Another Reason to Rotate Carry Ammo

Does this issue also apply to revolvers?

The original message specifically mentions "an autoloading handgun". Does this issue also apply to revolvers?

Personally, I keep the unloading/reloading to an absolute minimum. My autos stay ready for action, I see no reason to unload/reload frequently. An unloaded gun is just an unwieldy club.

I'm another who generally unloads only by firing it out..

On the rare occasion I do unload otherwise, I also remove a few rounds from the magazine and chamber one of them instead of the one that was originally in the chamber.

On the rare occasion I do unload otherwise, I also remove a few rounds from the magazine and chamber one of them instead of the one that was originally in the chamber

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Absolutely! Never chamber the same round twice!

“It;s brought on by the physical forces involved with stripping the round from the magazine then the sudden stop as it's chambered.”

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There needs to be a clarification to this statement. If it is meant that in addition to the stripping of the cartridge from the magazine, the great slowing down of the cartridge as the bullet strikes the feed ramp which would attempt to cause the bullet to go into the case (the inertia of the bullet is greatly reduce, but the case’s inertia hasn’t until it is slowed by the friction of the bullet/case junction) then that’s what actually happens.

But if it is meant that when the cartridge case is completely stopped after entering the chamber then the greater inertia of the bullet because of its greater weight than the case would cause the bullet to be pulled forward rather than set back. Think about how a kinetic bullet puller works.

I was thinking that if your auto pistol had an external extractor, like Glocks, rather than the ones on the early internal style 1911s that you could just place a cartridge into the chamber without the magazine inserted and let the slide go forward and let the extractor cam over the rim like it would do if it was loaded from the magazine… no harm, no foul, primer damage notwithstanding.

It is recommended that you not do this with an internal extractor because the caming action stresses the extractor and in time can cause the extractor’s tension on the case to weaken causing FTE.

Sometimes it becomes so much fun, I can't rotate am!o fast enough

After unloading for the range or cleaning I put the round that was in the chamber back in the chamber, close the slide then insert the magazine. Is there an issue with this method?

I'm concerned by this...think I need to go test out a few rounds to see if the primer is messed up.

Jeff White said:

No, it doesn't really apply to revolvers. It;s brought on by the physical forces involved with stripping the round from the magazine then the sudden stop as it's chambered. Doing this to the same round repeatedly can set the bullet back in the case, compressing the powder and loosen or break the the primer.

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OK, thanks.

I practice with my carry gun a couple times a month. I am careful to chamber a different round every time and I shoot out my carry ammo every 3 months. Over cautious? Maybe but better safe than sorry for the cost of a few dollars.

Pete

I fire out all of my carry ammunition at quarterly qualifications and load up new rounds. The magazines also get torn down and cleaned internally before getting loaded up and put back on the belt. The all too popular dozen and a half witness holes modern magazines have tend to act like little hoovers, especially in dusty areas. If you want to see some gnarly ammunition, open carry spare magazines on your belt.

I consider magazines to be an expendable item, so boy howdy you bet the ammunition in them is too. Corrosion, tarnish and spotting on the cases all tell me it's time to let those babies free and put in new rounds.

I make sure I only chamber the same round twice before disgard.

To answer the OP yes I've had it happen once where a 165 gr HST failed to fire with a very solid primer hit. It was in my carry gun for at least 9 months if not a year. It had been chambered multiple times but I'm not sure of the count because I was not counting back then. I was however still ever mindful of setback so it was minimal. I don't know what the exact cause was for the round to not fire but what I do know is it made me much more aware of taking care of carry ammo and cycling through it every couple months. Should I had to use my defensive pistol I would have been in real trouble.

I had some old S&B 9x18 ammo corrode sitting loose. The Silver Bear that was in the gun for years was fine when before replaced it was fine, though.

My carry pistol is what I practice with at least once per month even if I take another pistol along to shoot as well. I replace the mag with a second mag loaded with practice ammo before I start, leaving the chambered carry round to be fired first of all. I wipe the pistol down and run a bore snake through it when I get home. Then a new carry round is chambered and one added to the carry magazine. If it has been a couple of months, then I will go ahead and shoot the carry ammo to start with and refill the mag with fresh ammo. Not too complicated, but it makes me happy

My friend nearly blew up his XD .40 with setback ammo. The .40 round is notorious for this problem, as well as the high pressure spike even a minor setback will cause, which is the primarily reason I will never own a gun in this caliber. I spotted the setback round before he could rechamber it and warned him.

I've never heard of primers getting damaged by the jolt of repeatedly chambering a round, nor have I ever observed it. I COULD see bullet setback causing a primer to pop out of it pocket like a piston, though.

Not with commercial carry ammo but with reloads.

I am finishing shooting up a batch of 500 rounds of 9mm that I have had a lot of misfires with. I used Winchester small pistol primers. All of the rounds fired on the second strike. Guns either have factory or Wolff springs.

Interesting enough they all have fired the first time in my Beretta 92.

First time this has ever happened to me. I am hoping the remaining batch of 4,000 primers from the same lot number don't have this problem.

BSA1,
Since they are reloads maybe the primers did not get seated solidly..?

I knew about the bullet setback, but not the primer damage. For me, however, the point is largely moot. I rarely unload my carry rounds from a gun, and when I do (for example, going to the range where I don't want to use up my $1 a shot ammo), I make sure the same round doesn't get chambered more than once.

I think a lot of people like to find stuff to worry about when it comes to carry ammo.

I recently shot a mag of Remington Golden Saber from both my LCP and P95 I use as defense guns.

The ammo had probably been loaded in both guns for almost 6 months and they both went bang without a hitch.

A great thread that probably doesn't get as much exposure as it should.

Another issue that's directly related is keeping mags jam packed for years on end. I've heard folks say they keep carry mags loaded 2-3yrs+ without being cycled, and others that break them (mags) down and replace springs annually.

How often should one cycle ammo through the mag, or does it matter? Does keeping a mag packed for extended periods have any effect on the mag?