Ammo life
06-28-2012, 03:42 PM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Granbury, TX
Posts: 481
Ammo life
I was just given a 243 with several boxes of ammo. One of the boxes has a few bullets with mold on them. Are this same to shoot. The gun was passed down to me from my dad. This was grandpa's gun years ago. It is a browning blr. Thanks
06-28-2012, 03:56 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location:
Posts: 2,186
I suspect that the "mold" is mild corrosion of the brass case caused wither by the acidity of the cardboard ammo box or a bit of moisture from years gone by .... which appears bluish green most of the time.
Ammo for a 243 Win. is relatively moderately priced and easy to come by. Waht you have is probably still serviceable, bit I would not shoot this stuff simply out of an abundance of caution.
Check with your dad to see when the last time he thoroughly cleaned the rifle. If it has been a while I'd break it down and clean it throughly. Heck I'd probably do this anyway. If you are not familiar with breaking down this design, it is rather simple and good to know how to anyway. Now's the time to learn.
Consider yourself very fortunate to have come across an older BLR in 243 Win. These are sweet handling rifles. Not to mention the "heritage" of this being your Grandfather's and Father's hunting rifle.
Ammo for a 243 Win. is relatively moderately priced and easy to come by. Waht you have is probably still serviceable, bit I would not shoot this stuff simply out of an abundance of caution.
Check with your dad to see when the last time he thoroughly cleaned the rifle. If it has been a while I'd break it down and clean it throughly. Heck I'd probably do this anyway. If you are not familiar with breaking down this design, it is rather simple and good to know how to anyway. Now's the time to learn.
Consider yourself very fortunate to have come across an older BLR in 243 Win. These are sweet handling rifles. Not to mention the "heritage" of this being your Grandfather's and Father's hunting rifle.
06-28-2012, 05:05 PM
#3
Inactive
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Eastern - Ontario
Posts: 677
Bruse, get some 4'0 steel wool and polish then up. It should be very safe to use. I'm still shooting some 303 British ammo that is date stamped 1942. If you encounter any problems though, throw the rest out. It wont harm the firearm at all.
Your lucke, as was already said, to acquire a firearm with that provinence. Hang onto it to pass dow to your kids!!
Your lucke, as was already said, to acquire a firearm with that provinence. Hang onto it to pass dow to your kids!!
06-29-2012, 10:19 AM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,907
Personally, I'd clean off the corrosion (green "mold) and inspect the case. Corrosion is usually pretty easy to gauge. If there's pitting, then don't fire the cartridges. If it's superficial, they're fine.
This month's Varmint (rifle) magazine had an article in which the author produced a load map for a certain round, part of which was finishing up a can of 70yr old H-4831, and actually got higher velocities (in a .243WSSM) than his new can of H-4831 produced. Primers might, in theory, get a little less sensitive over time, but I've never heard of it actually happening in practice, and a typical hunting rifle should strike hard enough to set them off without a hitch.
So yeah, I'd just clean them up with some emory or a brillo pad, check for pitting, and if they're good, burn them up at the range.
This month's Varmint (rifle) magazine had an article in which the author produced a load map for a certain round, part of which was finishing up a can of 70yr old H-4831, and actually got higher velocities (in a .243WSSM) than his new can of H-4831 produced. Primers might, in theory, get a little less sensitive over time, but I've never heard of it actually happening in practice, and a typical hunting rifle should strike hard enough to set them off without a hitch.
So yeah, I'd just clean them up with some emory or a brillo pad, check for pitting, and if they're good, burn them up at the range.
06-29-2012, 11:06 AM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Texas and Arkansas
Posts: 1,496
I inherited a BLR in 243 three years ago when my stepfather died and a few boxes of older ammo in factory boxes. One shell ruptured one day last year at the range. I found out from my BIL that a friend of his had reloaded several boxes of ammo for my stepfather and we think that these were some of them. Needless to say that I quit shooting that ammo, but the rifle is still not quite right and I need to take it to a gunsmith to check it out even though it doesn't show any damage.
I would be careful.
I would be careful.
06-29-2012, 12:01 PM
#8
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Allegan, MI
Posts: 8,019
That's a big nono to reload shells and put them back into the factory boxes without marking the new identification on them as reloads and the information as to powder charge, bullet weight, etc. If you shoot them in a gun other than the one they were originally fired in and they were'nt full length resized, it is a problem that could really do damage if they will load and shoot. What exactly are you saying "is not quite right" with your .243 after that case rupture?
Last edited by Topgun 3006; 06-29-2012 at 12:04 PM.
06-29-2012, 05:11 PM
#9
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Granbury, TX
Posts: 481
I got the ammo all cleaned up. The main spots were where the bullets meets the case. A few cases had some big spots and some of the primers had the mold look to them. I didn't go crazy around the primers for obvious reasons. Other than that I'm headed to the range in am.
07-01-2012, 05:22 PM
#10
As several mentioned...but heck, I'll repeat it. It's likely corrosion as opposed to mold. As long as you clean them up and there is no major pitting they should be good to go. I am shooting shells my grandfather loaded before I was born in a couple of rifles he has handed down to me...one which also happens to be a Belgium Browning BLR also in 243...great gun.