How long do you keep your defensive handgun ammo?

lilgibby · Jul 25, 2018

I give mine rounds 5 rechamberings then I add it to the practice pile. I dry fire everyday. Sometimes several times so it adds up quick but its piece of mind and I buy a few boxes of my defense ammo everytime I buy plinking ammo so I have plenty on hand to refresh. Plus the rounds in storage if need be.

JohnnyE · Jul 25, 2018

knastera said:
I would say the life depends on whether the gun it is loaded in is one you carry or one that sits in a bedside safe for home defense use. For the former, the one year rotation makes sense because it is subject to changes in heat, humidity, and depending on how you carry, sweat and other moisture. The latter is sitting in a climate controlled environment that is no different than the rest of your stored ammo, so I would treat it as such. YMMV.

alucard0822 said:
More than likely modern sealed ammo will last decades, but can get beat up with repeated chambering, or if oil gets into it. I like to shoot my carry rig and a spare mag as it sits on my belt every few times I go to the range. It has never failed, still practice malf drills, and while I use cheap FMJ for the bulk of practice with it, I usually go through a couple boxes of carry ammo a year, so fresh ammo every couple months. More to do with my practice ideology than any perceived fault with the ammo.

Me likey, especially because you guys distinguish between stored ammo, ammo that is carried, and ammo that is rechambered.

When the price was right, I bought defensive ammo in case lots. It is all stored in a cool basement in sealed ammo cans containing silica gel packs that get refreshed in the oven every year or so. Unless it's used up first, this ammo will outlast me, the kids and grand kids.

Ammo that gets carried is another matter. Heat and humidity (especially salty perspiration), vibration and so on may take a toll on carry ammo, so I shoot it out and replace it annually. We're only talking about half a box or less per year. One case contains 20 boxes of 50, so the burn rate is slow, which is why my supply will last decades.

Rechambering is another issue. When they're not on me, my carry guns are in a safe to which only I have access. Since this ammo is seldom rechambered, setback is not really a concern, so my carry ammo usually times out annually.

If I do find myself rechambering, I look for setback. It's not hard to spot. Even if I don't detect any setback, after a couple of rechamberings, the round gets shot at the range.

How long do you keep your defensive handgun ammo?

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