Ammo cycling...What are your methods?

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inSight-NEO

New member
Im sure this has been covered before (did a search and found nothing of real value), but I was wanting to: a) introduce my method and leave it open to suggestions/criticism and b) see what method(s) others were using.

To be as brief as I can, I tend to use my XD-45 ACP for HD (excluding, for now, the 12 ga. shotgun I sometimes use) which has a 13 round mag capacity. Below is my current method regarding the maintenance/use of HD ammo as contained within several magazines over a period of time:

I use 4 mags for HD; 2 designated with the number "1," and 2 designated with the number "2." The mags are downloaded to 10 rounds each.

Month 1: mag 1A loaded with JHP, mag 1B loaded with FMJ (due to cost)
Month 2: swap first and last rounds within each mag
Month 3: swap current first and last rounds with rounds 2 and 9 (for instance)
Month 4: swap current first and last rounds with rounds 3 and 8 (for instance)
Month 5: Fire off ammo and begin a new cycle, but implementing mags 2A and 2B

First off, I was wondering if this was an effective routine or even necessary. Can mags and ammo, if sufficiently downloaded and cared for, tolerate such a cycle and still remain reliable?

In addition, I have considered making a cycle last for 6 months, firing these rounds off at the beginning of month 7 and continuing on with mags 2A and 2B...etc. This would cut my HD ammo consumption by 1/3 (unless my math is off). Reason being, the JHP ammo I use for HD has become quite scarce and I would like to conserve as much of it as possible.

I would prefer to go no more than 2 months between each cycle, but again, the ammo I use is just too hard to find (and expensive). So the longer I can stretch this out (being sure to cycle the ammo itself), the better.

So, any thoughts? What system do you guys use for your HD weapon/ammo in regards to mag storage/cycles? Thanks.
 
I have 2 mags for my G33. The one in the gun stays there 24/7. When I go shooting I shoot that mag first, then shoot range ammo, then clean the gun and reload with SD ammo. Lather, rinse, repeat.;)
 
I'll be honest, rotating out rounds really hasn't ocurred to me. I just keep a couple mags in the safe, maybe empty them for range ammo when I can afford a trip.
 
For the life of me I can't see what possible reason you have to "maintain" / "cycle" your ammunition. All of this is totally unnecessary. 1911s have been found loaded since WW1 and they fed fired and ejected all of the rounds left in the mag.
 
For the life of me I can't see what possible reason you have to "maintain" / "cycle" your ammunition. All of this is totally unnecessary. 1911s have been found loaded since WW1 and they fed fired and ejected all of the rounds left in the mag.
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To put it simply, Im a Massad Ayoob fan. If he, along with his vast experience (and further recommendations of those he surrounds himself with) purport that cycling ammo is wise, well...I take it seriously. Better safe than sorry..particularly when my life may one day depend on this ammo or these mags.
 
I am also a big Massad Ayoob fan. I've actually met the man. I was unaware that he advocated this practice. And like you I respect his experience. I still don't understand what is being prevented by shuffling ammo unless the rounds went into the drink.
 
You only have to cycle rounds if you are constantly chambering and unchambering a round for carry. You don't want to chamber the same round over and over, it may set back in the case under the battering, but that's the only reason to do it.

There is no benefit to constantly loading and unloading mags, it's just that chambered round you have to worry about.

The mags are downloaded to 10 rounds each.
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There is no reason to do this.
 
Since I run a mag of carry ammo through my piece about once a month, and it's usually the ammo that's already in it, I don't see a need for any more cycling.
 
The only reason you should have to "cycle" your ammo is as stated earlier, if you repeatedly chamber and unload the same cartidge. That said, the more you can practice with the ammo you carry the better off you'll be. Hopefully you have already put several hundred rounds of carry ammo through with ZERO malfuntions or hiccups of any kind if your life is riding on it........the nastiest, super exploisive, armor piercing, meat seeking ammo wont do you any good if it wont function reliably in your weapon.:eek::eek:
 
There is no reason to do this.
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It may not be as much of a concern with semi-auto mags, but I have heard several accounts of "fully tapped" shotgun mag tubes having a negative affect on the ammo (if nothing else) if stored within the gun for an extended period.

