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12-01-2005, 12:52 PM | ||
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Recently dealt with a couple of hundred pounds of water soaked/green crusted ammo. Had been under water fro between 35 and 40 days. Saved a few rounds from various lots of ammo to test. Pulled and atempted to fire the primers on the stuff that looked clean enough taht it might chamber with just a little cleaning (the green crusted stuff that was so corroded it had no hope of chambering wasn't tested). NOTHING survived except 'real' mil. spec. ammo (the stuff with the asphalt sealant in the case neck, crimped primer with sealant) and the BEST of it only sruviced with a 70% primer fire rate. SOme the the ones that did fire came from rounds with damp powder, so the actauly 'bang' rate would have been less. You just canno trust it to shoot no matter how good it looks..worst case is one that 'almost shoots' (primer lights off, but only part of the damp powder burns, leaving the bullet stuck in the barrel). It is possible from some guns to almost fire..eject the case and cyce the next round in without having the bullet exit the barrel from the dud round. Played with that idea last week after some posts on this board. With a .308 loaded with a 147FMJ bullet over 4.5gr. of Herco in a CETME (trying to simulate a powder charge taht partially ignited by using a small charge)..round will fire, eject the case, and load the next round but only move that FMJ bullet about 3' down the bore. Now the CETME runs on a roller lock syste, not a gas sustem, so I'd guess it would be a lot harder to have a bullet stick just on the otherside of the gas port..but belive it could be done. .22LR's would be like that..could easily stick on in the bore but still have the power to cycle that action and chamber another round. |
AmmoFilter: My wife found a box of old remington .38 ammunition while going through some boxes. They are at least 25 years old, given to her by a boyfriend when she moved out west a quarter of a century ago. She and I do not have any guns. How should we properly dispose of this ammunition?
posted by barrista to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (9 answers total)
posted by barrista to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (9 answers total)
You can take them to your nearest police department. I suggest you call first.
posted by furtive at 10:53 AM on October 23, 2005
posted by furtive at 10:53 AM on October 23, 2005
We found a large sack of old ammunition in our shed when we moved into our house. We phoned the local police and they said we could drop it by for safe disposal, which is what we wound up doing.
posted by sagwalla at 10:54 AM on October 23, 2005
posted by sagwalla at 10:54 AM on October 23, 2005
It's too old to fire safely. I second the idea of taking it to your local PD or gunsmith; let whomever you drop it off with know that it's 25 years old and you don't think it is safe to fire.
It's not hazardous if it's not loaded into a firearm, by the way. The worst thing that could happen if you accidentally struck a primer is that the gunpowder would ignite briefly, rupturing the brass cartridge casing.
Modern (smokeless) gunpowder burns; it doesn't explode. Usually the walls of the brass cartridge casing are reinforced by the action of the firearm, into which the casing is fitted tightly. In that case, the products of combustion make pressures go up a lot, propelling the bullet down the barrel. But if the casing is not tightly fitted into a firearm's action, it just ruptures immediately.
Old ammunition, though, is notorious for 'hang-fire.' That's when you pull the trigger and nothing happens, so you start fooling around with the gun trying to figure out what's going on, and a minute later it goes off. This is caused by degradation or moistening of the powder, I think.
posted by ikkyu2 at 11:39 AM on October 23, 2005
It's not hazardous if it's not loaded into a firearm, by the way. The worst thing that could happen if you accidentally struck a primer is that the gunpowder would ignite briefly, rupturing the brass cartridge casing.
Modern (smokeless) gunpowder burns; it doesn't explode. Usually the walls of the brass cartridge casing are reinforced by the action of the firearm, into which the casing is fitted tightly. In that case, the products of combustion make pressures go up a lot, propelling the bullet down the barrel. But if the casing is not tightly fitted into a firearm's action, it just ruptures immediately.
