Ammo cycling...What are your methods, if any?

[inSight-NEO]

Im sure this has been covered before (did a search and found nothing of real value), but I was wanting to: a) introduce my method and leave it open to suggestions/criticism and b) see what method(s) others were using.

To be as brief as I can, I tend to use my XD-45 ACP for HD (excluding, for now, the 12 ga. shotgun I sometimes use) which has a 13 round mag capacity. Below is my current method regarding the maintenance/use of HD ammo as contained within several magazines over a period of time:

I use 4 mags for HD; 2 designated with the number "1," and 2 designated with the number "2." The mags are downloaded to 10 rounds each.

Month 1: mag 1A loaded with JHP, mag 1B loaded with FMJ (due to cost)
Month 2: swap first and last rounds within each mag
Month 3: swap current first and last rounds with rounds 2 and 9 (for instance)
Month 4: swap current first and last rounds with rounds 3 and 8 (for instance)
Month 5: Fire off ammo and begin a new cycle, but implementing mags 2A and 2B

First off, I was wondering if this was an effective routine or even necessary. Can mags and ammo, if sufficiently downloaded and cared for, tolerate such a cycle and still remain reliable?

In addition, I have considered making a cycle last for 6 months, firing these rounds off at the beginning of month 7 and continuing on with mags 2A and 2B...etc. This would cut my HD ammo consumption by 1/3 (unless my math is off). Reason being, the JHP ammo I use for HD has become quite scarce and I would like to conserve as much of it as possible.

I would prefer to go no more than 2 months between each cycle, but again, the ammo I use is just too hard to find (and expensive). So the longer I can stretch this out (being sure to cycle the ammo itself), the better.

So, any thoughts? What system do you guys use for your HD weapon/ammo in regards to mag storage/cycles? Thanks.

 

[raskolnikov_22]

Occasionally I will unload my two P239 mags, mix the rounds up like dominoes, and reload the mags, but I don't really think it matters. The spring pressure isn't enough to warp the cartridges.

 

[Zerodefect]

I clean my pistol every week whether it gets shot or not. The round that was chambered gets thrown into my range bag to be added to my practice ammo. I empty my mag to check the ammo that was in it all week for corrosion or dents. (from the gun banging into stuff during carry) I chamber a brand new round. Then reload my mags.

So usualy I'm tossing one hp round into my practice stash every week. I leave my gun cocked and in its holster 24/7 for a whole week.

If its so bad out that I have to check my gun everynight and empty it. Then I rotate my ammo each round thats been chambered gets marked with a sharpie and put in the mag. When all the rounds are marked, into the practice ammo they go.

I don't screw with my pistol unless I have a good reason. A dusty or rainy day is a good reason to empty the chamber and check it out.

Every 4 months or so I shoot the carry ammo that was in my gun to ensure that I am used to the different feel of the hp stuff and to keep the reliability of the hp ammo in check.

I allways make this trip at the end of that week before cleaning the gun. That way its been stuck loaded and as linty as its going to get. A worst case test.

I've been known to shoot my carry ammo downrange everymonth sometimes. They come in packs of 50 for a reason.

My bud carries the same ammo year round and only shoots cheap stuff at the range. I obviously disagree with this.

When in doubt I shoot my carry ammo at the range and load fresh stuff. Only way to know the combo is reliable is to shoot it.

 

[musick]

Cycling will wear out your mag springs faster than just leaving them loaded.

Assuming you are using factory mags, I see no reason to "download". They are designed to hold 'X' number of rounds, and that is what I load mine with.

I dont cycle 1 into the chamber for my pistols, so I see no need to rotate rounds about. That said, every year I dispose of my HD rounds (the fun way) and replace w/ unloaded rounds of the same type. I dont know why really, but rounds are cheap (even HD rounds) - my life is not.

 

[Zerodefect]

My mags get used alot anyway. You have to empty and refill a mag a whole lot of times to wear it out.

I change my springs regularly anyway.

 

[earlthegoat2]

From that complicated mess above I would wager that someone needs a revolver.

 

[christcorp]

There is no reason in the world to rotate, stagger, or change out your ammo. Personally, you have no need to shoot the defensive ammo. You probably shot a box of it when you bought the gun. So you know how it's going to shoot. With the average defensive range being less than 25 feet, there is not going to be significant accuracy difference between the high cost hydra-shoks, sabers, corbon, etc.... and the FMJ WhiteBox winchesters. So, go to the range. Take the good stuff out of the magazines or cylinders. Put the target ammo in. Shoot it and have fun. Then when you're done, load the magazines and cylinders back up with the defensive ammo and call it a day. You don't need to cycle any ammo. Ever.

The only possible exception is some of the small calibers for carrying purposes like the 32auto and the 380auto. Some people believe Hollow Points don't expand enough because it's a small weight bullet. Some say they should use fmj to get penetration because it's a small light bullet. Also, some small guns are picky about chambering hollow points. So for some people, the compromise is to chamber a hollow point in the gun where it's ready to go. And the rest of the magazine is FMJ. This way if the HP does it's job, great. If not, the next round is a FMJ and won't risk the possibility of jamming.

