Cary ammo question

[HenryAKirk]

I carry Hornady Critical Duty 9mm+p 135 gr. in my Smith & Wesson sigma 9 mm. with one in the pipe all the time. My wife is nervous about my leaving a round chambered when the gun is not on my hip. So every night I unload my pistol and remove the round from the chamber, put it back on the magazine and put the mag back in the gun. Every morning when I get dressed i rack the slide and holster my weapon again. I was wondering if constantly chambering and unchambering the same round every day might affect the reliability of the round. I would hate it if one day I needed that bullet and the gun went click instead of BANG.
Any thoughts?

[WildBill]

I carry Hornady Critical Duty 9mm+p 135 gr. in my Smith & Wesson sigma 9 mm. with one in the pipe all the time. My wife is nervous about my leaving a round chambered when the gun is not on my hip. So every night I unload my pistol and remove the round from the chamber, put it back on the magazine and put the mag back in the gun. Every morning when I get dressed i rack the slide and holster my weapon again. I was wondering if constantly chambering and unchambering the same round every day might affect the reliability of the round. I would hate it if one day I needed that bullet and the gun went click instead of BANG.
Any thoughts?

Rechambering the same round can cause setback of the bullet which can cause high chamber pressure and a catastrophic failure. This can cause a BANG to become a BOOM. I suggest buying a small gun vault to store your handgun at night.

[Jumping Frog]

Loading and unloading every day is dangerous for most ammunition. A person is at risk of bullet setback, which can happen when the same cartridge is loaded in a semiauto pistol multiple times. Basically the act of the slide slamming the cartridge into the chamber also jams the bullet nose into the feed ramp. Over time, there is risk of pushing the bullet deeper into the case, which can raise pressures and result in a KABOOM.

Here is an example of bullet setback:



You are the exception to the rule. The new Hornady Critical Duty rounds were explicitly designed with cannelured bullets in semi-auto rounds to prevent bullet setback.

It is still better practice to leave your gun loaded all the time. Repeated loading and unloading on a daily basis is unnecessary gun handling and is by definition more dangerous that simply leaving it loaded.

I rotate my rounds when unloading/reloading for range time. For example, if the round in the chamber is round 0, and then the rounds in the magazine are numbered (top to bottom) 1 to 15, when I reload the gun, the former round 0 gets moved to magazine position 15, and all the other rounds move up 1 place in line. Thus in fifteen unloading/reloading cycles, each round got loaded once instead of the same round getting loaded 15 times.

[RPB]

I carry Hornady Critical Duty 9mm+p 135 gr. in my Smith & Wesson sigma 9 mm. with one in the pipe all the time. My wife is nervous about my leaving a round chambered when the gun is not on my hip. So every night I unload my pistol and remove the round from the chamber, put it back on the magazine and put the mag back in the gun. Every morning when I get dressed i rack the slide and holster my weapon again. I was wondering if constantly chambering and unchambering the same round every day might affect the reliability of the round. I would hate it if one day I needed that bullet and the gun went click instead of BANG.
Any thoughts?

Rechambering the same round can cause setback of the bullet which can cause high chamber pressure and a catastrophic failure. This can cause a BANG to become a BOOM. I suggest buying a small gun vault to store your handgun at night.

Loading and unloading every day is dangerous for most ammunition. A person is at risk of bullet setback, which can happen when the same cartridge is loaded in a semiauto pistol multiple times. Basically the act of the slide slamming the cartridge into the chamber also jams the bullet nose into the feed ramp. Over time, there is risk of pushing the bullet deeper into the case, which can raise pressures and result in a KABOOM.

Here is an example of bullet setback:

[ Image ]

You are the exception to the rule. The new Hornady Critical Duty rounds were explicitly designed with cannelured bullets in semi-auto rounds to prevent bullet setback.

It is still better practice to leave your gun loaded all the time. Repeated loading and unloading on a daily basis is unnecessary gun handling and is by definition more dangerous that simply leaving it loaded.

