How familiar do you get?

[JetGirl]

...With your gun before you trust it for carry?

My personal "reliability break in" is 1k rounds without a gun-related hitch.
500 with intermittent cleaning, and 500 just as dirty as sin. If it goes bang every time, it's a carry option.

I'm asking the question because something never ceases to boggle me...
I meet people all the time who either carry a gun they've never even shot, or a gun that's been shot very little...and maybe a lonnng time ago.
Trusting their life to a "gee, I HOPE so..." Know what I mean?

Anyhow...what's your method of determining carry piece reliability?

 

[sgreen3]

I put about 400rds through my DH40 before I started carrying it everyday.

 

[malern28us]

I only put about 12 rounds through my 357 revolver before I started carrying it. I have put anpother 200 since. I dont see it as a concern with a revolver.

 

[esrice]

Anyhow...what's your method of determining carry piece reliability?

1k seems a bit much. You should be able to see malfs or malf patterns earlier than that. Not that waiting until 1k is gonna hurt anything.

250 rounds of target with 100 rounds of preferred carry ammo works for me. That's enough to start establishing a baseline of reliability. Some factors like extreme temperatures or excessive dirtiness can be introduced later.

And reliability testing should be an ongoing thing. Actually you should be shooting enough to know if any patterns develop, or if any parts are old/worn out/need replaced.

 

[JetGirl]

1k seems a bit much.

Why call it quits so early in the day??


Seriously, it doesn't take long to burn through that many.
God bless reloading.

 

[JetGirl]

Oh, by the way... usually, the first 200 or so is factory RN. Then some of what I intend to carry (HP)... then reloads (more RN)... then back to the "carry" ammo.
I know it's probably a weird break in method, but I'm a creature of habit. And I like to shoot.
A lot.

 

[The Bubba Effect]

I know what you mean. I know several people who carry autos that they have only fired a mag or two through. This boggles my mind.

When I get a defensive firearm, I put hundreds of rounds through it as soon as I can.

1: I want to make sure it functions correctly and consistently.
2: I want to become familiar in the extreme with the firearm's operation.
3: I want to practice my marksmanship with the firearm and gauge my ability with it.
4: I love to shoot guns and if I just got a new gun, I can't wait to shoot it, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang,

Every time the cops get called on me when I'm shooting it is because the caller "likes guns but doesn't see any point in shooting them as much as you're shooting yours".

Some people just like guns in theory I guess.

 

[Jerry C]

Just buy Glocks---perfection right out of the box.

 

[HD_darla]

I'll be honest when I first started carrying I had only fired a couple mag's out of my gun. I was new to firearms in general but especially carrying one. Now I am happy with 400 rounds of various types of ammo. 100 of that 400 with the type of ammo I plan on carrying every day.

If a gun fails to do anything that its supposed to do during my 400 round break in, or any time after I require two, 200 round (200 rounds 1 day, 200 rounds another day) flawless runs before I'll carry it again.

 

[Benny]

200ish rounds of practice ammo and 2 mags (rapid fire) of SD ammo. If I don't have any malfunctions, I'll start carrying it...I've only carried autos, BTW.

I've never carried a revolver, but I'd feel confident carrying it with less rounds than that.

 

[TiminMishawaka]

I only put about 12 rounds through my 357 revolver before I started carrying it. I have put anpother 200 since. I dont see it as a concern with a revolver.

Same here except I go 100 rounds. I actually had one that was prone to gunking up at about 50 rounds and retired it for an SP101. I've yet to have any kind of failure of any sort on any of the SP101s I've owned and shot.

 

[MrSmitty]

I sometimes sleep with my gun, but only when my wife is out of town..............is that familiar enough?
Ok I've put several hundred FMJ's through my P-11, and at least 50 of the Golden Sabre PD rounds, the prior owner said it had about 1000 rounds through it, and the trigger pull is great.

 

[HD_darla]

I sometimes sleep with my gun, but only when my wife is out of town..............is that familier enough?

Shoot my girlfriend asked why I haven't asked the biggie yet and I said I only have enough room in my bed for 1 girl, and my guitar and gun already bicker about it.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Just buy Glocks---perfection right out of the box.

Except, of course, for all the ones that don't work right out of the box...right?

-J-

 

[CtWest]

Except, of course, for all the ones that don't work right out of the box...right?

-J-

He's talking about glocks, therefore, your comment holds no weight.

 

[Jerry C]

Except, of course, for all the ones that don't work right out of the box...right?

-J-

Maybe I've just been lucky, but I have 22 of them and every one has worked perfect right out of the box.

 

[Que]

I shot about 100 rounds before I started carrying my EDC. I perform a 50-round drill about once a week in the summer and and maybe four times over the winter.

 

[esrice]

Maybe I've just been lucky, but I have 22 of them and every one has worked perfect right out of the box.

And that's pretty standard.

How comfortable you are relying on that alone is another story. . . .

 

[Mackey]

I know what you mean. I know several people who carry autos that they have only fired a mag or two through. This boggles my mind.

When I get a defensive firearm, I put hundreds of rounds through it as soon as I can.

1: I want to make sure it functions correctly and consistently.
2: I want to become familiar in the extreme with the firearm's operation.
3: I want to practice my marksmanship with the firearm and gauge my ability with it.
4: I love to shoot guns and if I just got a new gun, I can't wait to shoot it, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang,

Every time the cops get called on me when I'm shooting it is because the caller "likes guns but doesn't see any point in shooting them as much as you're shooting yours".

Some people just like guns in theory I guess.

This great, especially the bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.

I have put about 300 through the gun I carry most, but wish I had more time for practice.
One thing I like to do, is take the ammo that's carried daily in the pistol and just empty it out ... you know, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang (i have a 7 +1 ) - in a responsible way, in an appropriate place, of course. This helps me know if I am wise in carrying this gun, plus it forces me to change out my ammo.

 

[obijohn]

My rule of thumb is 250 rounds of the ammo I intend to carry in the specific magazines. One problem, then I diagnose and correct, then start over.