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Sidearms & Scatterguns Carry Ammo, How often do you replace with fresh?

SIG700

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jan 8, 2012
334
1
Pottstown, PA
Got to thinking- how often do you guys replace your carry ammo with new? Personally I go thru ~100 rounds a year. First of every month the clip in the gun (7 rounds) and the chambered round (8 total) get replaced with new out of box, ammo that was in the clip in the gun now goes to the reload clip (which is always in my pocket). Ammo that was in reload clip gets thrown into the target practice box. That way no bullet is carried more than 2 months. I'm sure many would think that changing that much that often is over kill, however what scheduling do you guys use? Or just change out whenever?
 
Re: Carry Ammo, How often do you replace with fresh?

I only swap it out if it gets exposed to moisture/crud...so not often. I think I'm still working off the two 20-count boxes I bought the first time I ever bought carry ammo 5 or 6 years ago. Maybe I oughtta get new.

I AM very careful about bullet-setback from chambering, though. I've seen other guys with bullets pushed as much as .200" deep because of repeated trips going into battery.
 
Re: Carry Ammo, How often do you replace with fresh?

I swap between three diffrent guns depending on the time of year. 2 of the guns have ammo in them that are over a year old and the 3rd is probally coming up on 3 years (its the least carried of the 3.) I empty the magazines every couple months and look at the casing and primers.
If it looks good I dont think you will have any problems that you wouldnt have with it right out of the box. I've never had cycled out ammo not fire at the range.
Its off subject but I've shoot some gnarly looking hunting ammo in the past that got wet from rain or snow and sat for years with no problems. I know they were shot mainly out of bolt guns but, I feel if its a quality gun and quality ammo, then you will know when you look at it if it needs replaced.
Its your life that ammo is protecting so go with your gut.
Have you ever had a ftf with the rounds that you cycled out?
 
Re: Carry Ammo, How often do you replace with fresh?

I change mine out when it gets shot.... Month, Year, 5 years no schedule just when i feel the need to shoot that gun. I haven't had any trouble doing it that way yet! It won't spoil!!

Just my 2 cents!
 
Re: Carry Ammo, How often do you replace with fresh?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: EMB2</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Have you ever had a ftf with the rounds that you cycled out? </div></div>

Never had a single malfunction. For the record I carry Winchester Ranger T series in both .357sig and .45auto. The T series is essentially what the Black Talon used to be, minus the "scary name".
 
Re: Carry Ammo, How often do you replace with fresh?

I don't swap it out. I figure that there is 7.62x54R that has been buried in the Ukraine for 60 years that still fires without a dud, so the stuff hanging on my hip probably won't give any fits.
 
Re: Carry Ammo, How often do you replace with fresh?

I pretty much just change out if a new loading comes along that offers significant advantages over the load that's in the gun. Since I carry Gold Dots in all my SD guns, there's almost no chance of that happening.

Our boys in the sandbox are shooting a lot of 50 BMG that was loaded during or shortly after WWII, and I have shot some 45ACP with 1914 headstamps that all went bang. Unless the cartridge gets corroded or the bullet gets set back, it will probably be functional long after you've shuffled off this mortal coil.

However I encourage everyone to change out their ammo on a schedule that makes them comfortable. If changing out often helps give someone more confidence in his self-defense firearm, then it's a very positive thing. (Confidence in one's gun is an important, yet often underrated aspect of the self-defense mindset.)
 
Re: Carry Ammo, How often do you replace with fresh?

i change mine out approx. every three months....for no other reason but to keep fresh ammo in the gun and the mags that i carry...plus its easy to keep track this way b/c i just change it at quarterly firearms quals....for all other training btwn qualifications, i use training ammo...this gives me an opportunity to inspect the mags when i download them to load the training ammo...i can check the mags, followers and springs....
 
Re: Carry Ammo, How often do you replace with fresh?

Usually around 6 months for the RNs and maybe once a year on the JHPs. Really don't much feel the need to switch them out aside from just wanting to shoot more often. JHPs have a longer shelf life fore me simply because I have been told too many times that they are harder on barrels. Haven't tested it out for myself so not saying one way or the other if they are, just that I'm sending less of them out my pistol than hardball. Standard duty carry for me is 2 ball 1 hollow. Starting with hollow in chamber
 
Re: Carry Ammo, How often do you replace with fresh?

I shoot my carry revolver three or four times a week in the winter, daily in the summer.

Always the first rounds out of the revolver is what I've been carrying, the last loads stay in the gun until the next session.

So I change mine pretty often, not necessarly because I think it needs changed but just because that's what's in the gun when I start shooting.
 
Re: Carry Ammo, How often do you replace with fresh?

Mine get changed out as it get shot. I carry the same ammunition all the time. I don't change my ammunition for carry or practice and I make it a point to get trigger time on a regular basis.
 
Re: Carry Ammo, How often do you replace with fresh?

If spare ammo is stored appropriately, and the ammo loaded into the gun is not exposed to moisture, then you are not likely to have an issue associated with age. Things to consider. If you clean the gun often, don't over do the oil or cleaner. That is more likey to get into the ammo, or at least the chambered round, and cause a ftf. You got ammo that is out there nearing a century old and still fires.

About 5 years ago, I went out shooting with a few other deputies and a couple had some old duty ammo that they still had loaded into their service guns. It was the actual Black Talons. I dunno what year they actually did away with those, but they all shot. Once a year they are issued a new box of duty ammo, and are expected to retire whatever they got either at quals or on their own.
 
Re: Carry Ammo, How often do you replace with fresh?

I used to carry a 1911 for duty and changed out my duty rounds once a year. I carried the 1911 for 3 years. Fire off the old replace with the new. I did notice that the bullet would get pushed into the case over time as I would chamber, unchamber, and rechamber my one in the pipe. So I took up the practice of changing the position of the rounds in the mag every two weeks. I carry a 9mm Springfield XDm now and taking into account that I carry 20 in the mag and the price for the Corbon loads I am loading I am swapping out once every 2 years now.