I recently inherited my Grandfathers gun collection. A few beautiful vintage pieces as well as his “working guns”, single action Colt revolvers responsible for the deaths of countless thousands of prairie dogs.
Along with these came two thousand plus rounds of (mostly .22 calibre) Winchester bullets, circa 1968-1971. Great condition, stored in a warm / dry basement.
Anybody have any Idea is these are still viable? I’d hate to try them only to have a weak or primer-fire lodge a bullet in the barrel.
Also. Is there a recommended way to dispose of ordinence? Hate to be responsible for any more lead or mercury pollution than nessasary.
I have fired .45-70 rounds manufactured in 1914 without problem. If the rounds look mouldy or discolored, take them to any local gunshop or police station for disposal. However, that will probably also mean that they are antique, so you should be able to sell them.
The .22 caliber stuff is good forever as long as it’s not corroded.
If you don’t like the idea of firearms, sell them to me.
I can’t find anything specific on the web, but I seem to recall that manufacturers recommend a shelf life of 10 years. I’m with tcburnett, I think it’s safe for much longer than that, provided it’s stored in a cool dry place and there is no obvious sign of degradation.