How Many Rounds Till Failure

[possum]

The 1911 is the AK of handguns. Without relubrication it will be very worn, but it will function

i disagree. the 1911 is the cadilac of handguns, a glock/xd/ m&p's are the ak's of the handgun world.

 

[Damon555]

I've shot 600-700 rounds through my Kimber Eclipse Custom II without cleaning or oiling. I got nervous and couldn't go any longer, had to clean and lube it. I'm sure the gun would have gone many more rounds but there was no practical purpose to torture my favorite handgun.

 

[167]

What practical purpose is there in requiring a carry handgun to go 2000 rds without lubrication? Most guys I know don't shoot 2k rounds in 5 years through their carry guns.

It is about sample size. If my gun can go 2,000 rounds without a failure, then the probability that it can go 10-15 rounds without a failure when I really need it to is greater.

Then there is also this:

...but there is peace of mind in knowing it will do it.

As for those guys you know who only shoot 2,000 rounds in 5 years, they need to shoot more through their carry guns since that is the gun they are relying on to save their life.

 

[sohcgt2]

Quote:
My 1911 is very tight and if I am fire high round counts in short periods of time I get about 200 rounds then feed problems begin. If it is fired more slowly to avoid overheating it will go all day.

What are you shooting? I too shoot a pretty tight gun and around 300 rounds I start to have malfunctions.

It started as a Springfield Loaded in stainless, but it has been reworked several times over the past 10 years. I have to say I have never had a malfunction of any kind within the first 5 magazines loaded on any range trip and I would be fine with using it as a daily carry weapon.

 

[Drail]

If your gun will only fire 200 to 300 rounds before a failure something is wrong. Either extremely dirty ammo causing fouling or a tight chamber that needs a finish reamer run through it.

 

[Ky Larry]

Any torture test you can ever possibly think up has been done many times before in a lot worse conditions than you will probably encounter. 1911s have been tested in Mexico, Honduras,France, Saipan, Tarawa, the Phillipines,Germany, North Africa,Sicily, Italy, Okinawa, Korea, Viet Nam, and just about any place you can think of in between. The 1911 has been there and done that.

 

[sohcgt2]

If your gun will only fire 200 to 300 rounds before a failure something is wrong. Either extremely dirty ammo causing fouling or a tight chamber that needs a finish reamer run through it.

Everyone is always more than happy to tell me everything that is wrong with my POS 1911, but nobody has ever found a problem when inspecting it. What do you suppose that means? To me it means that all the virtual gunsmiths on the internet are far better than any of the actual gunsmiths I know. Or I could get a loose fitting barrel and bushing set and give up some accuracy so I can shoot 1000 rounds without a failure.
I think I'll stick with having to maintain my equipment and knowing that I can single hole multiple magazines.

 

[Clarence]

It is about sample size. If my gun can go 2,000 rounds without a failure, then the probability that it can go 10-15 rounds without a failure when I really need it to is greater.

I typically fire 250-500 rds a week through my carry gun. I've yet to have my first failure in close to 15k rounds. That's peace of mind enough for me.

I don't let my gun go 2000 rds between cleanings and lubing any more than I let my truck go 50,000 miles between oil changes.

 

[WhippingBoy]

My SW1911ES will go around 200-300 before I start to get failures to go into battery. I've replaced springs, so that isn't the issue.

My suspicion is that the aluminum alloy is prone to accumulating residue and it fouls the slide. Near the ejection port I see a buildup that can literally be 'chipped' off the frame. Adding more lube will extend the time to failure.

 

[LiveLife]

1000 rounds shot in 10 minutes and 44 seconds and 5000 rounds in 24 hours without failure out of Para Ordnance PXT 1911 SSP by Todd Jarrett - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfZ9AdOWUNw&feature=channel

http://www.shootingwire.com/releases/125416

However it was heat that was the biggest obstacle and the true test of both shooter and gun. Shooting 93 rounds a minute, Jarrett estimates the pistol's match-grade ramped barrel reached temperatures in excess of 550 degrees.

"Even though the outside temperature was under 50 degrees, the gun's temperature quickly rose to a point where it became hard to hold. I ended up with first-degree burns on the pad of my trigger finger which forced me to shoot even faster towards the end of the test,” explained Jarrett.

The reliability story of the PXT doesn’t end there either. Jarrett and other shooters put a combined 5,000 rounds through the pistol in a 24-hour period without any failures.

 

[sohcgt2]

I don't let my gun go 2000 rds between cleanings and lubing any more than I let my truck go 50,000 miles between oil changes.

You must be the only other person on this forum who believes in maintenance.
To all the others, if you clean it, it will work.

 

[dmazur]

I just read a thread about ease of cleaning various types of handguns, and someone complained that they had to knock the sights out of a 1911 they had (a Kimber IIRC) and bead blast the thing to clean it. After 5000 rounds.

The comment went on to say that the intent was to shoot the thing until it jammed, but he gave up at 5000 and cleaned it. It was not a recommendation to run handguns without cleaning, but a description of an informal attempt to find out how many rounds would lead to a failure.