Shells in Shotgun

[JohnLM]

I have an Mossberg 590 for home defense. I have taken it to the range a few times just to get the feel and practice with it. Since this is my home defense weapon and I am not a hunter, My question is how long can you leave ammo in your weapon without firing it?? I keep a few rounds in for "Just in Case" Can I get some input please and THANKS

[Deserteagle]

My question is how long can you leave ammo in your weapon without firing it?? I keep a few rounds in for "Just in Case" Can I get some input please and THANKS

Having ammo in your weapon is not going to damage it. I think you are just concerned about the magazine spring and this concern is brought up very often on forums. Many people say they've had magazines loaded for decades and they work just fine. Others say they like to rotate their magazines to let their springs "rest".

Your shotgun will be just fine loaded for as long as you want it to be. Most police cruisers keep their magazine tube on their shotgun full, without a shell in the chamber. They keep it that way for long periods of time. If you want to make yourself feel better, pull your shotgun out every month and cycle your rounds through it to prove your magazine still works fine.

Otherwise, do what I do... Buy a shotgun shell holder that attaches to your stock and put 5 rounds on that. That way your magazine does not "wear out" as some say it might, and you have shells ready to go.

[Caribou]

I wouldn't worry about the spring. You should take your shotgun out and practice with it like any other gun that you rely on. If you start having problems, springs are cheap. If you are really worried get a spare spring now and put it away. Another option is to get an extended magazine which comes with a spring. If you ever have problems with the extended magazine you can always fall back to the original. Another trick is to load one round down. I don't know that any of this is necessary but there are lots of theories out there. I have tried most of them. Today I top off my magazines. For my shotgun magazine full, sidesaddle full, chamber empty as shotguns are not generally considered drop safe. If I had young kids in the house I might reconsider.

[ajgk67]

I Have diffent shells in different order in my 590a1. It can start with bean bag, then move to buckshot, then slug. Depends on your personality. I don't bother with bean bag shells. I start with 00 buckshot for 2 shells, then slugs. I hope I never have to find out.

[JD Beam]

I had to downsize my load of my 870 from 00buck to 00buck managed recoil with my brothers girlfriend living here (she can actually shoot the managed recoil). The gun has stayed loaded since it was purchased and still feeds fine to this day.

JD

[Deserteagle]

Found a picture of mine

[NCIC105]

Mine has been loaded for over 5 years. Took it out yesterday and ran 20 shells through her to make sure everything was working..

No problem..Loaded back with 00 buck.

[S&W645]

#9, 1oz slug, 00buck, 1.25oz slug, 00buck. The #9 is because the shot gun is most likely going to be used on a 0-legged criter at close range first.

[WB9IIE]

Your shotgun will be just fine loaded for as long as you want it to be. Most police cruisers keep their magazine tube on their shotgun full, without a shell in the chamber. They keep it that way for long periods of time. If you want to make yourself feel better, pull your shotgun out every month and cycle your rounds through it to prove your magazine still works fine.

Having been a leo, one of my "pre-flight" duties prior to going on patrol was to cycle all the rounds out of the shotgun, inspect the weapon for any obvious defects, and re-load the weapon. This gave me the piece of mind that the mechanism for reloading is operational, and that the shotgun is ready for use when needed, NOT after a trip to the gunsmith. The most important part of that job was to return home for dinner after your shift.

[Treo]

I have an Mossberg 590 for home defense. I have taken it to the range a few times just to get the feel and practice with it. Since this is my home defense weapon and I am not a hunter, My question is how long can you leave ammo in your weapon without firing it?? I keep a few rounds in for "Just in Case" Can I get some input please and THANKS

There are a lot of variables to your answer.

If you are strictly asking “what is the shelf life of ammunition?” I’ve fired stuff that was 30 years old w/out malfunctions on M16 qualification ranges in the Army.

Personally, I replace my SD ammunition once a year.

If you want to know how long you can leave a gun loaded, there are all kinds of anecdotal stories about people leaving guns loaded for years and having them function perfectly.

Personally, I reload my SD magazines once a year.

If you want to know how often you should clean your weapon there are folks over on THR that have weapons that are decades old that they swear have never been cleaned.

Personally, I clean any weapon I fire right after firing and my HD weapons once a month regardless.

Can you be more specific?