At what age should 410 shot gun shells be discarded?

Answer 1

All cartridges that have been properly stored in a cool dry environment can be used. Check the cartridge for any signs of rust or corrosion on the exterior of the cartridges. All recent (last 20 years) manufacturers have assembled their products to withstand some abuse. Cartridges with obvious signs of damage to the outercasing should not be used as there is a possiblitity of the cartridge jamming in the breach of the weapon. Obviously if the cartridge has been immersed in liquid for a long period of time this would affect the cartridge, however and accidental dunking in a puddle would not affect the shells expected performance. Hope this was helpful.