New primers with limited lifespan?

[RiverRat]

Boy, this is expensive......bullets and brass cost more than loaded ammo from Wallyworld. Question: I'm trying to stock up....is there a limit to the amount of powder and primers you can keep in your residence? I heard a rumor that gun banners were trying change primers over to another type that would only have a shelf life of two years under the banner of the environment........an obvious antigun end run to control guns by contolling ammo (primers). Anyone have any real information on this subject. I know in my case, 95% of my ammo is that old...
Thanks.

[lunchbox]

thats weird i never heard of that but if thats the case how did they ram rod that one

[RiverRat]

I haven't seen anything written. Something about the primers as hazrdous materials to the environment needed to be replaced by a less hazardous to the environment primer substitute...that has an expiration...could be a one of these pre-election rumors. Just curious if anyone else had heard of such a thing. If primers went dead in a couple of years, I'm sure ammo control would take a new meaning. Gun control wouldn't be much of an issue without bullets for them.

[WildBill]

I don't think this will happen. I suppose it could be technically possible, but then you would have the added problem of disposing of the entire cartridge which would be bigger environmental hazard. Impurities in explosive compounds make them more unstable, so making the primer material out of components that degrade over time would probably make them more hazardous from a safety/handling aspect.

[Xander]

Not new, actually. Lead-free primers have been around for awhile. The worst part of conventional ammunition is the lead in the primers which vaporizes when fired, requiring the expensive air handling and filtration units you see in indoor ranges, contaminating surfaces and even causing raised lead levels in shooters who aren't careful. The biggest problem (well, maybe second biggest, after the enormous cost) with lead-free primers to this point has been a huge lack of reliability due to the fact that they rapidly degrade causing FTFs.

[RiverRat]

Ahh, I understand now. The lead output could be identified by EPA as hazardous and banned from consumer use....citizen gun owners, forcing the use of of a much more expensive possibly regulated substitute.....that just happens have an expiration. No one would use unreliable or expired ammo except for plinking......seems like the disposal of expired primered ammo in itself would be a considerable hazard and liability and have to require more regulation and control.

I'm beginning to see a senario where over a 10 to 20 year period, all ammos could be controlled, not by law, but one of the watchdog RULEMAKING beauracies in the name of protecting our health and well being. I doubt that police or military would be held to using possibly unreliable ammo use, though.

Thanks willbilll and xander, I can see the guys concern making a lot more sense....EPA makes a ruling banning all old ammo, making it illegal to shoot, forcing everyone to the other...which could be ineffective with in two years of the flick of a pen highly regulating sales.....no vote, no 2A offence, everyone is still armed, just no effective way to use them. Sounds like a good plot for a book.

[RiverRat]

I found a related article with the brass change and primer description:

http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/su ... 937716_ITM

[WildBill]

I found a related article with the brass change and primer description:

http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/su ... 937716_ITM

Here's some more information. Probably more than you want to know. http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/55672 ... ption.html

[RiverRat]

Thanks, WildBill, Looks this patent has been issued for 12 years....which means its been around at least 14 years. Pretty complex chemistry. Not sure I'll be able to duplicate it in the kitchen in order to save money.
I suspect I'd have enough problems trying to find bat guano to get KNO4 to make black powder even here in Austin, much less a complex cap chemistry.

I still intend to get some "real" primers to put away prior to the election at the end of the year. If for no other reason than the prices keep going up and up. Right now, factory ammo is still cheaper than reloading from scratch (not much old brass to reuse at my house, yet), even factory target ammo has gone up 50% over the last six months. I have noticed lots of "out of stock" internet dealer primer listings, too.

[KBCraig]

I'm beginning to see a senario where over a 10 to 20 year period, all ammos could be controlled, not by law, but one of the watchdog RULEMAKING beauracies in the name of protecting our health and well being.

When machine shops are outlawed, only outlaws can make guns.

When chemistry books are outlawed, only outlaws can make powder and primers.

[RiverRat]

It's always good to have books....just wish I had a good lathe and mill....
...These computers are very fragile devices, proun to regular failure.

[bent sights]

"I heard a rumor that gun banners were trying change primers over to another type that would only have a shelf life of two years under the banner of the environment........"

I understand this has been tossed around by the Brady type folks for some years. In their near total ignorance of all things, not just guns, they think they can wave their hands, make a law and the prescribed results will follow. They are idiots.

As with "gun control" laws in general, this one won't work either. It's not possible to formulate anything that will predictibly decompose at a certain point like "Mission Impossible" recording tapes.

[ghostrider]

I think this rumor first circulated during (and maybe contributed to) the 'great primer shortage' of 93-94. :-)

[lunchbox]

there was a primer shortage???

[Mike1951]

You were still in kindergarten.