Help on mags and ammo?? I will soon be a new and casual owner of a semi auto or revolver. I have 2 questions I hope I can get some help with. Is a semi auto better or a revolver better for me? I am most concerned with keeping a magazine full so long that 1) the ammo goes stale, if this is possible, and 2) will this practice make the spring lose strength? I know one answer will be to shoot a lot but I just do not have the opportunity to do this so I need these questions answered so I can make the best decision about which firearm to buy. Thank you.
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Banned
Semi autos will operate most of the time. Revovlvers will operate all of the time. Ammo if stored properly will last a very long time. According to information I have read on the internet, there is no probem with storing ammo within modern magazines. Regarding which pistol to buy, read the postings. There is a wealth of knowledge here.Originally Posted by Casual User
Hey Casual User: You will get many answers from many posters on semis vs revolvers, new/stale ammo, and spring life on mags. Having said that I get first digs on an answer. Very casual and not much practice? A revolver is a lot simpler to appreciate and use with hardly any problems or complications. Just go to a gun shop and watch the counterguy go thru the operations of both kinds of guns and you will immediately appreciate what I mean. I watched as he racked the slide on a semi and took it apart with all its little pieces and then basically did nothing with the revolver. Regardless of what anyone says about a "shootout" and a semi with a 12 shot mag is more than a 5 shot revolver, statistics do not bear out more than 3 shots in a confrontation (there is always a what if). Having said the above, IMO a revolver makes more sense. In either case, semi or revolver, caliber is important--the bigger the bang, the more difficult to fire accurately due to recoil. Read up on many internet sites--if it is your house gun, it should be at least a 38 for a revolver and a 9mm for a semi--again from what articles say, that is about the minimum for effective protection. People will disagree but you must decide. Another interesting example of a house gun would be something like the recent Taurus Judge, which is a big gun chambered with 45 AND 410 shotgun shells. You now sort of combine a revolver with a shotgun. Ammo does not go stale and loaded mags do not have a spring problem (springs tend to fail when being used a lot as they are continually compressed and decompressed). If you are considering concealed carry, things change--smaller, lighter guns mean smaller caliber and if you are a "casual user" this sounds more like your cup of tea than say a big gun strapped to your waist. You've got to do your homework--listen to the comments you get, prowl the internet, go to a good gun shop and try various types and calibers of weapons etc etc--it is daunting but interesting. I started out knowing nothing and not even ever having handled a gun and FYI, Inow have a 38 revolver and a 12g shotgun in my home, a very smalll light 380 semi for concealed carry (only wanted something in my pocket with no weight or size) and a 22 for target shooting and "honing" my shooting. I shoot them all on some sort of regular basis but I consider myself very much a casual user like yourself. Good luck
NM Hunter
Magazines, made of good materials and using a properly made spring will last longer than most of us. On the other hand, poorly made junk will not last and may cost more than a few points in a match or a casual plinking session.
Ammunition can go "stale" if the materials are not made to the usual standards, some foreign military surplus comes to mind. Modern ammunition of good manufacture kept under conditions that would not be too uncomfortable for you should last a long time. I have owned what is currently in my pistol for over five years and it goes 'bang' with awesome regularity. I have hunted, and I like to go after things that bite back, with my own manufacture ammunition, I have confidence in it and it may have been a decade or more old. I used primers from the 1980's on a hunt in South Africa and all the ammunition my daughter and I used went 'bang' every time. Basically, don't worry about good quality ammunition.
Considerations of storage, if carried, you might want to clean the gun and magazine innards and wipe off the ammunition to get dust and lint off. I suggest replacing your carry ammunition by shooting up what's in the gun at least yearly and putting in new stuff even if from the same box it came from. If nothing else it will keep you knowledgeable of what to expect when you touch it off and will reduce loud noise and recoil surprise if you need to use it in dire circumstances.
Finally, get a good gun, practice with it as much as you can. Dry firing, using a snap cap if you can or need to, is great practice and really low cost.
I'd be very cautious about stating that ANY firearm will work ALL of the time.Though rare, I've seen revolvers malfunction. As with any firearm, they need to be properly maintained and inspected to ensure reliability. Even after doing everything "right", sometimes malfunctions will occur.
As to the OP's questions, practice regularly to ensure that your ammo doesn't go stale. I advise my students to fire up a box or two of their preferred SD ammo at least quarterly. Get as much quality range time in as possible. Use target loads for the bulk of your shooting to minimize cost, then fire up some SD loads every once in a while to ensure reliability in your firearm as well as to build confidence in both the firearm and the ammunition.
Good luck, and happy shooting!
gf
"A few well placed shots with a .22LR is a lot better than a bunch of solid misses with a .44 mag!" Glock Armorer, NRA Chief RSO, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, Muzzleloading Rifle, Muzzleloading Shotgun, and Home Firearm Safety Training Counselor
Banned
Cautious and firearms are two words that always go together. I left out the words maintained and inspected. Thank you for catching that.
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