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Posted: 10/9/2009 4:50:10 PM EDT
Ok, just did the dumbest thing Ive ever done since owning a gun. I left a couple of 100 rounds in the truck bed for 3 days of constant rain, just got them outta the rain and finished drying them with a couple of towels. I dont see any rust or anything like that, are these fine to shoot? Half were monach and the other half was a miz of priv and UMC, please tell me Im not completely F#$%@! 
Also there were 2 Pmags out there too any chance it damaged the springs? ALSO (FML) there were about a 100 shells I was collecting for reloading soaked...these scrap now? |
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The ammo is probably fine. I would try to shoot it next time I went to the range with caution. Be sure to keep the firearm pointed in a safe direction for at least 30 seconds if the primer doesn’t ignite the powder
Take apart the Pmags, dry them off and put a very light coat of oil on the springs just to be safe. Report back and let us know if the ammo shoots and if the springs rust. Good luck. |
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The only concern woul dbe if the powder and/or primer got wet. In that worst-case scenario, the powder would fail to ignite and you get a dud. Certainly not a reason to throw the ammo away. Just leave the brass cases you want to reload to dry and then tumble as usual. A little rain won't have killed them. |
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In addition to keeping the gun pointed in a safe direction for 30 seconds if one misfires, listen to to the report of the rounds that do go off and watch for a bullet impact with each round. If the report sounds funny or you are even the slightest bit uncertain whether the bullet hit the target (or the vicinity thereof), stop and check the bore for obstructions.
Straight up misfires are something to watch for, but not catastrophic. Squibs, on the other hand, can result in a blown up gun. |
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I would try it. Even if a few rnds don't go bang it's still cheaper than throwing them away.
I had my downstairs flood a few years ago. My ammo footlocker was under about a foot of water for 3 or 4 hours. A couple of days later I got around to wiping down several thousand rounds of ammo in different calibers and guages. At least 2000 rnds were 9mm Silverbear and another thousand rnds were gunshow reloads of different calibers (same supplier Gun Pro Products out of NC). I had 2 or 3 misfires with the Silverbear and a couple with the reloads (not bad for not being laquered). It took about a year to shoot up all of my "Flood Ammo." Actually almost all of the ammo was good although I don't remember all of the brands I had at the time. I'd do it again rather than throw away that much money. I doubt your rained on .223 is ruined. I wouldn't keep it around for SHTF situations of defense though. |
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Quoted:
The ammo is probably fine. I would try to shoot it next time I went to the range with caution. Be sure to keep the firearm pointed in a safe direction for at least 30 seconds if the primer doesn’t ignite the powder Take apart the Pmags, dry them off and put a very light coat of oil on the springs just to be safe. Report back and let us know if the ammo shoots and if the springs rust. Good luck. Can a primer really set off powder up to 30 seconds after being struck? |
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I always put my wet ammos in my oven for 1/2 hr @ 350 degrees to completely dry it out... You can talk to my wife about that technique. I used to wash range brass and then dry it on cookie sheets in the oven at 350. Must have missed a live rd....got me banned from the kitchen with ammo or components.
Seriously, what are you worried about...?? Shoot the 5.56. I'll bet a case of beer that they all go bang. Without a doubt. Pull the p mags apart and look at the springs. If rusted just rub with steel wool,remove the rust and lightly coat with a rust preventer or better yet use this as an excuse to buy some 20% extra power Wilson springs from Brownells. All good. as for the the brass for reloading....dry it off and reload it..... |
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