Yeah, I was wondering about that. He's not really on a range is he? I thought he was just out in nature somewhere. Maybe it was one of his crew members making a joke?
I was wondering about this too and asked about it in another comment Someone pointed out that there's a person who can be seen moving in the trees behind Mr. Harrell I had to watch several times before I saw it The person can be seen moving in the background to the right of Paul - about his elbow height - less than 1/2 an arms-length away (in the video frame) - in the darker background area near the bottom of the trees Watch for several seconds before and after the extraneous voice is heard and you might see it Cheers !
Anecdotally, my dad bought a wood crate of norinco 7.62x39 in the early 90s, and it lived in a metal shed in Kentucky, freezing winters and hot and muggy summers, for about 20+ years. And we would grab a box or two occasionally, and never had a ammunition related failure. It is coated, so that may have something to do with it.
Probably did. For reliability military ammunition worldwide usually seals case mouths with a tar-like substance and primer pockets with waterproof lacquer. Norinco 7.62x39mm ammo--was that steel cased? Steel cased ammo is lacquered to prevent rusting and improve cycling. Plus US military ammo has the primer pockets crimped and case mouths annealed to prevent primers from falling out when fired and jamming the gun and to reduce case head separations when fired--annealing makes the case mouth more ductile and less likely to stick in the chamber. Military ammo may not be as accurate as match ammo (lowest bid, storage conditions, the sealant also affects accuracy) but it has been designed to withstand abusive carry and storage conditions and still go BANG! Don't try that with paper shotgun shells. A little water (another Paul Harrell video) over a few hours probably won't hurt the ammo--but two decades in a metal shed with high humidity might not be good. Worse--loose primers and black powder in Mason jars!
I used to buy loads of surplus steel case 7.62x39 for my SKS in the 90’s. The stuff with the red sealant on it can happily survive a trip through the washer and still fire reliably. I would also like to point out that my dad got me the SKS out of a literal barrel of them next to the gun shop door (to encourage impulse buys)for $100. It was my Christmas present. I turned 13 four days after Christmas. Oddly it was totally normal and no one was ever tempted to go shoot up our school. My family is firmly liberal but guns are just part of life.
@jessepitt You still consider yourself a liberal after the last 10-15 years of craziness? The liberals of today make the liberals of 25 years ago look like centrist leaning conservatives of today. If you believe in the ideals of our constitutional republic I would be strongly reconsidering my political stance and encouraging my family to do the same. Nice to hear that there are still some liberals who support the 2nd amendment though 👍
I'm also liberal but a strong 2A supporter. With all due respect the party of dictator, Putin supporter and classified document stealer trump has lost its' mind. Republicans are OK but they are nearly extinct now. The so called woke liberals have little to do with the Democratic party which mistakenly thinks getting rid of guns will get rid of gun crime. But at least they are not killing and assaulting patriotic cops at the Capitol.
As someone who keeps a couple of spare .380 mags loaded in my car, and a couple of .38 speedloaders in the car, this was very interesting. I doubt I’ll change my habits (old dogs and all that) but only b/c I can only keep so much ammo on my person & feel more comfy w/spares in the vehicle. Having run out of ammo in a 1974 gunfight had an impact on me. In the aftermath of that event I always kept an extra couple of boxes of revolver ammo in my gear bag, later several spare loaded mags while on the street working my beat (retired since ‘97).
Yea having slightly less reliable ammo is far better than having non at all. Benefits way outweigh the costs, especially if you just swap out the rounds once a year.
can you share the general story? they say statistically most gunfights are over after 1 or 2 rounds, with even fewer that see 3 or 4 rounds expended. as a policeman that math might not be correct since you have a higher chance of running into dedicated armed criminals but i think those statistics take into account the fact that if you didnt get your 3 or 4 rounds off and you needed more, you probably lost the fight already. do you think your incident was a problem of using inferior ammunition? im not sure how useful boxes of ammo would be due to the slow nature of reloading from them. unless you were in a protracted siege it seems unlikely you would have the opportunity to load from the box.
I appreciate your comment so much so that it’s going to change the way I carry. For years I’ve had a nagging feeling that I should have a loaded mag or two in the car for an extreme situation, but now that’s going to change after reading what you said. Thank you for making a positive change by caring enough to share your thoughts.
@@user-im6fy4qp6mI became involved in a gunfight w/three armed robbery suspects that shot a fellow officer just as I arrived on the outdoor parking lot on a dark evening in November. As a robbery squad detective I was carrying my issued Colt DS that I had to reload w/a speedloader under fire, and I wound up emptying the gun a second time before the suspect went down & I was out of ammo. Hope that answered your Q.
My edc is a 586 357 Mag because its badass but six goes quick. I have right beside it a Glock 27 in 357 Sig. also badass but faster to reload. Love the wheel gun but with times being what they are no sense running out of ammo.
This will be interesting as I am in the process of going through my '73 Firebird and found a few boxes of .22 and .38 in the trunk.They have been there since at least '93 when I took it off the road.
Maybe a longer time period is required, settling of a product with vibration can be a product killer. I'm not that worried about temperature variation. it's the vibration that causes all the changes. Please get well Paul, were always thinking of you at this time of need.
I'd think the exposure to extremes in temp would be the main driving cause of powder degradation. Especially extreme heat in the summer. But yeah, it looks like they just need too cook longer to see a difference.
@@LeeThule On the dangerous Google theres some very interesting reads related to the vibration effects on ammo and propellent damage. I'm not going to suggest a very simple vibration device thats a 'known' in the relaoder realm as a way to force vibration damage as doing this can be dangerous
@@LeeThule I have the perfect sample if I could get my brother to give it over, he's had the same 9mm defensive ammo in his car for at least 5 probably 6+ years and were in Vegas where it's extremely hot in summers.
I've got some 9mm, 22LR and others that are well over 10 years old. I've not seen any problems with it. Some of the 9mm has been cycled though all the weather and humidity loaded in magazines. A few loaded ones are close to 20 years now, from G19 Gen 3 RTF. On one I did find bullet setback. That was after being dunked and under 5 ft of water for a short time. It was top round in the magazine for noted G19 and at least 10 years old.
I want to be Director of ATF&E. I can actually answer question, and get a whole lot closer to defining what an 'assault rifle' is. And I believe wholeheartedly in the 2A and putting criminals in jail and keeping them there(real criminals that is).
I thought Assault Rifle was defined a long time ago? A relatively light compact fully automatic rifle firing a lower powered cartridge than a traditional battle rifle, but more powerful than the pistol cartridges used in submachine guns. Since they are a class of fully automatic weapon to be legally possessed by most civilians they must have been registered prior to 1986.
Paul routinely uses the same brands of ammo, a lot of it is Winchester White Box and other similar commonly available ammo. He does not like "boutique" ammo. Plus, he has done thousands of these videos and if you say a phrase a hundred times or so, aloud, it will be ingrained in your memory, and I think we can all agree Paul is above average in intelligence.
One year is not that long. I have shot improperly stored, old tarnished ammo left over from my youth ( 63 years old) and it has worked fine although I would not trust it with my life.
Why? Were shooting b30 06 from ww2 that I'm sure was stored by some jerk in his car addic and in a underwear drawer .. Think we underestimate how tough ammo is
I still have some Federal bulk 22 from the late 90s that spent most of its life in an old barn, box open. Some corrosion, but no more duds than you'd expect with bulk 22. The thing that always gets me is they were less than a cent a round
@@williwonti Same here. I have tried old reloads in .357 mag and old 22lr's. By old I mean over 20 years old. They were stored pretty well inside the house. Chronographed some and there was no change from my original chronograph notes that was significant. Accuracy was about the same also. In my case I had no failures to fire. Note: recent findings. I always cull primers and if the primer anvil is bent out of shape it goes into the trash bottle that has water in it. I have noticed primers that are substandard l recently. One box of 100 had three primers with a bent anvil. The primers may have fired but I wasn't sure so in the trash they went.
