How often do you replace your CCW ammo?

[maser44]

New to CCW world and been reading about concerns with constantly loading and unloading your daily carry- ie bullet setback, scratched casing, damaged primers etc. Curious on your experiences and if any of you have had any failures with rounds due to the unloading and loading.

1. Do you unload your ccw daily, and reload and re-chamber a new round? If so, why?
Edit: dry fire practice is a valid reason I’ve heard.
2. Do you rotate the ammo in each mag so each one is only re-chambered a certain amount of times?
3. How often do you replace the ammo?
4. Any personal stories of failures with CCW ammo due to degradation?

 

[lactoast]

The only question I can speak to is #1: I just leave it in the holster and store it, holstered, until the next time I plan on carrying it. I don't usually unholster and clear unless it's to inspect, or if I'm using it for practice in IDPA matches

 

[RustyIron]

1. Do you unload your ccw daily, and reload and re-chamber a new round? If so, why?

I would have no reason to unload the guns that I use regularly.

2. Do you rotate the ammo in each mag so each one is only re-chambered a certain amount of times?

I've had guns that would set-back the projectile if it was chambered only a few times. Regardless, if I have to unload the gun and then reload the ammo, I'll put the top round toward the bottom of the stack.

3. How often do you replace the ammo?

I don't so much replace it, as I just blow through the magazine at the beginning of a shooting session. The gun, magazine, and ammo are exactly as I've been carrying them. I draw the gun from the holster and empty the magazine. If there are any "glitches" that might occur, I need to know, and this is the time when they'd most likely show up.

4. Any personal stories of failures with CCW ammo due to degradation?

I can't say I recall a failure caused by my carrying the ammo too long in the gun.

 

[BOOLITZ]

Roughly every 6 months Ill send em down range.

 

[maser44]

I would have no reason to unload the guns that I use regularly.



I've had guns that would set-back the projectile if it was chambered only a few times. Regardless, if I have to unload the gun and then reload the ammo, I'll put the top round toward the bottom of the stack.



I don't so much replace it, as I just blow through the magazine at the beginning of a shooting session. The gun, magazine, and ammo are exactly as I've been carrying them. I draw the gun from the holster and empty the magazine. If there are any "glitches" that might occur, I need to know, and this is the time when they'd most likely show up.




I can't say I recall a failure caused by my carrying the ammo too long in the gun.

With #3, it sounds like you regularly train with your defense ammo, so you use it long before you worry about it failing?

And I’m not sure why I always see so many people unload and reload every time they holster. Maybe it’s a social media thing. I plan to place my holster from belt to safe to belt but curious if there was any logic in this besides an Instagram reel.

 

[Gawernator]

New to CCW world and been reading about concerns with constantly loading and unloading your daily carry- ie bullet setback, scratched casing, damaged primers etc. Curious on your experiences and if any of you have had any failures with rounds due to the unloading and loading.

1. Do you unload your ccw daily, and reload and re-chamber a new round? If so, why?
2. Do you rotate the ammo in each mag so each one is only re-chambered a certain amount of times?
3. How often do you replace the ammo?
4. Any personal stories of failures with CCW ammo due to degradation?

Always left loaded unless I was going to take it to the range and if you cycle through the rounds and have quality ammo setback isn't a big deal. I never just unchamber the round for no reason. Usually I chamber the round when I'm going to CCW it and then it just sits like that until used otherwise.

1. no, that's dumb
2. I don't go out of my way to
3. I'd say once they had a birthday you might as well shoot it for practice and replace the rounds you've carried. This is more for habit and peace of mind. Ammo will easily last 5-10+ years without issue. Inspect for damage.
4. I've never seen or heard of this being an issue with modern ammo. There are certain makes of ammo on the market known for having noticeable bullet setback though especially in the people that apparently re-chamber their ammo 100 times.

 

[Gawernator]

With #3, it sounds like you regularly train with your defense ammo, so you use it long before you worry about it failing?

And I’m not sure why I always see so many people unload and reload every time they holster. Maybe it’s a social media thing. I plan to place my holster from belt to safe to belt but curious if there was any logic in this besides an Instagram reel.

