I was handloading some mixed 45ACP brass and among them was a bunch of WCC headstamps which are military brass. They have a two digit number for the manufacturing year and I found ones in there as old as 1942 so someone had fired them only recently before they got swept up from the range floor and bagged to be sold as used brass.
My dad was in the Marine Corps 88-91 active and was in the reserves for a bit. He was an MP so he trained with the armorers to be able to operate every weapon on the base and found a box of m1903’s still in there. Then they still had .45 and .50 cal from 1945 they used.
"It came in these nice little brown paper packages tied up with string, which yes, are one of my favorite things". Am I the only one who finds these nice tidbits of comedy funny?
I love your sense of humor. Sometimes I'm laughing so hard I have to pause the video. It also helps that you know your stuff, I'm ex military, M16 qualified in 1973 and an hobby re-loader/shooter since then. I don't believe in experts, but you certainly know a whole lot more than I do and I enjoy the way you present it. You're a great reviewer Paul, keep it up !
I have an old 1921 vintage 1903 Springfield rifle which my dad picked up in the mid '50s, and a several ammo boxes of Korean War vintage ball ammo in 30-06 that Dad picked up around the same time. This was several years before I was born (in 1960). Last time I was at the local range it not only shot 100% but using the '03 peep sight I was able to hit the 200 yard 8" steel gong target 20 times in a row. I stopped at 20 (quit while I'm ahead and the boys impressed). I still have one ammo can left of this ammo as well as several boxes of ball and commercial 38 Special ammo from the mid '50s to the early '60s. I have complete confidence they will fire when the trigger is pulled. Thanks for the great video!
Very scientific analysis, thanks for making this. I can't tell you enough I value your skepticism throughout the video -- it shows you truly considered all the potential variables and were not disillusioned into thinking we had more than enough data (you talking about what would've been required for a true empirical study at the beginning) to declare this a clear cut and dry case. Most people like their answers in black and white, all wrapped up in a tidy box, easy to digest... But you acted like a true researcher by addressing the grey area, which in my eyes makes your video that much more credible. Awesome work, and thanks again for taking the time.
Have recently fired approx 100 rounds of .44mag hand loaded in 1977 without a single misfire. It's been kept in relatively cool garage and the only thing I notice is a little more smoke than usual when the shell casing is extracted. Also have been using some old .22lr, I don't know the exact vintage but the boxes are labeled at 78 cents each and not a single misfire. Hope this helps the discussion.
I may be only 29, but I am an old soul. I like the contents of your videos as well as your style and interest of firearms. Keep it rolling and always be real. Thanks
I'm 17 but people say i'm just an old man in a teenagers body. Although I consider myself as more of a traditionalist than anything. I very much love these videos along with his unique style. Thanks for the video Paul, stay safe
The oldest ammo I own is 3k rounds of 7.62x51 Malaysian Military surplus from the early 80s. They shoot just fine, and true too. Take it easy, Paul. Congrats on a million subs, well deserved. Better late than never!
I was cleaning out my Grandpa's closet in the spring of 2014, my Grandpa died in 1992. I found his old hunting vest with 20ga shot shells in the shot shell loops, at least 20. I was born in 1980 and to my memory my Grandpa hadn't gone hunting in my life time, he was 77 when I was born. I loaded those 20ga shot shells in my JW Coach 20ga shotgun and I fired. They dirtied up the barrels but were affective against the target, a laundry soap container. 7 years after finding the shells I have about half of them still, I plan on shooting them as well. Post Script; I'm binge watching Paul Harrell videos because he's quite honestly the best youtube channel.
I have a Remington Rolling Block in .43 Spanish. Someone gave me a box of Remington ammo dated 1892, black powder loads. I fired all ten rounds with no problems and they were accurate too
I'm still shooting some 60+ year old 30-06 from Lake City in my M-1 Garand. No problems. I've also shot some very old 303 British...if it's kept well, it will last a long time.... re: C- rations...we were still getting some 35 year old C-rats in the early 70s.
biggest issue with old ammo is old propellant compositions are way way more corrosive than modern loads ........as long as the ammo is stored even half assed well it shoots,the issues you will have are mechanical if you dont clean your firearm well
I have some 7.62x54r that was made in Russia in 1946. It was still sealed in the original military metal case, still soldered. Ive shot about 250rds and every single one fired fine, no hang fires no issues. The only thing I noticed on a few were splits in the metal case after firing near the neck, most likely from rust at that portion of the steel case inside weakening it. Old steel case this is what you need to be careful of, but old brass ammo will if not submerged in liquid or anything most likely work forever especially with those old mercury primers they used.
I was given 22lr ammo made 1991. This was last year. It was just sitting in a desk drawer all that time. I fired 35 rounds and they went bang. So even 22lr especially if kept dry can last a long time. Thanks for the video.
Good question. I have a bunch of surplus .45ACP head stamped FA42 and WCC43. I have run through almost a thousand rounds of it and so far every one worked. They were used shooting IDPA and IPSC and since the primers are crimped others picked up the brass. Corrosive primers but cleaning is simple, and the price was right less than a nickle a round.
Rabbit hunting... that's funny. Don't underestimate this round. Paul utterly destroyed what appeared to be a solid cinder block with these silly little things. The bullets travel at around 1600 fps from a 5 inch barrel (my CZ 52) and that was surplus ammo from the 1960's which I never had any problems with.
I've fired a lot of WW2 surplus 7.92x57 ammo. Loved the smell. Not sure what type of propellant it was, but I'm guessing it was cordite. Never had a dud. Never had a weak primer strike. One of my favorite guns to use to this day. Mauser is extremely loud. Can't even imagine how many people died with one of those in their hands. It's living history.