I can't believe this man doesn't have over a million subscribers. His presentation on firearm safety is enough to have at least 5mil. Let's help the man out, shear his channel. Let's get him up over a million .
I feel that way too. But thinking about it, his main audience is shooters, some serious and some novice, but actual shooters. Channels like Demo Ranch and Kentucky Ballistics are putting on a show that folks who have never shot a gun find fun to watch. And good for them, but I still hope Paul never changes his approach, and I would bet the ranch he won't.
I think many people first find gun tubers looking for gun reviews. Paul doesn't do a lot of "reviews". So he doesn't get the first clicks that some do. He wasn't the firs guntuber I watched, that's for sure. But he also hasn't lost me like a lot of others have.
@@virtuaguyverify this is true, and exactly why I watch him . I'm from the old school way of shooting myself. My father was a marine and tought me the way of the rifle back in 68. I was 4yrs old, and this man reminds me of those days I had with my father.
A few years ago I stopped using a J-frame S&W as my primary EDC but forgot and left five 5-round speed-loaders in my console. I found them a little over two years later during which they'd been exposed to temps below -20 F and above 100. They were a mix of Remington Golden Sabre and Federal LRN ammo. I used them all up plinking. Every round fired but most exhibited very noticeable hang-fires. I'm rotating my ammo every few months now.
Interesting. Do you live in an area with high humidity? I live in a low humidity area and have left various ammo in vehicles and in a storage bin and have literally never had a single problem with firing any of them many years later. I have to wonder if humidity is the greatest factor more so than freezing or high heat?
Yo internet stranger, take care of yourself man. I watched you ever since you did that FBI Miami reconstruction. It is the best on the internet. Godspeed young man.
This was a very thoughtful test and I'm happy you did this. I know I have had ammo in my truck for over 3 years and it's made me wonder if it needs rotated regardless of your test.
That is a complete myth perpetuated by those who manufacture and/or sell ammo……hmmm, I wonder WHY they always tell millions of people that they MUST buy more ammo regularly?!? 🤔 I know of ZERO cases where “old” ammo was a determining factor in the outcome of situation involving firearms…but if it makes you feel better, fire your expensive ammo and buy more to replace it.
Not all ammo is made the same. Some powders/primers will degrade faster than others, and some bullets are crimped/sealed better than others. I've seen some ammo left outside for a few years shoot just fine and some was completely dead.
After carrying my ammo on my duty belt for over a year in very hot and cold and always humid conditions, due to the ammo crunch, I only noticed higher muzzle flash compared to the new stuff.
A lot of people think storing magazines loaded degrades them but that's not how metal stress works. It the repeated loading and unloading that fatigues the metal. I have mags that were loaded for a decade and maintain tension that is unnoticeable compared to unused mags
National treasure…for the algorithm. Thank you, Paul. You have given your viewers more than we can ever give you back. I was reluctant to keep ammo in the garage but after seeing this I don’t think it’s that big of a deal.
Paul you are the OG guntube channel, and the funniest. Also in many ways the most introspective, interesting and philosophical. You really helped me get through all the COVID crap. Cheers brother! Appreciate all the experiments and long hours editing!
Thanks again Mr. Paul. You have provided me with a lot of the information I needed to make good decisions when getting into guns. Very thankful for the service you provide!
Next up should be ammo submersion. From my own experience and testing most .22lr doesn’t fare well when submerged. Painting a strip of nail polish around the crimp helps a good bit but still results in several duds. Centerfire ammo has been a much different and unpredictable experience.
I've seen a lot of 22lr over the years where the bullet would be slightly loose in the case. That means it's not sealed at all letting water in. I had a whole brick ruined because of that. I can't remember ever seeing that with any centerfire ammo, and if water gets in it'd probably be where primer is seated where maybe it's not completely seated.
Paul - Outstanding presentation as usual! This brings up a very distant and foggy memory, maybe from the '70s or '80s from American Rifleman, about a gun that blew up when a rancher took a shot at a coyote using some center-fire ammo that had been rolling around loose in his glove box for a long time. When a bullet was pulled from an un-fired round, the powder was in fact powder, pulverized down from it's original form from all the agitation. Anyone else remember this (I hope)?
Interesting, and better performance than I anticipated. I do wish to relay a personal experience. Our neighbor had a "surplus" rifle and likewise surplus ammo for it. Keep in mind that he owned and used this rifle without difficulty for several years. One day, he took a shot at a coyote and the rifle exploded on him (minor injuries - mostly just scared him). When we examined the gun the barrel ruptured just in front of the chamber, and the action gave way with bent bolt and one sheared lug. When we took the ammo apart, the powder looked like talc - no granules present. When questioned, he said he'd carried the ammo in the glove box of his work truck. Extreme temps and humidity also, but with the addition of a lot of vibration. It was a work truck driven over rocky pasture roads. We decided that all the vibration sustained over a year had broken down the powder, and instead of a controlled burn, all the powder ignited at once. So, while exposure to temp extremes apparently doesn't make a lot of difference, adding vibration, IMO, does.
In my experience, the box gets roughed up a bit but it still shoots just fine... Willamette valley with weekly coast visits, road trips that can be from 500-4500 miles 1-2 times a year. Preloaded mags in the door pocket or boxed ammon under the seat and in the rear storage area.
Great topic. Asked myself that many times. Tested in with 22LR and got the same kind of info you got. but 22LR is squirrely even without challenges. Lot to Lot variations are more aggravating than issues with care of storage.
your personality, humbleness and the way you present are so rare. this is by far the best channel in youtube in this subject! thanks a lot for sharing your knowlage and experiance, wish you all the best.
11:57 That is a really great distance from the microphone and environment to capture how the .22 sounds being fired. Not sure if I’ve ever heard it fired so clearly. Thanks for sharing.
I wish I could attend the gun show in Missouri. Be nice to meet these folks. You all never take for granted your constitutional right to bear arms. We in Canada have to fight tooth and nail using every strategy and tactic we can think of to keep our guns. We live in a country that punishes law abiding firearms owners and is soft on the criminals. A recent case in the province of Ontario illustrates this point. A home invasion took place and the invaders happened to be carrying handguns. The homeowner also happened to own firearms but he had them legally. As the intruders climbed the stairs and approached the bedroom where his mother was sleeping, the homeowner shot and killed one of the invaders while the other one fled. Homeowner had been on a 911 call when this all transpired so the police arrived very shortly after. Long story short, the arrested the homeowner and charged him with murder. There was muted outrage across the country but not to the degree you would hope for such a miscarriage of justice. Last week, the prosecution decided to drop the murder charge against the homeowner to the delight of law abiding gun owners everywhere. He may possibly still face trial for illegal storage of a firearm because of the totally stupid storage laws we have. According to our laws, you shouldn’t be able to access a firearm in a home invasion because the guns are supposed to be securely locked away and the ammo stored separately. The government argues that it’s not reasonable to be able to unlock the guns, I unlock the ammo in a separate location and use these tools on a home invader. This is the insanity we are dealing with up here. Many of us hope that the prosecutor dropping murder charges in this case will lead to some legislation giving homeowners the right to protect life and property with all available tools including firearms or at least get a decision from the bench that upholds these rights. Please support us any way you can in our struggle to protect our loved ones and our property in these uncertain times.
That is such a ridiculous travesty. I hope Trudeau gets voted out and you guys get your rights back since they stole you semiautomatic rifles and handguns.
You Knucks, like half of our ignorant people need to start voting smarter. Kick Trudeau in the ass on his way out of office. That guy is racing Canada into communism!! Look what he did to good, hard working truckers a while back. That shit wouldn't have worked on Texas Truckers!!!
