How much have you fired through a single rifle?

[Third_Rail]

Similar thread seen in handguns, so I got curious.

To paraphrase JohnKSa...

To clarify, what is the largest round count you have put through a single rifle in your shooting career? Not the total rounds you have fired, not an average of all your rifle--just the round count for the rifle you have shot the most.

If you've fired more than 100,000 I would be interested to know what the total count was, and what kind of rifle.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Depends on what we are defining as a rifle... the bolt? the barrel? the receiver? I've got a couple of rifles that have had parts swapped back and forth or replaced so that limits the round count depending on what you consider the rifle. If it is the receiver, then my highest round count that I personally own is probably in the 10-15k range.

Edited to add: centerfire

 

[Beetle Bailey]

Well, if you count my CZ452 in .22lr, it's over 15,000. If you are asking about centerfire only (or are otherwise excluding .22lr) then it's my M59/66 Yugo SKS at 2,600 rounds. I have since sold that gun. I didn't answer the poll yet as I am waiting for clarification.

 

[griz]

If you had said centerfire rifle I would have had to lower my vote to below 5000. 22's are addictive.

 

[Third_Rail]

Just to clarify - rimfire, pinfire, centerfire, whatever it is as long as it's a rifle.

 

[rero360]

I would have to say M2 .50cal machine gun, I put 12 hundred rounds through one, in one day too.

 

[wanderinwalker]

I'm ballparking around 5000 through my Armalite Service Rifle. It is getting a new barrel shortly here, as the old tube doesn't give me the warm-fuzzies on its ability to make the grade anymore. I figure the reciever will last fine as long as I keep replacing barrels and small parts. What more can you ask?

 

[AH-1]

about a zillion through a M60 7 years as a door gunner.
put enough through a M16A1 to have it sent off the 3rd shop for a rebarrel.
pete

 

[Thin Black Line]

Over 10K rounds in a Ruger 77VT 243 with stock bull barrel. Was still
sub-moa when I sold it to a friend who is still getting sub-moa.

 

[JohnKSa]

What a GREAT idea for a thread!

I came in pretty low at only 500 rounds. I actually enjoy rifle shooting more than pistol shooting, but for various reasons I end up shooting a LOT more pistol.

 

[Eat Beef]

Don't know.

How many rounds does it take to turn a Marlin model 60 into a smoothbore?

Eat Beef

 

[esheato]

I've got 4,500 through my Coopers since February '05. I'll have another 800 by the end of the month and 2,000 in July. Replacement is already on my mind. BTW, it's a .223 AI.

Ed

 

[rangerruck]

a marlin mod 60, when testing for ammo , I have tried every american mfgr, and most foreign brands, at least a couple hundred rounds apiece for each of them. once i started narrowing down the top 20 rounds, i say i fired another 500 rounds of each at least.

 

[dfaugh]

a marlin mod 60, when testing for ammo , I have tried every american mfgr, and most foreign brands, at least a couple hundred rounds apiece for each of them. once i started narrowing down the top 20 rounds, i say i fired another 500 rounds of each at least.

Was gonna post almost exactly the same thing! But I've lost count of the total number through it, but its gotta be several thousand...and the thing is still a tack driver.

Not sure if it "counts" as a rifle, but I've also put about 5000 rounds through my 9mm Hi-Point Carbine. And at least 2000 through my SKS-M.

 

[pcf]

18 year old Ruger 10/22, I've shot at least 150,000 rounds through it.

Centerfire: Probably 8000 rounds through a Bushmaster purchased in 1997.

 

[JohnKSa]

Interesting--the numbers are much lower than for handgun.

About 60% of the folks responding for the handgun had shot 10K or fewer rounds through their most used handgun.

In this poll, the number is more like 80% who have shot fewer than 10K or fewer rounds through their most used rifle.

If you consider that rifle ammunition is more expensive than handgun ammunition, then those numbers make sense. BUT, what about rimfire? Seems like the rimfire numbers should make the two polls more even...

Any ideas on what accounts for the disparity?

 

[Third_Rail]

I noticed similar - I wonder if it's that many people don't see a need for rifles?

 

[1911JMB]

I've only put about a thousand rounds through my SKS, but the Yugo military must have put a hideous number of rounds through it before selling it to me. The bore is just beat to hell.

 

[Erik Jensen]

I'm well into my second 1000 round batch of 7.62X39 through my WASR-10, plus all the ammo I ran through it before I started buying bulk. it's on it's second barrel, but I went the other way with it than normal, and replaced the original ban-era barrel with a 1972 Romanian military tube in the process of un-banning it.

 

[AK103K]

I voted 15-2000(ea.)its most likely higher. I've got an MP5 and a SWD M11/9mm that are both about 20 years old. The more I think about it, its probably a lot higher. I was shooting the crap out of them when I first got them.

I also have a 1974 Colt AR15 thats probably got 20000+ through it.

All of them still shoot just fine. The MAC had the most breakages, but I shot a lot of hot SMG ammo through it early on. It cracked the upper tube and broke a couple of charging handles. The only thing to go in the MP5 was the roller retaining clip. It was still working fine with it broke, I only noticed it when the rollers fell out while cleaning. The Colt is still going strong with no breakages at all.

 

[SRMohawk]

It's staggering to me that some of you have spent thousands of rounds with rifles chambered for high-velocity cartridges before rebarreling. Of course, match-grade barrels can tolerate this from certain cartridges (e.g. .308 Win.), but these are the exception to the rule.

I, for one, have never spent more than about 1300 rounds in any of my rifles before being forced to rebarrel. These include a 6.5x284 Norma, 7mm SAUM, .300 WSM, and .338 Lapua Magnum.

 

[pcf]

Proficiency and longevity.

If you consider that rifle ammunition is more expensive than handgun ammunition, then those numbers make sense. BUT, what about rimfire? Seems like the rimfire numbers should make the two polls more even...

Any ideas on what accounts for the disparity?

Shooting is a perishable skill, especially handguns, I do quite a bit of shooting to maintain what little skills I have. If I stop shooting a particular handgun (or type of handgun) for two months, I have to expend an appreciable amount of ammo to regain what I lost.

There are rifles that I may not shoot for years but after 10 rounds I'll have a feel for the rifle again.

There aren't many centerfire rifle barrels that remain accurate past 20,000rounds. Most service handguns will hold there accuracy to around 150,000 rounds

 

[Remington788]

Ruger 10/22. I've put well over 10,000 rounds through it. When I was younger, me and my buddy would take our 10/22's and a brick of ammo each and go out to the farm and just shoot anything and everything in the old junk yard. Good times.

 

[silicon wolverine]

I have over 100,000 rounds through a stainless 10/22 bought in 98'. Ive worn out one ejector and removed the bolt stop cuase it was a PITA. the barrel is OK but shows medium wear. I never shot it till it was HOT but i did get it fairly warm on a regular basis. It was cleaned each time it was used and lubed with CLP. Accuracy began to degrade at about 70K. Its been relgated to plinker status now and replaced with a mossberg .22WMR.

SW

 

[JohnKSa]

silicon wolverine,

Just curious--are you saying that you cleaned the BORE after every shooting session?

Thanks,

John