I'm not real sure what you are asking but if you are wanting to know if primers have a shelf life, as long as you keep them dry, they'll last a long, long, long time ... I've used primers that I've had put back for 3 years, maybe 4 (I didn't mark them) but they all went BANG when I needed them to.
Look how long factory loaded ammo lasts. I've got friends who have ammo they bought back in the 70s and 80s. None of it has ever failed to fire when we've used it.
Look how long factory loaded ammo lasts. I've got friends who have ammo they bought back in the 70s and 80s. None of it has ever failed to fire when we've used it.
Jake, I agree. I've loaded and shot 25 year old primers that my dad gave me. Given, they were always kept in a dry box in my dads closet. Fwiw, just throwing them in the safe isn't good enough. They need to be put into a container with sufficient desiccant, sealed, and left alone until used. Maybe that means separating them into useable quantities and sealing them separately. Might be a good use for a food vacuum sealer?
I've a box of primers that are at least 10 years old and they still go bang; they've been just sitting in the closet. I probably should have sealed them, but they're still good regardless. I'm gonna agree w/ the others; if you store them properly they'll probably outlast you.
I've used primers that were 30+ years old that were stored in an ammo can. Primers tend to last well if you keep them dry.
I read a story a few years ago about a Dutch archeology crew digging a crashed American B-24 up off the bottom of a river in Holland. It was suppose to have been shot down late in the war and had lain there for 60+ years undisturbed. As you can imagine they recovered a good deal of 50 BMG ammo in the wreckage. Some of it actually had very little corrosion and when Olin corp found out about it they requested some for testing. What they discovered was the ammo performed just as good as it did the day it was made.
I have loaded primers in some of my hand loads that had been stored just in an ammo can, and were at least 20 years old, without any problems. Just like ammo, keep it dry, avoid oil contamination, and at a steady temp that is cool to room temp and it'll outlast you easily.
I have loaded primers in some of my hand loads that had been stored just in an ammo can, and were at least 20 years old, without any problems. Just like ammo, keep it dry, avoid oil contamination, and at a steady temp that is cool to room temp and it'll outlast you easily.
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