For instance, do the headstamps say Winchester in the Winchester box? A lead round nose in .38. Oil the bore first and a wood dowel and tap it out? If you searching to evaluate Can Old Shotgun Shells Explode price. Military surplus ammo cans make great ammo storage containers for your ammo boxes. I’m a bit more careful when hunting with the Damascus gun, and because I hunt at high elevation in rugged terrain, I’m cautious not to ding the barrels. The ammo gods showered me with old ammo recently. Most orders ship within 24 hours (excludes firearms). If there’s more rust on it than it’s components, no. 9 Catastrophic Gun Malfunctions You Can Learn From Daniel Xu 01.22.15 Before most shooters even touch a gun or enter a shooting range, they are taught the fundamental rules of gun use. Conversely a friend bought 1000 rds of 7.62 NATO. The shooter won’t be able to load a fresh round. Browse shotgun ammunition for sale online from Guns.com. Article on trade schools. I’d say about 80% that I’ve picked up that way are still good to go, even after sitting outdoors for who knows how long. There’s not enough space in the frame window to work a rod. Think I’ll save the rest for end times. Don’t feed 16-gauge shells into your 12-gauge shotgun. However, some old foreign ammo may prove corrosive to some degree. I’ve got enough clean reloads to plink till my hearts content. If so, that points to factory ammo.  Watch for any shells that look like they’ve already been fired and then reloaded (and re-crimped) like the shell on the left above. This isn’t rocket science. Here find a few of them: 1. What are you shooting it in? First was some .22LR lead bullet cartridges that looked exactly like those in the photos above. I also had a problem in the early 80’s trying to shoot old paper cartridge shotgun shells, They were stored indoors and the paper was not swollen. Gently tap it out. Additionally, AdventureFootstep.com participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes get a commission through purchases made through our links. For the fastest delivery, select Express Shipping at checkout. Those folks will usually discard the powder (it makes great garden fertilizer) and sometimes the primers, and then reload the cases with fresh, known powder and the original bullet. (It’s not an established range, just a place in Southern Utah where the dirtheads go to play.) CAUTION !!!! Turkish 8mm surplus is notorious for this exact reason. If you are definite regarding this aspect, you must simply purchase ammo from authentic retail shops. That stuff is gone for good, right? Putting a BulletSafe Level IIIA Bulletproof Vest to the Test (and then some), Knife-Wielding Florida Man, On His Way to Anger Management, Shot and Killed In Home Invasion [VIDEO], Customer Draws a Gun When Armed BLM Members Storm a Louisville Restaurant [VIDEO]. Obstructions can take the form of lodged wads, plugs of snow or mud, etc., and are notorious for causing barrel bursts if they are not cleared before a following fresh round is fired. I still have a tin of unopened 7.62X54R Bulgarian yellow tip from 1954. Cool boxes too. If it’s been living in water for a decade or more, no. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. A lead projectile. If you find one with no or a double powder charge, it will be obvious. Talk about a flame thrower! Reality, Eliminate Your Fears And Doubts About Best Remington 700 Trigger Upgrades, Reasons Why People Love Best Gun Stock Finish, Useful Advice on Finding The Best Gun Safes Under 2000 (Must Read), The Best Mossberg 500 .410 Accessories At Your Disposal. Unless obviously water damaged, I’d say yes. Nevertheless, your shotgun has a risk of exploding if there is a clear bore obstruction on the barrel. The only time I’ve had problems with surplus ammo was a case of late ww2 german slave labor produced 8mm ball. Where ammo is stored in heat, the issue of single vs. double base powder has some bearing on how well it will survive elevated temps. You have to come from the front. In general, old factory-loaded ammo typically will retain its functionality for a long, long time. I still have some left from another tin I opened years ago. Inside a shotgun chamber, the breech. It is corrosive ammo, so I clean with Sweets 7.62 solvent every time I use it. But out of ten packets of 20 rounds each there were probably at least 10-15 rounds that the projectile had separated from the case. I Love .32 ACP Pistols, But Is That Enough Any More? The basic signs of corrosion can be found at the bottom of the shell. Today I fired about 100 cartridges of mostly British and Canadian 303 dated from 1903 to 1944. In my experience a jacketed slug ain’t coming out of a 38 or 357 barrel by tapping. When buying ammunition, American or otherwise, you should store it in air-tight containers. Sam’s club Thunderbolt and at least 2/10 rounds was a “squibish”. Slow and easy is my mantra when doing this sort of thing. As we have already mentioned, a shotgun’s explosion is in the kingdom of possibilities. The real question is, is ammo safe to shoot after it’s been at the bottom of lake due to the frighteningly commonplace “boating accident” we POTG seem to encounter? If an expended shotgun shell lingers in the line of fire between the bolt and the chamber, it can mess up the cycle of the gun. I had a p89 Ruger so I took them. No complete duds but a lot of hang fires. In a Shotgun: An overloaded shell is the most common cause. Let us find out the answer to this question in this blog. Old ammo can be very safe and perform as well as the day it was manufactured. Black powder does not explode easily, and it needs a combination of friction and extremely high temperature – 572°F to cause it to detonate. It must be the difference in primers between the shotgun and handgun ammo or the fact that the paper hulls attract moisture. New! 35 Years ago I bought 5000 rounds of WWII vintage Kynoch 9mm ammo in 32 round boxes, I have one box left and will keep it unfired…this stuff was bought to compliment my STEN MkII…it worked well…I do not remember the dates on the brass but this stuff was old 35 years ago…proper storage is very important. I have used dowels and also aluminum rods with a cupped point (no idea what they were originally used for). Your description of removing a squib using a grease gun made me curious, and I went looking on the Internet. Stock-up on shotgun ammo this season at Cabela's. I got some 9mm ball from a gun show once. I never have put them in ammo cases . A 16 gauge in a 10 gauge can cause the same problem. Is that what you were describing? My cutoff for ammo depends on a couple factors. No complaints. Or sell them to someone you don’t like. Any rounds that show signs of tampering like the 12-gauge shell above, right should find their way into the trash. If the weights are all over the place, the reloader had no quality control and you should not shoot them, just disassemble for parts. 1. And then I discarded the rest. Why don’t I like reloads?  In short, squibs. One may encounter a few duds with really old or poorly-stored ammo, but by and large, it will go bang every time. When I fired round #6, it was followed immediately by round #7, as in BUH-BANG! In the kingdom of weapons, explosions are a part of the term named Catastrophic Failure. Furthermore, if the cartridges lack scratches, or other signs they have been loaded, fired or all of the above, that also suggests factory ammo. I’ve picked up .22lr rounds that looked like they’d been sitting on the ground at the range through at least an entire winter and summer — the brass and lead both weathered black — cleaned the dirt off, and fired them just fine. It’s military .38 spl ball that I got from my dad. These days, numerous people utilize shotguns for self- hunting, protecting, etc. You must always remember the spaces around it. Do the shells all appear to be factory crimped? Had a box of 6.5 Carcano, dated 1954, got in a trade, so questionable care, all but one out of twenty went bang( carcanno’s suck, don’t know how what’s his name killed Kennedy with one) , it just came to me, Lee Harvey Oswald, for some reason I had Wiley Coyote stuck in my head? S&B tends to be good stuff. For instance I have a 100+ year old double barrel shotgun that can fire any modern 12 gauge shells as long as they are loaded with a 3 Dram equivalent amount of smokeless powder. While most experienced shooters will merrily dispose of (that’s spelled s-h-o-o-t) your “old” factory-loaded ammo, I avoid other people’s reloads. A bit swelled-looking. Ethiopian? Never seen an issue with the several revolvers after the fact. In both cases, there has been some external damage to the casing of the shell. You must check the shotgun thoroughly for evaluating the issue. Military bolt actions are probably fine even if the ammo is squirelly as long as you watch for hangfires, semi-auto rifles/handguns should proceed with caution, no aluminum frames on pistols until you have shot some of that specific lot number, and UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES LOAD IT INTO A MACHINE GUN. The revolvers leave you little choice. Guy that sold them said he ‘thought’ they were Egyptian sub machine gun ammo. I advised against it. I’ve seen those no powder loads lock a couple of revolvers up when the bullet lodged in the forcing cone/chamber. Yeah. Ended Up with a rectangular tin box, sealed with a lead strip, of 7.62x54R. Basically, powders are double charged and highly volatile for shotguns. When you are utilizing a handgun, there is an area on the trigger’s top in where you can put your fingers. Lead bullets come out much easier as there is less friction. At Ammunition Depot we carry all popular calibers and have a wide selection or