Speaking of old ammo, a US businessman supposedly found the wreck of the Lusitania (from 1915) and over 4 million rounds of Rem .303. Wonder if any of it would still fire?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...p.html?ITO=1490

Lusitania's resting place has always been know. It simply wasn't dived on out of respect as a war grave.303 was loaded with cordite, a propellant known for very rapid degradation.
The sad fact is people are still killed by unexploded ww1 and 2 munitions and anti personel land mines are a major killer and maimer of epeoples in spite of e late Princess Dianna's work toward their elimination.

Last time at Fort Sill, OK they were still finding pre-WWI cannon projectiles and detonating in place. At the time I thought they sure did use a big bang to set off the old bang. After I learned about explosives, I realized that is what is known as a secondary explosion.

Here in DFW there have been several neighborhoods that were bought back by developers and the government after residents found 250 and 500 pound aircraft bombs from WWII training. According to the folks I met from a sub-contract EOD type company the explosives decompose back to almost straight NitroGlycerin.

At Camp Gruber OK I personally found several UXO 4.2" mortar rounds after I hit a bump in the off road track I was driving on. When the gun truck behind me got on the radio to stop and see what I had hit, I thought uh-oh, someone's pet got on post. After I saw the UXO, I almost needed new pants, and the day off.

Thats pretty amazing, I always thought they used dummy munitions for pilot training during WWII due to the scarcity of materials. I'd hate to be the guy working a backhoe in a new subdivision in a former training area comin across one of those things.

I recognize the horrific humanitarian toll leftover landmines cause. But I've always been against the proposed international ban on landmines because I believe their use, particularly the aerial and rapidly deployable types, sometimes saves American soldiers' lives.

But I'm guessing, with an utter lack of actual knowledge, that it would not be all that hard to design them so that that they degrade to inertness after the tactically relevant period of time. I'd prefer an international treaty requiring that, instead, if feasible.

It's shocking how the detritus of wars long past continues to kill so many, year after year, even many decades after most have forgotten precisely why those wars were fought. Not too long ago, I recall hearing that a souvenir collector was killed by UXO from the Civil War. I've even heard stories of impoverished people sending their own children into potential minefields ahead of livestock they felt they simply could not afford to lose.

Jeff

One would think so, but I promise you no developer in the world would give back what he charged plus the property value increases.

They even had to get the contaminated dirt out due to the chemicals in the explosives that had leached out into the soil.

Jeff,

The US now has a remote mine system that can be deployed and later turned off. Is is on the bane of a brilliant munition. I have seen it on History Channel. So at least the US is doing it's part.

Oh yeah, You would be amazed at what a claymore can do for ya'

I'm sure the poster had other thoughts besides munitions.
If there is a lesson here, it is that all things are finite.
Civilisations run out of water (Chaco Canyon) and half a millenium later another civilization is making the same mistake, building giant steel frame kokopellis and yei dancers to bring fire to our mega campfires and hoarding weapons for when the lights do go out.
I've only known one 'survival kit' item that was truly timeless.
I was working a Wyoming prehistoric bison kill site and uncovered with a stroke of camelhair ( another peer of the long vanished giant bison) the clovis dart point that had slipped past ribs and into some vital organ.Once I had photographed and plotted it on my unit map, I excitedly picked up up. And in my haste, that @ 8,000 year old, still one molecule thick at the edge artifact neatly slit a cut in my left thumbs fleshy palm area 3" long, the scar still visible.
It's sort of futile, standing with blood pouring all over and getting mad at some guy who's dust is scattered beyond identification because human nature is to always blame something, somebody for our own stupidity.
So just keep rotating those lighters, shotgun shells and fruitcakes. And when you do, take stock of your own mental freshness, keep it as sharp as that dart point.

I am a bit of a collector and it is strange what I find will hold up. And sometimes items that seem like they will last forever are the first to go. The wooden box referenced earlier is a great example. I have seen pristine crates, cigar boxes, and paper wrapped items utterly ruin its contents. I also have an old mapcase that has nearly perfect leather, but all the metal fittings, even the ones not in contact with the leather, are junk. I would love to use it, but I just can't bring myself to replace the hardware.


And if anyone needs to rotate out some old "useless" ammo let me know! I have some WWI era .303 that went bang every time (before I found out it was worth $) and I routinely fire 60 year old Turkish and German 8mm, not to mention 40's and 50's era 7.62x54. I can guarantee you they were stored in some nasty hot/cold conditions but as long as there is no serious corrosion it is fine.

Keep in mind that some of that WWII axis ammo was loaded by slave labor, and the folks forced into slavery would send a few extra powder charges into the batch to blow up in the users face.
Granted in a true Mauser it would need to be on hell of a bang to cause any damage endangering the shooter, it would be a shame to fall victim to 65 year old sabotage.