Shelf life of defensive ammo

[Paraguy]

My self defense ammo (Rem Golden Sabre 9mm +P) is about 3 years old and fortunately has not been needed.  Should I plan to use at the range and buy new at this point or is this good for another three years or more? 

[tombogan03884]

If stored properly ammunition should not have an expiration date.

[PegLeg45]

People every day are using ammo that is 50+ years old. I have some 30-06 ammo from the Korean War era (remember to wash guns thoroughly after use, as it is corrosive ammo). I have fired handgun ammo that was over 20 years old with no problems.

HOWEVER, my above statements are related to 'practice' ammo.......when betting your life on a particular SD ammo, why take chances? I replace carry ammo every 6-12 months........... Not really that economically detrimental because it only takes 2 boxes of SD ammo to load out my carry guns and spare mags.

JMHO, FWIW

[Ichiban]

Maybe around five years I'd think about replacing it, definitely get more serious about it after ten.  No real rational behind it, just 'cause. 

Do be very watchful of the stuff you actually carry.  Chambering a round several time can push the bullet back into the casing (setback) which may be problematic.  It can increase firing pressure by reducing the size of the combustion chamber and may cause feeding problems.  I always shoot my carry gun when I go to the range so I'm re-chambering the SD ammo often - but not as often as I'd like.  I make sure the same round that came out of the chamber goes back in (to prevent feeding issues) and once I can see a visible setback (when compared to the other SD rounds) I replace it and use it at the range.

[2HOW]

If kept in a steady temp with no big swings, preferably cool. It will last a long time. Just look at the WW2 ammo still being shot

[Sponsor]

[Paraguy]

I am enlightened by what Ichiban said, there is a difference between ammo in a box in a safe and ammo that you carry that might get unchambered and reloaded at times.  I do, for safety purposes, unload the gun fully and re-load with the same rounds in the same order and never thought about how that activity might impact the longevity and capability of the round.

[tombogan03884]

The only time I ever ran across noticeable "setback" was with a Winchester Mod 94 left loaded . YMMV YMWPV

[Ichiban]

The problem is typically seen with automatic pistols when the same round hits the feed ramp many times.  It seems to be a bigger issue with some reloads than factory ammo.  If you are talking about a revolver then ... [Emiliy Litella voice] Never mind. [/Emiliy Litella voice]

[Solus]

As long as the ammo has not been exposed to extremes of temperature, particularly heat, and has not been exposed to environmental issues like being under water or in oil or a corrosive atmosphere, it should last many many years.

Canisters of powder for reloading, on the other hand, DO have a much shorter shelf life, perhaps a couple or 3 years.  They become more volatile as they age and should not be used for reloading.  Use it to start your fireplace, bbq charcoal or camp fires.

Spread it on a sheet of news paper on the fire grate and put your kindling/logs/charcoal on top of it and light a corner of the paper....and stand back a foot or two...no explosion, but a nice flare up.

[PegLeg45]

I have read several articles by folks like John Taffin where he used 50+ year old powder to reload for testing. He claimed to have no problems.....BUT, I agree with Solus and probably wouldn't do it....powder ain't that expensive.

I would be more concerned with solvent/oil contamination to primers/powder. I have heard of folks using penetrating type oil, such as Kroil or PB B'Laster, and it could (if not removed from the internals of the weapon properly) contaminate ammo.....rare, I know, but possible.