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How old can shotshells be before becoming dangerous to shoot(pressure increase from old smokless powder)?

I have some Remington 3" 20G (yellow plastic) from the 1970/80's that are turning dark gray to black (yellow plastic staining) near where the powder lies in the loaded shell.

John

SJ,
I dunno, but this would be a great "finding out for myself" opportunity. Send Tom Arbrust a few for testing and dispell the "speculation".

I would suspect a deecrease in pressure...

I've got some Peters "Rustless" 12 ga. 3" magnum paper hull factory roll crimped my late uncle gave me they all looked to be in top condition. I took a few squirrel hunting years back they felt and sounded ok when I shot them...I just couldn't kill a squirrel with them.
When I came out of the woods that day I shot one level across a lake they petered out and fell in the lake at about 40 to 50 yards.
How long before we see a decrease in pressure ?

I suspect the shells I shot were atleaat 50 years old.

I have no idea how long ago now, but do recall reading a discussion of this very thing in the American Rifleman years ago, back when they still had much useful info in their publication. The consensus was that as smokeless powder deteriated a decrease in pressures would be present, never an increase. What generally, but not always, occurs in old ammo is a failure of the priming compound prior to an actual failure of the powder. Sounds as if Joes ammo may have been an exception, or perhaps a weak primer was just not giving good ignition & the powder didn't ignite fast enough to develope good pressure. It would thus seem the major concern in firing old ammo is to be sure everything "Clears" the bbl, not leaving behind an obstruction.

Mike Campbell and I talked with Tom Armbrust about testing some 1900-1920s 16g ammo. Turns out Tom had already done that very thing, and the bottom line is no way to predict. As Miller said, usually the primer compound deteriorates first. Tom did say that as the old paper case and fibre wads dry and harden, sometimes an increase in pressure was the result. His previous findings had been so inconsistent that Mike and I decided it wasn't worth the effort.

When I worked where the streets were paved with gold 45-50 years ago, I would buy shotgun shells by the case "for when I come back home to Nova Scotia." I still have a lot of lead and they seem to be as good as they were a half-century ago.I can't tell the difference. No misfires or problems.

Good stuff above. I wouldn't worry about it. Shoot a few and if they sound or feel odd, make your decision then, to trash or use. I have read that rifle cartridges that may have bounced around in the truck for several years, might contain powder that has been vibrated more to a dust form than it was originally and "might" produce excessive pressure. This, even if true, could only happen if the powder was loose in the shell, not likely the case with shotshells.

Years ago, when I was a beginner at reloading .243 brass, I loaded powder that was suspect (beyond its shelf-life), as it smelled peculiar. After loading several, was reading an article that suggested that using deteriorated rifle powder when reloading causes unpredictable pressures upon firing. I remember checking with one of the reload equipment company reps, who cautioned me not to discharge them and dispose of them properly.....unpredicable pressures. I thought he meant unprdictably high pressures, so never shot them. Perhaps, he meant low pressures.

John

Isn't THREE INCH 20ga shell useless in the first place?

Chuck

I sent a PM to you, regarding Tom Arbrust possible analysis.

John