garikfox Wrote:Thanks again guys, Yes I want leaded primers. Leaded primers last pretty much forever. Lead free primers seem to last about 10yrs it seems and supposedly the US Military refreshes there stock of lead free ammo every 6 yrs. I'm not for certain but that's what I've been reading.
Garik,
It seems primer composition is commercial proprietary information and largely kept from the public. There are no ingredients on the packaging and they won't tell us. It is an evolving science with the earlier corrosion-causing primer compositions replaced with chemicals that are more barrel friendly. So mercury fulminate replaced by lead styphenate. This affects the imperative to clean guns after shooting, with the old dogma still causing widespread hesitancy to leave a gun uncleaned after firing (the exception being suppressors which are corrosion traps). For several decades now the warnings to clean guns immediately after firing have abated, so fair to say harsh corrosion-causing compounds in primers have been replaced in the West.
As for ammunition life, plenty of examples in the shooting community that WWI and II ammunition is still usable today. As long as the cartridge has been protected from external corrosion. I have some old 303 cartridges which work but have to be careful to clean the gun immediately after firing. I also read single-based propellants decompose less readily than double-based - something to think about if you are a long-term prepper. As for the military getting rid of old stock to maintain its efficacy. It's more like a 'Best before' than a 'Use-by-date'. And turning over old stock would be just as much related to the powder as the primer.
This is an interesting article on the subject.
https://www.bevfitchett.us/chemical-anal...tions.html