About keeping your carry gun loaded

[Handloader109]

Have you even shot any of that high priced ammo? Do you know it will function correctly in your handgun? At some frequency, you should shoot that chambered round and a couple of more.......

And I keep all my handguns that are for self defense loaded. Even in safe. Empty gun is just a club at best.

[john in jax]

Depending on weather, dress etc.... EDC is a Glock 23, or Glock 43, they are always loaded with one in the pipe ready to go, unless I am cleaning them. Home guns are a Glock 19 and 30, again they stay loaded and ready to go. These are for self defense and if I need them I am probably need them instantly.

Hunting guns, plinkers, range toys, etc... are unloaded and locked up in the safe.

[Psychedelic Bang]

Originally Posted by Handloader109

Have you even shot any of that high priced ammo? Do you know it will function correctly in your handgun? At some frequency, you should shoot that chambered round and a couple of more.......

And I keep all my handguns that are for self defense loaded. Even in safe. Empty gun is just a club at best.

January 13 - 15 I'm enrolled in a 3 day pistol immersion level 1 course. I'm heading out to the range 1 more time before than to shoot 200 - 250 rounds. I'll shoot some of this posh ammo then and also at the 3 day course.


Now seeing as how the gun is a S&W M&P 9 2.0 I imagine this ammo is going to go boom!! I am 99.999% sure that if I load the Gold Dot in and pull the trigger the gun is going to fire. In fact, I do not think a range trip, and testing out the ammo would change how sure I am that the gun would go bang. I am 99.999% sure now, after the range, I would still be 99.999% sure that the gun and the ammo work.

[Troy800]

Keep it loaded. Will normally shoot a magazine every couple of months

[FAS1]

All defensive guns stay loaded.

[K_Mac]

PB your shooting some of your "posh" ammo is a good idea for a couple of reasons. You may be confident that it will work well in your gun, but until you shoot some you can't know for sure. I would bet it works fine, of course it is your life that hangs in the balance so you have to know.

The recoil of the self-defense ammo will be different than off the shelf target stuff and it may not shoot to the same POI. Occasionally shooting a few rounds of your carry ammo keeps you aware of the differences and keeps new ammo in your gun. Whether that is important depends on who you ask, but that is my practice.

Enjoy your training course.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

I'll shoot a mag of the fancy defensive stuff in a match that usually involves 12 or so mags. I deliberately choose the stage for that mag to see how it works.

Similarly with my revolver, I'll run 6 and then a reload of the fancy stuff. It is a good idea.

I've found that the difference in recoil in my semis between fancy and range stuff isn't that great. With revolvers, if I switch from a lighter load - say a 32 HR mag to a 327 or a 38 spl to 357, it is quite noticeable.

The EDC guns are always kept loaded and chambered.

[peterg7]

Originally Posted by Psychedelic Bang

January 13 - 15 I'm enrolled in a 3 day pistol immersion level 1 course. I'm heading out to the range 1 more time before than to shoot 200 - 250 rounds. I'll shoot some of this posh ammo then and also at the 3 day course.





Now seeing as how the gun is a S&W M&P 9 2.0 I imagine this ammo is going to go boom!! I am 99.999% sure that if I load the Gold Dot in and pull the trigger the gun is going to fire. In fact, I do not think a range trip, and testing out the ammo would change how sure I am that the gun would go bang. I am 99.999% sure now, after the range, I would still be 99.999% sure that the gun and the ammo work.

It’s not the first bang that would be in question, it’s the subsequent bangs. You test your gun for functionality first and foremost.


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[Psychedelic Bang]

Originally Posted by peterg7

It’s not the first bang that would be in question, it’s the subsequent bangs. You test your gun for functionality first and foremost.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've already put 200 rounds down range in this thing and I have a J frame that I will continue to carry until after one more trip to the range and this course I'm doing

I'm not claiming to know everything that's why I made the thread but don't make it seem like I'm doing something wrong when I'm not

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[Lohman446]

Now seeing as how the gun is a S&W M&P 9 2.0 I imagine this ammo is going to go boom!!

