Primers... Do they become less consistent with age?

[Macropod]

I have several thousand Federal Gold Medal match 210 primers that are about 8 years old since I purchased them. Do they become less consistent over that time? I live in the tropics with high humidity and temperature.

Would it be feasable to put say 100 at a time as required in a well controlled drying oven (don't laugh!) At say 65℃ for an hour or so? When I say a well controlled drying oven it is a high grade lab model with data logging.

Using these primers have shown them to be reliable but ES and SD could be a little better.

 

[asauer]

When you say high humidity and temperature... Are those also the conditions these primers have been stored under? Or they have been in a climate controlled home? I'm sure your oven is plenty safe, but I'm not sure what you'd gain that you couldn't do by simply sticking the primers in a sealed container with desiccant, IF you suspect they have recently been exposed to high humidity. If the temp/humidity has deteriorated the primers over a span of time, I don't see what drying them out in the oven would do.

While far from the tropics, I bought a brick of Rem 9½ from a guy who kept them for who knows how many years in his unheated attached garage (they look to be 10+ years old) and in this time of component shortage I tried them out. I have a load in single digit SD using them.

Let me ask you this- are you using these primers in a known good load, so you have something to compare to? By that I mean are these primers the only thing that is new in the equation, or is this an entirely new load work up?

 

[BenchShooter]

I have some bricks of federal 205M primers that are 18 years old. They have not been stored in high humidity but they have been subject to freezing temperatures in the winter and close to a hundred degrees in August all those years. I just started using one of those bricks again and don't see any apparent problem with them so far.

Dana

 

[Macropod]

Thanks for the replies. Storage is in a well insulated part of the house in a locked cabinet. Ambient humidity can be very high hence my concerns. I'd say temperature would be mostly between 20-30℃.

I just didn't know how hygroscopic priming compound is and if over time, changed brisance.

Maybe storage similar to welding electrodes would be the ideal?

 

[jonbearman]

I have primers from the 1970's and they work just fine not to mention some 1943 ammo I have that fires fine today. I don't think you have a problem, and the best storage would be air conditioning in the summer and a humidity controlled rom but that is not what anyone does 365 days a year. Just shoot some to try them and don't put them in an oven, it just doesn't sound like a good idea.

 

[boltfluter]

+1 on not putting them in the oven.

Regards, Paul

www.boltfluting.com

 

[Macropod]

Definitely wouldn't put primers in a domestic oven... results could be noisy at the very least... My wife would become upset/annoyed if that happened. That would be worse than 100 primers cooking off I can tell you :'(

A high end laboratory drying oven should be ok provided sensible drying temperature is used. More about desication than actually cooking them.

From other's experiences they are probably fine.

 

[CatShooter]

Primers are far more resilient than people think - cold and heat do not affect them at all, unless you reach self ignition temperature, which is between 575° and 590° F.

The ignition compounds are mixed with water proof binders, so they are sealed so they do not absorb moisture, and they are almost impossible to kill with water, oil, or the favorite myth, WD-40.

They just keep on going bang!

An interesting read:

http://www.predatormastersforums.com/killprimers.shtml

 

[Bayou]

Why not load a handful and give them a try. Maybe use a chrony, too. I've recently loaded and shot 35 year old primers that performed like new. I've got another case of them, as well.

Bayou

 

[Joe Salt]

+1 with Catshooter, I have Fed 215's that are 40+ and they still work great! Wish i had nore.

Joe Salt

 

[gilcarleton]

For what it is worth, when I buy a new brick of primers, I keep out what I think I will use in a reasonable amount of time. I have a food saver and vacuum pack the rest in a vacuum bag. No more problems with humidity. It is pretty humid here in Foley, AL.

 

[fredhorace77]

im with Cat on this one, i have actually had a hard time trying to kill them, seems the only true way to kill them is to shoot em. ;D