TL;DR - Helped someone with a minor chore, ended up with some duck and goose ammo.


I planned to take a long mountain bike ride. I've been buried with work, and was looking forward to it. I got a call as I was finishing up screwing around with all the air chambers. I almost ignored it, but it was a call from a friend who is out of town, and I wondered what was up.

(We had a big wind storm blow through first thing in the morning)

He called and begged me to go help his dad. His mom was frantic. Apparently, a HUGE TREE!!!!!! (it was not a huge tree) landed on the house, and dad (pushing 80) was about to climb up on the roof with a chainsaw and remove it.

So, being a good friend, I thought I'd postpone my ride by an hour or so, go help the guy and be done with it.

It turned out to be pretty simple - it was just a couple of large branches from a big Ponderosa, but while up there, I noticed some other issues, so fixed them too.

Anyhow, he was grateful, and we talked awhile afterward. He knows I like to hunt, and he's given it up due to his poor eyesight, so he asked if I wanted the last of his shotgun shells. I figured I find a bunch of paper shells, but instead, he had a couple of mixed ammo cans of mostly steel shot 12 and 20 ga!

I skipped my ride and went home to sort them out and this is what I found: Not a HUGE AMMO FORT haul, but enough steel to shoot a bunch of waterfowl this season.

Sorted by size and type:



A WHOLE unfired box of CCI Minimags from who knows when.



And this: Proof that the world used to be sane about firearms. I grew up in a town without a Sears, but never knew they sold shells!

I like the "range 1 mile" disclaimer.

Nice score!!

Nice.

Sears, Montgomery Wards, and a few other chains used to sell firearms as well. Even had their own 'house brands' which were just rebranded firearms.

Nice haul. That Sears extra range was good ammo, I don't know who made it but I shot a ton of squirrels with it and hated to see the last of it gone.

There are no other labels on the box. Anyone know about how old this is? I am guess not TOO old, but don't really know.

nice score. What are those lime green shells on the lower right? I've never seen any like that before.

Agreed. Especially since I would have been happy to just help. I kind of expected a cup of tea from them, but this was unnecessary.

His son (my friend) will probably be pissed that he didn't get it!

Of course, he got all of his dad's guns, so...

All I can tell is that they are 20GA, #4. I plan to cut one open to see if it is lead or steel, since most of the shells are steel. The stamp on the brass says only 20GA.

No branding on them that I can see. The printing on the shells is completely faded/worn off, other than very faint "4" on a couple of them.

maybe try putting a magnet against them, if they are steel it should stick. I've seen game wardens do that before.

They look to be from the mid 70's. You could contact CCI with the lot number to verify.

MAGNETS!

Damn all that science-y stuff...

I'll try it. Thanks.

Pic of friend?

Nice ammo.

He's about 45, 5'9", no hair and "thick"

You sure you want to see him?

Old Generation Box CCI...

Any guess (ballpark?) on age?

Yep.  My first .22 rifle was my Dad's old Sears tube-fed.  I wish I still had it.  It would hold 22 .22 shorts, and would shoot those, .22L, and .22LR.  That gun never jammed.

Morning bump for info? Any guesses on ammo age? 20 years? Less?