Paul ...slightly confused....re: the squib round - was the projectile still seated? I had a squib once(in a semi-auto carbine). fortunately I recognized the sound and didn't pull the trigger again......yep, bullet was in the barrel....rammed it out and continued with the range session. since you didn't inspect the barrel I assume the round was intact.............JRW
A squib is a significantly underpowered round. Some people say it's only a squib if it's stuck in the barrel. In this case I knew it was way under powered because I felt the recoil, or lack of it. I knew the projectile was not lodged in the barrel because I saw it hit the target. If I hadn't seen the impact I would have checked the bore before continuing.
thanks...I thought that was the case ....................I really enjoy your take on firearms topics ....keep up the good work(Shattneresque pauses and all)........JRW
I know glock 17 is strong , I shot 2 slugs out with one shot ........ I didn't know till later , no sign the shot was too hot & gun is a tack driver ! Check your barrel folks !!
I'll keep this short as it spans over 50 years. 2 factors mainly effect vintage ammo: 1. How well it was made 2. Conditions of storage Right now I have a case of 8mm Mauser made in Ecuador. Beautiful, shiny with pristine packaging, looks like made yesterday. But 50% dud primers on a good day. Stay away from Pakistan junk, it was dangerous or useless the day it was made.
My father bought a used .22 rifle and several boxes of longs when he was 16 years old. That ammo is closing in on 100 years old. I have fired off a few rounds every so often over the years. I never had a FTF. This ammo was always stored inside a house. Ammo, at least modern ammo, may have an unlimited life if stored properly.
With all of the concealed carry going on today, the issue of storing ammo in a revolver exposes it to the cleaning and oiling products used in the weapon. Recommendations back in the 60's recommended not trusting it after about six months because those products could get into the primers creating duds.
My experience with old ammo has been that if it looks OK, it probably is fine. I have shot hundreds of rounds of shot shells and rifle ammo from WW2 era and before. Anything with much corrosion on it gets deactivated and disposed of. Everything else has fired as expected. The power may have been a tiny bit different, but I could never tell. They break targets and kill critters just fine. The one thing you have to watch out for is the old corrosive primers. If you have them just clean the bore well with hot water, dry it and oil it well. No problem.
I'm a new subscriber and love your videos. I do have one comment regarding the "Squib" you said you had. Throughout my life (I'm 63) it's been my understanding that a "Squib or Squib Load" was an extremely dangerous malfunction that happens when a fired projectile does not carry enough force and becomes stuck in the gun barrel instead of exiting it. Since the bullet left the barrel and your following shot didn't blow the barrel up, wouldn't the correct terminology be a "Failure to Extract" or "Failure to Eject"?
There was a failure to eject because the round was significantly under powered. I have heard the term squib used to describe a bullet being stuck in the barrel due to low power, or to describe just a significantly under powered round. In this case I used the latter definition. When it went off I could feel the lack of power and usually I would immediately stop and check the bore. I didn't in this case because I could see the projectile hit the target.
Wild bill would load new ammo every morning. My 1851 sat for three years loaded with 25 grains of fffg and Remington caps, l was working two jobs at the time. Kept telling myself l gotta shoot it soon it might corrode. Eventually changed my shift got some time at the range and to my surprise, gun fired like I loaded it yesterday. Definitely do not advocate or condone anyone do so but nothing to lose sleep over. Also l recommend that if the ammo used is to defend oneself and not just plink, it be properly stored ,dehumidified ,silica, consistent temp, etc.
When my Grandpa died in 1985, we found a H&R.32 nickel plated bicycle revolver in his junk box, my Grandma said he used to carry it when he tended bar back in the 20's , and about 40 rounds of RNL rounds that were now green and white with corrosion. We threw an old Marvel Mystery oil can out in the pasture and fired. We got a huge cloud of smoke, followed by a rotten egg smell. Black powder rounds ! Who knows how old those things were. We figured they would all be duds. Imagine our surprise when they all went off ! We shot about 15 rounds, which ventilated that can quite nicely.
You certainly are "What you would call a professional." Most impressive! Every video I've seen of yours. You're getting to be an Internet legend. Sooner or later someone will start calling you "the icon, Paul Harrell." Thanks for all of your excellent videos and your superb advice! (Was your father Brigadier General Benjamin P. Harrell, U.S. Army? I've a hunch you are his son. If so, thanks for your service and thanks, too, for his service.) Andy McKane, whose father, Captain Andrew McKane, MC, USN, was a Navy physician. I too, served in the Navy. I was an enlisted hospital corpsman. My favorite firearms to this day at the 1911 Series 70 Government Model Colt, and the Springfield Armory M1A. Andy McKane, Maunaloa, Molokai, Hawaii.
Ima put it like this... Yesterday, boss whos also a close friend , had a friend he grew up with die... He left my boss all his guns, ammo, and reloading equipment... Hes 79 years old and needed help all day sorting and storing it.. as a gift for helping him, he gave me about 500 rounds of 9mm ( all reloads) a winchester defender, and about 300 rounds of twelve.. im not sure of the age of the 12 but its old... Its all fired fine... The 9mm reloads are all from JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 1995.. THATS RIGHT. 28 YEARS OLD.. ive ran sveral out of each box and theyve all fired just fine.. . They were stored in ammo cans, in plastic 50rnd reload cases.. they so old the lead in the hollowpoint cavity is oxidizing... They all performed as good as any factory ammo ive shot... Bottom line.. order you some od those 3 dollar plastic cases that you store reloads in.. and get some ammo boxes.. and they can be stored outside in a shed in south alabama where the humidity is so bad northern football players have to use oxygen on the sidelines
Everyone who purchased ammo in bulk and know they will being storing it for a long time are grateful to you for putting those concerns to rest. Is it tacky if I leave ammo in the will for the kids?
I was given sea bag full of 38 special and 45 ACP from a old navy chief in 1994. The oldest of the 45ACP was stamped FA17, the newsy was FA32 all the 45 ammo except the 1932 fired 100 percent. None of the FA32 fired. When I tried the 38 spl, none of it fired.
In our shooting club we still have plenty of 8x57IS for the K98k. That ammo is from WWII and it is still fine. I guess some ammo can work forever and other does not.
3 years ago, I found some ammo I had put away in 1988. It was some .22 ammo and a few 12 Gauge shells. It was stored mostly in an army ammo can. It followed me through about 11 moves. Took it to the range. It worked. Not most of it, all of it.
