How much defensive ammo do you run through your CCW gun.

[SVTOhio]

How much defensive ammo do you run through your CCW gun before you feel comfortable carrying it? Seems like this could be a expensive endeavor With most high quality defensive ammo being in the range of 1$ per. Thanks


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[C0untZer0]

200 rounds.

Then once a month I also shoot 1 mag's worth, from empty to load to empty. That pretty much covers everything with cycling - loading the first round to locking the slide back on the last.

Everything else is cheap practice ammo.

 

[unclenunzie]

I'll first run several hundred FMJ, then at least 100 rounds of carry ammo. If these all run with no failures I'll call it good.

If you buy in bulk defensive ammo can be a lot less expensive.

 

[Chuck R.]

Of the "real" stuff?

Probably about 20rds, just enough to chronograph then I build a reload using the same bullet/velocity and it gets into the hundreds. I make it a point to only use carry ammo that I can buy the bullets in bulk, so Speer GDs, REM Golden Sabers, and the new Sierra V-Crown.

It also depends on the pistol.........HKs I seriously don't sweat as I've never had one not feed pretty much anything, 1911s are on the other end of the spectrum where I'd give them a good wringing out.

Chuck

 

[Steve Cover]

Like mentioned above, I go to the expense of shooting four boxes of my chosen defensive round to confirm 100% reliability.
Naturally, I buy five boxes of the same lot number and keep one in reserve for my carry ammunition.
I then only fire a magazine full occasionally to confirm that my reloads actually match the recoil of my serious ammunition.

Steve

 

[CDW4ME]

Defensive ammo in 20 round boxes is not a good buy.
Get 50 round boxes and save $
Generally, HP ammo in 50 round boxes / 500 round case can be had for $30 box or less, or 60 cents per round.

I generally "break in" a pistol with about 150 rounds HP + 50 rounds FMJ.
Assuming no malfunctions, I'll consider the pistol reliable with that ammo.

 

[AZAndy]

Funny you should mention. Just ran through $40 worth of Federal HST to make sure it'd work in a 1911 I'm carrying. That's only one box of 50, but I'd already done about four hundred of several other loads to test the pistol out. Glad to say everything ran just fine.

 

[guyfromohio]

Few mags to make sure it runs.

 

[JohnBiltz]

Not as much as I used to. I don't think you need to shoot a couple of hundred rounds of JHP anymore. I'd say a box of 50 through a new gun spread across my carry magazines. That is of course, after a few hundred rounds of ball.

Has anyone seen a failure after 50 rounds of JHP in the next 150? I never have.

 

[badkarmamib]

I use each magazine I will carry, loaded twice with FMJ and twice with defensive loads, cycled by hand to check for feeding. Load each again with FMJ, and two full rounds with each to check function. Finally, two full rounds with defensive loads. Test can vary on occasion, but this is my preferred initiation.

 

[L-2]

I put ~50 or 100 rounds of carry ammo through a CCW gun.
I do buy in bulk.
I do have several ccw guns.
Most of these are Glocks of which most have been very reliable for me.
When I try new carry ammo, I'll also put another 50 to 100 rounds of the new ammo through one of my ccw Glocks. This doesn't happen very often
I've had problem Glocks, but no problem ammo in a Glock.

Lately, I'll usually be carrying a 9mm Glock with Winchester Ranger RA9B 147gr., but do have some Federal HST and Speer Gold Dot laying around, too.

 

[GBExpat]

How much defensive ammo do you run through your CCW gun before you feel comfortable carrying it? ...

<shrug> A couple/few mags-worth.

Not too expensive for me since I roll my own ...

... and, yes, I am familiar with the whole "don't use reloads as SD ammo" argument(s), but if there are those that cannot resist hammering at it some more, have fun.

 

[badkarmamib]

<shrug> A couple/few mags-worth.

Not too expensive for me since I roll my own ...

... and, yes, I am familiar with the whole "don't use reloads as SD ammo" argument(s), but if there are those that cannot resist hammering at it some more, have fun.

My whole issue was that I trusted someone I have never met, more than myself, with my life . Now that I have built some confidence, seen what good bullets go for, and see the financial ability to afford working up a good load for "what-if"s and possibly hunting, I am ready to start loading my own SD, too.

