Magazine Rotation, Ammo Storage
John,
Hate to bother you. I took your CHL class back in October 2006 and I have a few questions regarding ammo.
How long should you keep ammo in a clip? Should it be rotated every so often?
When storing ammo is it acceptable to store in the original boxes it came in or is there a better method? About how long is a good shelf life for ammo?
Again, sorry to bother and thanks for any information you can provide.
L**** G*****
Mr. G*****,
It’s absolutely no bother at all.
I generally rotate my magazines depending on their manufacture. If I remember correctly, you purchased a Glock model 23. Glocks tend to be insanely reliable. Though I would not recommend it, I have had Glock magazines that were loaded in excess of 18 months and performed flawlessly.
I would say it is wise, with a Glock, to rotate magazines monthly. I recommend rotating your carry load every six months. When you rotate your magazines you should also inspect your rounds. Check to make sure that the cases are in good condition and that the opening cavity of the hollow point is round, and not deformed. Other weapons will vary slightly in when you need to rotate the magazines.
As far as the shelf life of ammunition and it’s storage, as long as it is stored in a cool, dry place, I would say that it will reliably store for several years. When I was in the Marine Corps I fired a great deal of ammunition from the Viet Nam era. Also, our primary rifle training ammunition was manufactured in 1986, by the lowest bidder, (this was from the period of 1998-2002) and I never experienced a misfire with that ammunition.
Storing ammunition in the original factory boxes is quite acceptable. There are lots of sporting goods stores that sell nice plastic boxes that you can put ammunition into. These are generally used by people who reload. I, personally, have never found a need for this, especially since I go through, on average, 250 rounds per range session.
If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask!
Thank You,
John