But other than that, there is no secret special way to put ammo in a magazine or cylinder. And you don't need to alternate it or change it around. Same with the shot gunners who rotate their rounds between 00 buck and slugs. The only time a slug is worth anything is if you are shooting at a far distance. And then you're going to have a real hard time proving in court that your were defending yourself. You defend yourself at up to 30 feet. 30-50 feet, you should be looking for a way to run away. (Gun in hand is OK). Beyond 50 feet, you should already be getting out of the situation. But as I said in your other thread on this subject, you are free to stack your magazine any way you want to. There is no law that says how to do it.

 

[Zerodefect]

We only rotate 'case rechambering the same round over and over can push the bullet too far into the case causing an overpressure.

Just have to keep tabs on that, it seems more complicated on paper.

 

[Drail]

I have said this before (and been flamed), if the bullet is being pushed back into the case from multiple rechambering then that ammunition is defective. I have been loading my ammo for twenty plus years and not one of my rounds has ever set back or pulled from recoil. But for some reason a great many shooters have simply accepted the idea that they should try to work around this defect because all ammunition is subject to setback. This is absurd. If a factory round will set back upon multiple chamberings how can you be certain it didn't set back the first time you chambered it? If manufacturing tolerances are adhered to the bullet will not move until the expanding gases force it out. I have dummy rounds made up for testing feed reliability that have been chambered hundreds of times and they have not set back. The ammo manufacturers are either unaware that people are rechambering rounds over and over or they don't care. This is the main reason I won't carry factory ammunition. Has anyone ever seen boxes of factory ammo with the primer inserted backwards in rounds? I have.

 

[jackstinson]

Week 1 : Shoot all ammo out of carry magazine and all ammo out of backup magazines. Reload...rinse and repeat as necessary.

Week 2 : Shoot all ammo out of carry magazine and all ammo out of backup magazines. Reload...rinse and repeat as necessary.

Week 3 : Shoot all ammo out of carry magazine and all ammo out of backup magazines. Reload...rinse and repeat as necessary.

Week 4 : Shoot all ammo out of carry magazine and all ammo out of backup magazines. Reload...rinse and repeat as necessary.

Rarely does a cartridge sit idle in one of my magazines for more than 2 weeks.

 

[SaxonPig]

Folks, I think we have ENTIRELY too much time on our hands.

You need a Ph.D. in mathematics to keep track of that complicated system described in the original post. Good Lord...

Here's my system for rotating ammo: When I shoot somebody, I put fresh ammo in the magazine. Once or twice a year I shoot my carry gun at the range. If I haven't shot anybody since the last visit, I shoot the ammo in the magazine and reload with fresh stuff.

I like to keep things simple...

 

[easyg]

I keep my Glock G22 with one in the chamber and 14 in the magazine (Speer Gold Dots).

When I go to the range (usually once every month) I remove the magazine of Gold Dots and replace it with a magazine of practice ammo (usually WWB or Blazer from Walmart).
I then shoot the Gold Dot that has been in the chamber all along and however many magazines of practice ammo I have at the time.

When I'm done shooting I go home, clean the pistol, top off the magazine of Gold Dots, place it back in the pistol and chamber a round.
Then the Glock goes back to it's resting place (again, with one in the chamber and 14 in the magazine) until the next range session.

I've been doing this routine for years and have never had any problems with my Glock.
The Glock is my home defense pistol.
My carry weapon is a revolver.

 

[earlthegoat2]

From that complicated mess above I would wager that someone needs a revolver.

Just that.

 

[Confederate]

Every two weeks I take all the cartridges out of my revolver, wipe them down and rechamber them. Seems to work for me.

Or was it every two years...?

Oh, well, it was two somethings.

 

[cleetus03]

I think their is a serious mythbuster case to investigate on this popular subject. You will find that their are no truths to any of these suggestions just theories.

 

[orionengnr]

The only time I "download" my magazines is when I shoot them empty. With SD ammo, I do this about once every six months...or so. I'm not anal about it.

As has been stated, you are causing more wear by unloading and reloading the mags than you would by leaving them alone. Likewise, by chambering and ejecting the round, you are increasing the likelihood of setback.

 

[Confederate]

Cycling will wear out your mag springs faster than just leaving them loaded.

Julius Chang posted some information in response to another poster and noted:

Fatigue can definitely occur due to cyclic loading below the static yield strength of the material. Even absent surface stress risers (e.g., notches), fatigue crack nucleation can occur at grain boundaries, second-phase particles, twin boundaries, and other microstructural features which exist normally.​

He also observed:

...fatigue is a failure mode due to CYCLIC loading.... A loaded magazine is a static situation, not a cyclically loaded one. ... Fatigue is not a bending type failure. It consists of crack nucleation/initiation, progressive cyclic crack growth, and catastrophic failure. Fractographic examination of of the material commonly shows "river markings," i.e. ridges or striations which delineate the cyclic crack propagation.​

He later added: "My personal experience is that my S&W and SIG mags have NEVER failed. I keep them fully loaded all the time."
As another poster noted: "Magazine springs are worn through repeated cycles of compression and decompression. You can leave a loaded magazine for 50 years and it will have no effect. You can load and unload a magazine five times an hour and within a couple of days experience feed-related stoppages."

