How often should I change my carry ammo?

[Fixxxer]

I was wondering how often I should swap my ammo out. I leave my 3 self defense clips loaded always.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Junkyard Dawwg]

I change ammo in all mags every month.

jp

[Natureboypkr]

I change mine every 3 to 4 weeks.

[dukalmighty]

I change them about every 6 months,unless it gets washed in the laundry then it gets changed now,by the way I shoot the washed stuff at the range and it still goes bang but i'm not gonna risk my life with it, ammo in military is different that stuff is sealed against moisture otherwise SEALS would be in trouble after swimming into a beach

[Tally XD]

Do mean "rotate" ammo? I hope you arent tossing those stored rounds away ?? Ammo is good for a lot of years.

I ahve heard and read that it is good to rotate the top round to the bottom once in a while just in case the bullet gets set back in the case a bit from repeated racking the slide to load the round in the chamber. Something which might cause the first shot to be a dud.

[gunmetal]

I was wondering how often I should swap my ammo out. I leave my 3 self defense clips loaded always.

Mags. :)

Assuming you are asking about periodically replacing your carry ammo with fresh rounds....

It depends on what you are doing with your carry ammo. If you are one of the types who is always unloading and re-chambering, then you should rotate the top round through the magazine(s) as another poster suggested, and probably not chamber any single round more than 2-3 times.

OTOH, if the ammo just sits in the mags (and chamber) for long periods, there isn't really any need to rotate it unless it is getting filthy from lint/dust/etc. But, it wouldn't be a bad idea for you to occasionally shoot it off at your range trips, to continue testing it and to ensure you don't have function issues with it.

[1911packer]

I shoot then replace my carry ammo (two mags + the pipe) once a year for wear and tear from sweat, rechambering, dirt, etc. My cache of carry ammo is kept in a cool, dry place so I don't worry about its age. At the rate I am going, I will need to buy more carry ammo in about 20 years (assuming I don't need to use the 15 rounds before its anniversary date.)

[rocky]

Do not shoot bullets that have setback in the case. http://www.defensivecarry.com/vbulle...-reminder.html

[David in FL]

I try to get to the range every other week or so. Every other range trip, I shoot my carry ammo first, then switch to practice ammo. When I'm done at the range, I reload my mags and carry as normal. So I'm practicing with, and shooting my carry load once a month on average. I don't do it because of any deterioration of the ammo....but rather because the carry ammo performs a little differently than the white box that I regularly shoot and I think it's worthwhile to put a few rounds down range to keep comfortable with it.

[Cupcake]

Every 4-6 months I shoot my carry ammo and replace it.

[Fixxxer]

Thanks for the info guys.

I so meant to say Mags....everyone and their mother around me says clips so it slipped out.

[Tally XD]

Then you can now educate "them and their mother"

[dukalmighty]

Problem with bullet setback isn't a dud round it's about compressing the powder charge resulting in higher case pressure which can cause a kaboom,

[ripley16]

Fixxxer, Is there a particular reason you feel the need to swap ammo, what effects your ammo to cause you to ask? Under the assumption you practice at least once a year, that should be sufficient. Unless you are in some unusual line of work, hazardous to firearms and ammo, there isn't much that will effect your ammo. If you are one of the folks that constantly chamber and unload rounds, then you need to pay attention to how that effects your bullet setback, or simply stop loading and unloading (unless manditory for some reason).

[user]

How often does it wet itself?

All seriousness aside, in my opinion you've got to watch out for bullet creep in semiautomatics, because when you chamber a round, it has a tendency to compress the bullet into the case. Doing that a lot on the same bullet will make the bullet unreliable. Other than that, I don't think you need to worry about it.