I fired some last week that was stamped 1952. It came out of an old German spam can and was 9MM. The can was filled with card board boxes with 25 rounds each and staples on the boxes had rusted. I think ammo last forever like honey in the Pyramids.
When i was a 14 year old kid i found a .303 round with my metal detector in 1982. The headstamp was 1939. I put it in my .410 bolt action and pulled the trigger it fully detonated much to my suprise. When i pulled the bolt back it extracted a fireformed .410 brass case. But the end was missing🤣🤣
Got a cloth bandoleer of 7.62x51 on five round stripper clips at a gun show in the early 90s. Stamped 67 I think on the bottom of each shell. Recently (2017) shot a bunch through a 308 ishapor enfield and an M1A. Worked great! Picked up the brass.
Shot 303 British cordite ammo from the 20s. Ancient paper shotgun shells and cans of 45 acp.from ww2.had a couple of duds from a couple hundred rounds of 45acp. One warning. If you carry a weapon in a vehicle long term, ammo should probably be cycled out periodically. In the eighties I read an article about a guy who drove dirt roads with a rifle in the truck. One day when he went to shoot it ,it jammed and nearly blew up . It was determined that the constant vibration from te dirt roads had eroded the detent coatings on the powder, changing the burn rate. The other ws on steel shotgun ammo. If exposed to moisture it is possible that the steel pellets can weld together with corrosion basically turning it into a steel slug.
I have WW2 .38spl ammo made by Remington (Kleen-Bore). It's a steel-jacketed bi-metal hollow-base projectile, and is corrosive boxer primed. I also have tracers, same ammo. I haven't ever had one that didn't go bang. It is remarkably under-powered, but most .38spl was at that time.
I thought everybody had a few wax sealed paper shot shells. I don't shoot the ones that returned green from moisture, but the ones that look ok get used on squirrels, rabbits every year.
When the 12 gauge paper falls apart .lol You said old Peter! He he.. I only embellish cause you do.. I had a guy at work say cause I have alot of 12 ga ammo on a bandolier In my truck heat cycling for years it was no good..I said I will bet you 30$ a round it goes off. He wasn't interested . I have cycled through some of it..works just fine. 0 fails I recommend waterfowl ammo for extreme long time storage. Yes that would make it steel..oh well.
All the .45 my dad shot in the military was from WWII and he joined in 84, it was also stored very poorly and a lot of the 1911 mags were stored for years with 5 rounds in them. Never had any issues with the ammunition.
Like you said, it depends a lot on how it's stored. My friend decided to buy his dad a new box of ammo and change out the ammo that had been in his revolver for at least 20 years. It lived mostly under the seat of his car and sometimes in his pocket. We decided to try the old ammo and it went like this. Click Bang Bang Click Bang pop. Two duds and a squib out of 6 rounds. We tied the duds a few more times and they never did fire, the squib was so bad it just barely made it out the barrel. So 20 years of the ever changing climate of the interior of a car really did a number on it.
From what I understood corrosive ammunitions if stored properly would last 100 years to indefinitely, and modern non corrosive ones up to 100 years of more, I am just going on what I could find and have heard, I am watching your video now and you usually have excellent information based on reality, So I expect ill learn something from your video like I always do. You do an awesome job, your videos are informative, well done, clear, measurable, and have no emotional nonsense in them to detract from your testing. Awesome job in my opinion. Love your videos, I have subscribed, Hey that PPS 40, is that the same as the Tokarev ammunition in 7.62x25? I have never had one of those rounds not function mine was Bulgarian stuff from the 50's. Just clean your gun afterwards.
I am not a shooter. But I still have rounds I bought in the early 1970's, .22 long rifle hollow points. A few years back, when I needed to pop a moccasin in the head and one in the body, those rounds sure did the job. They were around 45 years old and that is one dead snake.
Well personally ive fired a ww2 era german 9mm round in around 1992 so it was 50ish years old and not only did it fire but it was HOT! Was stronger feeling like it was hotter than a +p+. It literally felt like firing a .357 mag. And it wasnt just 1 oddball hot round, the whole pack was like that. THEN i fired 1970's era pakastani mil surp ammo, out of the same exact gun that i fired the ww2 stuff and it felt like i was firing a .32 acp rather than 9mm and i had about %30 that failed to ignite. Only about 1/2 of the ones that did fire felt even close to normal. There were a few times they sounded so weak i unloaded and checked for squib. Never got one but it was prob close. And it was dirty ammo too. Now i have 1970's era 7.62x51 NATO Isreali mil surp that ive had for a long time and they are good to go. So id say longevity depends on original maunufacturing and storage quality and age of the ammo when you got it and put it in storage. Ive heard but never witnessed an alleged phenomenon whereupon in longterm storage the propellent becomes more powerful and any unsuspecting innocent gun unlucky enough to be loaded with said ammo kerloops in a face...moral of the story, a man made firearm works by harnessing the power from an explosion (that occurs near your face) to propel a projectile. Shit happens
I recently shot some old Remington "Klean-Bore" ammo that my dad purchased when I was a kid and I'm now in my late 50s. It shot fine. But I've also bought inexpensive ammo at gun shows and had multiple duds with it (and it was supposedly brand new stuff). The lesson seems to be the good stuff is better than the cheap stuff whether it's old or new. Good ammo should last a long time as long as you store it in cool, dry conditions.
I bought a package of 1896 man date 30-40 Krag off gunbroker. A "friend" of mine is always arguing about how the world is always wrong kind of people. The topic of that day was his firm belief that .30-40 was a blackpowder round. I had to take him to the range with some of the ammo to prove him wrong. Out of 5 rounds 1 was a dud, 1 hang fire, 3 functioned as normal.
I buy very good condition 50cal surplus ammo cans (be sure the rubber seal hasn't dry rotted) and store my ammo in them with a few desiccant packets. I then store the cans in a humidity controlled, dark crawlspace. I suspect that if all goes to plan my infant son, as well as my future grandson will have ammo for the rifles I leave them.
