Old Ammunition?

Question

How long does it take before ammunition is no longer safe to use, in particular 7.62x54mm. I've seen some good deals on large packs of 7.62 at gun shows but it was a little old and was never sure if it would be worth it.

No, I mean 7.62x54, it is russian round that has been around since the late 1800's.

Answer 1

You can still safely use WWII surplus ammo.

The thing you have to watch is whether or not the cartirdges have corrosive or non-corrosive primers. If they've got corrosive primers, you need to clean you rifle after every time you fire it. Of course, you should be doing that anyway, but with corrosive primers it's imperative. The residue from the primer will pit your barrel which will decrease your accuracy.

If the person you're buying the ammo from doesn't know if the primers are corrosive or non-corrosive, assume they're corrosive unless you know the ammo was manufactured in the last 15 years or so.

Answer 2

I shoot a lot of surplus 7.62x54r ammo, some made in 1964, some made in 1974, some made in 1983, it's all good ammo if stored right, most of what I get is still sealed in the "sardine can" so it's been air tight and water tight since it was packed, you've read above where they said to clean with ammonia after shooting corrosive ammo, ALL surplus ammo for this caliber should be considered corrosive, ammonia doesn't harm the barrel or bolt face when cleaning.

Answer 3

If you mean 7.62x54R (you must, that's the only 54), and -especially- if you're shooting this in an old Mosin rifle, you won't see any problems even with pre-WWII ammunition. My only adivce is PLEASE clean the gun EVERY TIME. All of the stuff even from the 1980s is corrosive, which will end up ruining your gun, so clean it out with ammonia and then clean it in the normal fashion and you can prevent any problems. I would not recommend old ammunition in new guns or auto-loaders however, as that stuff was made to feed in a bolt action, no-frills, tough-as-nails rifle. I hope this helps you.

Answer 4

If it is stored right it will be safe for well over a hundred years. I've shot 45/70 rounds from a sealed tin with a 1893 manufacture date.

Answer 5

The 7.62 x 54 Mosin-Nagat I have still shoots 40+ year old ammo all the time.

Answer 6

The round you are referring of is "7.62x54R" .... I regularly shoot surplus ammo in my mosin's that is 60+ years old....most of it is good, but if a round doesnt go off wait about 10 seconds before taking it out of chamber, it could still go off so keep it pointed in a safe dirrection. my only complaint is that some of the mill. surplus ammo is hard on your shoulder after a few bundles.

Answer 7

Stored in a dry envirorment it should be okay, but 7.62x54? Don't you mean 7.62x51 the NATO round?

H

Answer 8

Ammo lasts forever. Shelf life is forever unless the shell casing was compromised, but if it is too old it may contain some corrosive gun powder that will errode your barrel and steel components.

Answer 9

40 years was a rule of thumb for our ammunition at Lake City...That said, ammo that is stored properly, at cool temperature and very low humidity could possible double that.

A great place to buy surplus ammo is
http://www.midwayusa.com
I also buy from
http://www.cheaperthandirt.com

I prefer Midway because of their customer service, they only charge for the exact amount of shipping, and they go out of their way to ship as cheaply as possible...Not to mention they are huge supporters of the NRA..

Answer 10

Should be fine if stored in a somewhat dry envrionment for about
50 to 70 years.