Thus it sounds as though just going to the range and shooting your gun puts more stress on the springs than if you just left them loaded.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Wow, what the heck was all the first and last round in 1A-2B L-M-N-O-P stuff all about?

I carry a J frame daily. I don't shoot it a lot at the range because it's a very light handgun and not much fun to shoot. I do practice with it at least once a month so I shoot off the ammo in the revolver and the speedstrip that's in my pocket. I reload with fresh ammo and reload the speedstrip too. C'mon people, this isn't rocket science, it's only ammo.

 

[inSight-NEO]

LOL..I did not mean to confuse anybody with my regimen, I was merely being as thorough as I could in order to invoke informed advice. Actually, taken step by step, my routine isnt all that complicated (unnecessary?...perhaps).

Im sure many here think Im too obsessive..maybe crazy. But, we are talking about my HD weapon here, so I actually take this stuff quite seriously.

Thanks for the responses.

Personally, you have no need to shoot the defensive ammo.

I have only shot 100 rounds of my given HD ammo (two brands/grains). I will choose not to be convinced of their reliability until I hit at least the 200-300 mark (per brand). I also consider this "proving" method/timeframe attributable to any mags used for HD.

 

[christcorp]

I have only shot 100 rounds of my given HD ammo (two brands/grains). I will choose not to be convinced of their reliability until I hit at least the 200-300 mark (per brand). I also consider this "proving" method/timeframe attributable to any mags used for HD.

Little bit of a problem with this "Theory".

1. You ARE CONVINCED of it's reliability, because you have loaded your gun with it in case you ever need it.
2. Unless you have chosen NOT to use the gun for self/home defense UNTIL YOU ARE CONVINCED, then you have chosen to trust it.
3. You can shoot 1000 rounds without one bad round and totally balls on accurate at 30 feet; and the VERY NEXT ROUND that is in your gun and is the one you need; can be the one that misfires or is inaccurate. There are NO guarantees.

But because there aren't any guarantees; I have to trust one of 2 things. Either A) I trust certain commercial manufacturers who produce defensive ammunition; or B) I trust my own reloading of defensive ammunition. I personally trust Remington Golden Sabers; Federal Hydra-Shok; Corbon; Fiocchi; and a few others. Which one I choose depends on the gun I am using. I will trust the THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS and MILLIONS of rounds fired by the manufacturer, their Quality Control, and the thousands upon thousands of customers. Along with the suggestions of experts. I have certain brands that certain guns I have shoot better with. 1) S&W Model 13 357 magnum revolver does best with 158 grain Federal Hydra-Shok. They make a 130 grain Hydra-Shok and a 125 grain Personal Defensive HP, but for this gun, the 158 Hydra-Shock is the best. For my SigSauer 45acp; the most accurate and best ammo is the remington Golden Saber 230 grain. And for my FEG 32acp (Walther Clone); it does best with Fiocchi 60 grain HP or 73 grain FMJ. Certain rule I always follow. If the gun was made in Europe, it usually does better with European ammo. Stateside guns usually do better with stateside saami specs. While my Sig will shoot ANYTHING you give it, the FEG is 100% reliable with Fiocchi and Sellier and Bellot; but only about 90% with winchester, speer, Magtech, etc...

When you buy a gun; and it's brand new to you; you should run your FAVORITE CHOICE of defensive ammunition through it to make sure it loads fine, chambers fine, and learn where your POI is. Once you've determined which brand for that particular gun you like; then you have no need to continue shooting your defensive ammunition through it. That is strictly a waste of money. There is one exception to that. Some smaller guns; such as the 25, 32, and 380 are usually better self defense rounds when used with FMJ ammunition. The smaller bullet does better with penetration than with expansion. Therefor, the practice ammo can sometimes also be the defensive ammo. But to shoot more expensive hollow point, 20-25 rounds to a box, $20-$40 a box, defensive ammo at a paper target, is a waste of money. At 20-25 feet (Which is where self defense will happen); there is not going to be any noticeable accuracy differences between the FMJ you practiced with and the HP you are shooting a person with.

 

[J99]

mags loaded at all times 2 with SD ammo others with FMJ or whatever cheap ammo I have found never had a mag problem or ammo not firing in fact I've had a mag (riffle mag) sit for 2 years and every round fired and cycled fine

there is military surplus being sold to this day that was made in the 60's and even earlier

 

[ArchAngelCD]

One of the advantages of using a revolver is not worrying about Mags and if a certain brand of ammo will cycle reliably in your pistol. For the most part a revolver will digest any factory ammo you feed it.