I shot up 200 rounds of 30 carbine from the 40s ( US govt stuff my grandfather had) at a range. These were in my dad's basement since the early 70s, and who knows before that. These rounds were in their original paper boxes, some were falling apart, which meant they had experienced moisture. Some rounds were pretty discolored, some had green guys living in the primer pockets. ALL shot and ALL fed, and ALL were able to work the action of my 1943 M1. There were several fliers for sure, but by and large, everything printed very well at 75 yds. As Paul said, would I have bet my life on them? No. But did they still function? Yes!
If the shot shells are paper, and you didn't reload you own....the ammo is too old! LOL I am sure that old surplus 7.62x39 corrosive ammo is older than dirt but they still fire off just fine.
I had a interesting (interesting to me at least) experience with old ammo myself. My friend and I were given a large amount of ww2 surplus 45acp ammo for free. The reason it was free was it had been in a fire. Not in a hot enough fire to set any of the rounds off but hot enough to put some significant charring on the boxes. Along with the fire they were also put through being soaked in water from the fire hose. We were probably given close to 2000 rounds of ammo. Out of all that ammo we had 2 duds and one squib. It's a good thing I stopped shooting when the squib happened so I could inspect the firearm. (which was a double action revolver) I wish I had taken a picture because it is somewhat comical to see a round sticking half way out of the end of the barrel.
I just recently came across two boxes of winchester super x power point .22 rimfire ammo that is 17 years old and fired all 100 rounds without a single dud. this ammo was stored in very humid conditions and the brass was pretty well oxidized yet still totally reliable.
When I was young (early 70's), all the surplus ammo you could buy (and that's all I ever bought) was WW-II or earlier so that's no less than 30 years. I distinctly remember firing EA stamped .303 from 1923 and I don't remember any faults.
I remember I found some old plastic 12G buck ammo in a house which was halfway torn down. the shells had heavy rust and the plastic had a clear film coming off. loaded them, kicked like mule in the Rem!
A great vid. I have a question slightly off subject. And since I am not a "so called professional", LOL,I get to ask questions that might be considered dumb.So the question is, What is the best temperature and humidity for long time ammo storage?I store my ammo in the plastic storage containers with tops. They are stored in my workshop, which is completely enclosed and insulated. The temperature is about 65 in winter and 73-75 in summer. Humidity in the storage room about 30%. I use those small humidity control bags in the storage boxes. I figure keeping my ammo as best as I can, because a weapon with bad ammo is nothing more than a baseball bat. By the way. have a Great New Years, God bless and stay safe.
In the 70s I was given 6 boxes of old paper 12 ga. shot gun shells. The boxes looked rough but I shot all the shells. Had no duds but approximately 1 in 6 were a real fight to get them to eject from my old Sears pump. I was in highschool at the time and worked out 3 to five days a week and even with all that going for me I had a hell of a time getting some of those shells ejected. Just my experience with old ammo.
Ive wondered this exact same thing! Since i got my ammo new many years ago and its been in my safe inside the house I feel pretty good about it now. Thank you!
I recently acquired some original .44 Automag ammunition, probably dating back to the early '70's. From what I've read, this original ammo was underpowered to reliably cycle the pistol's action. I'd like to chronograph a few rounds but at the same time I'm hesitant due to the fact that old gun powders become erratic causing pressures to fluctuate.
I'm still shooting 1943 ammo that my dad brought back from WWII. Its 30-06 black tip armour piercing and it shoots better than any new ammo I can find. Only had one misfire and that was from a cap seated too deeply in the shell and the pin could not make adequate contact.
German ammo from ww2 still works just fine with almost no failure because its sealed extremely well. Even when it comes out of the ground and isnt to corroded yust let it two days.
I know my ammo is to old when all it does is complain about the younger ammo.. ;)
I’m a boomer, and I approve of this comment. Lol.
Lllllll
Kklkll
LMAO that’s the funniest I’ve heard in awhile
Hahahaha
When I was in the Marine Corps in the early 90's. We were using 50 caliber ammo produced in the 1940's for training.
If it aint broke, why the fuck not if you cant sell it that much due to it's caliber?
Damn, we made a lot of guns.
I was handloading some mixed 45ACP brass and among them was a bunch of WCC headstamps which are military brass. They have a two digit number for the manufacturing year and I found ones in there as old as 1942 so someone had fired them only recently before they got swept up from the range floor and bagged to be sold as used brass.
My dad was in the Marine Corps 88-91 active and was in the reserves for a bit. He was an MP so he trained with the armorers to be able to operate every weapon on the base and found a box of m1903’s still in there. Then they still had .45 and .50 cal from 1945 they used.
I was in the army till 2010. We would get 81mm mortar rounds from ww2. You would get a dud once in a while but no more than you get with newer stuff.
"It came in these nice little brown paper packages tied up with string, which yes, are one of my favorite things". Am I the only one who finds these nice tidbits of comedy funny?
I live for his little monotone bits of comedy
lol..no,no you are not alone..i love this channel..this dude kills me..and i highly value his knowledge and opinion
"The hills are alive with the sound of pew pew"
He's the Bob Ross of gun reviews & stuff.
Imagine Mary Poppins with her AK.
I love your sense of humor. Sometimes I'm laughing so hard I have to pause the video.
It also helps that you know your stuff, I'm ex military, M16 qualified in 1973 and an hobby re-loader/shooter since then. I don't believe in experts, but you certainly know a whole lot more than I do and I enjoy the way you present it. You're a great reviewer Paul, keep it up !
I have an old 1921 vintage 1903 Springfield rifle which my dad picked up in the mid '50s, and a several ammo boxes of Korean War vintage ball ammo in 30-06 that Dad picked up around the same time. This was several years before I was born (in 1960). Last time I was at the local range it not only shot 100% but using the '03 peep sight I was able to hit the 200 yard 8" steel gong target 20 times in a row. I stopped at 20 (quit while I'm ahead and the boys impressed). I still have one ammo can left of this ammo as well as several boxes of ball and commercial 38 Special ammo from the mid '50s to the early '60s. I have complete confidence they will fire when the trigger is pulled.
Thanks for the great video!
I have some old British .303 rounds from world war 1 loaded with cordite and it still fires fine.