Paul always thinking about the question he knows we will eventually ask!! Well done sir I hope you are doing well with everything going on you are in our thoughts and prayers! Thank you for everything you do!!
Really pleased to see your test of car-stored ammunition, Paul. I no longer keep extra boxes of cartridges or shotshells in my car, though I used to do so. Good to know that they're likely still fine to use. Hope you're continuing to persevere in your health. May G-d continue to bless you, sir.
Great video Paul. I tried some 9mm black talons that I've stored in different places, cities and states over the past 30 years. And they still cycled reliably and packed a punch.
Very good information. I would like to say that everything Paul says is correct in my opinion. I did read an article in the 80s about a guy that had carried a box of rounds in a truck that did miles every day on bumpy dirt roads. I don't remember what cartridge it was, but the guy experienced a catastrophic failure firing a round that rode around for an extended period of time. It was determined by pulling the bullets that the years of vibration had broken down the detent coatings on the powder and increased the burn rate. This is also why you don't clean loaded cartridges in your tumbler.
Very interesting. A deeper dive into this might involve discussion of which companies use primer sealant, and what effect this has on reliability. But you must admit, modern ammo is impressive.
Prediction: No big difference. I am still shooting my Dad's reloads from the 1980s with no problems. Still have some 40's stamped 30-06 from the old DCM program and that still works great.
I fired a few .30-06 in 2018 that were my then wife's grandfather's ammo, he passed in 1994 and probably hadn't hunted before that for I'm guessing at least 10+ years. I shot a few and couple did hang fire a fraction of a second like a black powder flint lock.
I think it depends on where you live. People that live in humid areas of the country need to seal their primers with nail polish and store their ammo in waterproof metal ammo cans. People who live in low humidity areas like the Southwest have a lot more leeway and less to deal with.
@@JohnB-dr8sk Based on my sample size, I disagree. A good portion of my older ammo has been in the attic of a house in Virginia Beach, VA for over 10 years while in the military. Hot and Humid and I have never put nail polish on primers and most has been in cardboard boxes.
@@TheSzalkowski Were the primers on USGI ammo from the 1940s sealed? If I remember correctly, when I was in the Army in the 80s they were sealed. But I'm not sure about the 40s. On a side note, how do we explain Paul having two separate primer issues in two different calibers from storing in his car after a year? Heat? High Humidity? I have never had this problem and have stored ammo in all sorts of places having lived off the grid in the West. Even shotgun shells have fired after leaving them for years in cardboard boxes in storage sheds, etc. I was actually really surprised that Paul had these results.
I accidentally left a box of 22 Thunderbolts and an old abandoned camper on a shelf for over 10 years. The camper had no heating system and the windows were pulled out of it. This was also Western Oregon where it rains a lot. Very humid. It makes Eastern Oregon seem dry in comparison. It does get hot in the summertime as well. When I locate them and realize they were there after at least 10 years, and I fired them in my 10/22,. All 50 fired just fine and had a great grouping.
Back when we kept our truck rifle in the back window rack and a few boxes of ammo "for emergencies" behind the seat. I saw a lot more reliability issues with my 30-30. When I realized this, I started putting dates of purchase on the box and in a narrow ammo can.
I left some old shotgun ammo in my attic for about 5 years. Before that it was in my basement for about 15 years. Shot about 2 boxes shooting clays. It all functioned properly.
When I deployed to desert storm task force Ripper and task force shepherd we had 7.62 ammo that was made before the Korean war. 1950 ammo that had been all over the world. It was old been in heat and humidity as well as being left out in the freezing cold. Yes it snows in Iraq and gets really cold at night. The old ammo always works fine, in fact it worked better than the new ammo we were given.
In the early 80's I shot up a bunch of ww2 German ammo. In a polish vz35 that my grate uncle brought back. It all worked. It and the gun was stored in fl in a steamer type trunk along with some of grandma other stuff. In fl most of the time with out ac.
copied from my earlier comment: I once shot over 500 rounds of 50 year old 30 carbine ammo one evening with no failures. I'm passing this along as an example of how old some ammo can be and still function properly. It was WWII surplus ammo manufactured in 1943 - I bought it from a city SWAT cop after his department traded in their M1 Carbines for M16's in the 90's. No telling what my ammo had been subjected to, so it's not as scientific as Mr. Harrell's test! I never felt any low power rounds, nor did I have any failures to feed or extract. To be honest, I was expecting at least to have some bad rounds out of the 600 I had purchased. The M1-Carbine eventually malfunctioned due to a broken gas piston after I was down to less than 100 rounds left. Much of the shooting was rapid fire and I later discovered the carbine gas piston area was severely lacking lubrication. - - - Note to consider: I do have reservations about the quality of ammo manufacturing nowadays due to the way businesses tend to focus mostly on profit at the expense of quality. Back in the 80's & 90's when I was a bullseye pistol competitor I saw many instances of "alibi's" which resulted from "failures to detonate". Over time, I noted that some big name ammo brands failed noticeably more than others. I don't want to bad mouth any big name brands, but after several years of participating in weekly events with many exceptionally skilled marksmen, I can say there are some brands I have no confidence in when reliability matters. - - - I'm curious - does anyone read longer comments ? ( I'm new to commenting on TH-cam. ) :-)
It wasn't "left out in the freezing cold" naked and exposed to the environment, it was in gasket sealed ammo cans. Believe me, it is stored under "decent" conditions in the ammo depot. However, when it gets to the end user, yeah, G.I. Joe may dump his ammo in another .30 cal ammo can, leave the lid off and the can will fill up with water or other atrocities.
One thing I remember learning from Paul is that the amount of time doesn't really make a difference with ammo so long as its stored well. You could have ammo for years and it would still fire like new. Now, In regards to vibration that might make a bit of a difference unless it is stored in a box that it doesn't jiggle in. I would be curious to see the results from Paul on that topic.
Great information. Thank you Paul. I’ve seen various deer wander through your videos before but I think there was a fly on the target during the 38 special portion. It was right below the bullseye until the first shot hit.
I've had a few misfires that featured a primer hole not being fully punched out--there was no primer hole. This resulted in squib loads, and I even had a bullet lodged in the bore of my Beretta 92-series pistol, but that was a unique experience. I even had a case head separation in an AR-15--once. Malfunctions happen. The sample size was too small to determine if the malfunction was from storage conditions or a result of manufacturing defects.
I tried to hear what he said too. can't quite make it out. would be embarrassing to find out you were barking some range safety crap at Paul Harrell 😮 walk of shame back to his car.
Recently I fired a box of a brand name with a good reputation .22 lr stored hidden in the back of the gun cabinet in the bedroom for about six years, I fired the entire 50 rd box and got 5 misfires, solid hits on the end would not fire even when shot again. Another same brand box of fifty left for three years in a cardboard box in my Jeep CJ 5 had no failures at all, even though exposed to the weather to the point the cardboard box had gotten wet and fallen a part.
Hey Paul. I was wondering if you could make a video on Miniè balls out of percussion rifles. I know you did a video on a similar video for revolvers but what about with rifles? Thanks again and all the best.
Excellent work as always Paul. I will add my opinion in that, a case of 7.62x54r manufactured in 1940 something stored in Russia then the US, has functioned exceptionally well in 2022.
Lesson learned. If you see Paul Harrell in his car, don't try to rob the guy. He will have his normal stash of weapons, his normal amount of ammo, plus a few more boxes in his glove compartment waiting for I don't know how long before testing them. Oh yah, the guy can flat out use his weapons. He is surly a person that you want as a friend and not an enemy. Thank you, Paul for another great video.