Most people in gun social media follow what others tend to say and you have groupthink, I'd just be wary of whatever advice you take from online. Seek out professionals and as you gain real life experience you'll know what's BS or not immediately. I myself am no shooting expert either. At least intel analysts are always really great shots in Hollywood movies.

 

[NewbieDoo]

@maser44

1. Do you unload your ccw daily, and reload and re-chamber a new round? If so, why?
No. An acceptable routine IMO is as follows: Remove weapon and holster as unit. Lock in safe/put on nightstand (as needed based on circumstance). Next day, remove weapon from holster, place holster on belt, check status of weapon, holster weapon, 5 practice draws with clothing (be VERY careful, as firearm is loaded). Repeat at end of day.

2. Do you rotate the ammo in each mag so each one is only re-chambered a certain amount of times?
Yes, but the only time the weapon is cleared is for range practice or dry firing. I'm aware of 3 schools of thought here: (1) rounds in the magazine rotate (2) magazine stays fully loaded and only the chambered round rotates, or (3) mix em up and hope for the best.

• For option 1, drop the mag, clear the chamber, take a sharpie and mark the casing of the round you remove from the chamber. Take either a few rounds out or all the rounds out of the mag. Load the marked round, and reload the mag. Repeat until all of the rounds are marked. Once they're all marked shoot them at the range and refill with new rounds. With the marking, you know for sure every round will be chambered a maximum of 2 times.
• For option 2, drop the mag, clear the chamber, mark the casing on the cleared round and set it to the side. When it's time to reload, take a new round in an otherwise empty mag, load the chamber, drop the empty mag, then re-seat the full mag. Continue until you have a mag's worth of marked rounds, then replace the unmarked rounds in the mag with marked rounds and repeat the entire process. Once all are marked, shoot them at the range. This saves some spring wear on your mag, but may not be ideal if you don't have extra rounds wherever you are unloading/reloading. Again, with the marking, you know for sure every round will be chambered a maximum of 2 times.
• For option 3, once you clear the chamber, take 5 or 6 rounds out of the mag, load the cleared round in the middle somewhere, and reload. Realistically, the rounds are not THAT fragile, so a round being loaded 3 or 4 times likely isn't going to cause a failure, but this is the least deliberate approach.

3. How often do you replace the ammo?
Once everything in the magazine has been marked/loaded, all the rounds go out the business end. If you have 10+1 and go to the range w/ your primary once a month, you're looking a clean turnover once a year. If you have freedom week mags, it'll be longer. Next time there's an ammo freedom week (or just a really good sale somewhere), I would find someone who ships to your doorstep and grab 500 rounds. If you can find some 9MM Federal HST 124 grain for 65 to 75 cents per round ($325-$375 all in for 500), grab it and don't look back. With this refresh schedule, you shouldn't need to buy more.

4. Any personal stories of failures with CCW ammo due to degradation?
No.

 

[Hindsight]

1. Nope. My carry guns stay holstered and loaded with a +1 and a full mag. I do however have exact backups for any guns I seriously carry or compete with, so I use those for dry fire purposes as they're unloaded, can take all the wear and tear, and allow me to easily dry fire to confirm or refamiliarize myself with the index for a particular gun before holstering up for the day without having to unload and load.

2. If I'm going to the range that day/at that time, I may carry the backup instead as I tend to do some cold draw from concealment drills to test what my cold performance is (what really matters most and is invaluable/high value and shouldn't be wasted during a session). If not, I'll keep the chambered round and swap out the carry mag with defensive ammo with a full mag of range ammo before doing my first drill.

3. Usually gets shot within a few weeks as I hit the range 2 times a week (less if I'm going to a match or class that weekend). Max is usually a month but I wouldn't feel bad or unsafe or something not shooting the carry ammo for a while. It's relatively clean and temperature controlled in the gun or in a kydex spare mag holder. I'd probably rotate once per quarter though and maybe once a month if I lived in an especially high humidity location though. Salt water and humidity are a motherless to metal.

4. Nope. Not that I can recall at least as I actively try to only keep 1-1.5 years worth of ammo stored at any given time, shoot it, and replace it when deals pop up online and buy in bulk based on what my burn rate for ammo is looking like month to month or per quarter.

 

[miles888]

I unload when they go back in the safe because I have a Barry’s style hanger and don’t want the rod against the loaded round.