The thing is you are not concerned with every other S+W M&P 2.0 that you are basing your conclusion on. You are concerned with ONE particular M&P. Every manufacturer has let one slip out from the factory that is a lemon for whatever reason - its part of mass manufacturing.

Testing for reliability is not about the particular model of firearm. It is about a very particular ONE firearm - the one being the one you are are using.

[cc-hangfire]

The answers posted so far are contradictory and entertaining, & every poster is convinced that their way is the right way - & many think it's the only way.

Truth is that each individual must establish their own procedures and comfort level. You situation, your locations, and the laws and rules that apply to you will dictate what you can, can’t, & should do. My situation (state law on handgun transport & storage, workplace regulations) compell me to unload daily. I watch the rechambered rounds, measure for setback, & properly discard them when it occurs.

[pgdion]

Loaded all the time. The only time I unload it is to put in FMJ for practice. Then reload when done until the next time.

[Koda94]

Originally Posted by Psychedelic Bang

This is pretty specific to Semi-Autos and I imagine could have gone in: the semi auto forum, or general handgun forum. Feel free to move where you see fit. To me it also has to do with tactics, and training

Do you keep your carry gun loaded, or do you unload daily?


I have been carrying a revolver that up until now I have been unloading and reloading quite a bunch - even though I have a lockbox/safe to put my pistols in, I have been locking up, "empty guns." I know, "all guns, are always loaded."

Anyways, here is the thing. I just got a semi-auto, and I have some very expensive speer gold dot ammo for it. Now I heard I can load up my mags and keep em loaded indefinitely, or cycle them every 4 - 6 months. There are a lot of thoughts on the subject...

My main concern is about the bullet in the chamber. I hear that you should not fire a round that has been chambered more than once in a semiauto, because the bullet gets smacked into the cartridge and it increases the pressure of the round.

So let's say I want to carry my semi-auto and I want to load my magazines with this pricey ammo.. do I just keep the gun loaded 24/7? I mean, I am not going to eject a $1.25 round every time I go in and out of my home.

I also hear that you can chamber the sd bullets 3 times and after that they are range food. But that seems in contrast to hearing, "never chamber more than once, its very dangerous."

So please feel free to shed some light on the situation. Thanks

Do what you do and memorize it but I think its bad practice to store loaded guns, if its not on my person or in only my control it should be unloaded.
Bullet setback isn't really a problem especially in 9mm, you should get many chamberings from the same round before any noticeable setback. You can see setback by eye just comparing to a new round, retire the old when its barely visible and its still good for range fodder besides its good to shoot defense ammo otherwise you'll never know how it functions.

[JohnKSa]

Although it might be possible that a seated bullet could be pushed deeper by rechambering it some hundred or so times it is not likely.

It is not only possible, it is likely. I have seen setback in aluminum cased ammo from only a single chambering.

In premium self-defense ammunition, setback is unlikely to occur with just a few rechamberings, but I wouldn't make it a practice to chamber the same round more than 5-10 times--and even then I would check the round after every chambering above 5 to see if it had visibly shortened.

How much and how easily a round sets back depends on a lot of things. Usually premium self-defense ammo is made to tolerate a reasonable number of rechamberings, but I don't believe any ammo company would be comfortable suggesting that their ammo is "setback proof". At some point it will all start to shorten given enough rechamberings.

[Psychedelic Bang]

I was curious about what Speer had to say about bullet setback, from the email response I received:

"Jonathan, if you get bad neck tension, the bullet will set back, this is what causes the issue. Depending on how you load the round into the firearm, will depend on how many times it can be chambered. I would load and load only a few times and then set that round in the box and when you get a box full, take them to the range for training."

I can see: "load only a few times, bring the round to the range" This is from their tech department and they spent several days getting back to me. This wasn't just an answer supplied by anybody who usually answers the emails. I decided to hit up their support department a few hours after I made this thread...

[kenny53]

I only time I have seen/noticed set back was with my SR 1911. It would only chamber FMJ. Ruined a number of Hollow points with serious set back. The gun was returned for repair and works fine now.

