When is the last time you fired your nightstand gun?

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Trey Veston

Trey Veston

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Seeing Gunny's post about his new full-size M&P reminded me that I also own and enjoy a full-size M&P. But, mine is in .40 S&W and is a 1.0 purchased in 2007. It has light on it that I check the batteries in it every couple of months, but haven't fired it in years. It's my nightstand gun and is literally in a drawer in a nightstand next to my bed.

Seems I have so many new toys every couple of months, and limited free time to go shooting, that most of my guns go unfired or fondled for years.

I tried to recall the last time I shot it.

I found a picture of it I took while using it for a monthly challenge on another website. That was on December 24th of 2014.

-R4aDxiVSuegz25kNFycrQ.jpeg

I haven't shot it for 5 1/2 years!

That revelation was pretty dang embarrassing. This is the firearm I would rely on in a SHTF/home invasion/burglar scenario and I haven't shot it in nearly 6 years?? Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Now, an M&P40c was my carry gun for years, so I've been current with the platform, at least.

And to add insult to injury, I popped the mag out and inspected the rounds. I had it filled with a mix of hard-cast bear loads and XTP 180 grain reloads. WTH?

Going to the range next week to try out my new 1911 and will bring the M&P to verify all is good and to freshen the magazine with suitable self-defense ammo.

In my defense, my door gun, which is an Extar braced AR 9mm, was just fired about a month ago, since it is so dang fun and all my friends want to shoot it. It is good to go.

My revelation made me wonder how often other enthusiasts actually take their nightstand guns to the range and check them for proper function and familiarization within a reasonable amount of time.

I realize a lot of people use their carry gun as their night stand gun, but I'm sure there are a lot of folks like me that stash a gun and forget about it. Although maybe not nearly 6 years.
 
Yeah, I have a "door gun", a "nightstand gun", and a "counter gun(s)".

Door gun is the Extar that sits above my main entry door. Purpose is for something to grab if SHTF outside and I need to respond. It's got a light, single-point sling, and a 33-round magazine. Counter gun is whatever I am using for daily carry. Usually it's the P365, or the M&P40c. They sit on my kitchen counter next to the basket with car keys, various pocket knives, and extra magazines. Walk into my house and five feet away is the kitchen and a counter with the guns. Nightstand gun is of course, in the nightstand in the master bedroom.

My house is tiny, and the distance from the front door to my bed is about 30'. Whole house is only 40' long. Bit of overkill to have more than one gun handy; especially in my nearly crime-free little town.
 
April 19, 2018, was the last time I took my designated nightstand duty gun, a Smith & Wesson Governor, for some quality range time. Wow, over two years! IIRC, I've brought the Gov to the range on other days, but the shotgun area was too muddy for me.

I keep the Gov in a Hornady RapidSafe and rub it down with a silicone gun cloth every couple of months. My EDC rests on top of the nightstand at night too.

This COVID scare has really cut my range time down. I got an S&W 3953TSW in December and haven't fired it yet. I bought an S&W model 3913NL last week that will also need function testing when the range is open.
 
It’s been a while, probably a year and a half to two years.
The one on the other side of the bed gets shot a good bit more, it’s also my wife’s carry gun.
 
That’s a good question Trey! It’s only been 7 months for me and I need to take my house gun to the range soon. I also get new toys and it’s easy to forget about the older ones.
 
My 'nightstand' gun(Glock 17) is in the same rotation as the others..Basically(when the range up there was open..maybe again May 31st) I shoot 1/2 of the ones I own each time(2 rifles, 5 handguns)..so next time up there..G17, G26, Uberti SA revolver and new Mossberg MVP..next time, G42, Ruger Wrangler, Ruger 10/22 and Mossberg MVP(hey, it's new)...

I Also have a 'closet' shotgun...Mossberg Maverick but I don't shoot it much..
 
My nightstand gun is a Glock 19C, with a mounted light. It gets fired about twice a year. But- I fire one of my many Glock 9mm pistols every week, as well as 150 rounds through my M&P 22, which is darn close. All rounds are fired in realistic drills under a pro-timer. I'm convinced that it won't matter much which one I use in an emergency.
 
That's a great question to pose to the forum.
I recently made some changes in my gun designations.
My 1911 commander is now my nightstand gun, and I have been dabbling with reloading. 45acp, so i have been shooting it lately.
20200329_205408.jpg
My HD shotgun however, is another story. I dont remember when I fired it last. It's been years, I'm sorry to say.
 
Trey

Great idea for a thread. Got to admit it's been awhile since I shot my nightstand gun; probably 7 or 8 months! It's so reliably consistent you start to take such things for granted instead of taking it to the range for a function check.

Thanks for the HD preparedness wake-up call!
 
I have my FNH SLP. I fired it over the winter to determine ammo grouping and reliability. Found that Sellier and Bellot double 00 wouldn't cycle the action so I switched to Federal. I would have to change the gas system to low brass I think to get the Sellier and Bellot to work.
 
My nightstand gun is a. Walter PPS M2 with a laser. The. Last time I feared it. Was about 3 months ago after I added the laser. I did that to make the appropriate sight adjustments to get point of Amin and point of impact synced. I have not fired it since but I will as soon a my LGS is allowed to reopen. I will probably keep to w month interval of firing it to keep the laser spot on. I do not have concerns about the gun’s performance after months on the table. I just want to be certain the laser sight is set right. I never used a laser sight before so I really do not know much about their ability to hold settings while idle for long periods.
 
April 18. Shook off the dust and otherwise undisturbed from the nightstand pulled the trigger in DA, and she lit off without a hitch. Put her through her paces DA/SA, and she ran like clockwork. Nearly out of Fed GuardDog. Cleaned her up, reloaded and back by the bedside she went until/if she's needed.
 
Nightstand gun is my EDC, a Glock 19 custom that get fired about every other month with about 50 rounds.

House guns are S&W model 10 [ 1st issued gun ].
Glock 19 & spare mag
S&W 360PD
Ruger sucurity 6
Not counting the ready to rock safe guns .
 
Lately the Taurus 92 night stand gun has been fired frequently. Discovered wax bullets during this lock down of the last two months and range closure further discovered 38 caliber wax bullets will load into 9MM brass and fire reasonable accurate in the 9MM, with magnum sp primers, single shot of course. Between it and the GP 100, also a hide out house guns I’ve done almost daily range sessions right on my screened linai. Not the same of course but it beats dry firing. It’s a real hoot with the revolver double action moving up on the target.
500 rounds don’t last long.
 
Hi...
My nightstand gun is my carry gun(Springfield Armory 1911 in .45ACP) and gets fired every couple of weeks. I usually get to one of the gun clubs every week at least once and it almost always goes along. Sometimes I carry my other 1911, a Colt Combat Commander, when I go to the gun club just because I want to.

Sometimes neither 1911 gets shot during a range trip because I am concentrating on other calibers or practicing single action or double action revolver shooting.
 
Mine or it’s double gets shot fairly frequently, probably every month or so. Well before the current unpleasantness, of course. I do a fair bit of dry fire as well.

Dry fire can give you a vast amount of training and familiarity in sight alignment, mag changes etc. etc. don’t discount it.

I do, however, have many guns that sit unfired for very long periods because I have a fairly large collection, but for me the ownership is part of the fun.
 
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