I've got a fair bit of WW2 ammo for my M1 carbine and it shoots fine, so it should be good for 60 odd years at least (if stored under optimal conditions).
A guy i know got a bunch of .243 Normas from a customer that were from 1970 and he still can't hit a barn door with them... i have some Winchester GB 28 Gramme 12g cartridges from the 1980's and they kill better than anything else i have used in my Webley 700 sbs.
I don't doubt for a second that ammunition well sealed and stored will keep for a very long time, 50 years no bother.
An old great-uncle of mine died about 10 years ago. I cleared out his gunsafe. I assembled a motley selection of several hundred 12 bore shells which went back to the 1960's, mainly Eley and Hull, most of them in paper cases and varnished: Three Crowns, Gastights, impax, Grand prix's etc. He was over 90 when he died and had not been shooting much for the previous 30 years.
Anyway, I shot the lot, not a single miss fire, worked perfectly.
I have since discovered there is a real collectors market for those old shells....
I have a client who has a lovley Rigby 275 and insist on using the original kynock(sp?) ammo that came with the rifle, it comes in a small box of 10 packed in cotton wool, the look like they are about 150 gr soft point and they flatten stags like anything modern.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.