Inherited about ten boxes of .300 Savage, 30-30 and 30-06 ammo that had been stored for decades in an outside shed then later in a damp basement. Judging by their looks, I intended to knock them apart, clean up the brass and reload. One day I got a curious whim to just take them to the range and plink. They all worked just fine! It sure defeated things I'd been previously told.
Dad bequeathed me a couple of boxes of 30-06 that had been stored in a shed in Wisconsin since the '70s. The boxes dated from the early '60s. They still worked.
@@SunriseLAWincorrect, ammunition is more stable and reliable today then it ever was in the past. 20-30 years ago as a kid duds were common place and was just part of shooting even from new ammunition, my kids have never known such a issue and are shocked on the rare occasion that one of the firearms has a malfunction.
I have left ammo in deer blind for years. And used it eventually. Just 16 ga shells. I don't think it's much different than leaving it in unheated cabin for years. I want to know about your jacket. Is that a ballistics jacket?
Hey Paul, thanks for the video. I review a lot of military surplus ammunition, ranging from almost 100 years old to the modern day, and I'd like to shed some light based on my experiences. I have found that an ammunition's reliability over time is pretty dependant on 2 major factors: quality of manufacture, and quality of storage. I've found these in some instances to have a greater impact than time (1939 ammo treated properly being more reliable than 1961 ammo made and treated poorly). Quality of manufacture can sometimes compensate for bad conditions. I've shot German 1945 8mm Mauser ammo in water damaged boxes and the steel cases heavily rusted without issue, but 1961 Bulgarian 8mm Ammo in pristine boxes with almost a 60-70% error rate. Bad conditions can have a major effect too. I bought some Egyptian 8mm from an importer, and it came in a damaged box with other signs of improper storage, and the rounds had major issues, but later I found rounds from the same factory and year in a freshly opened spam can, and they fired with zero problems. From my experience, if you buy ammo for long term storage, keep it in a place without frequent temperature and moisture change (not in your garage), and in ammo cans that can prevent moisture from getting in, and if it is for a serious use, consider buying a slightly more premium ammo (like I think Winchester has a milspec M193 vs. the standard White Box). Just my 2 cents from my experiences. This was a great video!
I used to be a bullseye competitor - (weekly matches) - I always used premium ammo. I had notably more problems with Wxxxxxxxxx ammo and primers than with any other name brand US ammo I tried. Other expert and master level competitors I shot with concurred with my findings. To this day I avoid anything W. Rxxxxxxxx wasn't as bad, but still had issues. Never had a single problem with Federal though. That was 30 years ago - no telling how things may have changed, but I doubt they have gotten better. Just passing on my experience for your consideration. $0.02 USD Cheers!
@@comfortgeezer200 My experience with Winchester has been similar... Relatively low QC compared to other brands. I was just trying to say that this is a place where more "premium" ammo may actually prove a good idea. Generally, I think "premium" doesn't matter for a lot of target shooters.
Great video Paul! Any chance you could cut out the passenger seat of one of your cars and turn the entire right side into a gun rack? That way you’ve got a collection of gats within arms reach should you need one.
I replace my 9mm and 5.56 ammo that stays in the car every year. I always shoot the car ammo when I replace it. I have yet to have any reliability issues with the car ammo.
I bet he has another set still in his car, to be tested after 5 years.
Guarantee he does
Takes stronger restraint than no fap to have a box of ammo sitting around for 1 year, let alone 5, and not shooting it
@@frank-the-tank75 So I see you're a person of culture as well. :)
I have a feeling that Paul is sitting on a veritable treasure trove of ammunition.
You know he does
As always Paul asking the questions we all wanna know.
*answering
@@Davethebalikid- Um,,, asking and answering…
Look up the word Pedantic…
Zzz
@@DavethebalikidHe was right. You’re wrong.
But does he make enough difference to actually make a difference?
Paul is dedicated to his audience, waiting 360 days to put on a segment. Thanks, Paul.
?
@@TheAcceleratorMagazine the ammo sat in his car for a year
@@ghostsmoke11 I was going to ignore the Stunad.
What, he was just cleaning out his trunk and stumbled across them. Then he got curious! Thanks, Paul
You guys know I'm kidding, I hope?
Was lost in his coat pocket.
14:40: "No fast fire on the range!"
Paul: **Pulls out 9mm and mag dumps while making direct eye contact**
Last three words sounded like ''do not fire'' to me. Something before that I couldn't make out
I listened to this over and over... I can't understand what he's saying
@@abnrmlmind somebody said you can see a guy I'm gonna check
Yeah, I was wondering about that. He's not really on a range is he? I thought he was just out in nature somewhere. Maybe it was one of his crew members making a joke?
I was wondering about this too and asked about it in another comment
Someone pointed out that there's a person who can be seen moving in the trees behind Mr. Harrell
I had to watch several times before I saw it
The person can be seen moving in the background to the right of Paul - about his elbow height - less than 1/2 an arms-length away (in the video frame) - in the darker background area near the bottom of the trees
Watch for several seconds before and after the extraneous voice is heard and you might see it
Cheers !
A typical Paul Harrell group will basically consist of 2 holes. One will be a "flyer", and the other will be for all other shots taken.
You have to love how Paul always plans ahead for episodes .
Yeah by a year. Dedication right there.
Anecdotally, my dad bought a wood crate of norinco 7.62x39 in the early 90s, and it lived in a metal shed in Kentucky, freezing winters and hot and muggy summers, for about 20+ years. And we would grab a box or two occasionally, and never had a ammunition related failure.
It is coated, so that may have something to do with it.
Probably did. For reliability military ammunition worldwide usually seals case mouths with a tar-like substance and primer pockets with waterproof lacquer. Norinco 7.62x39mm ammo--was that steel cased? Steel cased ammo is lacquered to prevent rusting and improve cycling. Plus US military ammo has the primer pockets crimped and case mouths annealed to prevent primers from falling out when fired and jamming the gun and to reduce case head separations when fired--annealing makes the case mouth more ductile and less likely to stick in the chamber. Military ammo may not be as accurate as match ammo (lowest bid, storage conditions, the sealant also affects accuracy) but it has been designed to withstand abusive carry and storage conditions and still go BANG!
Don't try that with paper shotgun shells. A little water (another Paul Harrell video) over a few hours probably won't hurt the ammo--but two decades in a metal shed with high humidity might not be good. Worse--loose primers and black powder in Mason jars!
@@alancranford3398 yeah it's that bronze looking steel case, soft point.
I used to buy loads of surplus steel case 7.62x39 for my SKS in the 90’s. The stuff with the red sealant on it can happily survive a trip through the washer and still fire reliably. I would also like to point out that my dad got me the SKS out of a literal barrel of them next to the gun shop door (to encourage impulse buys)for $100. It was my Christmas present. I turned 13 four days after Christmas. Oddly it was totally normal and no one was ever tempted to go shoot up our school. My family is firmly liberal but guns are just part of life.
@jessepitt You still consider yourself a liberal after the last 10-15 years of craziness? The liberals of today make the liberals of 25 years ago look like centrist leaning conservatives of today. If you believe in the ideals of our constitutional republic I would be strongly reconsidering my political stance and encouraging my family to do the same. Nice to hear that there are still some liberals who support the 2nd amendment though 👍
I'm also liberal but a strong 2A supporter. With all due respect the party of dictator, Putin supporter and classified document stealer trump has lost its' mind. Republicans are OK but they are nearly extinct now. The so called woke liberals have little to do with the Democratic party which mistakenly thinks getting rid of guns will get rid of gun crime. But at least they are not killing and assaulting patriotic cops at the Capitol.
"It's not just a car. It's Paul Harrell's car."
"oh."
In the UK, that would be a homage to the Marks and Spencer advertising theme.
Could you provide a link to whoever uses this ad theme in the US?
