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I bought my primers and powder is mass quantity 25-28 years ago. Is it wise to continue the use of these old supplies in my hunting loads? When did Winchester change the color of the primer boxes to blue? In the era of secondary sales how do I know what I’m buying is recently manufactured? Advice appreciated. T/R
25-28 yrs is nothing–I’ve shot WW1 surplus .45 ACP & .30-06 with never a misfire.
clarence said
25-28 yrs is nothing–I’ve shot WW1 surplus .45 ACP & .30-06 with never a misfire.
I agree. My heirs will likely be loading with mine. 
November 7, 2015
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Properly stored modern ammo and components will be good long after we’re gone. Ideally they should be stored in an airtight container in a climate-controlled room but as Clarence pointed out milsurp ammo will survive less than ideal conditions. One possible exception may be the lead-free primers but I think they will last longer than was first thought. If you’re buying older components from an individual it’s difficult to determine the conditions under which they were stored. I’m thinking blue primer packaging is less than 10 years old but I’ll have to check my supply, I’m still working my way through the white boxes in some sizes.
Mike
I’ve got a bunch of primers and powder that’s 40-50 years old that I picked up for next to nothing. It came from a gun shop that closed in the early 80’s. It was stored in a heated/dehumidified basement. The bullets are oxidized but they still shoot just fine. I’ve been burning it up on prairie dog shoots, accuracy is still very good and my cost per shot is very cheap.
Erin
TXGunNut said
Properly stored modern ammo and components will be good long after we’re gone.
Thanks everyone for your input, that’s all I need to know. I will store it properly and not worry about it. T/R
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