Regardless, I recall that downloading/cycling mags mainly pertains to double stack magazines, which in this case, I am using.

I am also a big Massad Ayoob fan. I've actually met the man. I was unaware that he advocated this practice.
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Lets see here...(as I am reading)...Ok, I will have to admit that Mr. Ayoob mainly refers to cycling ammo if various rounds are consistently chambered or if the ammo is used (ie., carried) consistently for duty. Not the same thing as my XD sitting in the safe. Pending further exploration, I will ammend my original statement regarding the "necessity" of always cycling ammo (but, I dont see how it could hurt). However, as I read, several references are made to the benefits of downloading (again, mainly pertaining to double stack mags, but still including single stacks) and cycling magazines, if not the actual ammo itself.
 
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I personally don't believe there is any need to "Rotate" any ammo. I keep hydra-shoks in the S&W Model 13 357 magnum; golden sabers in the Sig P220 45acp; and Fiocchi FMJ or HP in the Walther or FEG 32acp. When I go to the range, I take the rounds out of the magazines and put plinking ammo in them and shoot. When I'm done plinking, I put the defense ammo back in the magazines and cylinder. I don't need to waste money on shooting defense ammo at paper targets. When I first got my gun, I put a box of defense ammo in it to see where it would shoot. But considering that just about any self defense (Carry situation) is going to happen at 20 feet or less, if the defensive ammo shoots a pubic hair off center of what the fmj plinking ammo does; so what? At 20 feet it doesn't really matter. Same with in the house. The furthest shot is going to be about 40 feet possible.The accuracy of one ammo to another is not at all significant. Don't waste your money shooting the good stuff at the range.

As for mixing a matching ammo in a magazine, and swapping it around, that also has no advantages whatsoever. Some people think that the magazines get a memory in the spring if you leave ammo in them too long. I don't buy it, but assuming they do, simply unload the magazine once a month and reload it. It will only take about a minute. Every bullet that Remington, Federal, Winchester, etc... made in the box you bought went through quality assurance. The last bullet in the box or in a magazine is no better or worse than the first bullet. There's no reason at all to swap ammunition around.

The ONLY exception I would say to mixing or swapping ammunition, is with some of the smaller caliber handguns such as a 32acp or 380acp. Some people think the bullets are too small to expand a Hollow Point. And if they do expand, that they are so small that they won't penetrate. Some believe in the smaller calibers, you should shoot fmj. Also, many of the smaller guns; mouse guns; no matter what the caliber, have a tendency to not feed Hollow Points all that well. So what many people with the smaller guns; especially for carrying; will do for both these situations is make the first round in the magazine a hollow point. And that is chambered and ready to carry. The rest in the magazine are FMJ. This way if the hollow point actually does it's job, you have that advantage. Also, the next round (If you need it) is a FMJ and you aren't chancing using a hollow point that might not feed.

But other than that, there is absolutely no real reason for swapping your ammunition around or for mixing up ammunition in a clip. Including those who alternate hollow points and fmj, There's no reason. But hey, if it makes you feel better, go for it. It's your gun. There's no law that says you have to load it a certain way. Just like the people who at home alternate their shotguns to have 00 buck and slugs rotating in the magazine. There is no reason for this. But if the person thinks they get the first shot off at the person at closer range, and need the slug to shoot them further away as they run; then more power to them. But do whatever you want to. It's not going to harm anything. Even if you load 4 different types and manufacturers into each magazine.
 
cycle

Not something that I do.

hey, if it makes you feel better, go for it. It's your gun.
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+1 about that.
I suspect, though, that you get more wear and tear from the cycling than it's worth.
Pete
 
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