For your question. I leave my guns loaded with one in the chamber. I have chambered some rounds many times and not had a problem. Loading and unloading guns should not be problem if you follow safe practices. If you want to practice and are nervous try snap caps.

[James K]

I once decided to test bullet setback. I used several pistols, several different brands of ammo and got some interesting results (all 9mm).

To make a long (and tiring and fairly expensive) test program tale short, I played with a lot of combinations in both pistols and revolvers and got some high pressure signs, but never enough to blow up or damage any guns (or me!). Obviously I could not test every combination of handload or even buy every brand of factory ammo, but I did a lot of testing and have the sore hand to prove it.

My conclusion was that bullet setback from repeated chamberings of factory ammo does not happen and if it is forced (using a vise to break the seal and create bullet setback) it is obvious and/or the round won't chamber.

In short, I concluded that such a condition would almost have to be created deliberately, and with reloads, not accidentally by simply chambering the same round several times. And even then, every warning (like bulged cases) would have to be ignored (as was done in some tests where a badly distorted case was hammered into the chamber).

Jim

[Bill DeShivs]

Some guns are harder on ammunition than others.
I have a Star PD that will induce setback after only a couple of chamberings.

[Koda94]

Originally Posted by James K

but I did a lot of testing and have the sore hand to prove it.

My conclusion was that bullet setback from repeated chamberings of factory ammo does not happen and if it is forced (using a vise to break the seal and create bullet setback) it is obvious and/or the round won't chamber.

I cant speak for your personal test methods but rest assured bullet setback is real, common, and can be a problem if not checked and discovered. There is plenty of information available to validate the problem with a simple web search: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=bullet+set...nonical&ia=web

I've had my own problems specifically with Hornandy ammo setting back with even just one or two chamberings and I've read of others having issues with Hornandy ammo specifically 45acp in non-ramped 1911s.

https://www.firearmstalk.com/threads...et-back.95369/
http://forum.opencarry.org/forums/sh...itical-Defense

[gnystrom]

Always loaded.

[spacemanspiff]

Only time I manually cycle a round out of the chamber when I am at home is to do some dry firing or to clean the gun.

I used to worry about bullet setback and if it really does bother me, i can just unload the magazine and put the recently unchambered round at the bottom of the mag. If it takes dozens of reloading to set a bulletback, cycling a different round each time should spread it out. But I know that I do not load/unload enough times between range trips to have it be a true concern.

[motorhead0922]

I don't know about bullet setback, but repeated chambering of a round can cause damage to the primer, at some point causing it to loose its ability to fire. There was a case a few years ago of a cop who unchambered his duty gun every night and rechambered that top round every morning. After something like 3 years of this (1000 times) he found himself in a gunfight. All he got with the first trigger press was "click". There was an investigation and the problem was declared to be the multiple chamberings. Somewhere between the 2nd chambering and the 1000th, the primer gave out.

I use Claude Werner's advise. Every time you unchamber one of your expensive hollow points, use a permanent marker to mark the case. When you unchamber a round with 4 marks on it, it's now just a practice round.

This would cover any tendency for the bullet to move around as well.

[Cheapshooter]

I watch the rechambered rounds, measure for setback, & properly discard them when it occurs.

And how many times has it happened?

[FireForged]

how often? I have noticed it by way of visual inspection many many many times. Was it enough to be a problem?.. who knows. It was enough to notice it with the naked eye. I have seen it in as little as 2 chambers of the same round. Who hasn't? I mean really, are there people who have not had the occasion to notice bullet set back?

[LBussy]

I see people making the argument that one should be able to unload a weapon safely, the military does it, etc. The fact is - done right at the range you are pointing where? Down range. In the military or police you are pointing where? A clearing barrel. When you do it at home you are doing it where? Occasionally this is necessary at home, but as someone pointed out you are buying a ticket to the ND lottery and personally, I'd like to keep that to a bare minimum.

I have no doubt someone can/will come behind me and say how they have a specially built wall, or a clearing barrel inside the door of their house. Fine. Most people do not and therefore should not be clearing a weapon where a ND will potentially cause loss of property or life.

I guess that puts me firmly in the "leave it loaded" category.