Would you carry a less than reliable auto-loader?

Status
Not open for further replies.
M

MrIzhevsk

Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2008
Messages
314
Location
NOVA
Hypothetical question so please bear with, but, lets say you have an autoloader that has proven to not be 100% reliable. Doesn't jam all the time, but say, one or two jams a range session (100 rounds). You're very proficient with this firearm, accurate, quick, and you know your way around it very well. Would you still carry this firearm?

Obviously the best answer (IMO) would be to hang it on the wall, and go for another handgun and put it through its paces. But, this is your only carry piece for the time being.

Is it better to have something that isn't perfect, or not carry anything at all? Remember, replacing it with another firearm isn't a choice at this point.
 
Well, so far my Jericho is a work in progress. New problems come up when old ones are resolved. I'm putting another 100 dollars into it and then its going to be a range toy. But, for the time being, as the weapon is, would one carry it?
 
I won't even own a range toy that's unreliable, much less a carry gun. If it couldn't be fixed I'd sell it and replace it with something I can trust.

Sorry, I know you said that ain't a choice but that's what I'd do. It's your life, run around with an unreliable gun if you want.
 
Well it beats a sharp stick, depending on how close you are.

I'd do everything I could to get it fixed. If you can afford 100 rounds, you can afford a smith. If nothing else, there's lots of good (and free) advice on this board.
 
I'm amazed anybody would even think of this.

You choose to take on the responsibility of carrying a weapon.
Do you have a family?

Since defense usually happens at the range of a few feet, proficiency is a bit less of a qualification than reliability.
Reliability has no room for compromise in life or death situations.
 
But, for the time being, as the weapon is, would one carry it?
Click to expand...
No, I wouldn't, but I have other options.
If it was the only one I owned and my financial situation was so dire that I could not afford to fix or replace it, as others said, an imperfect gun is better than being unarmed.
I have a hard time imagining that I had made the commitment to carry (along with the attendant expenses of permit, holster, ammo, and regular range practice) and be unwilling to cut expenses somewhere else in order to carry a trustworthy weapon...just my .02...
 
Like another poster said, "if I found a particular problem with a carry gun, why
not fix the problem"~? It only makes common sense. If the problem is such
that it can't be fixed, then by all means get rid of the gun and rid yourself of
all the headaches. Handguns are becoming more expensive, everyday pard'ner;
so there is NO need to get shed of a perfectly nice piece. Brand X, may not be
at the top of the leader board; but a quick trip to a competent smith usually
solves the problem~! :scrutiny: ;)
 
Past performance is not a guarantee of future performance. Tue in Socks and True of guns.

If I was getting a jam every 100 rounds I'd certainly look for the reason for the jam and fix any mechanical, magazine problems or change ammo if ammo is the problem. However if the jams all occur after the gun gets ditty after say 60 rounds, sure I would clean it and carry it in a relatively clean civilian environment.

IMO only the first chambered round on a semi auto is approaching 100% reliability, all the rest are less.
 
No. The last thing that will enter your mind as you squeeze the trigger is; "I REALLY hope it works THIS time."

As for what isn't an option, GET CREATIVE. Eat some mac and cheese. If you were my friend I would loan you one of mine before I would let you carry that one.
 
Obviously the best answer (IMO) would be to hang it on the wall, and go for another handgun and put it through its paces. But, this is your only carry piece for the time being.
Click to expand...
If the only choice is to carry it or go unarmed, I'd carry it with a round in the chamber. At worse I'll get off at least one shot before the gun jams. At best I'll get off a couple magazines before the gun jams.
 
I think people are having trouble grasping the idea here. It's a hypothetical situation where your ONLY options are the carry THAT gun on you or NOT carry a gun on you.
 
Durring a robbery, without a gun you will be robbed but you probably will survive. If you pull a pistol that fails you, you may not be robbed, but you may very likely be killed. Get it fixed, new mags, recoil spring, etc, what ever it takes or trade it on a pistol that works. So my answer is no I would not keep let alone carry an unreliable pistol.
 
^ Thank you icemanunlimited for bringing this back on track a little.

As I said, the handgun doesn't jam EVERY time I go through a magazine...but enough to shake my confidence in the gun that its not 100%.

I only carry every other weekend or less than that since I am in school so I do not have any considerable money to buy parts, and testing reliability is slow.

This is what holds me up from just buying another gun or parts immediately, BUT, for the time being, if I want to carry, should I carry a gun that does have the potential to jam, or just hang it up and play sheep?

Jed Carter touched on what I've been thinking of. I'll take this a bit further and make it more specific, at home, with my parents, there is a "gun room" and the first thing I'd grab isn't likely to be this handgun, I'd grab the P99 or a shotgun. So for this instance, I'm thinking of when I'm out on the street, in public.
 
Last edited:
Yep, I'd carry it. In fact, I do.

Its a machine. It can and will break. If its that much of a concern, additional layers of redundancy are options.

Those will break also.

Perfection, or reliability if you prefer, doesn't exist but in the short term. Too many variables.

Even light bulbs that have no working parts fail on occasion.

salty
 
No.

I think in quality modern pistols reliability is pretty much a given..

If you buy one that is NOT, then get it fixed so that it is, or get rid of it, or use it for a small boat anchor or something.

In the past ten years or so of buying pistols I have only bought 3 that were not reliable right out of the box, (with quality ammo) and that list includes:

KelTec P32
KelTec P11
LCP's (three)
LC9
NAA Guardian* 32cal. (2)
Seecamps
2 LWS32's*, one LWS380
Walther P1 (used)
Walther P5 (used)
Walther PPS New*
HK P7 (three, "A" grade/ surplus)
HK P2000sk (V3)
S&W 5906
S&W 6906
S&W 3913LS
S&W CS9
S&W CS45

My first NAA Guardian was a very low (AA) series, and one trip back to Sandy fixed it..

My first LSW32 had a problem, resolved by changing mags.

My NIB Walther PPS (1st series) had feeding problems, not resolved after 2 trips back to S&W (under warranty).. I was given a new replacement, which I sold (never having fired).

IMO a modern firearm bought new should work right out of the box, or the problem can be easily identified and fixed, or I will never trust it for personal defense.

I do believe many, many "problems" with reliability are not due to any problem with the firearm itself, but are magazine or ammo related.

Just personal opinion and if I'm allowed to use a double-negative (or triple?) no offense to nobody, no how..:)

Jesse
 
Let me offer this analogy:

If you had a car who's brakes sometimes wouldn't work when you pressed on the brake pedal, would you still drive it?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

L
  • Locked
What would you carry?
2
Replies
34
Views
2K
flip180
F
M
  • Locked
Carry guns, carry ammo, reliability...
Replies
19
Views
1K
tbeb
T
soonerboomer
  • Locked
If you HAD both, which would you carry? 642 or PF-9?
2 3
Replies
70
Views
3K
LightningJoe
L
george burns
  • Locked
Which would you carry between a 357, 5 shot snubby, or a 9mm single stack 7 round pistol
2 3 4 5 6
Replies
137
Views
12K
Berger.Fan222
B
P
  • Locked
How do you rate reliability in semi-auto shotguns?
2
Replies
44
Views
5K
Owen Sparks
O
Back
Top