Just to be clear this ammo will only be used on the range now.
How long can you keep ammunition?
- Thread starter Doog
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Lighter side: my department gets in a lot of old ammo. We often shoot much of it in our indoor range. I gave a buddy 50 rounds of pretty old 38 probably in the 40yr old range. No idea how it was stored. Months later he calls me down to the range with a huge grin. He's a fellow LE firearms instructor with me, so I knew it had to be something good.
He loads his retired fathers 38 snubbie, aims, and pulls the trigger. Silence for about a 2 second count. He's still aiming the snubbie on target. Then the BOOM the round goes off. Something was up with them causing delayed ignition. First time I've ever seen it like that! 2 seconds is a long time.
Most I had seen before that was my fault when I loaded 300RUM 94grain of powder with a non magnum primer. delayed, but only a milisecond. These 38's felt like forever! Lesson is, if it doesn't go bang, make sure the muzzle is down range!
He loads his retired fathers 38 snubbie, aims, and pulls the trigger. Silence for about a 2 second count. He's still aiming the snubbie on target. Then the BOOM the round goes off. Something was up with them causing delayed ignition. First time I've ever seen it like that! 2 seconds is a long time.
Most I had seen before that was my fault when I loaded 300RUM 94grain of powder with a non magnum primer. delayed, but only a milisecond. These 38's felt like forever! Lesson is, if it doesn't go bang, make sure the muzzle is down range!
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Sometimes you get hangfires like that when the ammo is stored in hot/humid conditions, or exposed to hydrocarbons. One of the reasons that mil spec ammo is either sealed in tins, or gasketed ammo cans, and is further sealed via lacquered primers, and bullets that use any number of different sealers.
Bad things can happen with hang fires (looking down the barrel to see whats up). I have had one or two over the years (come to think of it using ancient 38 ammo in my old Colt Detective Special).
Bad things can happen with hang fires (looking down the barrel to see whats up). I have had one or two over the years (come to think of it using ancient 38 ammo in my old Colt Detective Special).
Originally Posted By: punisher
Bad things can happen with hang fires (looking down the barrel to see whats up).
WHAT????????
Having looked down the barrel of several firearms in my life...it is something I never do voluntarily.
Bad things can happen with hang fires (looking down the barrel to see whats up).
WHAT????????
Having looked down the barrel of several firearms in my life...it is something I never do voluntarily.
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Originally Posted By: Doog
Originally Posted By: punisher
Bad things can happen with hang fires (looking down the barrel to see whats up).
WHAT????????
Having looked down the barrel of several firearms in my life...it is something I never do voluntarily.
Me too. It makes me cringe, even after I've double-checked that it's unloaded.
Originally Posted By: punisher
Bad things can happen with hang fires (looking down the barrel to see whats up).
WHAT????????
Having looked down the barrel of several firearms in my life...it is something I never do voluntarily.
Me too. It makes me cringe, even after I've double-checked that it's unloaded.
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