What's the oldest (by date of manufacture) ammo you've fired or own?

[WVGunman]

I was looking at an old thread I started, and #1 got me to thinking: What if by some weird set of circumstances I DID come across some 9mm made for the Imperial German Army? I'd definitely want to try it out!
There's lots of old guns out there, but ammo is made to be used; really old ammo that is still shootbable is not all that common. I'm fairly certain I've never shot anything more than 50-60 years old.(Some Romanian 7.62x54R that appeared to date from the 1950s)
I put the date on my own reloads, and the longest I've gone between making and shooting it was about 5 years. That's really nothing though.

 

[epags]

21 Nov 1977 9mm Largo
Empresa Nacional Santa Barara de Industrias Militares S.A. Toledo Non Corrosivo (Berdan)
Note: I bought Starline 9mm Largo for reloading (Boxer)

 

[StrawHat]

I have fired Spencer carbine ammunition and Burnside ammunition, both from the American Civil War.

Kevin

 

[DukeConnor]

Not that old bit I shoot it a lot. Paper hull trap loads from the 70's. I inherited cases of it from my dad.

Only found one bad box.

 

[Steve Milbocker]

I aquired an old 98 Mauser that had a supply of ammunition from the 1940s. I intended to turn that rife into a 25-06 which I did but not before burning up that old ammo

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

I had, and shot up, several boxes of Spanish-made 9mm Largo ammo from the late 1940s. But, that was in the 1980s.

Also, some 7.62x54r (Hungarian?) from the late 40s. This ammo came in sealed (soldered) steel boxes. I remember when I opened the boxes I thought
'Wow! 80 year old Communist air coming out of that box! '

 

[troy fairweather]

I've shot civil war ammo a few time in different rifles, dad had a original box of copper foil 45-70 we shot a few one time to. I remember maybe early 2000s someone found a musket from the war of 1812 I believe that was loaded, they fired it.

Stuff I personally loaded I shot last year some 7.65x53 me and dad loaded in about 1998, I was 7 ish.

 

[mcb]

I have some 7.62x54R that I believe is from the mid 1950's its a bit inconsistent. It's in a lead solder sealed can, rather than the new crimp sealed spam cans.


If you can give me a definite date that would be appreciated.

I also have a box of 45 ACP steel case, steel jacketed bullets from 1943 that was used for training I believe. Still goes bang.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Some 7.35 Terni Carcano ammo, '40 headstamp IIRC. only about 1 in 3 went bang.

 

[Mars5l]

1895 Chilean Mauser in 7mm Mauser

 

[Sarge7402]

Winchester.41 Colt ammo that was new in the 1960s

 

[tmd16556]

I’ve still got a box or two of the steel cased 45 auto from WWII. I’d shoot the partial box up but I don’t want to clean up corrosive residue when I have newer options.

I’ve shot 38 special reloads that could be as old as the 1930s. Definitely shot Peters 257 Roberts loads from 1955. I just finished those off last year. The same thing Remington was loading a few years back.

I have a pile of Turkish 7.9mm Mauser from 1943. I pulled some (split necks). The powder burned fine. The loads are quite compressed (with a 155 gr bullet). Ataturk’s army hadn’t figured out the finer points of ammunition manufacturing by 1943, but given the events around them, quantity seemed the better option.

I also have some Savage branded 250-3000 loads. They look fine and shootable. I also have notes from 1925 saying they weren‘t very good either.

 

[AK Hunter]

I own & shoot every now & then this 7.62x54r heavy ball I think it is 1943 or 1948 my eyes are not good enough to tell.

 

[entropy]

Frankford Arsenal 1918 .45 ACP that came home with a WWII vet, shot from the 1911 it accompanied home.

 

[AK Hunter]

Frankford Arsenal 1918 .45 ACP that came home with a WWII vet, shot from the 1911 it accompanied home.

If you find any .45 auto with the head stamp of "EC 43" let me know. it may be some my mother made back during WWll.

 

[WestKentucky]

I have recently been so lucky as to fire a k98 with ammo from the early 20th century. Also a mosin with old soviet ammo. I have a few rounds of 32 rimfire that I was told are late 1800s but I don’t know about that because I don’t have a box, and the cartridges aren’t marked.

 

[ozarkhillbilly]

1930’s 30-06 that my Dad picked up in the 1950’s.

 

[Trey Veston]

I think this is from the 1920's...

 

[mcb]

If you find any .45 auto with the head stamp of "EC 43" let me know. it may be some my mother made back during WWll.

Look up thread at my first post, I have a partial box of that.

 

[entropy]

If you find any .45 auto with the head stamp of "EC 43" let me know. it may be some my mother made back during WWll.

I had a whole spam can of it like mcb's, but the guy I bought it from (same one that had the 1911 and FA '18 ammo) bugged me to sell it back to him, so I did. I had bought it as 'rainy day' ammo, but had (and still have) plenty of reloads for that.....

 

[zdc1775]

I had the opportunity to fire some late production British Army issue 577/450 ammo when I restored a Martini-Henry for my grandfather. Don't remember the exact year but I remember that it was one of the pre WW1 cordite loads.

 

[Enfielder]

.303 British. I don’t know the year but it had a tendency to go off after a second or two once the trigger was pulled; like it had to wind itself up….

I pulled one bullet and lo and behold it was cordite. I shot them all to practice my flintlock skills.

 

[crestoncowboy]

I've shot a lot of 40s ammo

 

[film495]

70s variety that was my Dad's. my plan is to shoot it on his birthday some year. some year.

 

[hoardingthemanual]

2006 milsurp CBC 5.56 NATO