 

[Ramey]

Not as much as I would like. Recently got a S&W Shield in .40. Shot 50 fmj blazer and 6 rounds of federal hydra shock. It will have to do till my next range trip whenever that is. In the meantime yes I will carry it as is.


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[jigglyjames29]

A few mags, but I usually carry Glocks.

If I were carrying a Kahr or something, probably at least 300.

 

[9mmepiphany]

The old rule-of-thumb was 200 flawless rounds.

As money got tighter, I've seen more folks running 150 rounds of ball and than 50 rounds of their chosen carry load

Just a couple of notes when prepping your carry gun's ammo
1. any failure during the testing should mean you start over again.
2. you should minimally run a full mag, of your SD ammo, through each magazine you mean to carry

Has anyone seen a failure after 50 rounds of JHP in the next 150? I never have.

Many times.

Usually with different models of the 1911, especially when they have barrels shorter than 4.25". I've seen several Glocks fail to feed during the second 100 and develop problems with ejection when in the 500-1000 range.

Many compact guns struggle through the first 100 and smooth out during the second 100. I definitely want to see them feed a straight 200

 

[Warp]

How much defensive ammo do you run through your CCW gun before you feel comfortable carrying it? Seems like this could be a expensive endeavor With most high quality defensive ammo being in the range of 1$ per. Thanks

For starters I pay no more than maybe $0.55 per round.

I buy highly regarded makes/models to start with. If I get two range trips of FMJ followed by a box of JHP with completely flawless function, it's good to go. That usually ends up at 300 rounds FMJ and 100 rounds JHP.

Has anyone seen a failure after 50 rounds of JHP in the next 150? I never have.

Yes.

I had a brand new pistol that I tested only one time at the range, maybe 150 FMJ, then a box of JHP.

Next range trip, first mag of JHP, failure. It had many more failures even after going back to the manufacturer so I had them exchange it with a different model, which was perfect.

 

[Shawn Dodson]

Defense ammo: 3 magazines +1 in the chamber for each magazine. Magazine capacity doesn't matter. If it'll complete this test without any failures then it's good to go. More ammo is a waste of money.

 

[JohnhenrySTL]

1 box of carry ammo after thousands of handloads. My carry guns are also generic, which seem to cycle all common loads. If I had a 1911 or something older, I would find a load it liked and call it good after 200 flawless rounds.

 

[Deplorable me]

Just ran 250 rds of gold dots thru my 45 GTG

 

[bannockburn]

Probably somewhere between 100 to 150 rounds of the JHP, then maybe 20 rounds every so often.

 

[Acera]

Very little. Mine is made to be carried often, shot infrequently. I make sure that I run a full magazine through it (with both magazines, 12 rounds) when I change ammo, then carry that everyday for months and months if it works without any issues. Don't want to push the limits on the springs so I stay a good distance away from their limit for C-Carry.





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[Walkalong]

My main carry gun? A little here and a little there. I put the bulk of my ammo through other guns.

I replaced the MIM thumb safety and slide stop when it was brand new. Then I ran it pretty good to make sure it was going to be dependable with various potential carry ammo and not break right away. If they don't break right away, they stand a good chance of staying together for some time IMHO.

Now I put a couple of mags through it once in a while.

That said, I carry other weapons as well, but could say the same for them. Make sure they are reliable and don't break right off, then shoot them enough to stay familiar. Like this one.

What those two have in common is I shoot them both well.

Then there are the pocket guns because I am lazy and they are easy.

 

[gotboostvr]

I find most falters in the first or last couple of rounds.
I'll load full magazine+1, fire a couple, top off the mag, fire a couple repeat for about 25 rounds.
Then I'll do the same with 2-3 rounds in an empty mag and fire till slide lock for about 25 rounds.
All this after about 1-200 rounds of FMJ total.
I'll do this ~50 round for each carry magazine.

When switching to different defensive loads I may just do this, but only with one box through the top/bottom few spots in a pair of magazines.

My carry M19-5 357, I'll fire five to check for POA/POI check the 6th for crimp jump and call it good to go. A much simpler process.

 

[ny32182]

A couple hundred rounds of FMJ and a couple mags of Gold dots, and then I feel fine carrying it. I don't carry finicky 1911s though.

If I did something like lighten the trigger in a manner that would reduce the strike force, I'd probably want to see more than that with the actual primers I'd be carrying.