A question about surplus ammo

[Armed Eye Doc]

Before my LAR-8 arrived, I bought some Portuguese surplus 308 ammo from the 80's.  The plastic battle packs were taped up when I got them.  This obviously means that the ammo was exposed to the elements for some length of time.  I had not looked much at the ammo until recently.

 

My question is: how much is too much corrosion to be useful ammo?  Thankfully, most of it is only slightly tarnished and not corroded.  Some of it I would not use no matter how much corrosion I can get off with steel wool and therefore I don't try.  Others have some mild to moderate corrosion that comes off with a little polishing but leaves a discolored case but no observable pitting in the brass.

 

I am posting a picture of the various levels of corrosion for you to see.  They are numbered so you can say which looks good or not.  Let me know what is and is not acceptable.  I can take more pictures and try to get more detail in the pictures or from different angles if need be.  I just don't want to take any chances and blow up me or the rifle.  I also don't want to spend time getting corrosion off of ammo that I think might be OK but is unsafe.

 

Thanks for any advice.

[unforgiven]

7 looked the worse,followed by 3,6,and 4.That is by case tarnish.I guess if you reload you could pull bullets on the worse and start over.That's a tough call.Better to be safe than sorry.What do you save if you get injured or break you'r rifle.Or hurt someone in close proximity. <dontknow>

[Armed Eye Doc]

I did not polish 7 at all.  The others I got most of the surface corrosion off.

I agree about not wanting to injure me or anyone else.

Thanks for the quick reply.

[EasyEJL]

Do you have a reloading tumbler?

[Armed Eye Doc]

Do you have a reloading tumbler?

My dad does.  I have not done any reloading, but have read on both sides of the argument about tumbling live ammo.

What are your thoughts and experiences with it?

[texas30cal]

I have had no problem with tumbling live ammo, I think it was on the accurate reloading forum that a friend showed me a thread about this where they tumbled different types of ammo with different types of powder for different lengths of time with no ill effects.

[washguy]

Hi Doc    only number 1 would be allowed in my chamber.....Nah not even that one <laughs>   Wash

[planeflyer21]

In a rifle, of those posted, I'd only shoot #1.

 

Now at MSC, the range is used by a number of LE, private security, and commercial contractors too.  While MSC is required to police all their brass, nobody else is (I'm not complaining about free brass!).

 

There are quite often live rounds left in the dirt, from them running drills.  Much of it is very new if it is found not long after being dropped (I'm not complaining about free ammo!).

 

Some though gets dropped and has dirt kicked over it and it disappears for a period of time.  With pistol ammo only I've tried some in various pistols just to see if it would fire.  It all has!  I've tried out 9x19mm, .45acp, and .22LR that looks like it was dropped during WWII.  Living in the dirt keeps most of the corrosion to a minimum but it looks old...very, very old.  

 

We found a bunch after the Appleseed this past weekend.  If I remember, I'll take photos and post a range report.  Even found a varnish-coated steel-cased .308 that I won't shoot out of my rifle, even though it is new.

 

Jon

[Armed Eye Doc]

Thanks for all of the opinions.  I really appreciate it.  <thumbsup>  

I was leaning towards shooting only the ones that were slightly discolored but not corroded.  But I didn't want to throw away a bunch of ammo that was good and just looked rough. 

[planeflyer21]

I've had a couple that had corrosion on them...but just a small spot, like the center of this o.

 

Jon

[Dane Armory]

Doc, I would only shoot the #1 with minimun or no corrosion onthe brass.

All the rest I would pull the bullets and reuse the bullets and power in once fired brass.

That is an option for you on what you don't want to shoot.

[Armed Eye Doc]

Thanks again for the advice. I will reuse what I can for reloading. My dad has been reloading for years and I am going to get him to teach me how best to do it.

[planeflyer21]

I found some .45acp I'd been hauling around in a miscellaneous gun-crap box for probably 20 years.  Some of it was as corroded as what you show there.

 

I pulled about half of them, fired the rest out of the Bisley Blackhawk Convertible.  It handles 300gr .45 Colts smoking along at 1,200fps, it should handle some overaged acp ammo.

 

Jon