John Wick.
@@COIcultist See John Wick Franchise
😄
"I don't always shoot car-stored ammunition, but when I do, I prefer Paul Harrell's". - Jonathan Goldsmith
Love the fly at 5:36 deciding he doesn’t want to be a bullet hole after all
As someone who keeps a couple of spare .380 mags loaded in my car, and a couple of .38 speedloaders in the car, this was very interesting. I doubt I’ll change my habits (old dogs and all that) but only b/c I can only keep so much ammo on my person & feel more comfy w/spares in the vehicle. Having run out of ammo in a 1974 gunfight had an impact on me. In the aftermath of that event I always kept an extra couple of boxes of revolver ammo in my gear bag, later several spare loaded mags while on the street working my beat (retired since ‘97).
Yea having slightly less reliable ammo is far better than having non at all. Benefits way outweigh the costs, especially if you just swap out the rounds once a year.
can you share the general story? they say statistically most gunfights are over after 1 or 2 rounds, with even fewer that see 3 or 4 rounds expended. as a policeman that math might not be correct since you have a higher chance of running into dedicated armed criminals but i think those statistics take into account the fact that if you didnt get your 3 or 4 rounds off and you needed more, you probably lost the fight already. do you think your incident was a problem of using inferior ammunition? im not sure how useful boxes of ammo would be due to the slow nature of reloading from them. unless you were in a protracted siege it seems unlikely you would have the opportunity to load from the box.
I appreciate your comment so much so that it’s going to change the way I carry. For years I’ve had a nagging feeling that I should have a loaded mag or two in the car for an extreme situation, but now that’s going to change after reading what you said. Thank you for making a positive change by caring enough to share your thoughts.
@@user-im6fy4qp6mI became involved in a gunfight w/three armed robbery suspects that shot a fellow officer just as I arrived on the outdoor parking lot on a dark evening in November. As a robbery squad detective I was carrying my issued Colt DS that I had to reload w/a speedloader under fire, and I wound up emptying the gun a second time before the suspect went down & I was out of ammo. Hope that answered your Q.
My edc is a 586 357 Mag because its badass but six goes quick. I have right beside it a Glock 27 in 357 Sig. also badass but faster to reload. Love the wheel gun but with times being what they are no sense running out of ammo.
This will be interesting as I am in the process of going through my '73 Firebird and found a few boxes of .22 and .38 in the trunk.They have been there since at least '93 when I took it off the road.
As long as they're not soaked in water....
I'd love to hear how that goes, or see a demonstration of them being fired.
@@AustinRBaSame here.
Wouldn't hurt to take a camera to the range. Got a lot of people interested here!
Would like to see you fire them and see how they do
5:33 That fly picked a bad place to take a rest.
I so wanted him to shoot that bug. The whole world would have understood if paul had a string of shots going off the target in pursuit of the fly.
14:42 what is the dude in the background saying about gunfire?
Maybe a longer time period is required, settling of a product with vibration can be a product killer. I'm not that worried about temperature variation. it's the vibration that causes all the changes. Please get well Paul, were always thinking of you at this time of need.
Grinds the powder up and it burns faster. This has been tested and is why law enforcement has to rotate ammo.
I'd think the exposure to extremes in temp would be the main driving cause of powder degradation. Especially extreme heat in the summer. But yeah, it looks like they just need too cook longer to see a difference.
@@LeeThule On the dangerous Google theres some very interesting reads related to the vibration effects on ammo and propellent damage. I'm not going to suggest a very simple vibration device thats a 'known' in the relaoder realm as a way to force vibration damage as doing this can be dangerous
@@LeeThule I have the perfect sample if I could get my brother to give it over, he's had the same 9mm defensive ammo in his car for at least 5 probably 6+ years and were in Vegas where it's extremely hot in summers.
I've got some 9mm, 22LR and others that are well over 10 years old. I've not seen any problems with it. Some of the 9mm has been cycled though all the weather and humidity loaded in magazines. A few loaded ones are close to 20 years now, from G19 Gen 3 RTF. On one I did find bullet setback. That was after being dunked and under 5 ft of water for a short time. It was top round in the magazine for noted G19 and at least 10 years old.
No such thing as " Shameless" self -promotion!!!!!!! I wish I could make it, have fun everyone!!!!! Paul for president!!!!!!!
I want to be Director of ATF&E. I can actually answer question, and get a whole lot closer to defining what an 'assault rifle' is. And I believe wholeheartedly in the 2A and putting criminals in jail and keeping them there(real criminals that is).
I thought Assault Rifle was defined a long time ago?
A relatively light compact fully automatic rifle firing a lower powered cartridge than a traditional battle rifle, but more powerful than the pistol cartridges used in submachine guns. Since they are a class of fully automatic weapon to be legally possessed by most civilians they must have been registered prior to 1986.
@@gk5891 I only mention this because the current director of ATFE can't seem to define or answer anything. And your definition is correct.
@@patrickgriffitt6551 Nah, most Americans want your ATFE disbanded, defunded and gone.
@@Hjerte_Verke Actually so do I but until that actually happens I d like it to be run by someone on our side and not a f***ing buffoon!
It's crazy how he knows the exact name of the ammunition without missing a beat. That level of expertise is why I subscribed.
And no cuts or editing.
Dude, Im not attacking Paul now but he doesnt need your praise for reading a name from a box.
Notes under the camera
Paul routinely uses the same brands of ammo, a lot of it is Winchester White Box and other similar commonly available ammo. He does not like "boutique" ammo. Plus, he has done thousands of these videos and if you say a phrase a hundred times or so, aloud, it will be ingrained in your memory, and I think we can all agree Paul is above average in intelligence.
Well it isn't exactly rocket science, if you have a box of 50 rounds of 9mm and 4 are missing you have 46 rounds.
A man. A mission. A timelessly suave shooter's shirt. Forever a legend ❤
The car ammo held up better than I expected.
One year is not that long. I have shot improperly stored, old tarnished ammo left over from my youth ( 63 years old) and it has worked fine although I would not trust it with my life.
Why? Were shooting b30 06 from ww2 that I'm sure was stored by some jerk in his car addic and in a underwear drawer .. Think we underestimate how tough ammo is
Yeah that jerk is family lol
I still have some Federal bulk 22 from the late 90s that spent most of its life in an old barn, box open. Some corrosion, but no more duds than you'd expect with bulk 22. The thing that always gets me is they were less than a cent a round
@@williwonti
Same here. I have tried old reloads in .357 mag and old 22lr's. By old I mean over 20 years old. They were stored pretty well inside the house.
Chronographed some and there was no change from my original chronograph notes that was significant. Accuracy was about the same also. In my case I had no failures to fire.
Note: recent findings.
I always cull primers and if the primer anvil is bent out of shape it goes into the trash bottle that has water in it.
I have noticed primers that are substandard l recently.
One box of 100 had three primers with a bent anvil. The primers may have fired but I wasn't sure so in the trash they went.
I can't believe this man doesn't have over a million subscribers. His presentation on firearm safety is enough to have at least 5mil. Let's help the man out, shear his channel. Let's get him up over a million .
One reason is Paul doesn't feature optics and other optional accessories. So many folks are into accessories.
I feel that way too. But thinking about it, his main audience is shooters, some serious and some novice, but actual shooters. Channels like Demo Ranch and Kentucky Ballistics are putting on a show that folks who have never shot a gun find fun to watch. And good for them, but I still hope Paul never changes his approach, and I would bet the ranch he won't.
He's old fashion. Not many of us left.
I think many people first find gun tubers looking for gun reviews. Paul doesn't do a lot of "reviews". So he doesn't get the first clicks that some do.
He wasn't the firs guntuber I watched, that's for sure. But he also hasn't lost me like a lot of others have.
