i know next to nothing about the care and feeding of firearms.
in 1986 i purchased a savage 12 ga model 69rxl for home protection.
promptly forgot about it.
never fired it. have fired others - just not this one.
i see small amount corrosion residue inside gun's shell storage chamber.
have original ammo:
box of remington 7 1/2 shot that have corroded brass caps.
box of remington 2 shot - no apparent corrosion.
Q-1. should the gun be taken apart and serviced before use - i think i know the answer to that one.
Q-2. where does one dispose of unused / unsafe ammo?
Q-3. how unsafe is the corroded caps ammo? can it go boom?
Q-4. should i even attempt to use the old ammo? it certainly is inexpensive - and i don't want an explosion.
Q-5. what's the life expectancy of shotgun ammo - barring any obvious damage or defect?
thank you all in advance.
bsmith
Q-1. Absolutely! I would recommend that you take the shotgun to a professional gunsmith and have them inspect and repair it for you because even though the rust you can see may not be in a critical place there is no telling what other areas of the gun are rusted that you can't see without taking it apart.
Q-2. Not sure. I usually shoot all of my ammo long before it gets to this point.
Q-3. By caps I am assuming that you mean the primers. I would NOT attempt to fire any ammo that is corroded. It's not worth the risk, especially given how cheap shotgun ammo is.
Q-4. See Q-3.
Q-5. As long as it has been stored properly (cool and dry) and is not showing any signs of rust, etc., ammo will still be viable long after you are not.
Although a lot of people complain about the price of ammo and the price of guns, neither is worth the price of your life. Don't take chances when it comes to firearms.
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