How long do you expect your guns to last?

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10-Ring

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I see threads of guns that have shot 1,500,000,000 hand load, HOT magnum rounds and still going strong and you read about guys who shoot guns on a regular basis or use it for work & are shocked that a spring breaks after 2 mags :confused: of ammo.
***? These things won't last forever....or should they? :scrutiny: What should one expect as an avg. life for a modern handgun?
 
A quality handgun should last your entire lifetime, assuming you take proper care of it.

Defects are possible with ANY maker and should be allowed for. It is one reason my primary defensive handgun has a near matching mate. Both are 1991A1 .45s.

Only the very casual and uniniated will trust a handgun without a 500 round break in period. Other than this, I put no stress on large expenditures of ammunition. A few thousand, or a million, what ever floats your boat. This assumes the user is young enough to put that much range time in.

True non-gunnies will not apply the proper care and exercise of logic in ownership and use. Pick your pistol and learn it well. You will then be at least partially ready if the time of need ever rises for you.

All of the caliber, velocity and power factor rages are a waste of time. Get a reasonable defensive pistol, learn to shoot well. Putting the bullet where it is needed and when it is needed is the major art form. 19 time out of 20, this will do. Hey, gambling runs in my blood, 19 to 20 is good odds. There is no such thing as a sure thing, excepting we are all gonna die, sooner, or later.

Jerry
 
From my personal experience, I have a Ruger MKII that I bought in the early 1980s that has at least 100,000 rounds of 22 rimfire through it. The only problem with it is when I take the bolt out, the firing pin retainer now falls out of the bolt. Otherwise, it shoots as good as when I bought it. I also have a Ruger P95 with 15000+ rounds through it. Mostly Wolf and reloads. Still shoots well with no problems. I also have a popular pocket pistol that had the hammer spring break with less than 50 rounds through it. The mfg of the pistol sent me the parts to repair it right away, but it just goes to show ya.
 
It's a machine . Prone to the stresses and wear that comes with usage. So how long ? - depends on how much use, how much abuse, and how well it's maintained.

Most quality guns will last the average shooter a lifetime and keep on going. I have never worn a gun out . I'll bet there's shooters who have though.
 
How long? I have a 1920 Ishevsk Mosin Nagant 91/30, rearsenalled by the Russians, don't know when, and it works just fine. I keep it clean, and do not abuse it with hot heavy handloads. It's the same age as my respected stepfather, WWII veteran.
My Enfield was made in 1943, as well as my Mosin M38, and both of them are in fine shape. The Yugo SKS is from 1969, and going like gangbusters.
Properly cared for arms will last longer than you will. I hope my son will pass on my CZ PO1 to his son, many moons from now, if the Democrats and LIEberal leftists don't succeed in melting them all down to make cutesy paperweights in novelty shops.
 
1866 Trapdoor Spinrgfield in .50-70 Government still going strong.
450 grains drops deer darn near instantly.

Model 1911 hanging around still works just fine.

I have also shot out barrels of longer range varmint rifles within 4000 rounds.
Accuracy goes bad, barrel retired.
 
How long do you expect your guns to last?
---------------------------------------

A lot longer than me.
 
With reasonable loads.....

I expect a Revolver to go between 50 and 100K rounds. I have one at 45k rounds that has seen the service center 3 times but upon reflection I think it was all my fault.

I expect a mild semi-auto to go between 50 and 100K rounds with minimal maintenence. Mild means 380 auto, 45 acp or 9mm in a full size frame.

I expect a hot semi-auto (10mm or 40 or 357 sig) to go between 20 and 50k rounds. I have one 40 that is just shy of 10k rounds that is starting to show terminal peening. I can see the end of the gun coming.
 
Thats why I bought a S&W 686
and a Ruger Single Six SS
Click to expand...

Considering that there are original SAAs that shoot fine from the 1870s, I can't imagine how long a stainless-steel revo, chambered for the easygoing .22LR, will last.

I have a stainless Bearcat (even simpler than the Single Six), and I like to imagine that it'll last a couple centuries.

-MV
 
isn't the "service life" on an AR15 only around 25k rounds? (not that people pitch them in the trash when they pass that mark or anything...)
 
I'm a senior citizen well on my voyage to the magic "three score and ten"..

Therefore I expect ALL of my guns to outlast this tired old frame.

Even this one:

100_5833.jpg

I think the little Galesi is also well on it's "journey of life" too! :D

Best Wishes,

J. Pomeroy
 
.45&KTD:

Sorry.

I was referring to the time allotted man as mentioned in the King James version of the Bible..

I believe a "score" is 20 years, so "three score and ten" should be 70.

I'm going on 64, so if my firearms last another 6-7 years anything after that will be gravy.. (If you indeed consider the 3 score and 10 deal...)

Selah..

:D

J. Pomeroy
 
The gun itself I expect to last longer thatn I'll own it. Some of the guns I shoot often, I expect to have to replace parts (mags, barrels in extreme cases). I hope most still exist after any kids I ever have have shot the hell out of them as well...
 
The issue of how long a gun will last depends on

how good it was made to begin with, how hard it's used, and how well it's maintained. Assuming it's not a total piece of junk such as a Jennings or RG .22, a gun will last forever if you take care of it. If you use it hard then it will require more care, more parts replacement and adjustment at some point. At some theoretical point the question is asked if it's really the original gun. Sort of like my grandfather's hammer. He had the same hammer for 50 years, changed the handle once and the head once. My father changed the handle once but used it for 30 years. I inherited that hammer 15 years ago and have changed the head once. I love my grandfather's hammer and will never give it up.
 
Welp, my Ruger RST-6 has well over 100,000 rounds through it and I'd say my Colt Mark IV has the same, though it digested mostly 185 gr handloads. Nothing was ever replaced due to breakage on either gun. 12 lb Wolff spring on the Mark is even still on there for the 185s. There was a 15 lber and even a 10 at different times, but that's all that is changed, and that due to load.

Hopefully they'll outlast me, (2 score and 10:D) but if not, well we'll just repair them.

Some of my guns have only hundreds of rounds, if that, through them.
 
Throughout my life, I've inherited guns, bought used guns and generally thought they were good for several generations of ownership with proper care. Honestly, I've never had a gun break. If I buy a gun and it doesn't hold up reasonably, even after I'm gone, I'm gonna come back and haunt the manufacturer...
 
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