Do you 'break 'em in?'

[Mike J]

For me it depends on what it is & what the manufacturers instructions are. Most pistols I run about 100 rounds of fmj & a couple magazines of whatever JHP ammunition I plan on using. My main purpose is to make sure everything works & the JHP ammunition I plan on using will feed.

When I bought a Kahr CM9 the manufacturers instructions said it needed a 200 round break in. I did what they said then tested the carry ammo I planned on using in it. The only malfunction I had was due to my thumb pushing down on the slide stop & keeping the slide from locking back. That things is small. Of course that happening touches on the other purpose of doing all of this. Before I carry a new gun I need to be familiar with all of it's controls, the ergonomics, etc.

 

[mljdeckard]

Of course it's prudent to ensure that a lifesaving tool runs correctly before you trust your life to it. But I think that modern polymer-frame handguns are far more reliable out of the box than old-school guns. (1911s.) This is one of the reasons I steer noobs towards them. Most new shooters are still swallowing hard from the cost of buying their first gun, so I don't want to hit them with the cost of new magazines 200+ rounds of carry ammo before they are allowed to use it.

 

[Average Joe]

Most of my CCW guns are plastic, so I don't over do them....a few mags once or twice a year and their good to go.

 

[Rodfac]

Usually a break in is really an ammo type trial for me too

Well said and true for my use as well. I refer here to casual handguns...ie. ones that are not bought with concealed carry as a primary use. For the latter, I run a representative number (never less than a box of 50) through the gun to register the sights for my CC loads and to assure reliability. For the remainder...fun/range guns....the best part of owning them is finding which loads bring out the best in accuracy and velocity for the use intended.

Case in point...I recently bought a S&W Model 69 4-1/4" bbl'd .44 Magnum....it replaces one that went to my #2 son this past Christmas. I was very fond of that particular revolver; finding it's SS construction, absolute reliability and superb accuracy ideal for a fishing companion in the back country. This past week, I 'borrowed' that original gun back for a fishing trip down in the Smokies along a bear infested creek. The gun was a pleasure to tote...especially with its light weight (37 oz. on my wife's kitchen scale), but still ready for action loaded with no-foolin' .44 Mag rounds.

On my way home, I stopped at Budd's in Lexington KY and found a replacement...at a great price too. LEO's and former military get a nice break from Budd's BTW. I'm now starting to work up loads for it...some for practice and some for use when and if the balloon goes up in the woods. It's a lot of fun on these sunny KY spring mornings here on our farm.

So...do I 'break-in' a new pistola...yep, but I'll opine that aside from a little improvement in the trigger, I expect ANY handgun to work as advertised by the manuf. It ought to function nearly 100% right out of the box with no BS about "we fit 'em so tight that 200 rounds are needed before we'll talk warranty action"...YMMv, Rod

 

[mnrivrat]

Revolver - box of cheapest I can find, then a couple cylinders of my carry ammo. I generally dismantle after purchase to clean, check parts, perhaps a wolff spring kit, remove any burrs, and then do the test firing.

 

[Styx]

I usually put a box through a gun before I carry it. My motivation to do so has more to do with wanting to shoot my new toy and wanting to know the point of aim. When 9mm ammo was cheap, and could pick up a box of 100 brass from Walmart for $15 or so anytime I wanted it, it wasn't an issue to put a couple of hundred through my carry gun at least once a month.

I've had handguns from "trusted" manufacturers that some are saying that they're more comfortable not breaking in or putting rounds though before carrying break and fail on the first range trip. I had one were the issue was with the magazine which I was able to take apart and fix once I got home.