Search for 100% reliability...

[B3nT]

Walther P99 9mm, 4000-5000 rounds so far, ZERO malfunctions (EXCEPT the one time I -- me, the shooter! -- didn't shove the magazine in all the way and the first round fired, but the next one didn't feed because the mag had dropped down a bit -- MY FAULT). I've been shooting some WWB, but mostly inexpensive Monarch green box from Croatia ($5.86/50 at Academy). Gun is absolutely reliable, compact, light weight, wonderfully balanced, very accurate, and offers side benefit of being customizable to hand size.

Also Walther P-38 WWII war trophy, completely 100% reliable AS LONG as 8-round mag is loaded with only 7 rounds. Think that after 60 years, it may need some new springs, but given 7 rounds in the mag, it, too, has been 100% totally reliable. I've probably put 1500 rounds through this one, and need to retire it because it's in great shape and all the numbers match...http://www.thehighroad.org/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

[Todesengel]

Also Walther P-38 WWII war trophy, completely 100% reliable AS LONG as 8-round mag is loaded with only 7 rounds. Think that after 60 years, it may need some new springs, but given 7 rounds in the mag, it, too, has been 100% totally reliable. I've probably put 1500 rounds through this one, and need to retire it because it's in great shape and all the numbers match...

I'd make sure to replace the recoil spring every 500 rounds. Earl's gave me that information when I called them for info after the frame & slide on my ex-p38 cracked. He said that the recoil spring needs to be replaced about every 500 - 800 rounds. If I'll get a P38 again, I will for sure replace the springs every 400 rounds just to be sure.

 

[BADUNAME13]

.

 

[Todesengel]

I posted about my Kimber Warrior going over 800 rounds straight out the box.

My Springfield loaded (1911) has gone over 8,000 rounds including Gunsite, and shooting practical pistol. -FMJ, Lead, Corbon HP, Federal HP, Silver bear HP, wolf FMJ... -jams were this: made by hand to practice malfunction drills (No shooting involved) and a box of smoky lead reloads that went under water during Katrina of which less than 1/3 ignited. (just wanted to see if they were any good.

See...1911's can be reliable! I never had trouble with any of the ones I owned except for the RRA jamm-o-matic.

 

[waynedm]

CZ P01 and Ruger P89. They just don't jam. I'm not used to guns that jam so when people talk about guns they have that jam I just don't understand how they put up with it. I haven't had the P01 as long as the Ruger but no problems yet, if the Ruger ever jams I will most likely sh*t my pants.

I also have a P22 that I get probably one failure every 500 rounds. I know a lot of people have trouble with theirs though, and mine isn't exactly how it came in the box.

 

[ARTiger]

Reliability: The U.S. Army “Mean Rounds Between Failure” (MRBF) requirement is 495 rounds for 9mm pistols. During testing of the CZ P-01, the average number of stoppages was only 7 per 15,000 rounds fired, this is a .05% failure rate, an MRBF rate of 2142 rounds! -CZ Catalog

That's CZ's claim from their catalog for the P01. Don't have that one (yet), but have a SP01 and 75BD and they have yet to fail in 1,500 rounds and 500 rounds respectively.

Also, Ruger's P90 is 100% reliable in my experience with well over 3,000 rounds through mine.

 

[B yond]

I know you don't want to hear it, but...

Hi-Point C-9 9mm compact.

Its not my favorite to shoot, but it will eat anything I can find to feed it and has never so much as burped.

 

[Steveorino]

These are 100% reliable...........

I have fired countless rounds, including hollowpoints, through each of the following OOB defense handguns, none of which had been modified or gunsmithed to enhance reliability. All were fired with factory mags and new, major-brand factory ammo:

(1) SIG 226 9MM, 3 of them over the years. The first, which I purchased in the mid-to-late 1980's had weak (thin) frame rails, which ultimately broke after about 6000 rounds, but, until then, it worked flawlessly. After that, SIG beefed up the rails and I have never heard of anyone having that problem in a 226 9mm made after that.

(2) Glock 19, 23, 26, 30 and 36. Absolutely reliable, every one. Not a single malfunction. I have a few complaints about the Glock design, but reliability isn't one of them.

(3) S&W 3913. A sweet little 9mm auto.

(4) S&W airweight (aluminum frame) bodyguard .38 revolver. In my experience, the J-frame (steel or aluminum framed) is the only handgun design of its size that can be trusted to work every time when needed. I have no experience with the titanium or scandium ones.

(5) Beretta 92, 9mm.

(6) H&K USP, all calibers.

Those are the guns that, in my experience, work every time.

Now, here are a two that are quite popular, and well-reviewed in the commercial gun press, but which have proven unreliable in my experience.

(1) Kahr semi-autos. Sorry, folks, but it is true. I love the design, execution, accuracy and feel of these guns. But I have owned 3 and I can tell you that there is no way I'd trust one as a defense gun. Lots of feeding and mag problems, none of which went away entirely after a reasonable break-in. I pretty much gave up with each when the problems had not abated after 1000-plus rounds. Maybe they are better now. I gave up on my last one about 2-1/2 years ago, and I am not going back.

(2) Kel-tec semi-autos. It kills me to ding these because they are so darned concealable. The problem, I think, is not with the quality of the gun, but the size. The smaller the semi-auto, the less reliable it is going to be, all other things being equal. That said, I have owned two, both of which were smaller than any of my 3 Kahrs, and both were more reliabile than any of the Kahrs. Still, a gun with even one failure in 100 after a reasonable break-in is one failure too many for me, because there ARE 100% reliable guns out there.

I hope this helps!

 

[DawgFvr]

All automatic pistols are flawless up to the point where there is a problem. Yup, it really is "the nature of the beast". If we had a forum here on automobiles, you would get quite a few people respond that their brand/model of car has never...ever had an engine problem in 200 thousand miles or going on 10 years...blah, blah, blah. You know, however, that all engines will break down at some point...sooner or later. It is the "nature of the beast". All mechanical devices are subjet to failure at some point in time and space. So...you study your auto...keep it clean...find out which ammo it likes...keep a firm grip on it, etc. Then, after all is said and done...make sure you have a revolver as a back-up.