Spring has sprung. Get out and shoot your Henry

long-term storage of ammunition, with lead and greased bullet

All things reloading here
Post Reply
User avatar
BruniX
Cowhand
Posts: 390
Joined: Sat Dec 08, 2018 5:53 am
Location: Chevrolière , near Nantes
Contact:
France

long-term storage of ammunition, with lead and greased bullet

Post by BruniX » Wed Apr 08, 2020 5:42 am

Hi,
First i hope that you are all safe , reloading more and more at home !

I use a homemade grease for my ammunition:
- paraffin
- beeswax
- lithium grease
- chainsaw oil (a little to adapt the hardness)

I try, of course that there is no trace on the base of the bullet,
but I was wondering whether the powder can deteriorate in ammunition, in contact with possible traces of grease,
during prolonged storage.
should we better store them vertically,
so that the powder does not touch the bullet, or it does not matter?

BruniX
0 x
"Those who forget the past are condemned to relive it"
W. Churchill


Shadow 2 SA - CZ
P08 - Luger
AR-15 - SDI
586 - S&W
97 - CZ
T3 Tac. - Tikka
1895 SBL - Marlin
1860 COLT - Pietta

User avatar
JEBar
Town Marshal / Deputy Admin
Posts: 19270
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2016 10:58 pm
Location: central NC
United States of America

Re: long-term storage of ammunition, with lead and greased bullet

Post by JEBar » Wed Apr 08, 2020 7:15 am

I can't help with your question because we only load jacketed bullets ..... do want to say that its really good to hear from you and that you appear to be doing well ....
1 x

User avatar
CT_Shooter
Administrator emeritus
Posts: 5152
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2016 8:42 am
Location: Connecticut
United States of America

Re: long-term storage of ammunition, with lead and greased bullet

Post by CT_Shooter » Wed Apr 08, 2020 7:38 am

Yes. Glad you're doing well, BruniX.
Ammunition can have a very long lifespan. Most manufacturers are willing to say ten years, but it is likely very much longer, but it depends on how it is stored.
Jeff Johnston on NRAFamily.org wrote:Ammo, like good wine, should be stored in a cool, dry place without sunlight. It should have no drastic temperature changes and shouldn’t be jostled a bunch. You should never store it with or near oils or solvents. That's because both can eventually infiltrate the cartridge and void the powder. Ammo should never be stored in super-high temperatures, like in a car trunk in the summertime where temps can exceed 135. Over time, doing so can break down the chemical structure of the powder and lead to degraded performance, if not outright failure to fire.
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2019 ... on-go-bad/
BruniX wrote:
Wed Apr 08, 2020 5:42 am
Hi,
First i hope that you are all safe , reloading more and more at home !

I use a homemade grease for my ammunition:
- paraffin
- beeswax
- lithium grease
- chainsaw oil (a little to adapt the hardness)

I try, of course that there is no trace on the base of the bullet,
but I was wondering whether the powder can deteriorate in ammunition, in contact with possible traces of grease,
during prolonged storage.
should we better store them vertically,
so that the powder does not touch the bullet, or it does not matter?

BruniX
0 x
H006M Big Boy Brass .357 - H001 Classic .22LR - Uberti / Taylors & Co. SmokeWagon .357 5.5" - Uberti / Taylors & Co. RanchHand .22LR 5.5"

User avatar
Vaquero
Ranch Boss
Posts: 10256
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2016 12:56 am
Location: Somewhere between Memphis & Nashville
United States of America

Re: long-term storage of ammunition, with lead and greased bullet

Post by Vaquero » Wed Apr 08, 2020 8:23 am

A good question, but I don't know but would think they should store for a long period.
The majority of my cast these days are powder coated.
I still shoot reg. lubed cast some but once it's all gone I'll just stick with the PC'd bullets.
To me it's much less messy, and I will personally never lube another.

RP
0 x
Monte Walsh "You have No idea how little I care". :lol:

Ain't No Apologies for My Temperament :shock:
Si vis pacem, para bellum
H001, H006, H012

User avatar
RanchRoper
Forum Ambassador
Posts: 12681
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2016 12:14 am
Location: Land of Shining Mountains, Alberta
Canada

Re: long-term storage of ammunition, with lead and greased bullet

Post by RanchRoper » Wed Apr 08, 2020 9:20 am

Long time I think....hope so, got lots in storage.
1 x
1860 Colt SA Richards Conversion Revolver .45C
1860 Henry .45C
1885 High Wall .45C
1820-1840 Frontier Percussion .50
1790-1820 Frontier Flintlock .50

Ohkínohkomit - Shoot skillfully

User avatar
Ojaileveraction
Cowboy
Posts: 1292
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 11:49 pm
United States of America

Re: long-term storage of ammunition, with lead and greased bullet

Post by Ojaileveraction » Wed Apr 08, 2020 9:35 am

Animal fats and stable grease, Your lube sounds pretty normal.
Normal bullet lubes don't interact with smokeless or Black Powder.
There would have to be more reactive hydrocarbons to degrade the powder.
2 x
Pax at Justitia

Post Reply