doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Shooting Vintage Shells

I had two boxes of 1920's Western Super X (as best I remember). I would guess that storage had not been good. The hang-fire in some of those shells was even more frightening than the fouling. I didn't shoot many of them.

A very good article was run on this subject in the American Rifleman some years back when they were still shooter rather than political orientated. The conclusion was any dangerous pressures were extremely unlikely to occur. One thing to be cautious of is primer deterioration. Failure of the primer to properly ignite the powder can leave an obstruction in the bore. Smokeless Powder can under some conditions deteriorate as well but is far more likely to give reduced performance than to give a dangerous load. Black Powder is virtually unchanged with age unless it becomes "Wet". Remember the old muzzle loader adage "Keep Your Powder Dry".
If you do choose to shoot old ammunition if any sign of anything abnormal occurs "DO" check the bore before firing another round, just may save your barrel or your hand from an obstructional burst. The "Bad" round is not apt to blow anything up, the next one might if something is left in the bore.

Do watch out for paper hulls that have absorbed moisture.

A mate of mine gave me about 6 1/2 boxes of Sears red paper shell.1 1/8oz target loads I believe
He said they might be from the 60/70's, hardly Vintage, but not new either.I had thought about popping the half box off...perhaps I will cut one open n see what they look like.
Would they have any value perhaps?, the boxes are in good shape.
cheers
Franc

I would add that it's probably a good idea before firing any to pop one open and see the condition of the shot. If they were not stored properly, the shot may have whitish oxide on it. This could indicate that instead of a couple hundred individual pellets going down the bore, you'd get one or two masses, i.e., something approximating a slug or slugs.
If the shot looks new, you're probably good.
I did this with a box-less-one-round of #5 16ga W-W Super Speed papers I got at a gun show and ... they were fine. I recrimped the one I opened and I'm good to go.

So Stan, all joking aside, do you eat crow?..if thats what they are...I know my old Mum used to make a real nice Wood Pigeon pie..
& I believe also crow pie the odd time I brought some back..but they might have been Rooks, I can't remember.....no 27 blackbirds though,:)
cheers
franc

I have eaten blackbirds in the country of Turkey.
They are considered quite a dish.
Tasted great!
Mike

I wonder what kinda blackbirds are in Turkey, the ones I'm used to from back in England were american robin size, n a sooty jet black,with yellow / orange beak n eye rim..the males at least.Females a little browner....aint nature wonderfull
Shoot, I'd try anything once
franc

I was given a box of old stuff a couple of years ago. It was ex-military issue Eley 12 bore tracer ammo that was used to train R.A.F. air gunners the principal of lead shooting clays with them. I already had some in my collection so was not concerned with these as the brass heads were corroded with verdigris. Out of curiosity I took them clay shooting at 25 sporting clays. The score 23 out of 25 with one miss-fire. More than half still showed a visible tracer too. Over 70 years old and still shot o.k. Not so with some ex WWII .22 rf. which hang fired or failed on almost every round; they looked well stored too. Lagopus.....

No!!! They are nasty critters. I see them eating carrion on the roads all the time. The main reason we shoot them is that they are predatory on peanut and pecan crops. We grow thousands of acres in this area and there are many more thousands of crows. There is a season on them, but the game wardens told us that anytime they are doing crop damage they are "fair game".

SRH