[DawgFvr]

How often should one replace defensive shotgun ammo? I ask, becasue, although I have a home defensive shotgun, I usually shoot my rifles and handguns far more consistently. I have 12 guage shells that are over three years old...are they still good? Recently, a gun store clerk told me that shot shell is in a whole different category than rifle/pistol ammo and should be fired and or rotated frequently.

[RNB65]

No need to worry. As long as you keep them dry, they'll last for decades. The gun store clerk was trying to sell you some ammo.

[Third_Rail]

I've fired shells so old they were full length brass and loaded with blackpowder; they went off just fine.

I've also fired shells that had paper hulls; they had been in a duck blind in miserable conditions for YEARS. They went off just fine too!


In short, don't worry about it - modern ammo will outlast all of us.

[B.D. Turner]

While I worked at the Sheriff's Office we had problems with some Mossburg 500's not wanting to cycle like they once did. The problem was found to be the shotgun being loaded for a year at the time with the same ammo in the trunk of a car. Some of the shells would mushroom making them tight to get into the chamber. The magazine spring compression along with the heat in the trunk was the problem. A brass shell would be a great comeback for law enforcement shotguns.

[ArmedBear]

Good point, BD!

DawgFvr- Have those shells been in a box, or in the tube magazine? Shotshells do mushroom under the right (wrong) conditions.

Most of my shotshells don't last more than a few days, sometimes only hours, after I load them.:D

But my duck shells sit around forever. We have a lot of ducks here, but they're not where you can legally hunt them (or get away with hunting them, for that matter).:)

[DWARREN123]

Need to shoot the shotgun more and rotate the ammo, more fun!

[DawgFvr]

Well, I have the shells in a closet, but yes, they are also loaded in my Mossberg 590A1...which is kept behind a divan in my bedroom and loaded with the shells I am concerned about. I must admit, I have not fired that gun in over a year and a half. I rotate my shells yearly...( 00) for the winter months and ( 1 ) for the summer months. They seem to cycle ok...but then, they are inside the house and Washington State has cooler weather. Ya...I know...I should be out shooting these up when I take my Garand to the range.

[B.D. Turner]

Downloading your shotgun one or two rounds may help but regular shooting is the only way to keep your skills sharp. I keep shells in metal ammo cans for years and have never had a problem. Remember cool and dry is the key to ammo storage.

[Demolition]

I have 12 guage shells that are over three years old...are they still good?
Remington Support states that their ammunition has a 10-year shelf life if it is kept dry and not exposed to extreme temperatures. Therefore, they should be perfectly fine in your closet, assuming that it's not in a damp part of your basement or right next to your water heater or somesuch.

[Gun Geezer]

I still have shells that I reloaded as teenager in high school. I am now 47 years old and those shells still go off reliably.

I know: why on earth do you still have them after nearly 30 years?

Answer: They are goose loads with lead shot, which are no longer legal for geese.

Those made it to the back of the shop some how and I just found them recently. I fired off a whole box on coons and opposums with great effect!:D

So far, have never had a shell, cartridge, etc fail to fire except for primer not going off and those were factory loads bought only days before!:banghead: