People regularly shoot winchesters made in the 1800’s.
/johnny
Just as a very general comment -- the Left takes a very long-term view of things. I would say that so much of what we see around us today (sex positive culture, anti-Christian, etc) has been planned for over a period of more than 100 years. Really, it's all been in the works since at least 1789 and the French Revolution.
To think two generations ahead is no big deal for the Left. It's just what they do.
We, on the other hand, are trying to solve today's problems. That's one reason we lose a lot. We need a long-term approach to reclaim schools, media, churches and government.
I’ve had some .38spcl reloads in a plastic bag since the early 1980s. These were left laying on a shelf out in a hot, non-AC, shop too. Shot about 30 of them the other day. Every single of em fired is if reloaded yesterday. A cool, dry, storage place in a sealed ammo can will let them last a long, long time. I had some old Chinese SKS/AK rounds that were stil in their sealed tins in stripper clips from the early 60s. Opened the tins and they were like brand new....every one of em fired without a hitch.
Also, a properly cared-for firearm will last generations.
And just for the record, the oldest gun in my collection is a French M1873 revolver (made in 1879). Still works perfectly, although ammunition is a wee bit difficult to obtain (you can’t order 11mm French at Cabela’s, or almost anywhere else for that matter).
I’ve shot 30-06 produced in WW2. Military ammunition is designed to be stored for decades and still be usable.
/johnny
I am still shooting some 45 ACP that was manufactured in 1942 by Western Case Cartridge. IOW, WWII 45 ACP Ball ammo.
It is corrosive to the weapon so it needs to be cleaned well after shooting.
Out of a total purchase of 756 rounds at 12 cents/round, I’ve shot about a third of it. Not one primer failed or opened, not one misfire, not one problem.
I keep my ammo in a fireproof Sentry FileSafe and run a dehumidifer in the basement to keep it at 50%.
I have my ammo stored in one of those “food saver” vacuum bags with a descant (Silica Gel) in the bag and evacuated.
AR upper/lower in 0W20 oil, in similar evacuated “food saver” bag. Barrel greased with boat trailer bearing grease in a large heavy plastic bag.
Should last well into my great-grandchildren’s mid-life.
The wood on ancient firearms can deteriorate and shrink. I’m talking 3-4 hundred years old. A modern arm with a synthetic stock wouldn’t suffer from that, but the synthetic might age and get brittle. Who knows how long it will hang around?
I would leave the mags unloaded and snap the firing pin to keep all springs relaxed. Not necessary for your average firearm, but we are talking centuries of storage in this case.
I have fired Japanese 7.7 service ammo made in 1944 and all but one of 30 went off. Several had split necks after firing, but that doesn’t matter. I have shot some 30 cal ball made in the 1920s without problem. Those were all corrosive primers.
Shotshells with the cardboard or fiber components will sometimes swell and spit the head so they won’t chamber.
Whatever you do, keep the WD-40 off the firearm unless you want it varnished into a non-working condition.
I wouldn’t store it in a basement due to the moisture. I would store it in a gun safe with a moisture prevention system and heavy coat of oil. The military used cosmoline for long term storage. I think it’s completely realistic to say that as long as there is somebody to maintain them, they will last indefinitely. As for the ammo, military ammo is sealed up tighter at the primer and the bullet/case neck interface than factory civilian ammo. I should think it would be good for a minimum of 50 years. I would keep it dry and sealed in an oxygen/moisture barrier and away from temperature extremes and fluctuations if I was worried about that kind of long term storage. plenty of WW2 ammo is still usable incidentally.
A few years ago, I found some .223 ammo in my un-airconditioned garage that was about 35 years old. It worked just fine.
Guns will probably rust if you keep them in a damp basement and only strip and lube them every 5 years.
How long is forever? Proper stored means moisture free and heat/cold extreme free. It will be in mint condition as long as those conditions are maintained.
When I got it, it was full of that damn Cosmoline, but after taking it apart and cleaning all that crap out, and refinishing the stock, it's good to go.
Longer than you will last.
Generally concur with all said so far.
.303 Enfield ammo manufactured by the Pakistani Ordnance Factory (POF) in the 1960’s, however, is demonstrating significant “click-bang” behavior, though.
Stick with ammo manufactured in the First World and you should be OK.
About 15% was corroded and is being disassembled as time permits. Of those rounds I've disassembled I've touched off bit of powder from several and it appeared good. The Bredan primers on the corroded cases have all been dead though.
Of those rounds that do not have case corrosion, I've fired about 150 rounds and have had about a dozen misfires.
Before moving from CA to AZ I stored about 2000 rounds of cheap Chinese 7.62x39 underground for about 10 years in plastic pipe with hot glued ends that I'd dried with dry ice and packed with desiccant. It's over 20 years old now. I've fired about a quarter of it and it's all been good.
Ammo will last a long time if you keep it dry.
I used to own a .32 cal rimfire Smith & Wesson "Old Army" made in 1867. At a gun show, I found some .32 black powder cartridges made around 1910 or so. The revolver fired every round without a hitch.