Oxidation !!!

Jon222 Had the same problem with pellets in the cardboard box lined with foam on the bottom, left in a garage for about 4-5 years that I got from a friend.I washed them with hot water & dawn then lubed. The outside of the pellets came clean but still left some residue to the inside of the skirts. I got rid of all the cardboard box's and went to sealed plastic containers. Not sure about acetone but someone has tried it. Going to try that next. Cardboard draws moisture & I believe that was the culprit. good luck with the right answer Darell 

Cardboard made from kraft paper contains chemicals that can react with moisture and oxygen in the air to promote oxidation. I believe sealed tins are best for long term storage, and any exposure to moisture (and high humidity) will accelerate the formation of lead oxides.

Lol. I order tons of pellets when AGD or PA has a sale on an already great deal. But they don’t last long enough for them to oxidize. 

Never tried WD-40.. I use MPro for pellet lube

If you wash and lube them I dont think you will have a problem. I had some that started to become oxidized so I washed and lubed them and sealed them up. No problems since.

use battery terminal dressing, comes in a spray can. Its made to reduce/illeminate oxidation in lead. It smells like kerosene sort of

Excuse the noob question , but does the oxide have I’ll effects on the air gun .

I wash all my pellets to clean any lead dust off then rinse them in synthetic 2 cycle lube mixed with E85 (what I run in my race car) 30:1
I started doing this not necessarily to lube the pellets but to protect them from oxidation. Because I live on the Texas coast and the windblown salt mist corrodes EVERYTHING unless you cover it with a protectant. Pledge worked OK but the 2 cycle works better I think. Note that I had pellets that were six months old in tins where the tape had been removed that got the white lead oxide coat all over them. Since I buy a years supply at a time (like 30 tins of 300 JSB 33.95 for example) I will have pellets towards the end of the year that might oxidize if I did not do something.

As per if lead oxide is harmful: YES it is and breathed or ingested it enters the body and becomes heavby metal toxicity as bad as breathing lead fumes from a casting pot.

PbO, PbO2, Pb2O3, Pb3O4, Pb12O19 are different oxides and each has a different 'pretty' color like red, white, yellow or black that used to be used in paint pigment - ALL LETHAL IF ENOUGH IS INGESTED!