Shelf life of .22 rimfire ammunition

[mrg]

I have .22 lr and magnum ammunition that is over ten years old and has been stored in ammo cans. How long can rimfire ammunition be stored and still be considered reliable for self defense use?

[MR_22]

If it's stored in a dry place, it should last decades, if not more. Examine the rounds for signs of corrosion. Check the brass for green stains, a signs of oxidation. If it looks clean and new, it should be fine to shoot. If you have concern about it, don't shoot it. Ammo is cheap again. I bought a case of 5000 rounds of .22LR last week for $145, which is $1.45 per box of 50. That 10 bricks of .22's for $15 per brick.

[top dog]

Ammo,properly stored w/o temperature extremes is probably indefinite.

I have fired off many 22 lr rounds that had been stored in ammo cans for close to 25+ years,no problems.

22 LR rounds can absorb moisture because they are not  "sealed" like jacketed bullet ammo.  So it is best that they are in properly sealed ammo cans.

Bullseye powder that has been stored for 40+ years has performed just like if it had been just made.

                                                                                                                    Top Dog

[bearcatter]

I've got ammo that is maybe as much as ten years old, and it still looks and shoots fine. Maybe better than some of the newer produced stuff. It's been stored in factory boxes, in a cabinet in the house. I've got some Welfare Wally Federal Value Packs that were $9.97.

If it didn't last several more years, I'd be out of a lot of green. Comfortable temperature and humidity are what you need.

[autofull]

yep, 30-plus years for me. i own a full auto american 177. i use the 275 rd drums from E&L. i have cases of federal that just always fires. when they do not fire i pull a slug and find no powder. makes me wonder if they should be responsible for squibs and bulged barrels. it can happen to any 22 weapon.

[76r]

I had a box of Winchester LR on an open shelf for 30 years. No ammo box, just the cardboard box. All rounds fired!

[OLD and GRUMPY]

A few years back I fired off a brick of mixed brands from the 50s and early 60s. This was at the  worst of the ammo shortage.  Not one FTF! Not so for the new stuff I could find.  55  plus years. Still have some.  Some place back when I was Younger and more Grumpy I RANTED (posted) about this.

Also Old green sticky ones from junk boxes and tuna cans. The ones I dug out of the dirt at the range worked just fine in a old single shot.

In short---  The problem is not time or storage. It is how good the round is when it comes out of the factory.

[SteveZ-FL]

I only hope I last as long as the ammo I have, some of which goes back decades.  Ironically, the only FTFs I ever seem to have is with new off-brand stuff.

[RICKS PLACE]

All the above is sound info and advice.  I would add, the ammo you carry for everyday defense, depending on how carried should be replaced once in a while, a price we pay for carrying a rimfire.  I can offer no guide lines for how often.  It would depend on type of carry, humid or dry, and so on.  I try to rotate my carry rounds, about 25, every 6 months.  Thats one box a year.  Keep the rotated ammo in a separate container marked for range use only.   A  FTF on the range should not prove fatal. 

[OV-1D]

I only hope I last as long as the ammo I have, some of which goes back decades.  Ironically, the only FTFs I ever seem to have is with new off-brand stuff.

  Same here decades for sure . I keep my ammo in two airtight places one the safe and the other military ammo cans with new seals of course . Western Auto brand goes back some along with Sears and Peters , if I keep it much longer I could consider it all collectable .

[grayelky]

OV-
Sears? WesternAuto? Could be? Heck they likely already are, if the box is pristine. I'll bet if you posted the Peters ammo on GB, there would be more than one interested.

[OV-1D]

  All I can add is I hope it lasts forever because myself will never have enough time to shot it all , ha ,ha . Definitely for other generations to come ,ha .  I have boxes of black powder ammo for my 1800 series pocket pistons and those are vacuumed packed ,metal ammo boxed with it all in the airtight safe with added desiccant packages just for good measure . Overkill , but its here to stay , probably forever  .  

[Texron]

I found some 22s we had when I was a kid. I shot a box of them without a single failure. As a reference point, I am 70 years old.

[Dinadan]

I have .22 lr and magnum ammunition that is over ten years old and has been stored in ammo cans. How long can rimfire ammunition be stored and still be considered reliable for self defense use?

There is a subtext to the question. Like others here, I have shot .22 LR and Magnums that were at least a couple of decades old and not stored in any special environment. They shot fine.


But!


In the last decade some new ammo has been developed, both LR and Magnum. For self defense, personally, I would opt for newer rounds over anything that was even being made ten years ago. I like Velocitors for LR or Gold Dots for Magnum. Now, if all I had was some old stuff, sure I would carry it and not expect any problems with it firing. But why would I want to do that when a better round is available?


My opinion is to use the old stuff at the range, or keep saving it for a rainy day, but carry the best rounds that you can buy today.