How Often Do You Change Carry Ammo?

[flintsghost]

I don't change my carry ammo. Because I shoot the same handload for practice as I use for edc or hunting, I just shoot it and if I'm running low, load some more.

I've shot a bunch of WW II 45 ball ammo without a single failure. Can't tell the difference between that 60-70 year old ammo and brand new ball ammo.

WWII 45 ball ammo is sealed at the bullet by asphaltum glue and the primers are crimped and laquered in order to make the entire round as near waterproof as possible. That's a far cry from your own reloads or the new ammo you buy at the shop.

 

[Smoke]

My employer issues me exactly 46 rounds of ammunition every year (and I had to fight for that 46th round). So that gets changed every year.

For my personal gun I change it out when it looks funky. Maybe every 2 years

 

[OldK22]

I shoot it up at least once a month.

 

[dlombard]

The stuff I buy is hard to get, pricey and you're not allowed to shoot it at most target ranges I visit anyway. I think that once can talk my way into either open or concealed Home carry, I probably will have to start evaluating what to do about ammunition that has been outside of a sealed container for several months.

 

[bigwheelzip]

Wow. That's a big "switch" (in weight) from whatever 9mm you carry.

My 9mm is the Shield, but the 3" 686+ is a fine carry on my Galco SB2 belt and Combat Master holster and gives me the most confidence. If I could carry it without printing, it would be my EDC.

 

[Kid_Pappy]

My carry mag is always the first to go boom. Do this to make sure would work if needed. Actually shot today along with my other 2 carry mags. Shoot the Winchester 124 NATO ball stuff so not to expensive.

Shot all in the bag except I kept what I needed so as not to drive home with an empty gun. Not complaining since I went shooting with my father and my son.

 

[Old cop]

My EDC recently became a .380 BG (J frame 40 + yrs.) so the idea of replacing the chambered round to avoid bullet set back when unloading/reloading is something I'll use.

When I retired in '97 I had an envelope full of .38, 9mm & .40 rounds collected over time and sitting in my locker for years. They all got shot and worked just fine, and some of those .38 rounds were more than 20 years old.

 

[APS]

About once a month I'll shoot the 135gp+P Gold Dots in my 642, cold, first rounds of the trip and from concealment. Otherwise it gets shot almost every week with my reloads.

 

[Hamster65]

My EDC ammo it a bit pricey and only comes in 20 round boxes so, I only shoot the round that is chambered when I go to the range. The rest gets unloaded and replaced with "range ammo". After I return home and finish cleaning, a fresh new round goes in the chamber and the rest gets loaded back into the magazines.

As for my rifles and shotgun, while the magazines do stay loaded all of the time, only snap caps are chambered while they are stored so on the rare occasion I take 1 or 2 to the range, I shoot whatever is loaded in them at the time.

 

[DEG]

I go though about 4 boxes of SD ammo per year in my primary ccw firearm. About every other trip to the range I shoot the magazine that's in the gun before switching to reloads for the session. I guess I just want to reaffirm that my SD ammo is shooting about the same point of impact as my practice ammo.

 

[Warren Sear]

In my opinion, since ammo has a shelf life of about 100 years or more, there is no need to ever change ammo, unless it gets damaged from loading and unloading the same cartridge or something.

 

[CH4]

Approximately once a year.

 

[Buford57]

I agree, it's probably not necessary, but I still do it.

My department required us to fire the 6 rounds in our duty weapons on the first stage of the qualification course, which led to the following incident:

An officer who wasn't much into guns fired his first 6 and discovered that the cylinder on his M15 wouldn't open. The rangemaster got it open, but the empties would not eject until he persuaded the ejector rod with a wooden mallet. The rounds had been glued in place by verdigris, lint and other assorted crud, the result of at least 6 months of never being removed from the holster while in and out of the weather in temps ranging from the high 90s to 40 below. All went "bang" though.

 

[Moe Mentum]

I shoot my carry gun a few times a year, I replace with new ammo.

 

[Old cop]

Re: the officer who's Model 15 would not open b/c of all the built up crud is inexcusable. Sergeants inspected our uniforms and weapons at least monthly, more often if necessary. This management control obviously was not in place in that instance. Not all cops are into guns (most aren't) and sometimes need an incentive to keep things in working order.

 

[comtedeloach]

In good times, regularly. In bad times, less regularly.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Buford57]

Re: the officer who's Model 15 would not open b/c of all the built up crud is inexcusable. Sergeants inspected our uniforms and weapons at least monthly, more often if necessary. This management control obviously was not in place in that instance. Not all cops are into guns (most aren't) and sometimes need an incentive to keep things in working order.

+1

The quality and commitment of the officers was variable, the shift sergeants were promoted from the line and so carried the same level of ability and commitment into that function. The same supervisor who let him get through roll call all that time also dressed me down for bailing out on a rape in progress call with nightstick, flashlight and...no hat. Actually sat in his car at the top of the hill I'd just descended calling to me over his PA to come back and get my hat. Not backing me, just inspecting.

 

[Marvin Gardens]

Although I am now retired, I still change out quarterly just as I did when still working. I practice with reloads but shoot up the Hydra shok in the guns and magazines quarterly just as I did when I was active. Ammo is expensive but could be the cheapest part of the equation if needed.

Regards.

Bob

 

[TX-Dennis]

I'm a once a year kinda guy when it comes to shooting off/replacing defensive ammo. I've yet to have one that failed to fire, so I guess that works for me. At this rate I've got several years worth of gold dots and HST stocked up.

 

[shouldazagged]

I only own revolvers now, so I have no worries about cycling, rounds being jarred in magazines, etc.

I don't worry about the age of ammo or have a rotation schedule. I have some Remington Golden Saber 125gr. +P I bought fifteen or twenty years ago and never shot up. I'm confident it's still perfectly reliable.