I rotate my rounds when unloading/reloading for range time. For example, if the round in the chamber is round 0, and then the rounds in the magazine are numbered (top to bottom) 1 to 15, when I reload the gun, the former round 0 gets moved to magazine position 15, and all the other rounds move up 1 place in line. Thus in fifteen unloading/reloading cycles, each round got loaded once instead of the same round getting loaded 15 times.

Also
a constant pressure on a spring doesn't stress it, but daily adding/subtracting a round weakens the magazine spring.

If she wants a "wakeup delay" for when you wake up and see a burglar/home invader standing over you and her in the bedroom, get a safe (I do understand the fear of a Spouse scared coming back from the refrigerator/bathroom and you are asleep and hear her ... and wanting a "wakeup delay" time to wake up and become aware.... I suggest a biometric or some small type safe under the bed or nearby, perhaps even under her side so you notice her absence when rolling over to get it and don't think she's the burglar? and leave the gun loaded.

Then, if you can leave it holstered, putting the holstered gun in the safe, putting the holstered gun on to wear, you have much less *gun handling* potential for an accidental/negligent discharge with the trigger always covered and not having to insert a mag and rack the slide etc etc etc daily

[JeepGuy79]

Just take an extra round out of the box and place it by the gun at night. she will never know the difference. I would guess I have about 10 loaded firearms throughout my house at this moment. I have never had a ND.

if you don't have kids I don't see the problem. Is she worried that you or her is going to go pull the trigger on it?

[Thomas]

Just take an extra round out of the box and place it by the gun at night. she will never know the difference. I would guess I have about 10 loaded firearms throughout my house at this moment. I have never had a ND.

if you don't have kids I don't see the problem. Is she worried that you or her is going to go pull the trigger on it?

Fooling someone into thinking a gun is unloaded when it actually isn't is never a good idea IMO.

Also, if she ever finds out... let's just say I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that.

[JeepGuy79]

oh yea don't do that I was just kidding of course. For real talk to her about the built in safeties of the firearm and that it can not go bang unless it has the trigger pulled. Keep it in a safe place where you can get to it. discuss the location with her. Keep it loaded.

My friend has kids and the only guns outside of his safe are loaded and in those biometric pistol safes. They dont cost that much and open quick. If she is very concerned you may want to look into one.

[Heartland Patriot]

Loading and unloading every day is dangerous for most ammunition. A person is at risk of bullet setback, which can happen when the same cartridge is loaded in a semiauto pistol multiple times. Basically the act of the slide slamming the cartridge into the chamber also jams the bullet nose into the feed ramp. Over time, there is risk of pushing the bullet deeper into the case, which can raise pressures and result in a KABOOM.

Here is an example of bullet setback:

[ Image ]

You are the exception to the rule. The new Hornady Critical Duty rounds were explicitly designed with cannelured bullets in semi-auto rounds to prevent bullet setback.

It is still better practice to leave your gun loaded all the time. Repeated loading and unloading on a daily basis is unnecessary gun handling and is by definition more dangerous that simply leaving it loaded.

I rotate my rounds when unloading/reloading for range time. For example, if the round in the chamber is round 0, and then the rounds in the magazine are numbered (top to bottom) 1 to 15, when I reload the gun, the former round 0 gets moved to magazine position 15, and all the other rounds move up 1 place in line. Thus in fifteen unloading/reloading cycles, each round got loaded once instead of the same round getting loaded 15 times.

Excellent post. I do the same thing with my carry ammo and magazines, rotate the previously chambered round to the bottom of the stack. But then again, I try to not unload it more than necessary.

[HenryAKirk]

Thanks for the good info. I'm going safe shopping this weekend, and just throwing out the top round in my mag. I work with my hands and need all 10 fingers if I want to stay employed, besides whats a one dollar bullet anyway?
I think the small lock box by the bed will help the Mrs. feel safer and stop her from worrying.