View Full Version : Do you cycle your home/personal defense ammo?
There are some people that will shoot their home and personal defense ammo in their mags (carry) every 6 months to 1 year. Thoughts?
I shoot my carry gun about once a year, maybe a bit longer. just for practice, not to cycle the ammo.
the rest of the time it stays loaded. the one time I did unload it I emptied the mag and put the round that had been chambered at the bottom to prevent bullet setback.
ammo doesn't get stale.
I usually do, but just because I forget that I don't want to shoot my hollow points and end up shooting a mag. I'm glad that I did though, because all my hollow points caused problems in my gun. Otherwise I just try not rechamber the same round any time I unload the gun.
Circuits
10-21-2009, 00:27
I practice with cheap FMJ and then refill the mags with quality +P JHP when i'm done. Around every year or so, I'll notice the JHP is looking tarnished, make sure I've got enough new JHP to reload the mags, and I'll cycle through the old stuff in a practice session. So four mags of carry JHP around once a year for me.
The same ammo's been in my go-to shotgun and rifle for years, though.
Before I trust my life with it, I always take my new guns out and shoot at least one magazine of the ammo I intend to carry. About every year or so(maybe 2... I wont fib to you guys...!) I will shoot off my carry ammo, and replace it. Sometimes Ill shoot it before that if I have more on hand. No real reason other than open carrying in rain/snow, i just want to make sure my stuff is somewhat "fresh". Last thing I want in a battle is to hear a fizzle instead of a bang!
I also like to know the difference in how a weapon will shoot with different ammo. There is a huge difference in recoil and noise between a 45 loaded /w 230 grain ball ammo, and using 200 grain +P corbon stuff! Glad I didnt find that out in a gun battle!
Colorado Osprey
10-21-2009, 06:54
Before I trust my life with it, I always take my new guns out and shoot at least one magazine of the ammo I intend to carry.
Good practice... but better yet fire 2-500 of the ammo you intend to carry in the firearm you intend to carry it in to ensure reliabilty with the ammo you choose to carry in your firearm.
This will make sure your firearms is not just reliable but you are proficient with that firearm.
I know this gets very expensive with the price of personal defense ammo, but is your life worth it? I guess my advise is really for those that expect they will really need to fire their guns in self defense rather than the average CCW holder... but good advise anyway.
Back to the original post. I agree with loading and unloading in semi-auto's you can get set back and these rounds should be changed out, but the rest of the mag should be good for 20 years at least. Now you might change magazines you keep loaded so the springs don't get worn out.
As far as revolvers. No there is no reason to change out ammo.
The only reason to change out ammo that has been in a gun for a while is if you are concerned about oil deadening the primer. Most ammo is well sealed, though.
From what I understand, the only way to wear out a spring is by using it. Keeping it uncompressed, or fully compressed makes no difference.
Vitesse304
10-21-2009, 10:18
wow...some of you guys need to shoot your guns more! Especially if your going to carry it!
I usually shoot at least once a week, and I shoot my carry guns once a month.
I will run a mag FMJ's for practice, and then run my carry JHP's as a last round of practice and reload the mag! All my carry guns are always loaded so I have no problem with bullet set back. (I don't empty my guns when I get home)
I agree with Colorado Osprey; it's not worth saving the money if your life depends on it.
Great-Kazoo
10-21-2009, 10:19
no
kidicarus13
10-21-2009, 11:19
After making sure X brand HP ammo works reliably in my carry pistol I load it and forget it. When I go to the range I shoot FMJ and then reload the same HP ammo I just unloaded. The only time I change out the ammo in my pistol is when I choose to go to a new bullet design and then I start again at the beginning.
I have personally never had HP ammo fail and I've shot near 1000 rounds with an age range of a couple of months to as old as 10-12 years. IMO people who change their HP ammo out every 6 months are the same people who use 91 octane fuel when the manufacturer recommends 85 octane fuel.
SA Friday
10-21-2009, 11:52
Wow, there's some really funny stuff in this thread. You guys ever test out some of these gun myths you seem to take for truth?
The only things in here that ring true are bullet set-back, ensuring function and accuracy with ammo/gun combos, and most of you needing to practice more.[Coffee]
Some of the other stuff is just funny. Ammo going stale, gun oil killing primers, compressed springs don't die, ammo being too loud or flashing too bright...
