ww2 303 ammo. use or hoard?

[CINDERS]

So does the cordite sticks suffer from time ageing like the primers, I shot some cheap as dirt POF '67 vintage MK VII for a while (5 shoots) any one watching would have thought I was loading black powder rounds and using a flint lock instead of a Mk III hang fires and all the confetti in the world flew out the end of that barrel with the expected resultant expression "Now where did that one go."

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[bombdoc]

So does the cordite sticks suffer from time ageing like the primers, I shot some cheap as dirt POF '67 vintage MK VII for a while (5 shoots) any one watching would have thought I was loading black powder rounds and using a flint lock instead of a Mk III hang fires and all the confetti in the world flew out the end of that barrel with the expected resultant expression "Now where did that one go."

Simple answer is yes.. although cordite in sealed small arms cart cases seems to last longer than that in artillery carts..
Cordite contains a stabiliser which works by soaking up any acid by products of oxidation. The reaction is auto catalytic so once the stabiliser is used up the breakdown can progress very quickly, leading at times to self ignition, although this is rare in small arms..

Cordite is light brown when first made and darkens with age. The best thing to do is to sniff the cordite when you open the container.. if you get a whiff of vinegar then breakdown is occurring.. The official way to test cordite is the Abel Heat test, details of which you can find on the internet..!

[browningautorifle]

all the confetti in the world

The confetti is the over powder wad that they all have. I use new primers and it all lights for me. The old primers have had the bun and either hang or fail.