CCW reliability

[ritepath]

^ Funny part is both my CC's hit all those marks. For under 800 bucks total....LCP and Sheild.

 

[1John1:9]

TimSr brought up a good point. Whatever handgun you're using for CCW, make sure it performs well with the ammo you choose for it. Most factory carry ammo will work in almost every handgun, but there are exceptions. Some CZ's have shorter chambers and don't tolerate longer cartridges or certain bullet profiles. Make sure you shoot a few hundred rounds of that expensive carry ammo before you trust it.

I had a Walther P99 that never had one malfunction until the recoil spring wore out around 5,000 rounds.

You don't have to spend over $600 for a handgun, however I have found that HK does make a reliable gun. My CZ P-01 never encountered a problem either. I love Ruger, but my SR9c had a couple of problems before Ruger fixed it. I would trust my wife's Ruger SP101.

 

[JDR]

Take any good quality semiautomatic pistol, and all your magazines to a trusted local gunsmith and have him completely disassemble it, inspect every part, replace or repair all worn parts, oil & grease, reassemble, zero the sights, and test fire the gun with the range ammo you typically use. Do this at least once a year. Ask the gunsmith a lot of questions about your gun, and the way you use & maintain it. Keep a copy of the service invoice in case you have a problem down the road, a professional gunsmith should be committed to helping you solve your gun problems once he has serviced your pistol. Train & practice with good quality range and defensive ammo on a regular basis. As long as you are a competent shooter with decent technique you probably won't have any problems.

 

[tarosean]

Just carry a battle tested, real gun. Don't mess around with your life.

Yeah ummmm.... Have you timed your draw speed with that thing?

 

[Deaf Smith]

I've heard some people say that when it comes to CCW pistols, you want the absolute most reliable gun you can afford, because its better to not risk a failure. I've also heard people say that a mid-level brand like Kahr or Taurus is fine because reliability doesn't factor in unless you're shooting hundreds or thousands of rounds.

Who is right?

First guy was right.

Gun has gotta go bang every time. And if you practice a lot you need that gun to be sturdy enough to take it and still go 'bang every time'.

Now as for how long the gun last.... that's a different matter. Some guns might not last 5000 round before breaking. Others go past 100,000.

My mother has a S&W airweight Centennial. I bet it won't go past 10k full loads before it needs a tuneup, but she never will fire 10k. But we know that J frame will fire all five if she needs to use it.

I use a Glock 26. It will last quite a long time but even it I have a practice Glock 26 that takes all the punishment. I shoot alot and thus I set it up that way (did the same thing for my S&W 640 Centennial to!)

Alot of people cannot afford to do that, so I counsel them to buy the most reliable sturdy gun they can afford that fires the most powerful round they can control and carry. And practice as much as they can afford.

Deaf

 

[george burns]

Where are you guys when the Kel-Tec crew comes out and swears that they are 100% reliable carry guns. You are saying what I have said for years, get a high quality weapon to protect your life with.
Last night they were pushing Hi-Points, on slickguns, and normally there are few to no comments there. But there were 20 comments pro and con, the Hi Point as a personal defense gun. Most were totally against it, because to sell it for $130-150 it has to cost $30 or less to make it. What kind of quality can you get for that kind of money. Something has to snap at some point, as you are dealing with stamped out parts .And probably will break with no warning.

 

[Mike J]

There are many guns that will work fine for under $500. I have an old Ruger P-series that works. It is a bit bulky & does not have the best trigger but it is reliable & would do anything I need a defensive gun to do. These days I usually carry an XD but there are times I do carry a Kel-Tec P-11. I had some issues with it mostly due to my tinkering but they are resolved now & it works fine.

I suspect that if you buy a gun from any major player (Glock, Ruger, S&W, Beretta, FN etc.) you will be fine. Once you get the gun clean it then go shoot it enough to make sure it functions properly & you are competent with it. If you have an issue contact the manufacturer & get it taken care of then verify it works after you get it back. If you watch slickguns you may be surprised how affordable a good defensive firearm can be.

 

[medic_guns]

"Yeah ummmm.... Have you timed your draw speed with that thing?"




Do you think it will be dramatically different from most other guns? It isn't much larger than a 1911 and weighs the same.

 

[nearlynormalmike]

I learned the hard way that you can get lemons in any brand. I had no less than 4 of what is probably THE most popular brand of semi auto All were very reliable with ball, but none would reliably feed hollow points even after a couple trips back to the manufacturer. I won't own another of that brand, but friends have no problems.

As has been stated be sure whatever you have is reliable with the exact magazine and ammunition you will carry. It might be fairly expensive to get a proven combination, especially when you consider you will likely never need it, but.........

 

[medic_guns]

http://youtu.be/9TcLvX2Qomk

Tarosean, I made a video just for you.

 

[wrdwrght]

I think the bigger question regarding your CCW is how fast can you clear its failure.

Carrying a CCW is planning for the worst. Setting up failures and clearing them is planning for the worst of the worst.

In other words, all guns are reliable, until they aren't.

 

[tarosean]

Tarosean, I made a video just for you.

I am flattered..

Impressed that you manage to conceal it well too.

