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Pawpaw wrote:

Zoomie wrote:If anyone has any old ammo, especially defensive handgun ammo, let me know and I'll get rid of it for you in a safe manner.

I have 1000 rounds of Lake City M855. Any idea what I should do with it?

Yes.

Test every round and report on the results, or, if that would be inconvenient, send it on to me and I'll take care of that onerous chore for you.....

yerasimos wrote:This weekend I shot my carry ammunition that had been in/out of service since early 2008, and had probably been manufactured in 2005-2006. Every cartridge fired, but all the time I was wondering if something would get hung up due to dinged cases or bullet tips. I have another box of cartridges in service now; since it is my last box of the ammunition I originally proofed in my gun I will have to work on finding some more. Still, it is reassuring to know that my weapon's care and maintenance was compatible with the ammunition and everything operated properly.

I am not trying to endorse a practice of keeping the same carry ammunition for ~3 years---just providing a real-world data point for consideration.

If you have a semiauto, with carry ammo that old, your biggest risk would be that a cartridge that had been chambered and unchambered multiple times would have enough rim damage that the extractor might slip off when it's fired and the empty shell would remain in the chamber or would only partially extract, thus tying up the gun.

HankB wrote:Unless you've been soaking it with oil, good ammo will fire many decades after manufacture. (And even if oil-soaked, it's still likely to work just fine.)

I understand the cost issue, but when it comes down to it, your life may depend on it working, so AT LEAST on a yearly basis, you ought to fire your carry ammo in practice and replenish it with fresh stuff. (A fresh box of ammo per year isn't much.)

I agree.

Another factor that causes ammo to degrade over time is exposure to high temperatures.

This is Texas. Summer comes every year.

A factor of greater concern, though, is the damage to the case rim that happens every time you clear the chamber. If you run your fingers around the rim of a round that has been been through this process several times, you'll find nicks and burrs on it. Eventually the rim may be damaged to the point that the extractor will slip off of it when the round is fired, giving you a failure to extract / double feed stoppage that won't be of any help in a gunfight.

I strongly suggest firing every round in the magazine every 6 months and replacing with fresh ammo. As HankB said, it's not that expensive - quite likely cheaper than a single oil change on your car. Failing to do so is like mountainclimbing with a worn climbing rope. It might work, but then it might not.

Ya gotta figure what your life is worth and spend accordingly.