounds were weak, and failed to rack the slide fully or something like that.

I agree with the article - storage is key. Keep it cool and dry, and it will last a LONG LONG time. One reason I cycle my carry ammo each year is because it is NOT stored cool and dry in a sealed ammo box, but rides in my pocket or inside my waist band, which can be a humid environment, especially in summer.
 
I've read articles like this before, but I'm always glad to see them re-affirm previous findings. For years I've relied upon the idea that properly stored ammo doesn't expire. Ever since the shortage of 2012 I've been picking up a couple of boxes of ammo any time I went to a sporting goods store and they had a decent price.

It seems unbelievable now, but barely a year ago I was buying 115 gr. FMJ Fiocchi 9mm for $7.95 a box at Academy. It sounds silly today, but my pre-COVID cut-off price for 9mm was $12 a box. I collected quite a few assorted weights, shapes and brands over the years, but right now I'm incredibly thankful that I did. My wife thought I had too much ammo lying around the house until she saw all the empty shelves and I showed the current online prices. My only problem now is reminding her that my ammo was not purchased as an investment and is not for sale.
 
wmg1299 said:
I've read articles like this before, but I'm always glad to see them re-affirm previous findings. For years I've relied upon the idea that properly stored ammo doesn't expire. Ever since the shortage of 2012 I've been picking up a couple of boxes of ammo any time I went to a sporting goods store and they had a decent price.

It seems unbelievable now, but barely a year ago I was buying 115 gr. FMJ Fiocchi 9mm for $7.95 a box at Academy. It sounds silly today, but my pre-COVID cut-off price for 9mm was $12 a box. I collected quite a few assorted weights, shapes and brands over the years, but right now I'm incredibly thankful that I did. My wife thought I had too much ammo lying around the house until she saw all the empty shelves and I showed the current online prices. My only problem now is reminding her that my ammo was not purchased as an investment and is not for sale.
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Im with you on that . 1000 rds of 9mm was $159 and i’d pass if it was higher.. .. i shot 1500 rds avg a month.

Oh I wish I bought more than a couple month supply
 
My “deep stash” of M2 Ball (.30-06 Garand ammo) is an unopened spam can of Korean surplus from the late 1950’s-early 60’s. Likely corrosive primers, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing (the potassium salts used in them are a lot more temperature stable over time than N/C); just requires immediate and thorough cleaning with a water-based cleaner.

I have total confidence in it’s function, should it ever be needed.
 
Bassbob said:
I think at this point it is futile to argue that it doesn't. Keep it dry and it will be fine. That said I don't know too many people that don't shoot out and rotate their carry/defense ammo, you know, just in case. ;-)
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I rotate out the carry ammo because it is not stored in a dry cool ammo box like the rest of my ammo, but is exposed to heat and moisture when riding in my pocket or IWB holsters, depending on what I am carrying. Example is some of the nickel plated defense rounds in my Ruger LCP - the casing is nickel plated brass, and stays nice and shiny, but the bullets themselves are copper clad expanding hollow points, and the ones still in a box on the shelf are nice shiny new copper colored. After riding around in my pocket holster for a while, the copper starts looking tarnished, and darkens over time - just like a new penny versus an old penny. I have to assume that the primer and powder are also degrading from the 97+ degrees and high humidity in my pocket or IWB holster, day in and day out.
 
jfmorris said:
I rotate out the carry ammo because it is not stored in a dry cool ammo box like the rest of my ammo, but is exposed to heat and moisture when riding in my pocket or IWB holsters, depending on what I am carrying. Example is some of the nickel plated defense rounds in my Ruger LCP - the casing is nickel plated brass, and stays nice and shiny, but the bullets themselves are copper clad expanding hollow points, and the ones still in a box on the shelf are nice shiny new copper colored. After riding around in my pocket holster for a while, the copper starts looking tarnished, and darkens over time - just like a new penny versus an old penny.
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That is the conventional wisdom. Not too long ago I ran across a baggie full of old carry ammo I rotated out a year or two ago. I had forgotten about it. I went out back and dispatched it. Successfully.
 
Bassbob said:
That is the conventional wisdom. Not too long ago I ran across a baggie full of old carry ammo I rotated out a year or two ago. I had forgotten about it. I went out back and dispatched it. Successfully.
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Oh - I've never had a failure of any sort with the ammo that I carry around, and I typically only rotate it out of the magazines I use for carry after more than a year - sometimes longer, since I switch up magazines and carry pistols depending on what I am wearing or where I am going. I'm just saying its not gonna last in the harsher conditions of my EDC for the same length of time as that 50 year old ammo that my mother-in-law gave me off the closet shelf of my father-in-law's closet.
 
jfmorris said:
Oh - I've never had a failure of any sort with the ammo that I carry around, and I typically only rotate it out of the magazines I use for carry after more than a year - sometimes longer, since I switch up magazines and carry pistols depending on what I am wearing or where I am going. I'm just saying its not gonna last in the harsher conditions of my EDC for the same length of time as that 50 year old ammo that my mother-in-law gave me off the closet shelf of my father-in-law's closet.
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I agree. I also have several different carry guns that have to be attended to and for the same reasons as you. Normally I rotate the ammo yearly. This year may be different I don't know yet.
 
Bassbob said:
I agree. I also have several different carry guns that have to be attended to and for the same reasons as you. Normally I rotate the ammo yearly. This year may be different I don't know yet.
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Haha - yeah - this year is different for sure! At my local gun shop, they only recently started restricting ammo sales significantly, with some calibers (.38 and .357 for example) only sold with the purchase of a new firearm. I pick up a box of Hornady Critical Defense or Critical Duty depending on which they have available each time in there, and its been running $27 a box, which is only $7 higher than pre-pandemic pricing (there). The ball ammo though that was $8 a year ago was $25 for 50 rounds in the fall, and $35 a couple of weeks ago, with a 2 box limit.

My plans are to send a magazine of ball ammo down range for my 9mm or 380acp range time, and spend the rest of the time plinking with my Ruger Mark II, as 22LR is less affected than anything else right now (no primers required). And that will be at one of a few nearby outdoor ranges - not planning on a trip to the indoor range until I have the vaccine.

And I will be hanging onto ever round of defense ammo I have until things get more sane...
 
jfmorris said:
Haha - yeah - this year is different for sure! At my local gun shop, they only recently started restricting ammo sales significantly, with some calibers (.38 and .357 for example) only sold with the purchase of a new firearm. I pick up a box of Hornady Critical Defense or Critical Duty depending on which they have available each time in there, and its been running $27 a box, which is only $7 higher than pre-pandemic pricing (there). The ball ammo though that was $8 a year ago was $25 for 50 rounds in the fall, and $35 a couple of weeks ago, with a 2 box limit.
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I bought a ton of 230 gr. HST in 50 round boxes from Target Sports USA for about $32/box. You can't find it anywhere now and when you do it's 20 round boxes and they want $80 for it.

I have some of the Hornady CD somewhere. I gave most of it away. I forget now which, but one of my .45s hates it. Probably the Shield. HST works very well in all of them so that's what I prefer.
 
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