Checking the tubes at West Marine store, I found some had date codes and some just batch codes. The dates on the tubes were from 2012 !
That's some old 5200. Seeing as West Marine sells 52 frequently, I strongly doubt it's been sitting that long, so maybe 3M just makes too much and winds up warehoused for years.
I don't know, but I do know the stuff does seem to age in the sealed tube. First the viscosity drops, then it becomes more like rubber in a tube, then finally rubbery and crumbly. Rare to find a tube like this, but certainly not as fresh as when tube loaded at the factory.
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