buckshot, birdshot, and slugs. For a smoothbore, the projectile was a round "cannonball". In the last instance, the man failed to charge every third or fourth round with powder. But man, oh, man, does it ring steel! And don’t forget to put your query, comment or suggestion in the mentioned section below. If the .gov thinks its good enuf to drop radioactive waste in the oceans that way it ought to be good for the dozen or so bullets I got. They may be capable of causing cracks yet never at least an explosion. However, this year we experienced three squib loads with lead .22 bullets stuck near the end of rifle barrels. Iranian? The mechanical error is a reason of this danger. Modern ammo lasts pretty much indefinitely if its stored well and as you said, isn’t in contact with cleaning agents or solvents. Its primer would have to strike a hard and sharp object similar to the end of a firing pin with some force in order to detonate the primer and powder inside the shot shell. Looks factory-fresh. Barrel obstructions almost always destroy shotgun barrels, sometimes causing injuries, too. In spite of this level of firepower, shotguns are not implied for the explosion. Yeah, it looks a little rough. Gun in question was a Hi-Point 9mm but I honestly think it had more to do with him shooting any old ammo he had laying around. Gunpowder. Navy SEAL Who Says He Shot Osama bin Laden Banned by Delta Airlines for Not Wearing a Mask. then click . Not quite sure what you were referring to on that last, but it warmed my heart to hear that some people are prepping for their future. We stock the best shotgun ammo at the best prices you'll find. The rounds that came with it look about 40-50 years old, and I’m sure some people have experienced the hell of trying to find new rounds for sale. 2. Always focus on your target at the time of using a shotgun. Can Old Shotgun Shells Explode BY Can Old Shotgun Shells Explode in Articles If you searching to evaluate Can Old Shotgun Shells Explode … That sh!t is nasty. Distinguish between the two basic styles of shotgun shell. This year that’s going to cost more and might take a bit of searching. Never ever fire your gun if it acts awkward. Always assume that you have a loaded gun. Shot 2 more then click 2 second delay BOOM !! During the great ammo drought of 2013, our Schwan’s delivery guy took pity on us and delivered about 10 pounds of .22lr range leftovers (no idea how many rounds; they were in a one-gallon freezer bag) just because he liked talking guns with us. Damn fine weapon. Unless ammunition has gotten wet, especially with a solvent, it lasts for decades. I also occasionally have a paper shell that is a had swollen and difficult to chamber. How old? However, these cases must be rare as shotguns are low-pressure firearms. A barrel obstruction in a high-powered rifle can cause a sudden and catastrophic disassembly of the receiver and chamber and damage to all things nearby – including the shooter’s hands, arms and face. The mentioned obstruction enables pressure build-ups, particularly amid repetitive usages. Shooting someone else’s reloads carries an increased risk of problems. Jwm. Pointing your gun in a secure direction would take away your fear in case there any accidental discharge occurs. As a longtime firearms instructor and head of a gun rights group, people ask me all sorts of questions. Or at the very least, organize them. chamber and barrel contain the hot gasses generated to propel the shot - or slug - down the barrel and out the … Or do you have Remington rounds in a CCI or Fiocchi box? Worked fine! This means that its integrity has been rendered compromised. I currently have some match-grade Eley .22lr from the late 80s that was a bit ‘frosty’ appearing, but I just cleaned them with 0000 steel wool and put them back in the stockpile…. I tossed all the old lead bullet .22LR from my inventory a while back. Back when the invasion of Japan was being planned, before the A bomb was fully ready to go, the casualties predicted were astronomical. “Metal containers are typically not ideal,” Jones said. Birdshot, buckshot, and slugs, 12-gauge to 410 bore and everything in between. I cheerfully accepted the windfall, as I know old shotgun ammunition also does well, regardless of age.  