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"Tropical" indicates that the box was sealed against environmental conditions.
In the old wooden crates, the ammo was inside a sealed tin inside. In the later all-metal boxes, often the sides of the lid would be sealed with bitumen and the rounds in plastic packs. Some of the metal tins (i.e. like the modern ammo tins) were almost impossible to open because of the sealant!
As regarding shelf life, the Army will have a time duration based on some guesstimate - maybe a year in hot climate, etc. Hence all the ammo that gets destroyed in Afghanistan, etc. Thats really a modern HSE thing; in the past ammo was stored for decades in places like Hong Kong or Singapore.
In practice, ammo stored in reasonably dry conditions remains perfectly functional for up to a century. The only thing that really deteriorates is the primers of ammo made in the 1930s or before - the compound becomes inert after a while, so you get a "dud", even if the propellant is fine.
We in the historic rifles shooting community often use ammo that is up to 100 years old; British cordite .303" was amazingly durable stuff.
I do recall a rather good Reels evening at Stanley Fort with the Black Watch. Slightly less formal than a ball but plenty dancing to make one's balls sweaty
I do recall a rather good Reels evening at Stanley Fort with the Black Watch. Slightly less formal than a ball but plenty dancing to make one's balls sweaty
Was a cadet in the 80's all we ever fired was .303.
The armoury had several sections in which were Number 4s, SMLEs and even Martini rifles, though we never got to fire those. And a few other odds and sods.