old ammo

[kardar2]

I did not think re load ammo was the right forum bt any how I bought a lot of ammo a few years back and I was wondering how long do you carry ammo in your weapon before you shoot it up and replace it? Kardar2

 

[W4DM]

i shoot my carry ammo quarterly. thats about the amount of time it takes for me to chamber my rounds (and rounds in my spare mags) about 2-3 times max from breaking the gun down for weekly cleanings and range trips. i wouldnt risk it any more than that. (i mark my rounds with a sharpie to keep count)

new in box ammo? eh. i buy/store about 5 boxes of carry ammo. it can be almost a year or a little more before i carry it. not too worried about that at all.

 

[aj's 40 cal]

I have shot ammo over 12 years old with no issues, I wont carry ammo that old, but i replace mine every 5 years. i store it right and dont over chamber rounds. I also tend to not worry about it much either.

 

[Wyldekard]

I have shot properly stored ammo for practice that was 13 years old without any problem. I also fired improperly stored rounds of the same age and ended up with a bullet stuck in the barrel. How rounds are stored make all the difference.

 

[Tucker's Mom]

As long as it is stored right, I do not think you'll have any problem. I used to worry about that too at one stage and started circulating my supplies, use the ones at the bottom first...but hubby said our basement is climate controlled so it will be OK...I still got that habit of using what is at the bottom anyway, got used to it so everything at the moment is as fresh as a month old if we didn't have time to go to the range every second week.

 

[nca_mm]

What are some examples of bad places to store ammo?

 

[nraynes]

Bad places to store ammo:
ANY that you don't not control temp and humidity 100% of the time.

worse places to store ammo?
Any place that fluctuates 10-15 degrees with varying humidity.

Worst?
Outside in a garage, car, or anyplace that is even a little open to weather.

 

[Knourek]

I believe that ammo should be good for well over 20 years if made properly. I have badly stored ammo that still shoots fine after 20 years of storage, and they are reloads from a Dillon.

But to better answer your question, I think its up to the individual for peace of mind when it comes to your defence ammo. You should rotate it whenever you feel it may be in question.

 

[Safebustr]

I still have ammo and reloads from 1968 that work just fine,some of the ammo is military head stamped in the 50's. I won't however trust them to EDC. My EDC ammo gets rotated at least every 6 mos by firing it all and replacing with fresh.

 

[Woody1960]

I was given a box of 357 mags a couple years ago that were 25-30 years old.They all shot just fine in my Ruger GP100.

 

[Tucker's Mom]

Bad places to store ammo:
ANY that you don't not control temp and humidity 100% of the time.

worse places to store ammo?
Any place that fluctuates 10-15 degrees with varying humidity.

Worst?
Outside in a garage, car, or anyplace that is even a little open to weather.

What he said...