I check for setback with a digital caliper. Have reloaded the same rounds up to 35 times and haven’t seen it move at all. Federal HST 147gr 9mm.

I’m convinced setback is a FUD myth that doesn’t apply to modern quality ammo.

I shoot the ammo every six months or so and put in fresh stuff.

 

[ButteFlyFisher]

@maser44

1. Do you unload your ccw daily, and reload and re-chamber a new round? If so, why?
No. An acceptable routine IMO is as follows: Remove weapon and holster as unit. Lock in safe/put on nightstand (as needed based on circumstance). Next day, remove weapon from holster, place holster on belt, check status of weapon, holster weapon, 5 practice draws with clothing (be VERY careful, as firearm is loaded). Repeat at end of day.

Good gravy I hope you are doing this in a safe direction with a solid backstop.

 

[donmatteo]

New to CCW world and been reading about concerns with constantly loading and unloading your daily carry- ie bullet setback, scratched casing, damaged primers etc. Curious on your experiences and if any of you have had any failures with rounds due to the unloading and loading.

1. Do you unload your ccw daily, and reload and re-chamber a new round? If so, why?
Edit: dry fire practice is a valid reason I’ve heard.
2. Do you rotate the ammo in each mag so each one is only re-chambered a certain amount of times?
3. How often do you replace the ammo?
4. Any personal stories of failures with CCW ammo due to degradation?

1. No
2. No
3. every 6 months
4. No

 

[Darqhelmet]

New to CCW world and been reading about concerns with constantly loading and unloading your daily carry- ie bullet setback, scratched casing, damaged primers etc. Curious on your experiences and if any of you have had any failures with rounds due to the unloading and loading.

1. Do you unload your ccw daily, and reload and re-chamber a new round? If so, why?
Edit: dry fire practice is a valid reason I’ve heard.
2. Do you rotate the ammo in each mag so each one is only re-chambered a certain amount of times?
3. How often do you replace the ammo?
4. Any personal stories of failures with CCW ammo due to degradation?

1. No gun in holster, in safe.
2. I don’t rechamber my ammo. I shoot it.
3. Carry ammo gets shot every range trip. 20 rounds a week won’t kill you
4. no

 

[ar15robert]

Mine stays loaded 24/7. Only
Time I clear it is when I hit the range to practice. Ammo I change yearly

 

[MattB]

I rotate the top round every time I chamber and unchamber.

 

[ChallengerScatPackClub]

Shoot them every range trip so you can load new rounds. I also never re-chamber a round that was already chambered. Only with revolvers. You never know a “used” round might cause a malfunction. Keep your carry guns loaded at all times. Just make sure it is in a solid and reliable safe. Training and ammo are cheap compared to human lives.

One of my carry guns was loaded with 9mm HST 147 grain. During a range trip the first round did not fire. After chambering it in other firearms the round still did not fire. Crazy to think if I had really needed to use it and the first round was a dud. Also crazy to think this would happen with one of the best, most used, and trusted ammo brands. Tap and rack!

 

[Trapper]

1. No
2. No
3. 12 months or less
4. No

I carry Winchester T series 124gr. A few years back I left a loaded magazine in my pants pocket, tossed them in the washing machine, and found the mag before it went into the dryer. Next trip to the range, each round fired without an issue.

 

[NewbieDoo]

Good gravy I hope you are doing this in a safe direction with a solid backstop.

Good callout. Yes. Rules 2 and 3 are paramount. Fast out, slow in, finger never enters trigger guard.

IMO, it’s important to draw in the clothes you actually wear, as there can be differences in clearing different garments. I used to do it unloaded, but after 1000 reps or so, I stopped unloading each day to do it.

 

[jayson_b24]

 

[Hindsight]

Good callout. Yes. Rules 2 and 3 are paramount. Fast out, slow in, finger never enters trigger guard.

IMO, it’s important to draw in the clothes you actually wear, as there can be differences in clearing different garments. I used to do it unloaded, but after 1000 reps or so, I stopped unloading each day to do it.

That's what the exact backup training gun is for - takes the wear and tear on dryfire, training sessions, and doesn't need to be cleaned as frequently and can stay unloaded so the carry version stays fully loaded at all times and pristine.