I do too. Mine is 100% surefire. Better clean that bore IMMEDIATELY after shooting because the primers are mercuric
I wouldn't shoot that much. Once it's all gone it's gone.
I've got 303 about that vintage and it all hang-fires. Neat experience. I won't shoot it anymore but dissect it and enjoy the cordite
Cordite... man... :D
I've got some 308 ww2 ammo that shoots just fine. Corrosive primers though so I don't use it.
I just watched a 3 year old Paul Harrell vid.
Old is never too old.
8 year video old for me...
Love the ppsh in the violin case man, that is pure paul. So cool. Rest in peace brother.
This is a great topic Paul, I still have ammo that belonged to my grandpa back in 98.
Very scientific analysis, thanks for making this. I can't tell you enough I value your skepticism throughout the video -- it shows you truly considered all the potential variables and were not disillusioned into thinking we had more than enough data (you talking about what would've been required for a true empirical study at the beginning) to declare this a clear cut and dry case. Most people like their answers in black and white, all wrapped up in a tidy box, easy to digest... But you acted like a true researcher by addressing the grey area, which in my eyes makes your video that much more credible.
Awesome work, and thanks again for taking the time.
Have recently fired approx 100 rounds of .44mag hand loaded in 1977 without a single misfire. It's been kept in relatively cool garage and the only thing I notice is a little more smoke than usual when the shell casing is extracted. Also have been using some old .22lr, I don't know the exact vintage but the boxes are labeled at 78 cents each and not a single misfire. Hope this helps the discussion.
I may be only 29, but I am an old soul. I like the contents of your videos as well as your style and interest of firearms. Keep it rolling and always be real. Thanks
Thanks. "be real." That's one of my goals.
I'm 17 but people say i'm just an old man in a teenagers body. Although I consider myself as more of a traditionalist than anything. I very much love these videos along with his unique style. Thanks for the video Paul, stay safe
I have some 45acp that was made in the early 1940's and it still shoots fine!
Paul is like the Mister Rogers of the gun world. O.K. Boys and Girls today we are going to learn about ammo...
The oldest ammo I own is 3k rounds of 7.62x51 Malaysian Military surplus from the early 80s.
They shoot just fine, and true too.
Take it easy, Paul. Congrats on a million subs, well deserved. Better late than never!
I was cleaning out my Grandpa's closet in the spring of 2014, my Grandpa died in 1992. I found his old hunting vest with 20ga shot shells in the shot shell loops, at least 20. I was born in 1980 and to my memory my Grandpa hadn't gone hunting in my life time, he was 77 when I was born. I loaded those 20ga shot shells in my JW Coach 20ga shotgun and I fired. They dirtied up the barrels but were affective against the target, a laundry soap container. 7 years after finding the shells I have about half of them still, I plan on shooting them as well.
Post Script;
I'm binge watching Paul Harrell videos because he's quite honestly the best youtube channel.
I have a Remington Rolling Block in .43 Spanish. Someone gave me a box of Remington ammo dated 1892, black powder loads. I fired all ten rounds with no problems and they were accurate too
Came for the Paul Harrell content, stayed for the subtle humour. Died laughing at the violin case!
lol when he says "i'm what you call a professional" I keep thinking he's going to say "kids" after. like "i'm what you call a professional kids" lol
Was that a Sound of Music reference? These are the gems we're going to miss. 😢
I'm still shooting some 60+ year old 30-06 from Lake City in my M-1 Garand. No problems. I've also shot some very old 303 British...if it's kept well, it will last a long time....
re: C- rations...we were still getting some 35 year old C-rats in the early 70s.
As far as the C-rations go, isn't aged beef better?
biggest issue with old ammo is old propellant compositions are way way more corrosive than modern loads ........as long as the ammo is stored even half assed well it shoots,the issues you will have are mechanical if you dont clean your firearm well
I have some 7.62x54r that was made in Russia in 1946. It was still sealed in the original military metal case, still soldered. Ive shot about 250rds and every single one fired fine, no hang fires no issues. The only thing I noticed on a few were splits in the metal case after firing near the neck, most likely from rust at that portion of the steel case inside weakening it. Old steel case this is what you need to be careful of, but old brass ammo will if not submerged in liquid or anything most likely work forever especially with those old mercury primers they used.
I was given 22lr ammo made 1991. This was last year. It was just sitting in a desk drawer all that time. I fired 35 rounds and they went bang. So even 22lr especially if kept dry can last a long time. Thanks for the video.
Good question. I have a bunch of surplus .45ACP head stamped FA42 and WCC43. I have run through almost a thousand rounds of it and so far every one worked. They were used shooting IDPA and IPSC and since the primers are crimped others picked up the brass. Corrosive primers but cleaning is simple, and the price was right less than a nickle a round.
Listening to the sound of music soundtrack while watching Paul shoot old ammo is one of my favorite things.
Rabbit hunting... that's funny. Don't underestimate this round. Paul utterly destroyed what appeared to be a solid cinder block with these silly little things. The bullets travel at around 1600 fps from a 5 inch barrel (my CZ 52) and that was surplus ammo from the 1960's which I never had any problems with.
I've fired a lot of WW2 surplus 7.92x57 ammo. Loved the smell. Not sure what type of propellant it was, but I'm guessing it was cordite. Never had a dud. Never had a weak primer strike. One of my favorite guns to use to this day. Mauser is extremely loud. Can't even imagine how many people died with one of those in their hands. It's living history.
Pardon my French, but you're fucking Hilarious! 😁😁 That Sound of Music reference....I don't think most even caught it!
