Tips on extending the life of reloading equipment and shooting supplies

Reloading equipment and shooting supplies can be expensive to buy, so you want to do as much as possible to extend the life of your gear. Not everyone wants to assemble their own ammunition, so not everyone will own reloading equipment, however the same care instructions apply to factory assembled ammunition as well.

At our Logan Gun Shop, we always give the following instructions to customers.

• Buy a dehumidifier: Humidity is a big problem for your reloading equipment and shooting supplies, as it can cause corrosion, resulting in unsafe ammunition. This is even more true if you store all your equipment and supplies outside in a garage or shed, as these can really suffer from humidity during the summer. Just about the only way you can reduce this humidity is to buy a dehumidifier, which might seem like an unwanted expense, but will save you money in the long run.
• Keep an eye on the temperature: Very hot conditions can cause your ammunition to discharge due to the primer being set off in the heat. If you throw ammunition into a fire (not recommended), it will discharge because the temperature has set off the gunpowder. The same problem occurs when the ambient temperature is too high, which might not happen in your shed or garage, but might if you leave your shooting supplies in the boot of your car on a hot day.
• Keep everything clean: It pays to keep your reloading equipment and shooting supplies clean, as this extends their life. Always read the manufacturer’s instructions regarding the best way to clean and maintain your supplies and equipment, but you can also ask the team at our Logan Gun Shop for tips as well.

The shelf life of ammunition can be good for decades, but it’s heavily dependent on how you store it at home, which makes the tips above particularly relevant. Another problem is that shooting supplies that have gone into the field (not the shooting range) and not fired, but have been exposed to moisture should be fired as soon as possible or discarded.

Ammunition that has been left in your gun, should also be fired at the range so that new bullets can be rotated into the chamber. If you don’t use your gun in the field very often, it’s a good idea to shoot the carried rounds once a year at the range, as this has the added benefit of showing you how well they perform when carried.

For high quality reloading equipment and ammunition, visit our Logan Gun Shop, call us on 07 3841 1881 or send us an email.