older lr Remmy primers, still good?

1

1000mstudent

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I found 1000 Remmy large rifle primers that I had bought about 10 years ago. It's a bit of a bonus due to the lack of primers and their prices around here. I would like to know what the shelf life of primers are and if there is any potential problems with older unused primers. It was stored in a cool dry place so I think that they should be ok, but it's better to ask than to be sorry that I didn't. There's plenty of info on powder storage but almost nothing on primer storage. What is this brand of primers like? Are they hot like Wichesters or mild like CCIs? Is it worth trying to develop an accurate load with this brand of primer to shoot long range?
 
They should be fine--10 years is not long for primers unless they are stored in a very warm place. Shoot them up!
 
I recently loaded a couple boxes of 38 spcl with some Winchester small pistol that my dad had laying around in his basement since the early `70s. All went bang.
 
I've reloaded with primers from back in the 40's or 50's Winchester Staynless with the domed top. They all went off.
 
Just to be safe, you may experiment with a chosen number of rounds first. I was using those same 9 1/2 primers at one time to produce a 30-06 novelty pen about 35 years ago. I had left-overs numbering probably a few hundred of those primers loose and stored in an old Paper Remington bullets box. It was subjected to storrage in different climates and humidities. With the price and availability of primers now, I decided to try and use them, and about 1 out 5 cartridges were duds. Needless to say, I don't use these primers any more, except for bore foulers perhaps.

And no; Older and wiser now then when I was 20 years old and selling novelty pens at the flea market, I'd never store live primers loose in a bundle again for safety reasons.






PS..... Yes, the primers being used in those pens were first soaked in lye and then oil. No, those primers are NOT the ones that I'm saying wouldn't work.:D
 
German, I think you...............

meant to say "hot". But any time a primer goes boom, its a "hit" to my way of thinking. :D;) And I want to say, thanks for the link to your site, I went there before and found your efforts on primers MOST informative, thanks for the info. :)
 
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I read that article as well and found it very informing. Actually I've read a whole lot more. Excellent site. Thanks.
 
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