I was going through my reloading supplies cabinet today, and found some Rem. 7 1/2 primers that I bought at a store that has been closed for years. These primers have to be 30 yrs. old. The boxes look like new, and the primers themselves show no sign of discoloration or decomposition.
Do you think they are still good? I've got 300 of them, and would hate to waste them if they're OK. I guess I could prime up a couple of casings and see if they still fire, but I thought I'd ask for some opinions too..........

Sounds current to me!As long as they have been dark,dry and not temp extremes they should be ok! Hell the one's I have been pilfering from dear ole dad are wrapped in papyrus,inspected by King Tut! Mine are upwards of 20 years old and they worked fine.

Give 'em a try, but load a small batch of 50rds or less the first time to make sure there's no chemical deterioration in the primers through test fires.

[Deleted by Admins]

It shouldnt be any different than firing old ammo that has been properly taken care of. I shot up a bunch of shotgun shells last year that where probably from the 50's and 60's. They shot fine, although they kicked very hard.

PA, there was a great article in Precision Shooting about differences with old primers and new ones. They dug up several old primers and comparied them with new ones. It seems all the companies change the formula some over the years.

Some cause higher pressures, some lower. I say use em. Primers don't go bad unless crushed. They even will fire if they got wet.

They are probably still good. A lot depends on how they were stored. if you kept them in a relatively cool, dry environment, and they look new, chances are they will work. Pop five or so ion empty cases and see if they all fire and seem uniform. If so, use them in target or varmint ammo.

Now, THOSE are some old primers!!

I havne't been reloading that long. Shoot, for that matter, I haven't been shooting that long. At any rate, if you decide not to use them, or even if you do, I'd be willing to buy the boxes and the primers, or just the boxes from you . I have a nice collection of ammo and boxes some as old as60-80 years. Makes for an interesting conversation piece in the den. Email me if you are interested.

Infrequently, i load several obsolete European calibers. Still have Berdan primers in many sizes, including some that are no longer made. Some are over 70 years old and they still go bang when loaded.