Unless shotgun shells are kept at the bottom of Lake Michigan after an unfortunate boating accident, shotgun ammo tends to forgive owners who store them in less-than-ideal conditions. Many people asked us what would happen if a live shotgun shell was shot from a flare pistol. Loose bullets and powder in the packets when they were opened. Still have the tin, the ammo though shot fine outta my Mosie, Still have a few boxes left. There is no reason for your shotgun to explode if you are utilizing the right ammo for your shotgun. The caliber of ammunition indicates the internal diameter of each bullet's barrel and offers an easy way to determine whether a certain type of bullet will fit in your gun. I know about the flame. I know the .25 acp was factory fresh. Always study the component regarding using the firearm properly. I have some 1940s 38 ammo that shoots fine. Copyright © 2016 - 2021 by Adventure Footstep LLC. I wouldn’t write them off because of that. That won’t stop a no-powder round, but at least it stops a double charge that is so much worse. Well, how much do you have? If you have old shotgun shells that don’t fire reliably, consider giving them to a reloader to recycle the components. I have shot really old 22 and had good results but a coup,e of years ago, I was firing some old Sam’s club Thunderbolt and at least 2/10 rounds was a “squibish”. How would anyone know? Unfortunately, squibs can wreck your barrel and potentially your firearm as well. I heard the “poof” instead of the bang, took the pistol down and tried to get a probe through the barrel — no go. Yes, even if it doesn’t look pretty on the outside. I threw out the other 49 cartridges. I suspect that these were lead azide and all the others were chlorate. That is better than some modern Remington rimfire ammo. In usage of every gun, ensure that the muzzle is pointing in a secure area. I dont know firsthand as I never done that. Or sell them to someone you don’t like. Wooden dowel or aluminum rod and beat the shit out of it. Had lots of various problems with the lead variety over the years, but haven’t had a single problem (FTF, misfeed, squib, et al) with copper jacket. How do you identify reloads? So I used it whenever me or my team were finalists in important matches dropping steel plates. There have only been two groups of old ammo (both from that inheritance) I ever had to dispose of. The US had so many Purple Hearts produced for the operation that because it never occurred, they’re still issuing them today. Shop shotgun ammo at Cabela's for shotgun shells, buckshot's, shotgun slugs, shot shells, and loads. Prior to smokeless powder, black powder was measured in volume not weight like smokeless is now. In my experience everything the author said is spot on. So, now you know what might cause a shotgun to explode. It shoots fine but you have to inspect the casings for cracks or loose bullets. I shoot RST 2 1/2-inch low compression shells, and I’ve killed one heck-of-a-lot of birds. Squibs happen when the person or machine fabricating the cartridge failed to include a powder charge in the round. If it’s been outside over 100 degrees for years, again, no. Only had 3 boxes and he was practically giving them away. No offense. I’ve got a half dozen boxes of Uzi black tip that’s supposed to be for sub-guns only. Specifically, they all came from old folks who should have stopped reloading long before they finally did. Ask me how I know. I’m going to assume it’s corrosive if I ever shoot it…. I’m probably about 15-20 behind you (guessing at your age bracket by what you’ve written), but have done mostly the same and am positioned rather well while most of my friends and relatives are struggling. Even then, the shell would “explode” but only mildly. Careful not to mess the muzzle or the rifling up. I was concerned with damaging the barrel, I was using a metal rod, and since it was a cheaper make of pistol I wasn’t real trusting of the way the barrel was fixed to the frame. Shot shells are plastic cartridges filled with tiny metal pellets and should always be fired from non-rifled shotgun barrels. Among these questions, folks will ask about the safety of shooting old ammunition. Therefore, you must require taking additional precaution.​, 4. If a 12 gauge is fired in it, the barrel will blow off, usually causing serious injury to the shooter and bystanders. This way, you can stop an accidental release. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I’ve had .22lr from years past that the copper plate was so thin it was easily scraped-off with a fingernail. Not much of an exaggeration on the fireball with Egyptian ammo. I suspect the primer in #7 may have been protruding just a bit. I’ve found two out of 600. I like the armscorr copper washed 36 Rn HP for cheap practice ammo and it will be about the same price or cheaper as Remington when ammo inventories catch up with demand. Takes a while. If you suspect you’ve inherited reloads, my advice remains to pass them on to a reloader for the components. With more than 2.5 billion rounds of .22 lr manufactured each year some duds are expected (I can’t find current production numbers) but squibs were disturbing and not seen before. The gauge of the ammunition must match the gauge of the shotgun which can be found on the shotgun barrel. I’ve got Vietnam-era 7.62×39 that came out of spam cans in the late 80s. The federal SMK is better but not for the price. For others, like me, you may find a light patina of