Paul ...slightly confused....re: the squib round - was the projectile still seated? I had a squib once(in a semi-auto carbine). fortunately I recognized the sound and didn't pull the trigger again......yep, bullet was in the barrel....rammed it out and continued with the range session. since you didn't inspect the barrel I assume the round was intact.............JRW
A squib is a significantly underpowered round. Some people say it's only a squib if it's stuck in the barrel. In this case I knew it was way under powered because I felt the recoil, or lack of it. I knew the projectile was not lodged in the barrel because I saw it hit the target. If I hadn't seen the impact I would have checked the bore before continuing.
thanks...I thought that was the case ....................I really enjoy your take on firearms topics ....keep up the good work(Shattneresque pauses and all)........JRW
I know glock 17 is strong , I shot 2 slugs out with one shot ........ I didn't know till later , no sign the shot was too hot & gun is a tack driver ! Check your barrel folks !!
unclejack123
unclejack123
I'll keep this short as it spans over 50 years. 2 factors mainly effect vintage ammo:
1. How well it was made
2. Conditions of storage
Right now I have a case of 8mm Mauser made in Ecuador. Beautiful, shiny with pristine packaging, looks like made yesterday. But 50% dud primers on a good day. Stay away from Pakistan junk, it was dangerous or useless the day it was made.
5 years ago. This video was taken 5 years ago and it still look like I'm watching a video taken in VHS form in the 90s. He don't change a damn thing.
My father bought a used .22 rifle and several boxes of longs when he was 16 years old. That ammo is closing in on 100 years old. I have fired off a few rounds every so often over the years. I never had a FTF. This ammo was always stored inside a house. Ammo, at least modern ammo, may have an unlimited life if stored properly.
I have ammo that l bought in 1970. Keep it in a closet. Tried it ,works as good as new stuff. I bought when my dad and I used to shoot.
With all of the concealed carry going on today, the issue of storing ammo in a revolver exposes it to the cleaning and oiling products used in the weapon. Recommendations back in the 60's recommended not trusting it after about six months because those products could get into the primers creating duds.
My experience with old ammo has been that if it looks OK, it probably is fine. I have shot hundreds of rounds of shot shells and rifle ammo from WW2 era and before. Anything with much corrosion on it gets deactivated and disposed of. Everything else has fired as expected. The power may have been a tiny bit different, but I could never tell. They break targets and kill critters just fine. The one thing you have to watch out for is the old corrosive primers. If you have them just clean the bore well with hot water, dry it and oil it well. No problem.
I'm a new subscriber and love your videos. I do have one comment regarding the "Squib" you said you had. Throughout my life (I'm 63) it's been my understanding that a "Squib or Squib Load" was an extremely dangerous malfunction that happens when a fired projectile does not carry enough force and becomes stuck in the gun barrel instead of exiting it. Since the bullet left the barrel and your following shot didn't blow the barrel up, wouldn't the correct terminology be a "Failure to Extract" or "Failure to Eject"?
There was a failure to eject because the round was significantly under powered. I have heard the term squib used to describe a bullet being stuck in the barrel due to low power, or to describe just a significantly under powered round. In this case I used the latter definition. When it went off I could feel the lack of power and usually I would immediately stop and check the bore. I didn't in this case because I could see the projectile hit the target.
My wife said my ammo is to old to be potent. My sister didn't agree when she got pregnant again.
Wild bill would load new ammo every morning. My 1851 sat for three years loaded with 25 grains of fffg and Remington caps, l was working two jobs at the time. Kept telling myself l gotta shoot it soon it might corrode. Eventually changed my shift got some time at the range and to my surprise, gun fired like I loaded it yesterday.
Definitely do not advocate or condone anyone do so but nothing to lose sleep over.
Also l recommend that if the ammo used is to defend oneself and not just plink, it be properly stored ,dehumidified ,silica, consistent temp, etc.
When my Grandpa died in 1985, we found a H&R.32 nickel plated bicycle revolver in his junk box, my Grandma said he used to carry it when he tended bar back in the 20's , and about 40 rounds of RNL rounds that were now green and white with corrosion. We threw an old Marvel Mystery oil can out in the pasture and fired. We got a huge cloud of smoke, followed by a rotten egg smell. Black powder rounds ! Who knows how old those things were. We figured they would all be duds. Imagine our surprise when they all went off ! We shot about 15 rounds, which ventilated that can quite nicely.
You certainly are "What you would call a professional." Most impressive! Every video I've seen of yours. You're getting to be an Internet legend. Sooner or later someone will start calling you "the icon, Paul Harrell." Thanks for all of your excellent videos and your superb advice! (Was your father Brigadier General Benjamin P. Harrell, U.S. Army? I've a hunch you are his son. If so, thanks for your service and thanks, too, for his service.) Andy McKane, whose father, Captain Andrew McKane, MC, USN, was a Navy physician. I too, served in the Navy. I was an enlisted hospital corpsman. My favorite firearms to this day at the 1911 Series 70 Government Model Colt, and the Springfield Armory M1A. Andy McKane, Maunaloa, Molokai, Hawaii.
Always wondered about this. Another great video Paul. Thank you much.
There are artillery shells in use to set off controlled snow avalanches that were manufactured for the Korean War.
ive shot old Remington Shur Shot Shells that are paper, and they all fired flawlessly
"It came in brown paper packages tied up with string and yes, that is one of my favorite things." 😆 I see what you did there.
Ima put it like this... Yesterday, boss whos also a close friend , had a friend he grew up with die... He left my boss all his guns, ammo, and reloading equipment... Hes 79 years old and needed help all day sorting and storing it.. as a gift for helping him, he gave me about 500 rounds of 9mm ( all reloads) a winchester defender, and about 300 rounds of twelve.. im not sure of the age of the 12 but its old... Its all fired fine... The 9mm reloads are all from JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 1995.. THATS RIGHT. 28 YEARS OLD.. ive ran sveral out of each box and theyve all fired just fine.. . They were stored in ammo cans, in plastic 50rnd reload cases.. they so old the lead in the hollowpoint cavity is oxidizing... They all performed as good as any factory ammo ive shot... Bottom line.. order you some od those 3 dollar plastic cases that you store reloads in.. and get some ammo boxes.. and they can be stored outside in a shed in south alabama where the humidity is so bad northern football players have to use oxygen on the sidelines
Everyone who purchased ammo in bulk and know they will being storing it for a long time are grateful to you for putting those concerns to rest. Is it tacky if I leave ammo in the will for the kids?
This man is great we have nothing like this in the UK
My shoulder was hurting just watching you shot all of that 12 gauge! Lol
Subbed, I like your style.
