Carry Ammo Question

[Boudreaux]

How often do you guys renew your defense ammo? I ask because the first round in my magazine gets cycled at least once, sometimes twice a day and is starting to show some signs of wear. Does ammo have a shelf life?

 

[jmcrawf1]

As far as sitting idle, I'm sure the ammo will last years (decades) before the powder degrades. Now chambering over and over will cause the bullet to set back Into the case.

 

[c10seven]

I usually load a magazine with new defense ammo every time I go shoot, because I usually shoot a magazine worth of my defense ammo when I shoot. Other than that once my magazine is loaded and one round is in the chamber that's how it stays.

 

[sraacke]

How often do you guys renew your defense ammo?

I have the same defensive ammo in my gun for a year or more. I only take it out once a month for a match or range time then it goes back in.

I ask because the first round in my magazine gets cycled at least once, sometimes twice a day and is starting to show some signs of wear. Does ammo have a shelf life?

If you don't mind me asking....Why are you cycling your pistol so much? My gun stays loaded, in it's holster until I go to range to practice. It hasn't been out of it's holster since I cleaned it after the Nov EAPS match. It probably won't come out until the morning of the Dec match when I unload it before getting to the range. That always freaks the McDonalds drivethru person out a bit.

 

[Ben Segrest]

I ask because the first round in my magazine gets cycled at least once, sometimes twice a day and is starting to show some signs of wear.

Why?

 

[Boudreaux]

I have the same defensive ammo in my gun for a year or more. I only take it out once a month for a match or range time then it goes back in.
If you don't mind me asking....Why are you cycling your pistol so much? My gun stays loaded, in it's holster until I go to range to practice. It hasn't been out of it's holster since I cleaned it after the Nov EAPS match. It probably won't come out until the morning of the Dec match when I unload it before getting to the range. That always freaks the McDonalds drivethru person out a bit.

By cycling I mean that once I disarm for the day, I empty the pipe and put the round back into the magazine, in the morning I load the pipe. If I end up somewhere where firearms are prohibited, I will clear the weapon before storing it in my vehicle, and reload once I return. Gives me a little piece of mind, I have two crumb snatchers running around.

 

[olivs260]

So you're also running around with 1 less bullet than necessary. Lock slide back, insert bullet, let slide rack forward. Then insert your full mag. If you want to clear the pipe when you get home, remove mag, rack slide. There should be no need to keep removing/inserting a bullet from the magazine.

I do the same as you every day, even though mine sits in a safe at night. I just don't want to take the chance of reaching into a dark safe, in a dark room, at 4:30 in the morning while I'm getting dressed, and accidentally hitting the bang switch

 

[Ben Segrest]

So you're also running around with 1 less bullet than necessary.

True

Lock slide back, insert bullet, let slide rack forward. Then insert your full mag.

Bad idea depending on what gun you are talking about. Most, if not all, handguns are designed to have the rim ride up from under the extractor a la controlled round feed rifles. Some designs are more forgiving in this regard, but if it is a 1911 you are asking for a broken extractor.

p.s. Just thought of an exception. An AR-15 pistol would be a push feed pistol.

 

[Baldrik78]

If I have to unload carry ammo from a pistol, I always cycle the round in the chamber down to the bottom of the magazine and if I've been using the same carry ammo for a few months, I start checking for setback.

Of course, J-frames don't really have this issue

 

[Guate_shooter]

Every 6 months to a year tops, specially if its being kept outside of a "controled" enviroment such as AC.

I also change my mags every so often and leave the old ones offloaded so I have a longer life on my spings.

 

[Bearco]

I replace my carry ammo about every six months, and I would advise against chambering the same round over and over - sooner or later it will set back.

This is what I do.

 

[Sin-ster]

Yep, about every 6 months. I've been shooting my competition pistol almost exclusively at the range, but still get in at least 2 sessions a month with my EDC. That means twice a month, the round leaves the chamber and gets cycled to the bottom of the magazine. Between that practice (11 rotating rounds) and the maximum 6 month deadline, set back is a non-issue.