rust on your barrel two weeks later. Shop for Can Old Shotgun Shells Explode Ads Immediately . I always seal my ammo in concrete lined steel drums before I go boating. Two prime reasons are there for this tragic occurrence. In case you are loading the gun shells, ensure that they are completely on the safe level. All Rights Reserved. These are important suggestions for your security and safety. After researching the headstamp and satisfying myself it was non-corrosive I bought 900 +/- of M-2 in en bloc clips. Old foreign ammo will also shoot in modern firearms of the appropriate caliber. Loaded them myself, so yeah I know the reloader,I also know a hand full of folks who I trust there loading skills and would without a second thought shoot anything they loaded. Shot some old .44 reloads the other day, one was a hangfire and the other was a pffffttt, two out of a fifty aint bad. All of the ones-and-twosies he’d been sweeping into an ammo can after range trips for years and years, including just about every imaginable load from all sorts of manufacturers. Thereby, before using any firearm, you must know the important safety precautions. Told him some could be corrosive and to clean his rifle immediately after shooting. OTH I would use a precise digital reloading scale to weigh and sort the rounds individually. 3. Good call on the corrosive angle. What calibers? You only do not point a shotgun to callously simply because it does not have ammo. Find shotgun ammunition for your 12-gauge, 20-gauge, .410 and other shotguns. 😉. Thereby, it’s essential to prevent utilizing your firearm once in case you observe something unexpected or unusual. Not enough oats to push it out of a rifle barrel (CBees work fine). Mixed headstamps. Nice, thick plate that will not easily scrape off. Do they all share the same headstamps and color (nickel vs. brass)? It’s not simple for taking control of guns, even if they are tiny. Even if you find some old .357 Magnum hollow-points. Now I’m able to jump forward into my “modern” stash I began about a decade ago and has been properly stored, so it should be just fine for a long time to come. Even after drying them out thoroughly, they didn’t easily chamber. I recently inherited a 1905 Winchester 94 in .32-40. It was mine. We carry Shotgun ammo from top brand ammo manufacturers such as Federal, Remington, Winchester, Hornady, PMC and others. Dowels can splinter and make the job much more difficult when you have to take it to a gunsmith. Took it slow and easy. A great majority won’t fire. Especially waterfowling in bad weather. Your perfect target will be the open place without any human and animal.​, 3. Familiarize your gun to prevent an accident. For instance, loading of a 12gauge shotgun with a 20gauge shell is another way of meaning disaster. By ‘heat’, do you mean like inside a parked car in summertime Florida heat? I shot 10 rounds of 7.62×51 ammo in my Century C308 last month, that I bought in two five round clips. Can it be done safely at home? Slugs are essentially a single, fairly large metal bullet loaded in a plastic cartridge. It was a total of 300 rounds complete with original stripper clips. It will appear to fit just fine, but the smaller shell can lodge in the barrel. We also carry some more exotic mixtures for the most discerning shotgunners. As do Stangers and YellerJackets. Even, they must be immune to this hazard. When I got back into shooting in 2015, I first used up the ammunition I had reloaded in the mid 1980s. Turkish? Bought it in the late 70’s from a private citizen who had it since just after the war. We have a few misfires with .22 lr as expected. When I was a kid we routinely hunted with those paper shotshells. I did the boiling water, wore out chamber and bore brushes, clp, frog lube, brake cleaner, WD-40, etc, before I was satisfied. FEATURED ITEMS. Required fields are marked *, Best Ruger SR1911 Accessories – The Best That Money Can Buy, Best Mossberg 500 Stock Explained In Short, The Truth About Investing In the Best Smith & Wesson M&P 40 Accessories, Best Gunsmith Screwdriver Set: Expectations vs. On revolvers the only time I’ve seen the problem was with lead bullet target ammo. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I work at a Scout Camp teaching basic rifle and pistol every summer. Using or owning a gun is not bad, but you should definitely know how to utilize it in an amazing way for others and themselves. Haven’t had to pound one out of a revolver since my father in law stopped reloading.😉. We go through 10 to 15,000 rounds of .22 lr every summer. Patrick Jones, a firefighter with Jones’ Fort, says in the story that ammo stored in metal containers can cause an explosion in a fire. You have entered an incorrect email address! In case you fail in hitting your target, there is a better possibility that the bullets will bounce off or change direction.