 

[19-3Ben]

I've also heard people say that a mid-level brand like Kahr or Taurus is fine because reliability doesn't factor in unless you're shooting hundreds or thousands of rounds.

Ummmm.... mid level like Kahr and Taurus? With Kahr's K series selling for over $700 and the P series in the $600 range, with actions that are smooth as it gets, I can't see comparing Kahr to Taurus as "mid level." Of course, Kahr does also make the CW/CM/CT series, but even those are very very nice for the price point.

Either way, reliability is #1. As other people have said, forget price, and forget this imaginary tiered ranking system you have. An H&K can be unreliable, and a Hi-point can be quite reliable.
Of course, you tend to get what you pay for, etc.. etc... but any gun can malfunction.

Now, as for how reliable a carry gun needs to be, for me, I want it to be able to shoot reliably every time. I have a Sig P232 that is stone cold reliable with every type of ammo until you've put about 150-200 rounds through it. At that point it has dirtied itself up so much that it will begin failing to feed. That said, I never minded carrying it because I only have the mag in the gun, and a spare mag anyway. Since there is not even a remote chance I'd be firing 150 rounds in a defensive scenario, this high-use reliability never bothered me.

 

[Old Fuff]

In defense of Taurus, over a number of years I have owned, used and carried several of their revolvers, and they have all proved to be completely reliable.

Of course they're some that aren't - at least out of the box. But the same can be said about Smith & Wesson.

In my long experience, regardless of make, during periods of panic buying and associated demand, quality issues increase. That said, if you look at it from a perspective of lemons vs. total production the percentage of the former may not be so much higher.

Anyway, if things work as they should from the beginning it's unlikely that in most instances they'll unexpected stop.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Seems like conflicting parameters to me.

Reliability to me is a separate thing from durability.

Todd.

 

[kokapelli]

I have yet to see any pistol at any price that is more reliable than a Makarov that have been sold for as low as $125.

There are many excellent inexpensive guns that both reliable and accurate.

 

[TimSr]

Here's my take for the new forum members or new CCW holders:
Carry the best firearm you can afford, keep it clean and only use factory ammunition. No handloads or reloaded rounds for defense or CCW.

I carry a .38 Taurus snubbie I bought used, filled with handloaded DE Wadcutters. I guess I'm screwed.

 

[Derry 1946]

I have yet to see any pistol at any price that is more reliable than a Makarov that have been sold for as low as $125.

There are many excellent inexpensive guns that both reliable and accurate.

Is there a specific variety of Makarov you favor?

 

[kokapelli]

Is there a specific variety of Makarov you favor?

I had a Russian Mak in 380 and one in 9X18 and still have a Bulgarian in 9X18 which I liked best of the ones I had.

 

[Darkness]

I carry a Beretta 92FS loaded with Hornady Critical Defense and feel pretty good about it.

 

[JDR]

There are many excellent inexpensive guns that both reliable and accurate.

I paid $319.00 for my Sig P225, boy those were the days!

 

[Girodin]

I have yet to see any pistol at any price that is more reliable than a Makarov that have been sold for as low as $125.

If you know where I can buy a Makarov for $125 let me know.

 

[kokapelli]

That's what they used to cost years ago but like everything else those days are gone.

 

[snooperman]

I also have the Bulgarian MAK that I bought about 15 years ago for $150 but now they are about $350. I like it better than the Russian ones. Well made and very reliable too.

 

[dogmush]

I say it every time a thread like this comes up. A CCW needs to be a pistol that you shoot well, quickly. That's it.

Obviously it needs to shoot for you to shoot it well. The poster upthread can shoot his Mk23 well so it's good for him. It might not be for others. Many folks can get a G19 deployed and rounds on target in a hurry. I can't, so a G19 would be a bad carry gun for me. It's not a bad gun, just not a good choice for me.

As far as reliability and brands go, you still have to test the particular pistol in question, not just go by brand. I had an FN fail on me out of the box this year. FN certainly knows how to make reliable firearms, and have a storied history in doing so, but had I not tested this pistol I'd have had a bad day.

So don't get hung up on brands, prices, and reputation. Find a design that works well for your style of shooting, and lifestyle. (not all folks can carry big guns, or pocket guns or whatever). Then buy a gun and shoot it several thousand times. Then you'll know you have a CCW that YOU personally can put rounds on target, quickly with.

Addendum 1: While every individual gun is different some makers certainly have better odds of putting out reliable firearms. That can factor into your decision.

Addendum 2: As was mentioned upthread, don't confuse reliability with durability. At least some of what you are paying for with a brand like Sig or HK is a service life in the hundreds of thousands of rounds. A HiPoint might be a perfectly reliable gun for 5,000 rounds. If you are only going to shoot it 100 times a year, it'll last a while.

Addendum 3: Because I hate it when folks don't actually answer the question asked, I expect any gun I will carry to average at least 5000 MRBF. It has been my experience that any modern pistol in good repair will do that easily. I have 1911's (expensive and not) Sig's, Springfields, Smiths, Walthers, FN's new and old, and some others that all hit that mark with ease. Good mags, good ammo, and very minimum maintenance and pistols tend to work pretty well. They are pretty simple machines.