Warning

 

Close
Confirm Action

Are you sure you wish to do this?

Cancel Confirm
AR15.COM
Armory Sponsor
5/10/2008 6:49:17 PM EDT
I used to be a active reloader and shooter; pistol, rifle and shotgun.  10 years ago I moved, got married and in general life took off and I packed away all my stuff.

Well things have slowed down a bit and I was unpacking everything that was in storage and I had forgotten how many components I put away.  It's a treasure trove; thousands of primers, pounds of powder, several thousand cases-everything from mil surplus to virgin primed cased from Midway as well as thousands of bullets.  I won't tell anyone the prices on the boxes, cans and bags-it will make you cry!

So my question is are the primers and powder still good?  Nothing is more than 15 years old-most ten?

Thanks
5/10/2008 6:52:26 PM EDT
[#1]
Unless the primers and powder have been abused, they'll be just as good as when new.

If the powder has red dust or an acrid acid smell, it has deteriorated.  Dispose by dumping in the yard; now it's fertilizer.  Odds are, it's okay.
5/10/2008 7:10:57 PM EDT
[#2]
If stored in good conditions, primers clean and dry, the powder tightly closed, all should be fine.

I've got some 25 yr old Remington 9 1/2 primers that still work great and result in accurate loads.
5/11/2008 5:42:10 AM EDT
[#3]
The Bullseye and Unique powder I'm using are about 20 years old. No problems.

Looking for more, at a good price.....
5/11/2008 7:00:33 AM EDT
[#4]
If they were stored cool and dry, they are as good as gold.  I'm still using bullets, primers and powder I bought in the early 80s... They work perfectly.  As the others have said, unless the powder has deteriorated (smells like acid instead of ether) it should be fine.
5/11/2008 10:06:37 AM EDT
[#5]
I am still using a cache of small pistol primers I got 25 years ago-after a prolonged storage, too.  I checked with CCI and Winchester, and they agree that, unless the primers were stored in really bad conditions, they should be fine.  All of them I've loaded recently have done their jobs...
Armory Sponsor