[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Primer life

Posted: 8/16/2014 7:21:53 PM EDT

Do primers have an expiration date? I have some Winchester small pistol primers that I have had for close to 18 years, yeah I know why? Just wondering if they can get to a point of not being any good, they have been stored and kept dry.

Posted: 8/16/2014 7:25:36 PM EDT

[#1]

I have fired primers that were 40 to 50 years old with 30 year old powder.

How primers were stored will tell the tale of how they will function.

A cool dry storage is what's recommended to store primers and powder.

I would load them up and expect good results.

Posted: 8/17/2014 12:50:07 AM EDT

[#2]

your primers are fine. load and shoot with confidence

Posted: 8/17/2014 2:39:54 AM EDT

[#3]

I had some in my attic (1,000 each SP, LP, SR, LR) for 25 years. I found them in a bag, took them to the shed and started using them. No issues.

Posted: 8/17/2014 3:35:20 AM EDT

[#4]

^^^+1
They're like honey

I always check tag sales and craigslist for those wishing to unload and get out of reloading.

The bullets dont go bad either

Posted: 8/17/2014 5:11:59 AM EDT

[#5]

Thanks all for the responses. Good to know I can either use them or maybe make a trade for some small rifle primers and get the .223 reloading going. Time to start reading up on that.

Posted: 8/17/2014 11:32:11 AM EDT

[#6]

A couple of years ago I used a batch of primers purchased in the late 1960s. They were stored in my shop/storeroom. Living in Arizona there was no problem with dry but the storeroom can hit 90 in the summer. They all performed with no problem.

Posted: 8/17/2014 2:42:38 PM EDT

[#7]

In an enormous " inheritance" i received from and old friend I got thousands of primers from the Korean war era; So far they have all worked perfectly through a M1 Garand.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Primer life

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Primer life

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Primer life