I've inherited the reloading gear of a family member that passed away in early 2020 (before COVID hit). This person was in poor health before they passed and I'm not sure how long its been since any of this stuff has been used. So I know its been close to 6 years, maybe more like 7 or even 8 years.

What is the shelf life for powder & primers???

Some of the primer boxes are opened, some are still unopened.
Same with the powders, some bottles/jugs are opened. Others are still sealed.
Some of the presses still have primers in the feed tubes & powder in the powder drops.

Will any of this stuff be usable?

Most of the items should be usable, depending on how they were stored:
Powder - in original containers w/o exposure to extreme heat or cold.....
Primers - away from solvents and water (humidity) should be OK
Bullets - away from water/humidity should be OK
Cases - a good look at them and/or tumbling should be OK


If you have never done reloading, get yourself the book"ABCs of Reloading"

https://www.gundigeststore.com...oading-10th-edition/

Depends on how it was stored.

I sometimes load with powder that’s 80’s vintage, best I can tell. The primers should be fine also.

Even if opened, everything ‘should’ be in correctly marked containers.

I try to use the older components first, not always practical. Some of my older powder is IMR-4227, Bullseye, and IMR-4064.

Dispose of the powder and primers in the feed tubes and drop tubes. No way of being certain what they are.
As others have said, powder and primers last a long time if properly stored. Are the labels and boxes in good shape with no moisture damage. Powder not caked together and no off smells.

Thank you all.
I appreciate the advice.

Everything was in a climate controlled workshop & most stuff is in good condition.
Presses, dies, and tools appear to be in good shape.
Only issue might be the humidity over the last few summers.


ODIN; Nope. Never done any reloading. But going thru the books/manuals I received I found . . .
*older edition of The ABC's of Reloading,
*Lyman reloading handbook,
*Sierra reloading manuals (rifle & handgun), and
*Hodgdon reloading manual.
Also been watching lots of videos on YouTube.

Not many bullets. A handful each of 7 or 8 handgun calibers. Mostly cast lead & linotype.
A few misc rifle bullets.

LOTS of brass, though! Mostly handgun calibers but a decent amount of rifle brass also.

Now if I can just find the space to get it all set up!