@@virtuaguyverify this is true, and exactly why I watch him . I'm from the old school way of shooting myself. My father was a marine and tought me the way of the rifle back in 68. I was 4yrs old, and this man reminds me of those days I had with my father.
A few years ago I stopped using a J-frame S&W as my primary EDC but forgot and left five 5-round speed-loaders in my console. I found them a little over two years later during which they'd been exposed to temps below -20 F and above 100. They were a mix of Remington Golden Sabre and Federal LRN ammo. I used them all up plinking. Every round fired but most exhibited very noticeable hang-fires. I'm rotating my ammo every few months now.
Interesting. Do you live in an area with high humidity? I live in a low humidity area and have left various ammo in vehicles and in a storage bin and have literally never had a single problem with firing any of them many years later. I have to wonder if humidity is the greatest factor more so than freezing or high heat?
Yeah, we do get high humidity in northern Wisconsin. I never thought of that. @@JohnB-dr8sk
Paul's accuracy and eagle eyes will never cease to amaze me.
My chronograph would not have survived me doing this test. 😅
Paul Harrell you're an America treasure. Thanks for all the great content!
Yo internet stranger, take care of yourself man. I watched you ever since you did that FBI Miami reconstruction. It is the best on the internet. Godspeed young man.
7:57 love Paul’s dedication to the scientific method.
This was a very thoughtful test and I'm happy you did this. I know I have had ammo in my truck for over 3 years and it's made me wonder if it needs rotated regardless of your test.
It doesn't hurt to do it. And hell, gives you a reason to go to the range to burn it off. It's win win, even if the ammo is likely unaffected.
I saw a story on ammunition that was forty year’s old found in an old cabin both boxes 50per box fired with no problem
You should definitely go to the range, use it up, and let us know how it faired for reliability. I’d be interested to know
That is a complete myth perpetuated by those who manufacture and/or sell ammo……hmmm, I wonder WHY they always tell millions of people that they MUST buy more ammo regularly?!? 🤔
I know of ZERO cases where “old” ammo was a determining factor in the outcome of situation involving firearms…but if it makes you feel better, fire your expensive ammo and buy more to replace it.
Not all ammo is made the same. Some powders/primers will degrade faster than others, and some bullets are crimped/sealed better than others. I've seen some ammo left outside for a few years shoot just fine and some was completely dead.
Next up, washer and dryer ammo!😂😂😂
Thank you Paul!
Always love how thorough Paul is with his testing and especially his explanations. Genuinely the best youtuber on this subject matter.
After carrying my ammo on my duty belt for over a year in very hot and cold and always humid conditions, due to the ammo crunch, I only noticed higher muzzle flash compared to the new stuff.
Powder batch variation, it's always a variable.
I had a G19 mag of 124gr +P Gold Dots in my car for about 4-5 years, the magazine eventually functioned flawlessly when I tried it
glad there wasn't a situation where it called for it.
A lot of people think storing magazines loaded degrades them but that's not how metal stress works. It the repeated loading and unloading that fatigues the metal. I have mags that were loaded for a decade and maintain tension that is unnoticeable compared to unused mags
Same here with my glock 19, but mine was about 3 years in my car using federal hst.
Hang in there Paul, I am praying for ya, love the videos and you stories.
Please do some more ammo for a decade study. Mostly because that means you’ll still be around providing us with good humor and education.
😢
Oh, the things you do for our entertainment and knowledge ,,,Thanks for thinking of us!
F’s in the chat for those people who needed a zoom in on the charts
Maybe their vision isn't so good.
@@markh.6687 of course. Hence the F’s in the chat.
F
National treasure…for the algorithm. Thank you, Paul. You have given your viewers more than we can ever give you back. I was reluctant to keep ammo in the garage but after seeing this I don’t think it’s that big of a deal.
Paul you are the OG guntube channel, and the funniest. Also in many ways the most introspective, interesting and philosophical. You really helped me get through all the COVID crap. Cheers brother! Appreciate all the experiments and long hours editing!
Thanks again Mr. Paul. You have provided me with a lot of the information I needed to make good decisions when getting into guns. Very thankful for the service you provide!
Next up should be ammo submersion.
From my own experience and testing most .22lr doesn’t fare well when submerged. Painting a strip of nail polish around the crimp helps a good bit but still results in several duds.
Centerfire ammo has been a much different and unpredictable experience.
In your experience did the nail polish gunk up the rifle and cause malfunctions?
S&B and fiocci sell ammo with sealed primers. Usually a red or blue ring around the bottom of the primer
I was impressed with Matt Hoover from CRS, demonstration of ammo exposed to oils, how the oils creeped in and affected the propellant and primers.
I've seen a lot of 22lr over the years where the bullet would be slightly loose in the case. That means it's not sealed at all letting water in. I had a whole brick ruined because of that.
I can't remember ever seeing that with any centerfire ammo, and if water gets in it'd probably be where primer is seated where maybe it's not completely seated.
Ive read before the nail polish can gum up the striker channel or cause failures to extract from the heat reactivating the glue
Thank you Paul, we love you!
Paul - Outstanding presentation as usual! This brings up a very distant and foggy memory, maybe from the '70s or '80s from American Rifleman, about a gun that blew up when a rancher took a shot at a coyote using some center-fire ammo that had been rolling around loose in his glove box for a long time. When a bullet was pulled from an un-fired round, the powder was in fact powder, pulverized down from it's original form from all the agitation. Anyone else remember this (I hope)?
Interesting, and better performance than I anticipated. I do wish to relay a personal experience. Our neighbor had a "surplus" rifle and likewise surplus ammo for it. Keep in mind that he owned and used this rifle without difficulty for several years. One day, he took a shot at a coyote and the rifle exploded on him (minor injuries - mostly just scared him). When we examined the gun the barrel ruptured just in front of the chamber, and the action gave way with bent bolt and one sheared lug. When we took the ammo apart, the powder looked like talc - no granules present. When questioned, he said he'd carried the ammo in the glove box of his work truck. Extreme temps and humidity also, but with the addition of a lot of vibration. It was a work truck driven over rocky pasture roads. We decided that all the vibration sustained over a year had broken down the powder, and instead of a controlled burn, all the powder ignited at once.
So, while exposure to temp extremes apparently doesn't make a lot of difference, adding vibration, IMO, does.
11k views in two hours...folks are just waiting for the next video from Paul. What a great topic! 👏 👏
Sunday morning with Paul. Thank you, appreciate your work.
We love you Paul ! Sending you well wishes !
In my experience, the box gets roughed up a bit but it still shoots just fine...
Willamette valley with weekly coast visits, road trips that can be from 500-4500 miles 1-2 times a year.
Preloaded mags in the door pocket or boxed ammon under the seat and in the rear storage area.
His "and once again, no you haven't won a prize, that's a scam" at the beginning was very well done and sadly necessary.
You took more shots with the 22 car ammo then you did with the house ammo. Thus you got the bigger group.
5:32 that fly on the target almost got it!
Great topic. Asked myself that many times. Tested in with 22LR and got the same kind of info you got. but 22LR is squirrely even without challenges. Lot to Lot variations are more aggravating than issues with care of storage.
Your test is outstanding! Thank you Paul and supporing cast.
your personality, humbleness and the way you present are so rare.
this is by far the best channel in youtube in this subject!
thanks a lot for sharing your knowlage and experiance, wish you all the best.
11:57 That is a really great distance from the microphone and environment to capture how the .22 sounds being fired. Not sure if I’ve ever heard it fired so clearly. Thanks for sharing.
I'm going to start storing my ammo in Paul's car!
😂
Paul is a legend.
This is a crazy good test. Ive never seen anything like this presentation on YT. Great work Paul. This is very important information.
