I have rifle ammo purchased in 1968, is it safe to use it now?

Question

I have rifle ammo purchased in 1968, is it safe to use it now?

Answer 1

As long as it isnt corroded just go ahead and use it..... I should point out when you pull the trigger, the firing pin strikes the primer and it should go bang! -- If it doesnt fire just wait a moment before you open the bolt or cycle it out of your gun.... This way you know its a dud.... No sense having the 1 in a million chance of it going off when your cycling it out -- Just wait about 30 seconds .......

Answer 2

It should be okay as long as it isn't corroded.

Answer 3

I have rifle ammo made in 1942.  As long as it has been stored properly, never too hot, never wet and hasn't turned green to the point it won't chamber you should be fine.

Answer 4

YES.*

Answer 5

It may not be corroded on the outside, but gun powder's composition can change over the years. It probably won't hurt the gun, but it will be a dirty burn and make cleaning suck. Hopefully it won't turn out like the USS Iowa, where improperly stored powder changed composition and exploded in the turret when the ram tried to pack it.

Answer 6

the gun will be fine, just be sure its in good shape and that you use the proper ammunition. i have a slide action rifle from 1941 that i use all the time.

Answer 7

If it's .308 or 5.6mm no you need to send it to me for proper disposal :)

J/K if it's in good condition just shoot it.

Answer 8

I just shot some Russian surplus ammo made in 1963 the other day. It went boom and the bullet left the barrel like it should.

Answer 9

Alot of millitarys sell their surplus ammo every ten to fifteen yrs. Its still good for another ten or fiften after that.

Answer 10

As long as there isn't any corrosion or damage to the casings, it should be safe to shoot. I recently shot some .30-30 ammo that I inherited that was in a dresser drawer for at least 30 years, and it shot fine. Plus, a lot of folks regularly shoot old military surplus ammo that dates back to the Second World War.