Unfired ammo

[w0otiez]

Can anyone help identify this ammo? Just found it detecting my yard. Should I be worried about keeping it around since it looks like it hasn't been shot?

 

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[mick56]

Looks like a 30.06 round from 1942.

 

[Retired Sarge]

Winchester Repeating Arms 30-06, 1942 M2 ball ammo.

 

[Nitric]

I personally wouldn't be afraid of it or worried about it being around. Just don't throw it around. There is a chance that it could go off if the primer is hit(as with any ammo). We shot some that was rotting away in the dirt of an old barn, only about half them actually fired and they all stuck in the gun since the brass was so bad. But ..no more worries than having new ammo around..Just give it the same respect.

 

[smokeythecat]

And don't put it in a fire! I have found one or two over the years in the woods and put them right back underground where I found them. No kids to find them that way.

 

[tahomatom]

And don't put it in a fire! I have found one or two over the years in the woods and put them right back underground where I found them. No kids to find them that way.

Good advice! I've got some that I don't know what to do with.

 

[releventchair]

Without being enclosed in a chamber to allow pressure ,most ammo is not a big threat.
(Of course , compression with a weighted object or with one causing pressure to be trapped pressure is allowed...)
To dispose of a round I carefully (avoiding primer or being near an ignition source) work the bullet loose with a left/right leverage with bullet secured.. Then dump the powder in a place it won't be ignited.
A bullet puller would be better if a lot of rounds were involved.
Yes the primer is a type of charge. But other than fire hazard or someones eyes if close ,I'm not as worried about the primer. A soak in water can sour one ,though some military and others are sealed on the outside.

 

[Anduril]

Without being enclosed in a chamber to allow pressure ,most ammo is not a big threat.
(Of course , compression with a weighted object or with one causing pressure to be trapped pressure is allowed...)
To dispose of a round I carefully (avoiding primer or being near an ignition source) work the bullet loose with a left/right leverage with bullet secured.. Then dump the powder in a place it won't be ignited.
A bullet puller would be better if a lot of rounds were involved.
Yes the primer is a type of charge. But other than fire hazard or someones eyes if close ,I'm not as worried about the primer. A soak in water can sour one ,though some military and others are sealed on the outside.

Or just take it a local gun range.
They'll dispose of it for you.
BTW: I agree. Bullets outside firing chambers are a lot less dangerous than most "non-gun" people think.
Not zero risk, but very, very low.

If you're going to pull the bullet and dump the powder, use tools that don't spark.
You may also be able to push (gently) the bullet back into the cartridge, and flood the gunpowder with water or oil, etc...
Personally, this is too messy for me. Just take it to a gun range, and they'll have a bucket for stuff like this.

 

[Retired Sarge]

Just take some brasso, clean the cartridge up and display it as a WWII era relic. I've got tons of WWII ammo in my house, and I store it with no concerns, and even had some displayed before Hurricane Michael laid waste to my man cave. It's all packed away until the repairs are completed and then it will be displayed again.

A round going off in a fire doesn't send the projectile out like when fired from a weapon. Basically all that happens is the powder is cooked off and the shell ruptures, worse case scenario is you get peppered with brass fragments. You can see examples of rounds hit, by another round, and all there is, is a hole in the casing, no explosion.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Years ago I found a bunch of unfired rounds in the backyard of a house.
You can see from the stamp on their base that they're from the Vietnam Era.

Thankfully they were all practice rounds.

Dave

 

[NOLA_Ken]

Years ago I found a bunch of unfired rounds in the backyard of a house.
You can see from the stamp on their base that they're from the Vietnam Era.

Thankfully they were all practice rounds.

Dave

Those are actually fired blank rounds, I found a few hundred of those with the links at an old National Guard training area many years ago.

Live ammo is no problem though, like others have said, don't throw it in a fire and don't beat on it with a hammer and it's safe. Just don't try to load it in a gun and shoot it, there's a chance it could squib and lodge the bullet in the barrel which could be a real problem

 

[Joe-Dirt]

hmm, any more in the hole? Is there a M-1 Garand in there? Perhaps an 03-A3? Cool find as is any militaria

 

[Megalodon]

My son's old farmhouse apparently has a long history of folks shooting - probably at the many groundhogs.

When I find unfired rounds, I just pull the bullet with pliers and toss it all in the trash.

 

[Peyton Manning]

Good advice! I've got some that I don't know what to do with.

What I do with unwanted ammo is, fill my socks with them when I go to the airport. It’s really fun

 

[Duckshot]

It's pretty hard to make ammunition go off without sticking into a gun. If you are really worried about it, put a drop of light penetrating oil like Liquid Wrench on the primer. That should make it inert.

 

[A2coins]

I've also found those they were connected many rows of em left them alone ya never know