musket cap shelf life

[muffinman67]

Does anyone know how long a can of musket caps will stay explosive? I've got a few tins of 250 count Navy Arms brand that must be thirty years old. I don't know when they stopped making them, but at one time they were considered the best. The reason this was brought to mind was I happened upon a utube video of some reenactors who tried to shoot a Sharps carbine with 150 year old musket caps which failed to detonate. I would have thought they would work, being waterproof, etc.

 

[Craig L Barry]

I have several old tins of the old 250 count Navy Arms caps, which as I recall were famously hard to open. Mine still work, although they are not quite 30 years old... Probably twenty years old though. I guess there is one sure way to find out...go outside, put one of the caps on your musket and see if it fires off.

 

[Booner]

I would think it would depend on how they were stored. If they are anything like ammunition, the caps will store best in a temperature and humidity regulated environment. If you are comfortable in your living space, your ammo & caps will be happy in that environment too.

If you have opened the tins, perhaps that has shortened their life-span a bit,

 

[DixieRifles]

A friend gave me two old "tins" (one was plastic) with No. 11 caps with a few dozen caps. They looked old and moldy but I think they work. I'm not sure as I tried a few from these tins and some other cheap brand.

 

[frankconrad]

A friend gave me two old "tins" (one was plastic) with No. 11 caps with a few dozen caps. They looked old and moldy but I think they work. I'm not sure as I tried a few from these tins and some other cheap brand.

In the early 1960s We fired 45-70 from befor 1890, I still have some caps that are still good. 6o years.

 

[Pollaco]

I really couldn't tell you when caps deteriorate , but I'd bet money that your grandkids would be able "make them go bang" 20 or more years from now.