My great aunt asked me to shoot, clean, and oil her cheap import 60's era double action .22LR revolver.  It was a blued, with no visible rust, 8 rounds loaded.  She said the ammo was at least 35 years old.  I took it to the range and every round fired, all center of mass on the target.

I was impressed, it is a cheap gun, probably 50 years old, but it stood ready for 50 years ready to do it's job.  How does this relate to survival?  Part of survival is choosing tools that are ready when you need them, just like this old revolver.

It's all oiled up now, with new fresh ammo, ready for another 50 years.

They use to make cheap things that would last back then! I agree I have a few friends who own $2K+ AR-10 that are picky about the ammo they eat how hot or cold it is also how much dust is being blown around. One guy I was shooting with told me my old STG-58 was not as sexy as his AR-10 he took a box of Winchester sliver tips loaded up a mag with all 20 slapped it in his decked out AR-10 and fired 2 out of the 20 round rest of the round dropped to the ground primer hit. I asked if I could take the round the guy said sure there worthless loaded up my STG-58 all 18 round without a problem fired in my STG-58. I looked at him smiled said to him " You might have the sexier weapon but my girl puts out where yours just has you shooting blanks!"

Not possible, an older gent working the counter at Dicks sporting goods told me that;

1. He was some kind of rim-fire champion
2. 22 rim-fire cartridges go bad after about a year or so whereas 50% will be miss-fires.
3. He had tons of experience as he was some kind of a rim-fire champion.

He was baffled when I told him I shot some dirty 10 year old rim-fire that was stored in an open topped can in a barn that all went bang.

On a serious note, good deal for your great aunt. Before my grandmother passed she kept a Ruger MK1 for home defense.

Good on you for helping your aunt.

Any possibility of getting her to go to the range with you every so often so the safety and marksmanship reminders stay fresh?

RG-14?

It was a rohm gmbh