Shelf life of Caps?

[alaskasmoker]

I just picked up 1600 percussion caps for 30.00!!!! And about 300 or so Musket caps for 7 bucks.

However these caps are pretty old. They are old remington caps. I actually use to work at the store these were originally bought from and if Im reading the price sticker right, these left the store in '74. They sold for 1.00 each! Probably expensive then, but hey its alaska. Currently most place here in Alaska are running close to 7.00 bucks a hundred.

They are all still in their individual tins and in the 1000 pack cardboard case to boot.

I cant imagine why they wont shoot. But should I? Kind of a cool colectors item maybe?

 

[alaskasmoker]

Well I just did the smart thing and took out one of the other tins he sold me that was floating around in a ziplock bag. This tin was even opened, marked .89cents. Loaded up 6 in the revolver and they all went off with plenty of spark.

Also interesting how they are labeled Centerfire percussion caps.

 

[bingo1952]

Well if you use them on a revolver they are centerfire. :wink:

 

[shmrck1]

alaskasmoker,
I think kept dry and from up&down humidity
they should be fine.:hmm: I think you have already shown that.I think you made a good
buy IMHO.
snake-eyes:hatsoff:

 

[renovato]

You shouldn't have any problems with those caps unless they were exposed to serious moisture or something extreme like that. Occasionally when I dig in my old boxes of stuff, I run into a tin that I bought back in the 70's. They've sat around in hot summers, etc., and they still work fine.

I don't know how long the things last, but probably longer than we will. :haha:

 

[shmrck1]

I don't know how long the things last, but probably longer than we will.

plink,
I don't know about you,but I plan to live
forever....At almost 63 my plan is right on
schedule:rotf:To be honest I would not want to live forever,just live till the day I die...Like
dying in the woods of a HA while deer hunting.
Now that is living till the day you die....
Just my thinking
snake-eyes

 

[Swampman]

I had some that were really ancient. They all went off.

 

[bob308]

they are way out of date. send them to me and i will dispose of them for you.

 

[F.G. Ford]

they are way out of date. send them to me and i will dispose of them for you.

Very considerate of you " Bob"
It's nice to have a good nieghbor like that
Old Ford

 

[renovato]

That's definately the way to go, alright! :hatsoff:

 

[gordy]

I'd have to agree with snake-eyes and others, and the others. Kept in a fairly dry condition, they should last to infinity. I think these are a little less potent than the Remington caps Mfg. in the last 4 or 5 years.as they increased the "fire" since yours were made. Any way you look at it, you made a good buy! :hatsoff:

 

[bob308]

just trying to help out.

unless the caps are wet they will work they will even work if they got wet and are dried. the only thing that will really kill them is oil.

 

[mingo]

I still have some Italian caps I bought around '75. I find a can once in a while.
They were old then.
They still work-mostly.
Would not stake my life on them.

 

[aragornelessar86]

As for being a collector's item, I'd keep a tin or two unopened, and keep all the empties and boxes. Maybe that's just me though.