Need to recycle ammo?

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This may have been covered in the past and I apologize if it has. I have three handguns of 22, 25 and 38 spl caliber. I normally have one of them in my nightstand--always loaded. Does ammo "stale" or "go bad" after a time which necessitates changing what is in the gun every so often? Or am I safe just leaving it for an indeterminate period of time?

Thanks!

Re: Need to recycle ammo?

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Varpone wrote:This may have been covered in the past and I apologize if it has. I have three handguns of 22, 25 and 38 spl caliber. I normally have one of them in my nightstand--always loaded. Does ammo "stale" or "go bad" after a time which necessitates changing what is in the gun every so often? Or am I safe just leaving it for an indeterminate period of time?

Thanks!
It depends on what the case material is and how it is/was stored. Your profile says you're from KY, so salt air and corrosive conditions shouldn't be a factor. Is it steel-cased? Lacquered-steel case? Milsurp from the former Soviet Bloc is still shipped from places like Ukraine, Russia, and Serbia.

Odds are what you have is brass-cased and stored in a temperature controlled environment, so there shouldn't be too much concern with recycling your ammo.

ProTip: A good way to "recycle" your ammo is to practice shooting!

Recently, I shot some old Remington Thunderbolt 22LR that was bought in the 1970s and stored in a barn for 40 years. It was a bit sparky, but still worked.
Last edited by atxgunguy on Thu Aug 24, 2017 3:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Need to recycle ammo?

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Varpone wrote:This may have been covered in the past and I apologize if it has. I have three handguns of 22, 25 and 38 spl caliber. I normally have one of them in my nightstand--always loaded. Does ammo "stale" or "go bad" after a time which necessitates changing what is in the gun every so often? Or am I safe just leaving it for an indeterminate period of time?

Thanks!
You need to rotate/ recycle you ammo.. but not for the reasons you mention or in the way you think.. you need to go shoot occasionally .. the gun and ammo is just a tool, your ability to use it effectively/ safely/ accurately is what makes it a weapon, and you knowledge of the laws and only using the weapon appropriately is what makes you the good guy.

Re: Need to recycle ammo?

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Varpone, I bought some 9mm recently that was WWII surplus. I shot just fine (although it had to be shot with a hammer fired pistol.)

My personal method of handling this is to make sure that anything that I am going to regularly bet my life on (as in daily carry) I am going to shoot up at least once a year. What I prefer to do is take that gun to the range and fire it without opening the slide, removing magazine etc. Just fire it just like it came out of the holster or nightstand drawer. That way I know the gun and the ammo are working well together after having 'sat' for a while.

If you keep ammo in the car, whether in gun or not, that ammo should be shot and replaced at least every 6 months. Extreme changes in temperature in car storage can be bad for ammo that you're going to bet your life on.

BTW, we still need to go shooting sometime!
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Re: Need to recycle ammo?

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Your ammo is fine, your skills certainly expire. Pistol shooting is a skill that degrades over time. Take your guns to a range at least once a month to cycle through ammo and regain lost skills. :)
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Re: Need to recycle ammo?

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I will just say your gun in your nightstand is there for piece of mind so why not just use the old staff and load with new and lay your concerns to rest.



I've shot 38acp from a pistol 1903 picket hammer gun and ammo where over 50 years old and they shot fine.
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