# Last Question for today, promise! What's the shelf life of latex if stored properly?



## ConcreteBlock (Aug 16, 2020)

As the title says. I like and have been using the simple shot black latex and have considered stocking up on different thicknesses but I want to make sure that it wouldn't all just rot away or something in storage before I could effectively use it.

As always I really appreciate hearing from all you experienced shooters.


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## craigbutnotreally (Nov 6, 2019)

I’ve heard of people keeping it for years in the fridge. I store mine in it but it never lasts long enough for me to test that. 6 months or so it takes me to finish a roll it’s perfectly fine by the end of it.


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## Stankard757 (Apr 20, 2020)

I've got a roll of SS Black I bought in April still going strong

Sent from my LG-TP260 using Tapatalk


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## ConcreteBlock (Aug 16, 2020)

craigbutnotreally said:


> I've heard of people keeping it for years in the fridge. I store mine in it but it never lasts long enough for me to test that. 6 months or so it takes me to finish a roll it's perfectly fine by the end of it.





Stankard757 said:


> I've got a roll of SS Black I bought in April still going strong
> 
> Sent from my LG-TP260 using Tapatalk


Thanks guys, that's what I figured. If people's latex degrading away was a common thing I'm sure I wouldn't have even needed to ask this, haha.


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## urbanshooter (Aug 23, 2017)

If your latex degrades in storage, you've probably got too much inventory  ... seriously though, it's years. I would just keep it in a cool place - in a drawer- away from light and electrical appliances (though inside a fridge is okay for some reason... something about electrical appliances emitting ozone? Dunno, need the Mythbusters to answer that one?). Light, ozone and chemicals are the enemy of latex... It's the natural molecular protein chains that gives it its elastic properties and the protein breaks down over time.

I am pretty sure elastics produced for slingshots contain UV stabilisers and additives to counteract degradation among other things, so I think we are good... no need to worry too much...


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## urbanshooter (Aug 23, 2017)

If your latex degrades in storage, you've probably got too much inventory  ... seriously though, it's years. I would just keep it in a cool place - in a drawer- away from light and electrical appliances (though inside a fridge is okay for some reason... something about electrical appliances emitting ozone? Dunno, need the Mythbusters to answer that one?). Light, ozone and chemicals are the enemy of latex... It's the natural molecular protein chains that gives it its elastic properties and the protein breaks down over time.

I am pretty sure elastics produced for slingshots contain UV stabilisers and additives to counteract degradation among other things, so I think we are good... no need to worry too much...


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