# How long can ammunition live?  (shelf life)



## Grenadier (May 8, 2008)

...apparently a very long time.  

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,353998,00.html



> *CHESTER, Va.   Like many boys in the South, Sam White got hooked on the Civil War early, digging up rusting bullets and military buttons in the battle-scarred earth of his hometown.*
> 
> As an adult, he crisscrossed the Virginia countryside in search of wartime relics  weapons, battle flags, even artillery shells buried in the red clay. He sometimes put on diving gear to feel for treasures hidden in the black muck of river bottoms.
> 
> But in February, White's hobby cost him his life: A cannonball he was restoring exploded, killing him in his driveway.


 
Always be careful when you run across such ordinance.


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## tellner (May 8, 2008)

For my money "careful" means "allow a professional to safely dispose of" when you are dealing with 150 year old corroded explosives.


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## elder999 (May 8, 2008)

tellner said:


> For my money "careful" means "allow a professional to safely dispose of" when you are dealing with 150 year old corroded explosives.


 

As a professonal, "safely dispose of"  usually means detonate from a safe distance, especially in this instance-sheesh, the stupid ways some people pick to die......:duh:


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## mrhnau (May 8, 2008)

Could that be considered a Civil War casualty?


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## Deaf Smith (May 8, 2008)

In Europe people every year are killed by old WW1 (yes ONE) explosives as well as WW2. Black powder if sealed well, will last hundreds of years and still a spark will set it off. The round in question was a naval cannon ball and because of mosture in the air, it was well sealed.  Using a grinder was not a wise idea.

I think even old Revolutionary war muskets have been found loaded and still capable of being fired. Just goes to show you never loose respect for a weapon.

Deaf


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## Brian R. VanCise (May 8, 2008)

Deaf Smith said:


> In Europe people every year are killed by old WW1 (yes ONE) explosives as well as WW2. Black powder if sealed well, will last hundreds of years and still a spark will set it off. The round in question was a naval cannon ball and because of mosture in the air, it was well sealed. Using a grinder was not a wise idea.
> 
> I think even old Revolutionary war muskets have been found loaded and still capable of being fired. Just goes to show you never loose respect for a weapon.
> 
> Deaf


 
Absolutely!  Any weapon no matter how old should be considered as possible of doing damage to you.


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## tellner (May 8, 2008)

OK, Officially Scary Thing for the day...

Actually it was quite a few years ago.

Found: One crate half full of old mining dynamite near a wheat farm in the Eastern Washington desert. The paper was dried out. Nitroglycerine had crystallized on the outside of the sticks.

Worse: Found by a couple of tween boys.

Thank G-d We Were Delivered From Temptation: We ran to one of the boys' parents and told them about it. They called the police. It was dealt with. To this day I'm surprised that we didn't poke at it or try to light it or some other damned fool thing.


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