How often do you change out your JHP rounds in your daily carry?

Glockomatik said:
I've read and heard from many people that it is good to "frequently" change out the hollow points in your daily carry weapon, and I COMPLETELY agree. You want to make sure the gun will fire when/if you need to use it.

My question is how often is "frequently"? JHP rounds are not cheap, but I don't want to wait too long, just to save a buck and end up having bad ammo when I need it most.

How often do you guys switch it out, and what kind of JHP rounds do you all run?

Stay safe out there!
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I switch mine out once a month. I try to go to range once a week. Either to practice or shoot in a BULLS Eye match. And I change my carry rounds once a month. Unless I see some other issues. Then I changed sooner.
 
Every two weeks, I shoot my carry gun empty of the cartridges I've carried the past two weeks. For three reasons, one for fresh ammo, one to make sure everything is working as it should, and lastly for a cleaning.
 
Once a year. I am carrying ammo today that I bought last June. This June, I'll use this ammo for quals and get a fresh box for carry.
 
I don't change out ammo. I will check the chambered round for set back occasionally.
I don't shoot either of my carry guns that often to worry about it. I have a DA\SA range gun I practice with so the 2 EDC rarely get unloaded except for a cleaning once in a while.
 
Probably a couple of times a year I will shoot a magazine or two of carry ammo through my carry guns. I am careful to watch for setback as well. I have never found any setback though, and don't think carry ammo needs to be replaced that often, if at all under normal circumstances. I just like to remind myself of the difference in hotter hollow points and generic target ammo.
 
Twice a year is probably more than adequate provided you periodically check your ammo to make sure it's clean and dry. If the gun sits loaded in a drawer or safe then I'll go much longer before changing the ammo.

A person should practice with what they carry so changing out ammo a couple times a year shouldn't even be an issue.
 
Glockomatik said:
Do you think this is just a ploy from ammo companies to get you to buy more of their ammo? Lol I guess anything is possible
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Now why would the ammo companies want us to have reasons to buy more ammo?.....

I change mine out about every two to three years....by then, there's some new whizz-bang new-fangled wunderspitzer that all the tactical types are buying by the case.....and I can get my old dependable JHP's for a bargain price.
 
I don't just change my cc amo, but I will not chamber a round more than twice. I but a black mark on it when I chamber it the second time. It gets shot at my next range session.
 
I shoot off the ammo in my carry guns every few range visits. I'm sure it's not necessary. I just shoot it to put the gun through its paces and to maintain familiarity with the gun.
 
After reading many different opinions on what they do personally, I still have not read any definitive proof of how the rounds sitting inside the mag or cylinder "go bad". Through normal care of any handgun it's logical the gun will at least get wiped down or cleaned once or twice a year, it stands to reason the ammo will be removed and wiped off of any accumulated dust or grunge. This being a gun that's kept tucted away for home defense, or CC. If it's a gun you practice with on a regular basis, then the ammo won't sit long enough to worry about. I've still yet to see a primer, case, bullet, or the powder just simply go bad. Might as well change out your mag springs and cylinders while your changing out the ammo.
 
There is a huge difference in ammo in a home defense gun, and in one that is carried regularly. My carry guns and ammo get exposed to a variety of conditions and require far more attention the others. I have learned that the hard way. For those of us who carry guns at work and play, I don't think it is unreasonable to replace ammo occasionally.
 
I reload my defensive carry rounds, so my practice ammo is the same as my carry ammo. Thus, when I go to the range, I just shoot what's already in the mags/cylinder and thus my ammo is rotated and refreshed every time I go to the range. If I was stuck using high priced factory ammo, unless I lived and carried in a very humid environment where heavy oxidation could occur quickly on the brass and make it prone to FTF/FTE issues, I wouldn't worry about changing it regularly, as one still needs to practice with their carry ammo, and since one box a year of practice is not enough, problem solved.
 
I don't just change my cc amo, but I will not chamber a round more than twice.
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I'm at the other (far) end of the bell curve from this.

Federal .45ACP 185gr JHP, purchased in 1980. Last 7 rnds kept as defense ammo. FOR OVER 20 YEARS!!! Rounds chambered so many times the nickel cases had brass stripes in them!! Literally hundreds, if not thousands of chamberings. NO SETBACK (measured, often).

When those rounds were fired, function was exactly the same as in 1980, FLAWLESS!

I don't think you are wrong to change out your ammo, but its not something I bother worrying about.
 
No one really knows whether a cartridge will go bang until the trigger is pulled. Even if you change them out daily.

Also, what Hawg said: I don't use hollow points either.
 
Never. I haven't needed to shoot anyone.
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LOL. Just to let you know i have been shooting up my dads old ammo that he had when i was a kid, i bet i was about 10 years old, and who knows how long he had it before i ever seen it. I'm going to be 50 this year, were talking 40+ year old ammo. Guess what? not one miss fire. I also had a few boxes of 38 & 357 ammo from when i was about 20, no problems. I'm in no big hurry to spend over $20.00 on less than a half a box of ammo. Maybe in 3 to 5 years there might be a new type of ammo i will want to try I'll change out then.
 
This seems like a leading question. If I keep high quality rounds in my CCW, and not leave them in my holster when I shower, and not jump into a muddy lake at random with my CCW, then why do I need to change my quality rounds (Hornady Critical Duty) on occasion to make sure they work if I need to protect myself?

If I work off-shore in salty water, I'm probably not carrying. But I think my quality ammo is not as significant as the firearm maintenance of properly cleaning and oiling to make sure it can shoot the rounds I have in the magazine or cylinder.
 
I am a little surprised that so many don't see a difference in carry ammo and everything else. My carry guns and ammo are often wet with sweat. The are cleaned and oiled, including the mags at least a couple of times a week. The ammo is cleaned and inspected, returned to the magazine and rechambered. I am not sure this puts carry ammo at greater risk, but why would I chance it? I believe that shooting generic target rounds only, and saving the good stuff for a life threatening encounter is a bad idea as well. There are many reasons to shoot what you carry occasionally. A steady rotation of new ammo is just one of them.
 
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