How many times can you re-chamber a cartridge?

Question

I've read that manufactures like Remington and Federal say that a cartridge can be re chambered up to two times.

And I've heard people talk about bullet "set-back" due to re-chambering too many times.

I have a CCW and carry my Glock 27 on a daily basis. I unload the chamber just about every night.

I drop the cartridge into the chamber and let the slide close on it, then insert the magazine.

I also know others who carry daily that reuse the same cartridge probably a hundred times.

So what's the truth? What is the standard guideline for law enforcement agencies?

Answer 1

hI've never heard of such a thing! Used a SIG for many years and today's cartridges are designed to be chambered many, many times. The only way a bullet can be set back in the case is if the projectile hits the rifling each time the round is chambered. A correctly manufactured barrel with the proper leade will never allow this to happen. The only group that chamber rounds to touch the rifling are bench rest rifle shooters - and not all of them do it.
A properly crimped bullet will not come loose in the case unless there is a tremendous amount of abuse involved. Chambering and re-chambering will not affect a cartridge.
Think about the "trauma" involved during firing, the slide moves back, ejecting a case and then move forward, stripping a cartridge out of the magazine and slamming it into the chamber and suddenly stopping. In a very short period of time.
The most common requirement of law enforcement agencies is that duty ammo be replaced yearly - its usually expended at the range, during qualification, and replaced with new.
Never heard of only chambering a round twice!!

Answer 2

There have been reports that say if you continue to chamber the same round over and over that it can be effected. I've have never had a round effected by "set back", but I alternate the rounds that I chamber daily just to be safe. You shouldn't drop a round into the chamber though. Insert the magazine and charge the weapon. Remove the magazine, load another round into the magazine and then insert the magazine back into the weapon.

Answer 3

You are stroking your gun.... oh I mean weapon too much.

There is generally no reason to keep a chambered round in the first place. One reason is if someone snatched it from you they would have to take a moment. Another is if you fumbled on the draw or even dropped it.

Good training in use and awareness makes one realize that if one is assessing a situation properly you could chamber a round in a heartbeat. But that requires realizing that shooting targets and drawing on a person are far different things. Even so reloading your weapon everynight is just unecessary. If it feels nice well do it but there is no reason you can not use the same round.

Answer 4

You might be mistaken when manufacturers talk about re chambered they are talking about reloading when you empty your weapon look for any indications of wear on the bullet if you see nicks or gouging don't use the bullet it could get hung up in the gun when you need it.

Answer 5

law enforcement agencies have better things to worry about. more often than not-they do not un-chamber the round. that makes no sense why you would do that repeatedly.