Old Ammo???


Digging through the attic over my garage I found an old tin of .22LR ammo (about 300 rounds) and an ammo box full of 9mm ammo. The .22LR could be from around 1976, the 9mm from around 1999. The 9mm looks to be in good condition, the .22LR the lead bullets appear oxidized and are rough to the touch, leading me to suspect they could cause feed problems. With the current scarcity of .22LR ammo, would this be salvageable? Just wondering if I took and touched the tips to a low speed buffer to remove the oxidation if they would still be usable? Also, would the 9mm still be safe to use? Obviously, the 9mm has more energy than the .22LR, so my concern would be reliability. Any thoughts? Advice? If usable, I plane on using these for range ammo. Thanks...
 

The 9mm should be fine. If the're FMJ & the plating looks good
they should be ok.
I would clean up the 22's & use them in a revolver. I found a
brick of old Winchester 22's in my closet that were from the late 60's.
Every one of them went bang.
 
If the 22s don't have any wax/lubricant on the bullets, they probably shouldn't be fired. I think that is why the previous poster said they MIGHT be OK to fire from a pistol.
 
Digging through the attic over my garage I found an old tin of .22LR ammo (about 300 rounds) and an ammo box full of 9mm ammo. The .22LR could be from around 1976, the 9mm from around 1999. The 9mm looks to be in good condition, the .22LR the lead bullets appear oxidized and are rough to the touch, leading me to suspect they could cause feed problems. With the current scarcity of .22LR ammo, would this be salvageable? Just wondering if I took and touched the tips to a low speed buffer to remove the oxidation if they would still be usable? Also, would the 9mm still be safe to use? Obviously, the 9mm has more energy than the .22LR, so my concern would be reliability. Any thoughts? Advice? If usable, I plane on using these for range ammo. Thanks...

I'd give 'em a shot (pun intended), just clean up the .22lr a bit. As long as the ammo stayed dry it should go bang.
 
Isn't what has formed on the .22 rounds lead oxide? Isn't that hazardous? I would not try to salvage the .22, not worth the health risk. Of course some of us are from the lead based paint generation.............. maybe that's why some of us drive 25mph on the freeway.

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Old ammo

I'd give 'em a shot (pun intended), just clean up the .22lr a bit. As long as the ammo stayed dry it should go bang.

I inherited a 1913 Colt Pocket Pistol .25. It sat in my grandmothers and aunts dresser drawer for 70 years and still had 3 cartridges from when my grandfather got it in the 1930s. I took it out and they fired perfectly as well as a full mag of new ammo. If it has been in a dry cool place I'd use it.
 
If you are not comfortable shooting this ammo send it to me.....just kidding....really tho, most local LEO departments will have an EOD guy who can take the ammo and properly dispose of it.

Just make sure you do to toos the unsafe rounds into the trash!
 
The 9mm should be fine. If the're FMJ & the plating looks good
they should be ok.
I would clean up the 22's & use them in a revolver. I found a
brick of old Winchester 22's in my closet that were from the late 60's.
Every one of them went bang.

Well, looks like I have an excuse to go purchase a .22 revolver because I don't have one to fire off this ammo. If I clean off the oxidation, I'll do it with gloves and a resperator! Thanks for all the input.
 
Several months ago, I retrieved a 50 round box of NATO 9mm FMJ (made in England) ammo from storage. that I bought 48 years earlier, in 1965. The rounds were clean and free of corrosion. They all fired perfectly, with no misfires.
 
Heat is what makes powder deteriorate. If it was stored in an attic where it could get over 90 degrees for long periods of time. or exposed to wide variations in temperature, freezing in winter and hot in summer. The powder may have deteriorated. I think the suggestion to fire the .22,s in a pistol was aimed at the fact it is a lot easier to get a stuck bullet out of a short barrel than a long one. As George Harrison said in his song. Store It In a Cool, Dry Place.
 
I'm not sosure George was referring to ammo, but thank you for the advice. I have since moved it all to a controlled environment. I'm headed to the range this weekend and will see what happens. I don't have a revolver, bit I do have a small Taurus PT-22 with the pop open barrel, so if something does go pfft, I can clear it pretty easily.
 
I found some old 22lr from probably the early 70's. Had paper price tags from K-Mart with key# and the price was 72¢. Everyone of the them went bang.
 
You might want to try some metal cleaner like Tarnex. It is found in most department and grocery stores where the cleaning products are. Put a bit in a cup or soup bowl and put a few pieces of ammo in a spoon that has drain holes in it, like a vegatable spoon. It should take the crude off and make them look like new. Some light steel wool or soap pad may take the tough stuff off.
 
Obviously, I am late to this thread.
I know some about guns and ammo, as can be seen at the following link:
Link Removed
(and another link that I'll post some other day) but I am always wanting to learn more

I am wondering, Tazman's how the trip to the range to fire the 22LR went.

On that subject, I would clean it as little as possible, since most lead rounds have a lube coating on them, and that's the first thing you will buff off.
And I would do it by hand. I am concerned about the vibrations from any power cleaning tool, even a low speed buffer. (Maybe I am over cautious)
You don't need gloves (mask might be in order, but I just stay "upwind") just wash your hands after. Soap and water is all it takes.
 
Last edited:
Ugg, I just looked at what I wrote above, and realized what I didn't write,
between "late to this thread" and "I know some about"
...I meant to write I am new here, but...

I thought it, but it didn't get down to my fingertips....
 
I have a bunch of 30 cal "ball" ammo (30-6) from WWII. I destroyed the ones with cracked and corroded brass. The rest is still good, I guess. They have corrosive primers, but the rifles I have were made in the same era. I haven't gotten around to trying any yet.
 

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