Old ammunition, though, is notorious for 'hang-fire.' That's when you pull the trigger and nothing happens, so you start fooling around with the gun trying to figure out what's going on, and a minute later it goes off. This is caused by degradation or moistening of the powder, I think.
posted by ikkyu2 at 11:39 AM on October 23, 2005
Thanks for the suggestion. We'll give the PD a call.
posted by barrista at 11:41 AM on October 23, 2005
posted by barrista at 11:41 AM on October 23, 2005
Oh..and thanks for the info on ammunition. Very educational! :)
posted by barrista at 11:42 AM on October 23, 2005
posted by barrista at 11:42 AM on October 23, 2005
Disposing Of Unwanted Ammunition
First, the ammunition is not too old to fire. People regularly shoot military surplus ammo this old. Civilian ammo isn't much different than milsup ammo. If you know people who shoot, I'm sure they'd gladly take a box of .38 off your hands.. assuming they like revolvers.
Ammunition should always be treated as hazardous regardless. While it's basically true that the cartridge will not launch the bullet (projectile) in the same way that a firearm-contained burn would, it is not true that the bursting of the uncontained case is not cause for alarm. When that case goes, it's probably going to have a fair bit of force and something is going to get flung somewhere.
But, keep in mind, you don't need to treat them with kid gloves. The basic design requires a good, sharp, piercing hit to the primer to detonate. Just don't throw them in a fire.
Hangfires are a problem, perhaps, but any shooter worth his salt knows how to handle a failure to fire both at the range and when in the thick of things. I don't shoot much milsup. Maybe a couple thousand rounds, tops.. but, no hangfires amongst those.
Finally, if you don't shoot, I'd like to increment the 'police department' option. They'll likely take care of it for you.
Or, you could do as is suggested by oldsters: Soak the cartridges in WD40 for a couple of days, and then throw them in the trash. (You're destroying the powder/primers with the oil.. cartridges aren't mechanically sealed.)
posted by Netzapper at 6:24 PM on October 23, 2005
Ammunition should always be treated as hazardous regardless. While it's basically true that the cartridge will not launch the bullet (projectile) in the same way that a firearm-contained burn would, it is not true that the bursting of the uncontained case is not cause for alarm. When that case goes, it's probably going to have a fair bit of force and something is going to get flung somewhere.
But, keep in mind, you don't need to treat them with kid gloves. The basic design requires a good, sharp, piercing hit to the primer to detonate. Just don't throw them in a fire.
Hangfires are a problem, perhaps, but any shooter worth his salt knows how to handle a failure to fire both at the range and when in the thick of things. I don't shoot much milsup. Maybe a couple thousand rounds, tops.. but, no hangfires amongst those.
Finally, if you don't shoot, I'd like to increment the 'police department' option. They'll likely take care of it for you.
Or, you could do as is suggested by oldsters: Soak the cartridges in WD40 for a couple of days, and then throw them in the trash. (You're destroying the powder/primers with the oil.. cartridges aren't mechanically sealed.)
posted by Netzapper at 6:24 PM on October 23, 2005
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If you happen to live in the Denver area I'll take it and shoot it.
As Netzapper said, it's not too old to shoot. My dad and I recently loaded some 30-06 with a powder that hadn't been manufactured since 1962 and it shot fine. By and large, cartridges don't go bad as the powder is very stable.
posted by 6550 at 10:56 PM on October 23, 2005
As Netzapper said, it's not too old to shoot. My dad and I recently loaded some 30-06 with a powder that hadn't been manufactured since 1962 and it shot fine. By and large, cartridges don't go bad as the powder is very stable.
posted by 6550 at 10:56 PM on October 23, 2005
Some people actually seek old ammunition. Various cartridge collectors associations might love to have it, as would any crime laboratory. Crime labs usually keep lab reference and exemplar ammunition and use it in casework to best duplicate evidence ammunition when test firing for comparative purposes.
posted by whatisish at 6:45 AM on October 24, 2005
posted by whatisish at 6:45 AM on October 24, 2005
I agree that if you know how to handle a hangfire and a misfire, that the ammo's not too old to shoot. Not everyone does. Misfires are particularly bad: the bullet can travel halfway down the barrel and then stop. When you fire the next round, the obstructed barrel can rupture, damaging your hand and face.
