Buying gun ammunition for your firearms is not overly challenging if you pay careful attention to what you are buying. Sourcing gun ammo from places that are reputable and sell quality brands is essential, and there are some things you can do to ensure your safety and that your firearms are not damaged by subpar ammo.

Check Your Ammo

When you buy gun ammunition from any vendor or source, take a minute to look it over before putting it in your gun. The primer on the rear of the casing should be tight and flush with the shell casing. If there are gaps around the casing and the primer, gases could leak when the round is fired, damaging the firearm's action. 

Look at the casing where the bullet is crimped in as well. There should be no gaps around the bullet, and the crimp should be clean and smooth. If it is not, do not use the round. In most cases, a gap around the bullet will not cause a failure in the gun, but the escaping gases will not propel the bullet at full speed, and it could be ineffective when it impacts the target. 

Check the body of the casing for dents or swelling, look for any stress cracks or micro-cracks on the surface, and keep an eye out for discoloration or corrosion on the casing, bullet, or primer. Discard any gun ammo with any of these problems and do not use it in your firearms.

Buy Local

There are a lot of places you can buy gun ammunition, including online retailers that will ship the ammo to your home. However, buying gun ammo from a local gun shop or sporting good store allows you the opportunity to open the box and look at each round before you purchase that box. Most gun shops are happy to allow customers that option, and in most cases, the shop owner will open the boxes when they put them on the counter. 

If you are unsure what to look for when checking ammunition, ask the gun shop owner to show you how to check it. The owner can go over each area to look at, what to look for, and how to tell if the gun ammo is good.

If you open a box that has some issues, let the gun shop owner know to check the lot number on the box and inspect the ammunition they have on the shelf. If you do find a problem, most gun shops will replace the gun ammo for you, but take the ammo in with you so they can see what is wrong with it when you are getting replacements.

Contact a local gun ammunition supplier to learn more.