I was given sea bag full of 38 special and 45 ACP from a old navy chief in 1994. The oldest of the 45ACP was stamped FA17, the newsy was FA32 all the 45 ammo except the 1932 fired 100 percent. None of the FA32 fired. When I tried the 38 spl, none of it fired.
In Yugoslavia wars (1990) they took ammo from WWII. Weapons too. Nazi weapons used against Nazis 50 years later. It worked.
In our shooting club we still have plenty of 8x57IS for the K98k. That ammo is from WWII and it is still fine. I guess some ammo can work forever and other does not.
Louisiana in somebody's basement....HAHAHAHAHA
Dig a hole six inches deep down here and you get water. Great video!
3 years ago, I found some ammo I had put away in 1988. It was some .22 ammo and a few 12 Gauge shells. It was stored mostly in an army ammo can. It followed me through about 11 moves. Took it to the range. It worked. Not most of it, all of it.
I fired some last week that was stamped 1952. It came out of an old German spam can and was 9MM. The can was filled with card board boxes with 25 rounds each and staples on the boxes had rusted. I think ammo last forever like honey in the Pyramids.
Awesome video Paul, but one thing..we don't have basements in Louisiana. If you try and build one you wind up with an inground pool instead...
I have 7.62 rounds from the 80s and they fired fine. They fired better than new cheap ammo hahah
He always has such valuable information! Such an interesting dude.
When i was a 14 year old kid i found a .303 round with my metal detector in 1982. The headstamp was 1939. I put it in my .410 bolt action and pulled the trigger it fully detonated much to my suprise. When i pulled the bolt back it extracted a fireformed .410 brass case. But the end was missing🤣🤣
I dont usually shoot hard. But when I do I shoot old ammo. Lol
Got a cloth bandoleer of 7.62x51 on five round stripper clips at a gun show in the early 90s. Stamped 67 I think on the bottom of each shell. Recently (2017) shot a bunch through a 308 ishapor enfield and an M1A. Worked great! Picked up the brass.
Shot 303 British cordite ammo from the 20s. Ancient paper shotgun shells and cans of 45 acp.from ww2.had a couple of duds from a couple hundred rounds of 45acp. One warning. If you carry a weapon in a vehicle long term, ammo should probably be cycled out periodically. In the eighties I read an article about a guy who drove dirt roads with a rifle in the truck. One day when he went to shoot it ,it jammed and nearly blew up . It was determined that the constant vibration from te dirt roads had eroded the detent coatings on the powder, changing the burn rate. The other ws on steel shotgun ammo. If exposed to moisture it is possible that the steel pellets can weld together with corrosion basically turning it into a steel slug.
I have WW2 .38spl ammo made by Remington (Kleen-Bore). It's a steel-jacketed bi-metal hollow-base projectile, and is corrosive boxer primed. I also have tracers, same ammo. I haven't ever had one that didn't go bang. It is remarkably under-powered, but most .38spl was at that time.
had a 1956 cz52 and 762/25 older than the gun shot every round. better than most new production 9mm federal
I thought everybody had a few wax sealed paper shot shells. I don't shoot the ones that returned green from moisture, but the ones that look ok get used on squirrels, rabbits every year.
When the 12 gauge paper falls apart .lol
You said old Peter!
He he..
I only embellish cause you do..
I had a guy at work say cause I have alot of 12 ga ammo on a bandolier In my truck heat cycling for years it was no good..I said I will bet you 30$ a round it goes off. He wasn't interested . I have cycled through some of it..works just fine. 0 fails
I recommend waterfowl ammo for extreme long time storage. Yes that would make it steel..oh well.
All the .45 my dad shot in the military was from WWII and he joined in 84, it was also stored very poorly and a lot of the 1911 mags were stored for years with 5 rounds in them. Never had any issues with the ammunition.
Like you said, it depends a lot on how it's stored. My friend decided to buy his dad a new box of ammo and change out the ammo that had been in his revolver for at least 20 years. It lived mostly under the seat of his car and sometimes in his pocket. We decided to try the old ammo and it went like this. Click Bang Bang Click Bang pop. Two duds and a squib out of 6 rounds. We tied the duds a few more times and they never did fire, the squib was so bad it just barely made it out the barrel. So 20 years of the ever changing climate of the interior of a car really did a number on it.
Good timing for me, I found some of Grandpa's ammo that was not stored properly, all fired.
From what I understood corrosive ammunitions if stored properly would last 100 years to indefinitely, and modern non corrosive ones up to 100 years of more, I am just going on what I could find and have heard, I am watching your video now and you usually have excellent information based on reality, So I expect ill learn something from your video like I always do. You do an awesome job, your videos are informative, well done, clear, measurable, and have no emotional nonsense in them to detract from your testing. Awesome job in my opinion. Love your videos, I have subscribed, Hey that PPS 40, is that the same as the Tokarev ammunition in 7.62x25? I have never had one of those rounds not function mine was Bulgarian stuff from the 50's. Just clean your gun afterwards.
Typically the point of failure is the primer. Cheap Ammo uses cheap priming compound.
Ahahahaha. He referenced "My Favorite Things." Epic!
Yer old! 🤣🤣🤣 I wonder how many viewers didn't get the song reference?
I had 1000 rounds of 5.56 stored in my attic for over 20 years. Took it to the range and shot about 250 rounds without any hic-cups at all.
I am not a shooter. But I still have rounds I bought in the early 1970's, .22 long rifle hollow points. A few years back, when I needed to pop a moccasin in the head and one in the body, those rounds sure did the job. They were around 45 years old and that is one dead snake.
Well personally ive fired a ww2 era german 9mm round in around 1992 so it was 50ish years old and not only did it fire but it was HOT! Was stronger feeling like it was hotter than a +p+. It literally felt like firing a .357 mag. And it wasnt just 1 oddball hot round, the whole pack was like that.
