Posted by Mark on March 03, 2009 at 06:00:51 from (172.129.63.228):
In Reply to: O/T old ammunition posted by Nancy Howell on March 03, 2009 at 03:57:02:
That ammunition is still new for all intents and purposes.....really!
I had a friend call me a few years ago and offer me a can of "old army shells" as he called it. Seems his uncle had hoarded it, the uncle had died and they wanted the ammunition gone.
I went to retrieve what I assumed would be a box of assorted junk and was overjoyed to be handed a full military can of fresh M1 Ball ammo, all in Garand clips and bandoliers, dated 1957.
I promptly ran it all through my two M1"s with nary a hiccup.
When I was much younger....about 35 years ago, I was looking for some 38 WCF (38-40) ammunition so I could use an old family heirloom ("92 Winchester) that deer season. There was an elderly man in the village that told me to come see him...he thought he had some ammo. I went to see him and he pulled out an old Roi Tan cigar box and dug out 16 cartridges (cat"ridges as he called"em). This was around 1974 and he told me he had owned a rifle like the one I was using, back around 1915! The shells were "just" 59 years old then...assuming they were made in 1915...they could have been older. needless to say, I scooped them up and went to try a few out before opening day. Those cartridges were loaded by UMC (Union Metallic Cartridge Co.) with black powder, in what is known as "balloon head" cases. They even had copper primer cups. That ammunition is quite collectible nowadays. Every single one of them worked as good as the day they were made. I regret that I didn"t save a couple...but I was young and foolish then and had no idea such things were rapidly disappearing.
As for corrosive primers: Most of them disappeared by the late 1930"s, although Uncle Sam continued to use them until the early 1950"s in everything EXCEPT 30 carbine ammo which was always loaded with non corrosive primers and ball powder.
Corrosive primers used potassium chlorate...which when fired, became a chloride....a salt in other words. This being very hygroscopic, drew moisture and rusted the barrel. Non corrosive primers utilize lead styphanate which leaves no harmful residues behind.
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