Reliability Question.

[klane]

Hello new member here! Hopefully I have not missed a post that covers this subject but here goes. I am fortunate to have atleast 12 new new auto loaders and I want to have confidence in each of them when they are staged around the house, in the truck or while CCW. I shoot premium ammo like CCI/Speer Gold Dots, Federal HST and Winchester Ranger. What is your procedure before you put a new gun in the line up? Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

 

[The Bushmaster]

Must reliably fire 200 to 250 rounds without one glitch or failure. Clean and place into service...

 

[RyanM]

I'm too poor to do a "real" reliability test. But if a gun makes it through about 500 rounds of FMJ, assorted cheap JHPs, and the occasional magazine of the good stuff without choking, I consider that good enough. The "experts" usually recommend 200 to 500 consecutive rounds of your exact carry load, and some say you should shoot them with the gun held sideways (both directions) and upside-down to make sure it functions in those orientations.

 

[Schofield3]

Practice and practice, get comfortable with each gun you own. You will then know the behavior and characteristics of each firearm.

 

[REPOMAN]

Get real comfy w/ at least 400-500 rounds w/ no hiccups.

 

[luckylogger6]

My procedure is to shoot a few hundred rounds of factory FMJ until it runs smoothly for 2-300 rounds and then load 100 rounds with the same bullet that my factory carry load will use and shoot those. If they run 100% I then buy a 50rnd box of factory carry ammunition and shoot three mags (CA) of the actual carry amo leaving me two mags worth for carry. If all goes well and I shoot the new gun well enough to be confident with it its read for duty.

 

[Ltlabner]

For me personally:

Carry weapon: At least 800 to 1000 rounds of mixture of FMJ and JHP of various types. Mixing it up gives you a chance to operate the weapon under all sorts of conditions with both "good" and "bad" ammo.

Around the house defensive weapon: At least 500 rounds of mixed JHP/FMJ.

I run the house defensive weapons to a little lower amount to "qualify" them for a couple of reasons. One, the chance of having to use the weapon in the home (IMO) is less than my main CCW. We live in the suburbs, very low crime, no home invasions ever that I am aware of etc. OTOH, for my work I spend a lot of time in less senic parts of many different cities. So if something is going to happen, it's more likely going to be when my CCW is on my hip instead of having to use a SHTF weapon stashed around my home.

Also, my main CCW also sits on the nightstand so if something does go bump in the night I'll be grabbing it first anyway.

 

[James T Thomas]

Objective coverage

With a dozen new semiautos; I suppose you are not an "old fashioned" revolver person.

However. After shooting all those breaking in rounds through all those pistols, it may be that some of them will not inspire the confidence that you require.
Time will tell.

Further, after they have sat around your house in the defensive mode for a decade or so, without routine spring replacements, magazine rotations, periodic lubrication, and all that, you may begin to consider the "old fashioned" revolver as a stand by that you can go to -any time. Day or night.
Try an experiment about establishing the important grip; alignment in your hand between a quick grab of the auto lying flat on it's side and the revo
lying raised up, resting on it's cylinder. And remember that fractions of a second may be all you have.

And with the price of ammunition soaring, it might just be that some additional confidence may be gained with less than premium, or even your old stale premium ammo that will fire time after time in those "old fashioned" revolvers. Even though they have dust on them and the brass on the cartridges have become dull. Any manufacturer of ammo. What I mean is, should you have decided some time along the line, to try a revolver also.

There is a good procedure for you to check the mechanical operation of the revolver, if you would try one, at the top of the revolver forum, right here on
THR. It is simple and following that, not too many rounds test fire should satisfy you that it is ready to go and reliable -too.

Search here for members who have traded one technology for the other.
They are here.

Of course, you will not have the high capacity of rounds available to you to defend yourself within your home, nor as rapid a reload either, but I wonder just how you percieve a shoot out exchange, or defensive shooting inside your home will go?

The posts here that recommed practice are correct. That is what will give you the confidence -in the end, that you are desiring. Your skill and training.
You have mechanical reliability and then self confidence.

Please post again as time goes by so we know how things are going.

 

[klane]

Thanks to all for the information.

Ltlabner: Your thinking is very simular to what I was planning...man is it going to be fun to burn all that powder!

James T Thomas: Very wise and I thank you. I am some what of a gun buying addict and while I currently own 30 or so handguns only 7 are wheel guns? My 4" S&W 66 is in my stash plan and I might even put the 4" Python in a strategic spot. Much like when I was an actively flying practice and training rulled over the hobbie as it should and will with all SD practices! Thanks again!

 

[NG VI]

The best way for you to test the reliability of your guns will be to spread out the workload, by sending me a couple of em to test for you

I put as many rounds down range as I can afford, and try to switch it up with the bullet styles.

 

[VHinch]

200-250 rounds FMJ or reloads.
50 rds each of Golden Saber, Gold Dot, Ranger SXT, Hydra Shok.
Whichever of the above 4 loads performs best in terms of both accuracy and reliability get an additional 200 rounds of that load before carried.