You didn't have to but I'm glad you did. Thank you Paul for making the choice to make these videos.
I wish I could attend the gun show in Missouri. Be nice to meet these folks. You all never take for granted your constitutional right to bear arms. We in Canada have to fight tooth and nail using every strategy and tactic we can think of to keep our guns. We live in a country that punishes law abiding firearms owners and is soft on the criminals. A recent case in the province of Ontario illustrates this point. A home invasion took place and the invaders happened to be carrying handguns. The homeowner also happened to own firearms but he had them legally. As the intruders climbed the stairs and approached the bedroom where his mother was sleeping, the homeowner shot and killed one of the invaders while the other one fled. Homeowner had been on a 911 call when this all transpired so the police arrived very shortly after. Long story short, the arrested the homeowner and charged him with murder. There was muted outrage across the country but not to the degree you would hope for such a miscarriage of justice. Last week, the prosecution decided to drop the murder charge against the homeowner to the delight of law abiding gun owners everywhere. He may possibly still face trial for illegal storage of a firearm because of the totally stupid storage laws we have. According to our laws, you shouldn’t be able to access a firearm in a home invasion because the guns are supposed to be securely locked away and the ammo stored separately. The government argues that it’s not reasonable to be able to unlock the guns, I unlock the ammo in a separate location and use these tools on a home invader. This is the insanity we are dealing with up here. Many of us hope that the prosecutor dropping murder charges in this case will lead to some legislation giving homeowners the right to protect life and property with all available tools including firearms or at least get a decision from the bench that upholds these rights. Please support us any way you can in our struggle to protect our loved ones and our property in these uncertain times.
That is such a ridiculous travesty. I hope Trudeau gets voted out and you guys get your rights back since they stole you semiautomatic rifles and handguns.
You Knucks, like half of our ignorant people need to start voting smarter. Kick Trudeau in the ass on his way out of office. That guy is racing Canada into communism!! Look what he did to good, hard working truckers a while back. That shit wouldn't have worked on Texas Truckers!!!
Thx for all you do uncle Paul I mean it when I say so looking forward to the thanksgiving special. Just love it
Paul always thinking about the question he knows we will eventually ask!! Well done sir I hope you are doing well with everything going on you are in our thoughts and prayers! Thank you for everything you do!!
He asked us to never mention it again...
@@chipsdubbo5.56 I know but God's grace is just that so......
@@bobjordan8283 wtf are you babbling about
Great experiment, Paul. Thank you for your dedication.
Thank you Paul! This answers a question I never thought to ask. As always I appreciate your time and dedication to another great video!
Really pleased to see your test of car-stored ammunition, Paul. I no longer keep extra boxes of cartridges or shotshells in my car, though I used to do so. Good to know that they're likely still fine to use. Hope you're continuing to persevere in your health. May G-d continue to bless you, sir.
Great video Paul.
I tried some 9mm black talons that I've stored in different places, cities and states over the past 30 years. And they still cycled reliably and packed a punch.
Very good information. I would like to say that everything Paul says is correct in my opinion. I did read an article in the 80s about a guy that had carried a box of rounds in a truck that did miles every day on bumpy dirt roads. I don't remember what cartridge it was, but the guy experienced a catastrophic failure firing a round that rode around for an extended period of time. It was determined by pulling the bullets that the years of vibration had broken down the detent coatings on the powder and increased the burn rate. This is also why you don't clean loaded cartridges in your tumbler.
Very interesting. A deeper dive into this might involve discussion of which companies use primer sealant, and what effect this has on reliability. But you must admit, modern ammo is impressive.
Great video Paul thanks for sharing GOD BLESS
Prediction: No big difference.
I am still shooting my Dad's reloads from the 1980s with no problems.
Still have some 40's stamped 30-06 from the old DCM program and that still works great.
I fired a few .30-06 in 2018 that were my then wife's grandfather's ammo, he passed in 1994 and probably hadn't hunted before that for I'm guessing at least 10+ years. I shot a few and couple did hang fire a fraction of a second like a black powder flint lock.
I think it depends on where you live. People that live in humid areas of the country need to seal their primers with nail polish and store their ammo in waterproof metal ammo cans. People who live in low humidity areas like the Southwest have a lot more leeway and less to deal with.
@@JohnB-dr8sk Based on my sample size, I disagree. A good portion of my older ammo has been in the attic of a house in Virginia Beach, VA for over 10 years while in the military. Hot and Humid and I have never put nail polish on primers and most has been in cardboard boxes.
@@TheSzalkowski Were the primers on USGI ammo from the 1940s sealed? If I remember correctly, when I was in the Army in the 80s they were sealed. But I'm not sure about the 40s.
On a side note, how do we explain Paul having two separate primer issues in two different calibers from storing in his car after a year? Heat? High Humidity? I have never had this problem and have stored ammo in all sorts of places having lived off the grid in the West. Even shotgun shells have fired after leaving them for years in cardboard boxes in storage sheds, etc.
I was actually really surprised that Paul had these results.
I accidentally left a box of 22 Thunderbolts and an old abandoned camper on a shelf for over 10 years. The camper had no heating system and the windows were pulled out of it. This was also Western Oregon where it rains a lot. Very humid. It makes Eastern Oregon seem dry in comparison. It does get hot in the summertime as well. When I locate them and realize they were there after at least 10 years, and I fired them in my 10/22,. All 50 fired just fine and had a great grouping.
Back when we kept our truck rifle in the back window rack and a few boxes of ammo "for emergencies" behind the seat. I saw a lot more reliability issues with my 30-30. When I realized this, I started putting dates of purchase on the box and in a narrow ammo can.
Interesting. Do you live in a humid area?
I left some old shotgun ammo in my attic for about 5 years. Before that it was in my basement for about 15 years. Shot about 2 boxes shooting clays. It all functioned properly.
When I deployed to desert storm task force Ripper and task force shepherd we had 7.62 ammo that was made before the Korean war. 1950 ammo that had been all over the world. It was old been in heat and humidity as well as being left out in the freezing cold. Yes it snows in Iraq and gets really cold at night. The old ammo always works fine, in fact it worked better than the new ammo we were given.
In the early 80's I shot up a bunch of ww2 German ammo. In a polish vz35 that my grate uncle brought back.
It all worked.
It and the gun was stored in fl in a steamer type trunk along with some of grandma other stuff. In fl most of the time with out ac.
copied from my earlier comment:
I once shot over 500 rounds of 50 year old 30 carbine ammo one evening with no failures.
I'm passing this along as an example of how old some ammo can be and still function properly.
It was WWII surplus ammo manufactured in 1943 - I bought it from a city SWAT cop after his department traded in their M1 Carbines for M16's in the 90's.
No telling what my ammo had been subjected to, so it's not as scientific as Mr. Harrell's test!
I never felt any low power rounds, nor did I have any failures to feed or extract.
To be honest, I was expecting at least to have some bad rounds out of the 600 I had purchased.
The M1-Carbine eventually malfunctioned due to a broken gas piston after I was down to less than 100 rounds left.
Much of the shooting was rapid fire and I later discovered the carbine gas piston area was severely lacking lubrication.
- - -
Note to consider: I do have reservations about the quality of ammo manufacturing nowadays due to the way businesses tend to focus mostly on profit at the expense of quality.
Back in the 80's & 90's when I was a bullseye pistol competitor I saw many instances of "alibi's" which resulted from "failures to detonate".
Over time, I noted that some big name ammo brands failed noticeably more than others.
I don't want to bad mouth any big name brands, but after several years of participating in weekly events with many exceptionally skilled marksmen, I can say there are some brands I have no confidence in when reliability matters.
- - -
I'm curious - does anyone read longer comments ? ( I'm new to commenting on TH-cam. )
:-)
@@comfortgeezer200 I skipped it. Not interested in reading your long boring anecdote plus the S P A C I N G is just foul.
