ammo boxes

[michielvr]

hello

i recently bought some post war ammo boxes for use in my living history group,

for example this H50 Mk1 box:


the text on it will be changed from "600" to "500" , and from BDR to BLT

what i want to know is:

the date on the box is 2/5/1955
is this the production date? or the best before date?
and if it is best before , what is the shelf life for ammunition?

[woodsy]

The date on the tin is the packing date with new ammo. The shelf life of .303 Ball is very dependent upon the storage conditions. If it has always been stored in a cool dry environment then it should still be in good condition. If it has been stored where it is subject to large fluctuations in temperature and humidity, it could be beyond salvage. The best indicator is the appearance of the cartridges. If they are clean and bright, they should be fine. It there is any evidence of corrosion then a few rounds need to be pulled to see if there is any corrosion on the inside of the cartridge case. Such internal corrosion is an indication of hot, wet, or humid conditions which can lead to leaching of the priming compound and subsequent internal corrosion of the brass. In these situations the brass is dangerous to fire because of case ruptures, however ammo in this condition usually misfires. Beware of hangfires!! If you get a misfire, count to 10 slowly before opening the breech! If you encounter misfires or hangfires then scrap the whole can of ammo.

[michielvr]

thanks for your reply woodsy

but what i am looking for is the shelf life of ammo as determind by the war department , a preset ammount of time ( 2 year , 5 years , etc)

[woodsy]

The military do not usually have a specific 'shelf life' for ammo. It is regularly inspected by Ammunition Technicians (every 2-5 years depending on stroage facilities) who have the power to reject any ammo that is not in suitable condition. Even properly stored and in good condition, ammo would be disposed of (by sale or destruction) after 20 years or so. I have properly stored WW2 ammo that is still in good and safe condition! The old corrosive mercuric primers generally have a longer storage life than the newer lead styphnate non-corrosive primers. It is the primers above all else that have the shortest 'shelf life'.