How often should shotgun shells be replace for a loaded home defensive weapon?

Answer 1

Your ammo should be fine for extended periods of time if it is not damp, overly hot, overly cold. If you want to be as up to date as possible, shoot twice a year and use up the old ammo. You dont have to fire ever shell that is 6 months old, but definitely fire what is in the gun.

Another pointer is what you have swabbed the bore and chamber with. WD 40 is a great product but I wouldn't leave it in a chamber with ammo in there. This is a penetrating oil and will deaden powder or primer. If you have paper shells, you can probably sell them as a curio or to collectors since they have not been in regular use since the 1960's ( late ).

Keep the rest of the box of shells in a cool dry place and just make sure you fire the gun for function and practice twice a year, clean the gun, and just inspect it between shootings.

Answer 2

Bound's hubby here:

It kind of depends on the type of shells you are using and the environment. For example, I use plastic hull shells in a cool, dry environment and, in all honesty, I don't change out the shells. I kind of leave them in my pump gun. If I were using paper hull shells, I would probably check them every week. More frequently if the shotgun is kept in a moist environment. Paper hulled shells will swell with moisture and the diameter of the shell will increase causing all sorts of feed jams.

With modern shells I would be less concerned with changing out shells than I would be concerned about fatiguing the magazine tube spring. The last thing you want is for that spring to take a fix while it is compressed.

Good luck.

Answer 3

I concur with "Griz", take all your weapons out periodically and runs some rounds through them, take them home and clean em.

My shotgun gets a lot of use, I am at the trap range twice a week. My pistol and black rifle I take out about once a month when I get together some buddies.. Pheasant and Quail hunting every fall from Nov1 to Jan31, I'm not a big waterfowl shooter.

My 30.06 I get out about a month before deer or Elk season sight it in..

Answer 4

I change out once a year. Plastic hulled shotguns shells, stored in a cool dry place will last quite a bit longer, but I just feel better rotate them yearly. Besides, gives me another excuse to go to the range.

Answer 5

I usually rotate my shells every month or so, depending on whether I see any deformation in the front of the crimped part of the shell. Shotgun shells can deform under the pressure of the magazine spring, making them hard to chamber, so rotating them periodically is cheap insurance against a failure to feed malfunction.

Answer 6

Every time you go out and practice with it, you shoot the old shells and replace them when you are done. You should practice regularly, more often preferred, but at least twice a year.

Answer 7

Although properly stored ammunition is not effected by age alone, just to be on the safe side, and for the fun of it, I recycle all my self-defense loads for all my weapons on an annual basis, usually with a special trip to the range with friends on my birthday.

Answer 8

completely authentic, i found out once I left living house for extra then in straight forward terms a month or 2.. there is quite no such place which could make you sense like living house different than your native land or united states of america.

Answer 9

just after you use the last one. modern ammo will last longer than you care to imagine.

Answer 10

when the gun goes "click" instead of "bang"