You can count on most military surplus ammo having been stored properly for most of its life, btw. This stuff, maybe not so much.
posted by ikkyu2 at 8:20 AM on October 24, 2005
You can count on most military surplus ammo having been stored properly for most of its life, btw. This stuff, maybe not so much.
posted by ikkyu2 at 8:20 AM on October 24, 2005
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While we have been pretty lucky with stuff left behind by our tenants, we recently inherited an old boat anchor of a TV. It still works, but isn’t really useful for the digital age. We did our tried and true technique of leaving it by the curb, which has helped us shed many an unwanted item in the past, but after a month, no takers. After lots of research and a few disappointments, here’s what we’ve learned about how to get rid of old TV sets.
Why Can’t I Throw It Away?
If you throw away any type of electronics, there is a risk that some of the chemicals used in its components could leak into the ground water supply. Electronics are full of toxic stuff like lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic. Yikes! I wouldn’t even want to poison the rats at the dump with that yuckiness. It is also against the law in many states to throw electronics in the trash. Even if you don’t get caught, it’s still wrong, so suck it up and get rid of your junk responsibly.
Give It Away
If the TV works, you can try to mark it free on Craig’s List or in a yard sale, or just put it out on the curb. I’m afraid there are very few people who want an analog TV these days, but it might be worth a try. Some people can’t resist something for free, even if it is obsolete.
Donate It
In the past, we’ve been able to donate old TV’s to Jim’s school. Even if it’s not digital ready, sometimes schools still use DVD’s and even VCR’s to show videos to students and staff. I’m not sure what it says that schools are so behind on technology, but I guess if you’re in kindergarten, you don’t really care much about HD.
Other places that might take old TV’s are homeless shelters, day care centers (especially ones that operate on state funding that might not have much of an electronics budget), or after school programs. Think anywhere that has low funding and doesn’t need high technology. We did not have any luck with these options, but you never know.
Wait For A City E-cycling Event
I thought our dilemma was solved when our city offered an e-cycling event last weekend. Generally, municipalities offer electronics recycling days to coincide with spring cleaning, so be on the lookout. They were charging $20 for TV’s, but at this point, we just need to get rid of it. Sadly, the truck for TV’s was full by mid-day, and they would not take ours. Must be lots of people trying to get rid of old TV’s! At least they did take an old computer and a few other electronic gadgets that have been in our closet for a while.
Look For A Recycling Center That Takes E-Waste
There are lots of places that take computers, cell phones, and newer TV’s, but it’s much harder to find a place that takes old tube models like the one we’re trying to dispose of. You can search for centers online, but unfortunately, the closest place to us was four hours a way. Another strike out.
I also learned that many so called recycling centers simply export and dump old electronics in developing nations. To be sure, recycling centers that are certified as E-stewards have been certified to recycle electronic waste responsibly. If your center isn’t on the list, that does’t necessarily mean they are dumping stuff on Sri Lanka. It just means they haven’t completed the certification process. I guess the best thing to do is ask and hope you get the truth.
Give It Back To The Manufacturer
Several manufacturers will take back their electronics for recycling and disposal, free of charge. Some companies, like Apple, will give you a gift card for the item’s value. Here is a list of companies that take back their electronics after you’ve used them up.
Best Buy or Staples
Best Buy and Staples both take many types of old electronics. How to install custom zombie maps waw. Staples does not take TV’s or stereos, but you can drop off up to six other types of electronics per day at no charge. Best Buy takes a variety of electronics for free as well, including any TV’s less than 32 inches, up to three items per day. Winner, winner, chicken dinner!
There is a Best Buy an hour from us, so the next time we head to that area, we’ll be dragging the boat anchor with us. If you have a TV bigger than 32 inches, Best Buy does offer pick up and disposal service for free if you buy a replacement model. Otherwise, there is a charge to haul it away.
I had no idea it was so hard to get rid of a TV. I can sort of understand why peoples’ basements and storage closets turn into a hoarder’s episode over time!
Have you had to dispose of an old TV? Where did you have luck getting rid of old electronics?