Also note that if, like me, you carry +p ammo, it's good to shoot at least a magazine of it with some regularity. The extra snappiness isn't much at all, but being somewhat used to it seems to make a difference for me in terms of follow up shots.

 

[PrairieCajun]

I really need to shoot some expensive ammo during my next "recoil therapy" session.

 

[Sin-ster]

I really need to shoot some expensive ammo during my next "recoil therapy" session.

Just watch out for flinch. I make myself dry fire twice as much as normal after a session with something that kicks more than my typical 9mm range load.

I actually made the mistake of shooting 300 rounds through my M&P 45 a day before my last match with the G17. Lemme tell you, between the butter trigger and the extra recoil, I definitely screwed the pooch.

 

[swamper]

I've gone the route of one chambering before I shoot that magazine of carry ammo. When I unload the pistol (for dry fire, presentation drills, etc.) that has a fresh magazine of defensive ammo, I mark the chambered round with a Sharpie and send it to the bottom of the magazine. Then after each unloading, the then chambered round goes to the bottom under the marked round.

 

[jmcrawf1]

I got tired of losing count of how many times a chambered cartridge had been "rotated"; and being too lazy to keep record of it, I have begun carrying a baggie with a half-dozen or so "duty" cartridges in the range bag.

Now, when I practice, I just replace the carry mag with one of practice ammunition, fire the round that was in the chamber first off, and load from/top off the carry mag when I'm done.

.

I believe this is the easiest/least cumbersome method.

 

[sraacke]

By cycling I mean that once I disarm for the day, I empty the pipe and put the round back into the magazine, in the morning I load the pipe. If I end up somewhere where firearms are prohibited, I will clear the weapon before storing it in my vehicle, and reload once I return. Gives me a little piece of mind, I have two crumb snatchers running around.

Thanks for the answer. Regarding the disarming for the day, have you considered a bedside safe? Just remove the holstered pistol, don't even unholster it, and put it in the safe. In the morning, take it out and slide it back on your belt. I'm talking about something like the Gunvault- http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shoo...ch=1&WT.tsrc=PPC&WT.z_mc_id1=131995643&rid=20
Regarding prohibited places, why clear the weapon or even unholster it? Again, just slide the holster off your belt with the pistol strapped in it and secure it in your car. A holstered gun is a safe gun. The more you mess with it the greater your chance of a ND. This has happend to cops- http://www.thegunzone.com/mos/dea-nd.html
and even the elite of the gun community, Open Carriers -
http://forums.michiganopencarry.org/index.php?topic=271.0 . If it can happen to them then what are your chances?
Seriously, I just don't see the reason to keep messing with it.

 

[Boudreaux]

Thanks for the answer. Regarding the disarming for the day, have you considered a bedside safe? Just remove the holstered pistol, don't even unholster it, and put it in the safe. In the morning, take it out and slide it back on your belt. I'm talking about something like the Gunvault- http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shoo...ch=1&WT.tsrc=PPC&WT.z_mc_id1=131995643&rid=20
Regarding prohibited places, why clear the weapon or even unholster it? Again, just slide the holster off your belt with the pistol strapped in it and secure it in your car. A holstered gun is a safe gun. The more you mess with it the greater your chance of a ND. This has happend to cops- http://www.thegunzone.com/mos/dea-nd.html
and even the elite of the gun community, Open Carriers -
http://forums.michiganopencarry.org/index.php?topic=271.0 . If it can happen to them then what are your chances?
Seriously, I just don't see the reason to keep messing with it.

I have a safe but, like one of the previous posters, wouldn't want to let one fly in the early AM while whiping the coal from my eyes. So this is my way of preventing that along with a wife who may be going into the safe for pictures or other valuables that may be stored there. Just as you pointed out that ND's happen to cops and open carriers, safes can be left unsecured by accident and a bad thing can happen. So, unsecured safe, loaded firearm, and a roaming toddler equals six o'clock news. While not totally eliminating the possibility, unloading the firearm removes part of that equation.

 

[LACamper]

I don't like to leave a loaded, chambered gun in the car, much less at home.

 

[Snookie]

Load

WHAT

You guy's actually load your weapons??