THEN i fired 1970's era pakastani mil surp ammo, out of the same exact gun that i fired the ww2 stuff and it felt like i was firing a .32 acp rather than 9mm and i had about %30 that failed to ignite. Only about 1/2 of the ones that did fire felt even close to normal. There were a few times they sounded so weak i unloaded and checked for squib. Never got one but it was prob close. And it was dirty ammo too. Now i have 1970's era 7.62x51 NATO Isreali mil surp that ive had for a long time and they are good to go. So id say longevity depends on original maunufacturing and storage quality and age of the ammo when you got it and put it in storage.
Ive heard but never witnessed an alleged phenomenon whereupon in longterm storage the propellent becomes more powerful and any unsuspecting innocent gun unlucky enough to be loaded with said ammo kerloops in a face...moral of the story, a man made firearm works by harnessing the power from an explosion (that occurs near your face) to propel a projectile. Shit happens
Oldest ammo I have is from 2006. Still working fine.
I recently shot some old Remington "Klean-Bore" ammo that my dad purchased when I was a kid and I'm now in my late 50s. It shot fine. But I've also bought inexpensive ammo at gun shows and had multiple duds with it (and it was supposedly brand new stuff). The lesson seems to be the good stuff is better than the cheap stuff whether it's old or new. Good ammo should last a long time as long as you store it in cool, dry conditions.
On today's episode on how old is ammo... Damn thats old ammo.. And it works!!!
I bought a package of 1896 man date 30-40 Krag off gunbroker. A "friend" of mine is always arguing about how the world is always wrong kind of people. The topic of that day was his firm belief that .30-40 was a blackpowder round. I had to take him to the range with some of the ammo to prove him wrong. Out of 5 rounds 1 was a dud, 1 hang fire, 3 functioned as normal.
I buy very good condition 50cal surplus ammo cans (be sure the rubber seal hasn't dry rotted) and store my ammo in them with a few desiccant packets. I then store the cans in a humidity controlled, dark crawlspace. I suspect that if all goes to plan my infant son, as well as my future grandson will have ammo for the rifles I leave them.
I shot up 200 rounds of 30 carbine from the 40s ( US govt stuff my grandfather had) at a range. These were in my dad's basement since the early 70s, and who knows before that. These rounds were in their original paper boxes, some were falling apart, which meant they had experienced moisture. Some rounds were pretty discolored, some had green guys living in the primer pockets. ALL shot and ALL fed, and ALL were able to work the action of my 1943 M1. There were several fliers for sure, but by and large, everything printed very well at 75 yds. As Paul said, would I have bet my life on them? No. But did they still function? Yes!
If the shot shells are paper, and you didn't reload you own....the ammo is too old! LOL I am sure that old surplus 7.62x39 corrosive ammo is older than dirt but they still fire off just fine.
Heyyyyy there are no basements in Louisiana. Soil too soft. Oh, and great info on ammo. Thanks
So we can say Winchester whitebox is less reliable than ammo stored in unknown conditions since 1952
I had a interesting (interesting to me at least) experience with old ammo myself. My friend and I were given a large amount of ww2 surplus 45acp ammo for free. The reason it was free was it had been in a fire. Not in a hot enough fire to set any of the rounds off but hot enough to put some significant charring on the boxes. Along with the fire they were also put through being soaked in water from the fire hose. We were probably given close to 2000 rounds of ammo. Out of all that ammo we had 2 duds and one squib. It's a good thing I stopped shooting when the squib happened so I could inspect the firearm. (which was a double action revolver) I wish I had taken a picture because it is somewhat comical to see a round sticking half way out of the end of the barrel.
I just recently came across two boxes of winchester super x power point .22 rimfire ammo that is 17 years old and fired all 100 rounds without a single dud. this ammo was stored in very humid conditions and the brass was pretty well oxidized yet still totally reliable.
When I was young (early 70's), all the surplus ammo you could buy (and that's all I ever bought) was WW-II or earlier so that's no less than 30 years. I distinctly remember firing EA stamped .303 from 1923 and I don't remember any faults.
I remember I found some old plastic 12G buck ammo in a house which was halfway torn down. the shells had heavy rust and the plastic had a clear film coming off. loaded them, kicked like mule in the Rem!
A great vid. I have a question slightly off subject. And since I am not a "so called professional", LOL,I get to ask questions that might be considered dumb.So the question is, What is the best temperature and humidity for long time ammo storage?I store my ammo in the plastic storage containers with tops. They are stored in my workshop, which is completely enclosed and insulated. The temperature is about 65 in winter and 73-75 in summer. Humidity in the storage room about 30%. I use those small humidity control bags in the storage boxes. I figure keeping my ammo as best as I can, because a weapon with bad ammo is nothing more than a baseball bat. By the way. have a Great New Years, God bless and stay safe.
this is a great video for all those who say you have to cycle your carry ammo every 6 months
In the 70s I was given 6 boxes of old paper 12 ga. shot gun shells. The boxes looked rough but I shot all the shells. Had no duds but approximately 1 in 6 were a real fight to get them to eject from my old Sears pump. I was in highschool at the time and worked out 3 to five days a week and even with all that going for me I had a hell of a time getting some of those shells ejected. Just my experience with old ammo.
Ive wondered this exact same thing! Since i got my ammo new many years ago and its been in my safe inside the house I feel pretty good about it now. Thank you!
I recently acquired some original .44 Automag ammunition, probably dating back to the early '70's. From what I've read, this original ammo was underpowered to reliably cycle the pistol's action. I'd like to chronograph a few rounds but at the same time I'm hesitant due to the fact that old gun powders become erratic causing pressures to fluctuate.
Wanted to see a chronograph on those shells to compare to the advertised specs.
The only ammo that is too old is the one that goes click and you clear it and next one usually works.
I'm still shooting 1943 ammo that my dad brought back from WWII. Its 30-06 black tip armour piercing and it shoots better than any new ammo I can find. Only had one misfire and that was from a cap seated too deeply in the shell and the pin could not make adequate contact.
Those 7.62X25's are from 62? Cool! Must bring back memories. You were only in Your 30s back then. LOL 😉
I have shot 90 year old ammo from a garage sale. It was dirty and slightly corroded... ran just fine.
German ammo from ww2 still works just fine with almost no failure because its sealed extremely well. Even when it comes out of the ground and isnt to corroded yust let it two days.