I rotate my mags to ensure I don't have dead mag springs. I also replace the mag springs on loaded mags about every year. They are cheap and mag springs DO die when left loaded.
I don't practice with my carry ammo. I test it works in the gun and is accurate. After that, all practice ammo is cheap fodder. There is no need to run 500 rounds of uber expensive defense ammo to determine if it works or not. You'll know in two mags, max.
Unless you are pouring 10w-30 directly into the gun from the quart bottle to lube your gun, you will never have oil kill a primer. As a matter of fact oil based products don't kill primers. Spraying wd-40 on unwanted primers to throw them away doesn't work. Bleach works. I got this from a chemist that made primers for a living.
Ammo being too loud or flashing you is complete myth. The stress level of a shooting will throw you straight into Tachi Psychi response and you are not going to hear anything or have to fight flash.
If the ammo doesn't have green crud on the ammo it's not old. Even if it does, it'll more than likely work. The military shelf life on ammo is 25 years. I know, I've shot 25 year old ammo when active and it worked just fine. Don't submerge it and you are good.
OgenRwot
10-21-2009, 16:05
I shoot my carry ammo about every 4-6 months or so.
If being compressed ruined springs, car springs wouldn't last 25 years at a time.
I guess I just haven't had any of my guns long enough to ruin them by leaving the mags loaded. Mine have been loaded for going on three years now, and have yet to have a failure related to mags.
For me...
Carry ammo is always tested... usually 2-5 mags to ensure it cycles. I keep two mags fully loaded, 1 in the gun, 1 extra mag that i carry. 24/7... in the past i've always shot the two mags that i keep loaded once a year, that time is coming up again, so i thought i would post the question.
SA Friday
10-21-2009, 23:19
If being compressed ruined springs, car springs wouldn't last 25 years at a time.
I guess I just haven't had any of my guns long enough to ruin them by leaving the mags loaded. Mine have been loaded for going on three years now, and have yet to have a failure related to mags.
Car springs are loaded, not fully compressed like a full mag. I guarantee you those mags loaded for 3 years are far from the same strength as a new mag spring. Test it. I did.
Mag springs for my carry guns get changed at least once a year. They are just too cheap to not.
I can't argue that mag springs are cheap.
What exactly is bullet set-back?
Colorado Osprey
10-25-2009, 07:37
When chambering a semi-auto the bullet goes up the feed ramp and into the chamber. Some bullets partially hit the chamber wall as well. With the resistance of being chambered the bullet can travel slightly rearward into the brass causing raised pressure when fired. When loaded and emptied, loaded and emptied withth e same cartridge this can create dangerous condition possibly resulting in a Ka-Boom or a KB (rapid disassembly)
DD977GM2
10-25-2009, 14:23
No. All my firearms are loaded and I do change mags ever so often. I do shoot my carry ammo when i forget to change it out with FMJ.
Thank you Foxtrot. I have read things like that many times before, but since I've never studied metallurgy; it would have been silly for me to try and argue.
I cycle mine, out the end of the barrel..
If being compressed ruined springs, car springs wouldn't last 25 years at a time.
I guess I just haven't had any of my guns long enough to ruin them by leaving the mags loaded. Mine have been loaded for going on three years now, and have yet to have a failure related to mags.
Ever look at the suspension on 70's Chrysler products, where you'd have to put 4 inch extended shackles on 'em just to get them to sit level(in the early 80's)?
Springs will take a set, and lose tension when placed under stress. This effect is less noticeable in helically wound springs (most magazine springs), and those that are lighter in rate, but longer and with greater preload.
ColoEnthusiast
10-26-2009, 22:36
Ever look at the suspension on 70's Chrysler products, where you'd have to put 4 inch extended shackles on 'em just to get them to sit level(in the early 80's)?
As foxtrot mentioned earlier, there is a difference in types of springs, with helical being better than leaf springs for durability. I have also seen very old magazines that are fine and have been sitting loaded for over 40 years (M1 carbine primarily but others as well).
From what I have read, spring metallurgy will hold up very well under constant (but not excessive) pressure, but use is still the best way to wear out a spring. As for the old cars, there are many people who park uphill and leave excessive stress on the rear springs. That along with 200k or so and/or towing will take their toll. Another possible factor may be that some cars were simply made with higher quality spring steel...
I personally leave out a few rounds from a magazine and don't worry about it. I still rotate magazines on occasion as well, but not because it is a big concern, more for peace of mind than anything else.
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