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long-term storage of ammunition, with lead and greased bullet
Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2020 5:42 am
by BruniX
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
Re: long-term storage of ammunition, with lead and greased bullet
Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2020 7:15 am
by JEBar
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 ....
Re: long-term storage of ammunition, with lead and greased bullet
Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2020 7:38 am
by CT_Shooter
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
Re: long-term storage of ammunition, with lead and greased bullet
Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2020 8:23 am
by Vaquero
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
Re: long-term storage of ammunition, with lead and greased bullet
Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2020 9:20 am
by RanchRoper
Long time I think....hope so, got lots in storage.
Re: long-term storage of ammunition, with lead and greased bullet
Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2020 9:35 am
by Ojaileveraction
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.