Old Ammo, Collectable or Shootable?

Me | 23 March 2015 | Me

[aomagrat]

I have aquired some old ammo. Is it collectable of should I shoot it?

Remington 38 Special 200gr RNL
USGI 38 Special M41 Ball, head stamp FC 58
Sears Ted Williams 30-30 170gr SP, head stamp Sears
Western 22LR Lubaloy Coated

[aomagrat]

Save it or shoot it?

[fwdude]

Burn it.

[Tijeras_Slim]

https://www.wardscollectibles.com/

[CivilWarBrewing]

Full boxes.. ORIGINAL boxes? I would find a buyer for it.

[ConservativeInPA]

Save it. While your ammo is probably completely safe to shoot (inspect cases first), it probably will have more value someday in the future. Or it would make a good conversation piece.

[Hugin]

It should still shoot. I have some 1947 military 303 enfield that shoots fine. That said, it may be worth something to collectors, so check it out first.

[dainbramaged]

There are ammunition collectors out there - I ended up with several boxes from a garage sale that were WWII manufacture from several different armories, some very obscure it turned out. I sold the group for about 100 times more than I paid.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Cordite loads.

[MosesKnows]

Save it or shoot it?

You can do both but I recommend you check the value of the ammo before shooting.

I have several boxes of vintage ammo. I have kept a box of 30-30 Winchester Silver Tip because of the store and the price. The price was $4.95 and I bought it from a Toys R Us store.

[MileHi]

Sears Ted Williams 30-30 170gr SP, head stamp Sears

That sounds like something rare.

[Organic Panic]

Send it down line. As long as it is not corroded it will be fine. That’s my experience at least. Before a tragic boating accident I sent lots of old ammo down range.

[mountainlion]

Here is some advice form CMP (Civilian Marksmanship Program)

http://thecmp.org/cmp_sales/ammo-parts-accessories/warning-surplus-ammunition/

[FunkyZero]

Depends on your psychological diagnosis. Mine is "I hoard everything guns and ammo".

I even have various full boxes of unused Wanda shotshells. Not counting unopened 550rd spams cans of steel core .308 and 30-06 from dad's new old stock piles. I think some of the stuff is actually worth some money now, but probably not enough to make it worth hanging on to all these years...

[Tupelo]

Shoot it.
It will either go BANG or pfst.
Seriously, inspect the cases carefully. If there are no defects, It should shoot fine. From ABCs of Reloading, Ninth Edition, page 62. "A sample of Laflin & Rand (later Hercules, now Alliant) Unique powder was placed in storage under water in 1899 to test its viability. It was last tested in this century and performed as well as when it was made." My guess is this ammunition is from the 50s or 60s using the Ted Williams identifier. Sears sold hunting & fishing gear endorsed by Williams during that period. I think that if the truth be known some of the lower end ammunition, especially the Russian brands are military surplus and probably others are as much as 80+ years old. Of course it has been repackaged/ All you need to do is fire a Tula 7.62x54R and then look at your cleaning swabs to see how corrisive that stuff was and they are still selling it. So, Hell yes if there is no damage to the cartridge itself, I would shoot it.

[aomagrat]

Thanks for the link. It looks like some of the old stuff is cheaper than the new stuff in Walmart.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

I just found a few boxes of ammo I bought 40 years ago! Still shoots.

Dominion 30-30
9MM Remington
.44 Mag.

I even found a box of 44-40 Winchester for a rifle I sold 35 years ago!

I reloaded lots of .38 cal into IVI military cases I picked up back in 1968! I noticed the primer hole was off centered. Brok several depriming pins.

[BillyBonebrake]

I found some 22 shorts my dad had from the late 1940s and out of 60 or so rounds not a single dud. I did leave some alone for posterity.

[cherokee1]

As long as the commercial ammo had been stored high and dry and not in an overly hot place is will be just fine to shoot. The GI 38 is a bit iffy since you have no way of knowing about storage and I have had misfires with similar stuff. None of it is “collectable” except that you might find someone who collects military markings for the 38. I have samples of all these and they work just fine as needed for test firing etc. Check boxes for signs of moisture and the primers and bullet cannelures for signs of fuzzieness.

[US Navy Vet]

Shoot it! BUT BE CAREFUL, if any rounds just don’t “look” right, DO NOT SHOOT THAT ROUND!

[Ancient Man]

Have your Mother-In-Law try it first.