How long will primers last?

[hoz53]

I've got some CCI and Win primers that have been sitting in an ammo can in the garage for 20 to 30 years. They look like new. I wonder if they are still any good? I will load a few up to see what happens to start with. Can anybody provide me with any info about how long primers last under these conditions? Thanks

 

[K22]

I don't know but I had some for over 5 years that worked just fine but they had been kept in a dry and moderate temperature environment.

 

[Immike]

This was recently discussed and cool and dry with sealed container was the best.

 

[M-61]

I have CCI's that are least 35 years old. Were they stored in the best conditions? No, but over the years, different houses etc., not really bad conditions. Dry they always were but not always cool. Have not had a malfunction yet. Surely held up better than the metal powder cans which I will not use. The cardboard kegs are a memory.

 

[jonbearman]

I had some out of the 50's and just for a hoot,I loaded a few,They went bang.

 

[bozo699]

I had some out of the 50's and just for a hoot,I loaded a few,They went bang.

What Jon said
Wayne.

 

[bigedp51]

The primers are bad if your shooting a British Enfield rifle during a rapid fire mad minute and you pull the trigger and start to open the bolt and the cartridge goes bang.

Its called click................................................................bang

 

[turbines]

I have some old winchester primers that were packaged with the wooden partitions in the box...large pistol and small pistol. Also some Alcan primers. They do just fine... but I'll be glad when they are gone tho

 

[jrm850]

I'm just finishing up 500 Rem 7 1/2s that were purchased in 95. They have been moved to 5 different locations in 3 different states and have not been stored well at times. They spent two of those years in a non-atmosphere controlled metal building. I couldn't find new primers so I shot an f-class match with them a couple of weeks ago and 66 rounds held vertical like they were new although they seem to be broken on the windage . I haven't had a single misfire out of the 400+ already shot.

 

[hoz53]

Thanks fellas for the replies. I knew primers should be kept in cool dry storage, but I had forgotten about the thread last dec about this topic. I'm glad mike reminded me as I think the vacuum seal is a good idea and I think I will try it for loaded handloads also. The old primer stories you other guys related were wat I was looking for. I've around 3000 old primers various types so I think I will load them up with the misc. powder I have ( some of that's pretty old to) and have a blast em up day at the range. Oh and thanks for the brass pic Ed ill try not to make any of those. Good shooting

 

[22BRGUY]

If they are CCI 450's I think you should send them to me for testing...just to be on the safe side........................................................not

 

[gary0529]

I still have reloaded ammo from 1964-30-06 that I reloaded with a Lee "pound 'em "die set. I usually fire a set of 3 every couple of years just to see if they still go bang and so far 100% results.
I was 15 y.o. at the time and my math makes the stuff 49 years old. Therefore, I must conclude that primers will most likely still be going band when I am not. ;D
By the way, the storage conditions were not always perfect as they spent a couple of decades in the basement or barn with uncontrolled temp and humidity.

Take it for what you paid for the information.

Gary

edited for misspelling.

 

[Jeffvn]

During the last 2 years I received and used some CCI rifle and pistol primers that my father-in-law gave me from when he shot NRA competitions in the 50s. They worked just fine.

So did the powder (Hercules Bullseye - in a red metal tin) a touch less velocity in the pistol compared to new Bullseye, but it worked.

JeffVN

 

[fdshuster]

Primers are a lot more durable, if properly stored of course, than they are given credit for.

I still have and use some old CCI 450 Magnums that I received with the purchase of a rifle almost 10 years ago, & the guy had them for years prior to that. In the old white and red box. If anybody remembers them the box's were extremely difficult to slide open. The top sleeve was a very tight fit to the tray, a good way to keep them from unintentionally opening & dumping onto the floor.

Ran them across my chronograph & the "numbers" are identical to, or very close to what I get with the newer blue box 450's, and have never had a "click" instead of a "bang".

 

[NorCalMikie]

Cardboard kegs of powder with the bottoms rotted out made good fertelizer. The 2000 mil spec LR primers setting next to them all went bang in my M1A. Had to be at least 30 years old.

 

[dreever]

I agree with fdshuster I have and still are using some od CCI Red/White box 250's and they are just as good as my newest lot.

 

[SeabeeKen]

I have some Federals that I bought in 1974 and they work fine

 

[expiper]

a man here in the area had a fire in his garage that ignited the gun powder stored there in a cabinet ,,,the powder flashed and burnt/singed the contents ....he gave me 400+ .270 cal and 600+ 30 cal bullets and a 1000 pack of CCI 200 primers,,,the bullets were tarnished and boxes melted ...I put em in the tumbler and polised for abut an hr,,,,they came out perfect and have been used to harvest lots-0-deer !!! no problem with accuracy either,,,,bak to the primers,,,,the fire occoured inthe late 60's,,,he gave me the primers/bullets in the 90's,,,I put the primers in double freezer bags and placed in an outdoor shed that had only two sides and partial roof ...grass/weeds growing on the dirt floor ( I was afraid to hav them in the house--and I milk rattlesnakes for a hoby !!)...they; were left ther in a corner laying on a piece of wood and coverd with a piece of tin/scrap metal...after 3 yrs/winters of being left outside in such terrible weather conditions I was about to throw them away,,,I decided to 'use/try them in fire form loads...aprox 50% of them looked great/normal,,the rest were in the melted trays from the packaging,,,some smokey and tarnished and had to be pryed loose with a small screwdriver!!! I seperated the good uns from the bad ((some were so melted in the plastic I culdnt get em out without damage to anvil or cup ))....used the good first ,then the bad ,,,NO failures!!!!!,,,,you cansee what the boxes looked like...and what a mess some of the primers were,,the smokey and tarnished ones seated/inserted with difficulty but did not harm the primer pockets of the brass ( I tried a cupla of em before I ruind a bunch of Lapua brass!!!haha) I used a few with hunting loads to see if they worked and they did,,,but used the majority to fire form 280 AI and 6mm SAILOR brass with. Universal Clays and toilet paper wad///NO BULLET.....Roger
PS sorry for typos...my hands are still numb from my broken neck last spring,,,but im gettin bettr evry day,thank God
PSS not shure about exact date of manufacture becau'se the box (and other paper)was burnt beyond recognition and no lot ##'s were visible,,,date time o'f fire was aproximate,,,the man who had the fire died in 90's ,,his brother worked with me and was afraid to use em and knew I would !!! the point is Im surprized they worked if it occoured last week !!!

 

[686]

I had a different experance. I had 100 pk of fed 205m from 15 yrs ago. They were keep in an out door shed for 5 yrs then in the ac house for 10 yrs. I loaded the 100 in my 6br for my xp100 pistol , shooting ihmsa targets. I have a 3oz triger. I was fealing something different abour 3 out of 5 shoots. After about 60 rds i figered it out, I was having a little bit of a delay firing. It would make you hold on target. I would like to have more just to partice control. They all shot and hit in the right place. I have a 1/2 box of 12 ga. shells left fron 1969 i loaded for skeet shooting at Ft Bragg Nc. They still shoot good. I will take one ever now and then to a sporting clays match and let some one shoot a shell that is older than they are.

 

[SeabeeKen]

Thats incredible! Hard to believe they didn't go off after getting that hot. I've always kept mine in a cool dry place which is why they are like new. In all the years I've been reloading, I've only had one misfire.