It wasn't "left out in the freezing cold" naked and exposed to the environment, it was in gasket sealed ammo cans. Believe me, it is stored under "decent" conditions in the ammo depot. However, when it gets to the end user, yeah, G.I. Joe may dump his ammo in another .30 cal ammo can, leave the lid off and the can will fill up with water or other atrocities.
Thank you for your constructive feedback !
Cheers !
If Paul’s team ever sold Paul’s choice of hunting jacket with Paul’s brand on them I’d buy two
One thing I remember learning from Paul is that the amount of time doesn't really make a difference with ammo so long as its stored well. You could have ammo for years and it would still fire like new. Now, In regards to vibration that might make a bit of a difference unless it is stored in a box that it doesn't jiggle in. I would be curious to see the results from Paul on that topic.
I really wanted PH to say "not enough difference to make a difference." I also missed the beat down on the keyboard warriors. Great video.
Way to go Paul. You turned totally forgetting a bag of ammo in the car into a video. 😀😀
Great information. Thank you Paul. I’ve seen various deer wander through your videos before but I think there was a fly on the target during the 38 special portion. It was right below the bullseye until the first shot hit.
Hope you are doing well my good sir.
Thanks Paul! Hope things are going well.
Who's to say that one malfunction round wouldn't malfunctioned even if stored under "ideal" conditions?
Loved the video.
I've had a few misfires that featured a primer hole not being fully punched out--there was no primer hole. This resulted in squib loads, and I even had a bullet lodged in the bore of my Beretta 92-series pistol, but that was a unique experience. I even had a case head separation in an AR-15--once. Malfunctions happen. The sample size was too small to determine if the malfunction was from storage conditions or a result of manufacturing defects.
My favorite presenter. I view as many presentations as I can and have learned a lot.
That's dedication to rigorous testing.
Very insightful information Paul!! Thankyou so much as always for sharing!!
Curious what the off camera voice @14:45 was... someone complaining about rapid fire ?
Searching the comments for this very question. Probably some 90 year old Fudd demanding that EVERY SHOT NEEDS TO BE CAREFULLY AIMED!!!
I tried to hear what he said too. can't quite make it out.
would be embarrassing to find out you were barking some range safety crap at Paul Harrell 😮
walk of shame back to his car.
He is on camera you can see him
I rewatched that part a few times. I couldn't see anyone. Where should I be looking ?
Thanks !
OK - I finally saw the guy behind Mr. Harrell in the woods - just to the right - about elbow height
Thanks !
Recently I fired a box of a brand name with a good reputation .22 lr stored hidden in the back of the gun cabinet in the bedroom for about six years, I fired the entire 50 rd box and got 5 misfires, solid hits on the end would not fire even when shot again.
Another same brand box of fifty left for three years in a cardboard box in my Jeep CJ 5 had no failures at all, even though exposed to the weather to the point the cardboard box had gotten wet and fallen a part.
Hey Paul. I was wondering if you could make a video on Miniè balls out of percussion rifles. I know you did a video on a similar video for revolvers but what about with rifles? Thanks again and all the best.
Thank you for the close up of the chart. It helps with a old man's eyesight.
Excellent work as always Paul. I will add my opinion in that, a case of 7.62x54r manufactured in 1940 something stored in Russia then the US, has functioned exceptionally well in 2022.
Getting close to that 800k mark. Keep spreading the word of Paul!
Ping a awesome Job as always. Praying for your health. I hope to be at gun show.
Lesson learned. If you see Paul Harrell in his car, don't try to rob the guy. He will have his normal stash of weapons, his normal amount of ammo, plus a few more boxes in his glove compartment waiting for I don't know how long before testing them. Oh yah, the guy can flat out use his weapons. He is surly a person that you want as a friend and not an enemy. Thank you, Paul for another great video.
Inherited about ten boxes of .300 Savage, 30-30 and 30-06 ammo that had been stored for decades in an outside shed then later in a damp basement. Judging by their looks, I intended to knock them apart, clean up the brass and reload. One day I got a curious whim to just take them to the range and plink. They all worked just fine! It sure defeated things I'd been previously told.
Dad bequeathed me a couple of boxes of 30-06 that had been stored in a shed in Wisconsin since the '70s. The boxes dated from the early '60s. They still worked.
@@SunriseLAWincorrect, ammunition is more stable and reliable today then it ever was in the past. 20-30 years ago as a kid duds were common place and was just part of shooting even from new ammunition, my kids have never known such a issue and are shocked on the rare occasion that one of the firearms has a malfunction.
great video as always, important info that answers a real concern
I have left ammo in deer blind for years. And used it eventually. Just 16 ga shells. I don't think it's much different than leaving it in unheated cabin for years. I want to know about your jacket. Is that a ballistics jacket?
th-cam.com/video/vf-4mGdXi7U/w-d-xo.html
Just old cotton shooting jacket
Hey Paul, thanks for the video. I review a lot of military surplus ammunition, ranging from almost 100 years old to the modern day, and I'd like to shed some light based on my experiences. I have found that an ammunition's reliability over time is pretty dependant on 2 major factors: quality of manufacture, and quality of storage. I've found these in some instances to have a greater impact than time (1939 ammo treated properly being more reliable than 1961 ammo made and treated poorly).
Quality of manufacture can sometimes compensate for bad conditions. I've shot German 1945 8mm Mauser ammo in water damaged boxes and the steel cases heavily rusted without issue, but 1961 Bulgarian 8mm Ammo in pristine boxes with almost a 60-70% error rate.
Bad conditions can have a major effect too. I bought some Egyptian 8mm from an importer, and it came in a damaged box with other signs of improper storage, and the rounds had major issues, but later I found rounds from the same factory and year in a freshly opened spam can, and they fired with zero problems.
From my experience, if you buy ammo for long term storage, keep it in a place without frequent temperature and moisture change (not in your garage), and in ammo cans that can prevent moisture from getting in, and if it is for a serious use, consider buying a slightly more premium ammo (like I think Winchester has a milspec M193 vs. the standard White Box). Just my 2 cents from my experiences. This was a great video!
I used to be a bullseye competitor - (weekly matches) - I always used premium ammo.
I had notably more problems with Wxxxxxxxxx ammo and primers than with any other name brand US ammo I tried.
Other expert and master level competitors I shot with concurred with my findings. To this day I avoid anything W.
Rxxxxxxxx wasn't as bad, but still had issues.
Never had a single problem with Federal though.
That was 30 years ago - no telling how things may have changed, but I doubt they have gotten better.
Just passing on my experience for your consideration.
$0.02 USD
Cheers!
@@comfortgeezer200 My experience with Winchester has been similar... Relatively low QC compared to other brands. I was just trying to say that this is a place where more "premium" ammo may actually prove a good idea. Generally, I think "premium" doesn't matter for a lot of target shooters.
Honestly that Car ammo worked laps around the dogshit 9mm JHP aguila ammo I bought from academy.
Paul, you are at another level. Great presentation and love that you were careful to have a control group. God bless.
Great video Paul!
Any chance you could cut out the passenger seat of one of your cars and turn the entire right side into a gun rack? That way you’ve got a collection of gats within arms reach should you need one.
He doesn't need a rack. He has pockets.
@@rtex9364 He’s going to pull a Satellite dish out of those pockets one day. Mark my words.
Thanks Paul! I have wondered about this very thing for years,good information.
Can we have a Halloween and Christmas special this year ?
Yes please!
I'm sure we will, uncle harrel never disappoints
Really awesome, thank you Mr. Harrell !!!
I replace my 9mm and 5.56 ammo that stays in the car every year. I always shoot the car ammo when I replace it. I have yet to have any reliability issues with the car ammo.