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< 16ga. Ammunition & Reloading ~ Older R16 wads |
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Posted:
Tue Nov 22, 2016 4:32 pm
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Joined: 09 Aug 2015
Posts: 30
Location: CT
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I may have a line on R16 wads in original Remington factory packaging. I haven't seen them yet, nor do I know how many there are but I can't help but wonder if they will still be pliable after all this time. Heck, they were scarce as hen's teeth when I first started loading way back in the early 80's.
Other than flexing them around a bit, how would you evaluate them or should I be sticking with "today's" choices like DR16, Claybuster and my stash of WAA16's? |
_________________ I shoot for fun; otherwise it would be work and I do enough of that |
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Posted:
Tue Nov 22, 2016 5:24 pm
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Member
Joined: 15 Apr 2007
Posts: 9472
Location: Amarillo, Texas
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If the price is right and they are viable, get them
You can sometimes tell on color change but Remington
did sometime vary the color
If they are pliable, use them.
Mike |
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USAF RET 1971-95 |
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Posted:
Tue Nov 22, 2016 5:25 pm
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Member
Joined: 08 Nov 2005
Posts: 3440
Location: Illinois
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It all depends on how/where they have been stored--Sunlight is THE killer of wads.If possible use the squeeze method---I have hads wads crumble before.Just kinda compare to a recently made wad. |
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Posted:
Thu Nov 24, 2016 10:05 am
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Member
Joined: 29 Jan 2010
Posts: 687
Location: McPherson, KS
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I have had two types of wads that deteriorated during storage. The first were Federal PC12S4 wads that I bought new probably in the '80s. I used them into the early 2000's until the cushion sections began to break when fired. The second was a bag of W-W AA20 wads. The wad petals would often break off during seating. However, not all were affected, so I tested them and threw out the ones that would not bend. I bought them second hand, so I have no idea of their age or storage history.
On the other hand, I bought a case of Herter's wads at an auction 12 years ago. They are fine (other than the usual Herters quality control issues, i.e. petals and bases not totally filled out). I don't know when the Herters catalog folded, but it's been a while. I also have a small hoard of Alcan Kwik-serts, Federal shot cups, and Pacific Versalite wads from the late '70's or early '80s that are fine.
See if you can get a sample to test. |
_________________ Illegimati Non Carborundum Est |
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Posted:
Thu Nov 24, 2016 7:05 pm
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Joined: 09 Aug 2015
Posts: 30
Location: CT
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Thanks for the input. If it develops further, I'll post an update. |
_________________ I shoot for fun; otherwise it would be work and I do enough of that |
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Posted:
Fri Nov 25, 2016 2:45 pm
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Member
Joined: 12 Mar 2005
Posts: 6535
Location: massachusetts
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I'd not worry about wad deterioration. Polyethylene plastic is just about indestructible. I've picked up spent plastic wads over a year old which could have been washed and reused (no, I'm not that frugal).
Unless these old wads have been directly exposed to sun and the elements for several years (very unlikely), they'll be fine. If the price is right, then go get 'em. You won't regret it. |
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Posted:
Sat Nov 26, 2016 9:58 pm
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Joined: 25 Sep 2009
Posts: 30
Location: Medford Oregon
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Actuallly, I've had a couple bad boxes of those wads I bought on ebay from separate sellers. The boxes were both sealed and had never been opened. You could crumble the petals between your fingers, and when I loaded and shot a couple they would disappear into small fragments. I'm not sure if the plastic was exposed to heat or just deteriorated over time. |
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Posted:
Mon Nov 28, 2016 9:42 am
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Member
Joined: 12 Mar 2005
Posts: 6535
Location: massachusetts
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Rusty12 wrote: |
Actuallly, I've had a couple bad boxes of those wads I bought on ebay from separate sellers. The boxes were both sealed and had never been opened. You could crumble the petals between your fingers, and when I loaded and shot a couple they would disappear into small fragments. I'm not sure if the plastic was exposed to heat or just deteriorated over time.
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Buying on eBay can be risky if we take seller listings at face value. I always ask questions to get their replies on the record. If sellers intentionally or mistakenly misrepresent their items, then eBay buyer protection policies are excellent. I've never lost any of the few dispute cases I've filed. The lesson here is to ask questions, then buy. No answer, no bid or purchase. Simple.
I suppose being exposed to some type of chemical or extremely high heat for a long time might ruin polyethylene plastic wads. But just for the record here, I have at least 700 or more old (probably much more ) 1st generation Remington plastic wads which were given to me over the last 40 years. Many of them are over 40 years old, and were given to me when I lived in Florida with it's heat and humidity. Most of these old wads are still in the original boxes or plastic bags going back to when they had the old long designation ID codes. Most of these old containers are pretty worn and scruffy looking (especially the moldy old corrugated cartons), but the wads inside are just fine. None of them were ever given special care, and none of them have deteriorated from age.
So I haven't a clue what happened to your's Rusty12. Rattlesnake bad luck bites all of us once in a blue moon. I would not let it scare me into passing on something hard to find at a very good price, or pass on a gift. But that's just me. |
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