Elderly Ammunition

[rmclain3]

How long do most of you hang on to your carry ammunition? I usually shoot inexpensive(?) Monarch ammo when I got to the range. For carry I have some Fed-Prem JHP and a handful of Black Talons that might be concidered elderly (5-10 years). When does the age of ammunition begin to compromise reliability? If it makes any difference, I shoot 45s.

[jbirds1210]

When I read the title I thought you were going to ask what Chas carries in his 1911!



Sorry.

Jason

[flintknapper]

When I read the title I thought you were going to ask what Chas carries in his 1911!



Sorry.

Jason

I looked in order to get a few "tips" myself!

Flintknapper/55 yrs. old.

[Keith B]

When I read the title I thought you were going to ask what Chas carries in his 1911!



Sorry.

Jason

Ouch! That's just cold jbirds1210 (but funny!!)

[longhorn_92]

When I read the title I thought you were going to ask what Chas carries in his 1911!



Sorry.

Jason

Ouch! That's just cold jbirds1210 (but funny!!)

[OverEasy]

Your carry ammo is kind of like smoke alarm batteries. You want to change it out before it goes bad.
I try to change mine once a year. $12 -$17 a year is a small price to pay for reliability. You could put a few rounds of carry ammo in your glovebox and just leave it there for 5-10 years. I bet it would still go bang, but I wouldn't bet my life on it.

If you carry OC spray it's a good idea to replace it yearly also. The propellant degrades and it won't squirt, but the OC will still burn your eyes.
Regards, OE

[LarryH]

When I started shooting again last fall, I had some 38 special, 357 magnum and 22 long rifle ammo that was purchased around 1970. It all worked just fine.

CAVEAT: The ammo had always been stored in an air-conditioned building and suffered no contamination of any kind. I used it all as "range ammo", so the only thing riding on whether it fired or not was "practice/fun", not self defense.

[The Annoyed Man]

When I first inherited my dad's old .45, he had a magazine load of lead round nose ammo that must have been almost as old as the gun. I fired it the first time I went to the range. Other than being dirty, it worked just fine. I gave the gun a good cleaning afterward.

[Walkin' Jack]

The longevity of any ammo is not about time. It is about the conditions under which the ammo is stored. I have ammo that dates back to Aug of '43 and it still shoots just fine. Ammunition should be stored in a climate controlled environment at ALL times. What kills ammo is moisture coming in contact with powder and/or primer.

As for PD ammo I used to rotate it out ever January but for the last few years I've been doing it every OTHER January. So far no problems because I store my ammo as per above. No guns or ammo should be stored in a garage, shed, or rented storage facility that is not climate controlled.