At what point do you stop trusting a good gun?

My 2 cents:
I would retire the pistol if frame and or slide are worn or fails; Is there enough statistics on frame life and slide life for your pistol?
The barrel failing at 7000 rounds I think is a fluke.
If small parts (other than frame, barrel, slide) are replaced before breaking as part of maintenance, then the pistol should last as long as the frame, barrel, and slide last.
Need to know average life span of parts to know when to replace...but who has this data?
With quality replacement parts and proper fitting, I would expect the pistol to be as reliable as ever. Any issue related to replacement parts, I would consider as break in issues.
 
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Bottom line is that you have to do what you feel comfortable doing. Even if your hesitations are irrational they are still there.

Guns require regular maintenance, parts replacement, etc. With that they will last past your lifetime. Slide to frame fit can be tightened, springs replaced, slides replaced, etc. and the pistol still be reliable.

tipoc
 
This isn't really an answer to your question, just some rambling.

To my way of thinking, going to a newer version of your gun won't solve the problem. You still won't know if the new one is going to fail unexpectedly or not.

If I really understand how a gun works, the fact that I've had to replace a part (or 4 or 5) doesn't bother me. I start getting worried when a gun that I think should work doesn't work (or when a part that I think shouldn't have broken <yet> breaks) because that means that I don't really understand how it works.

If I had a gun I really liked and wanted to rely on and I started doubting it, that would tell me that I needed to understand better how the gun worked. I'd probably start looking for a good armorer's manual or maybe an armorer's course or video armorer's course. If I spent some time learning about the gun and still didn't feel comfortable about maintaining it then I'd probably look for another gun.
 
Tough decision

Ultimately it comes down to your gut feeling. If you are asking the question, then your gut has already told you what to do. You are arguing with yourself over an emotional attachment and trying to justify not doing what your gut is telling you. Personally, given your meticulous records and obvious knowledge of the gun, I would continue carrying it without worry.

Everything fails, it's just a matter of when. Do you check your lug nuts everytime you drive your vehicle? What about the brakes? But yet you trust your life to those mechanical systems every time you get in your car. Statistically speaking you will die in a car crash before your carry weapon will fail in an SD situation.
 
When it often misfires, jams, throws shavings, indicated cracks and medal fatigue, is not maintained, is rusting, and fails at the range. Go for the gun shop for opinions. Care of firearms is for a lifetime...abuse of firearms is ultimately for the bottom of a river!
 
If you are comfortable with it, why not rebuild it? Parts are available, and a complete rework is probably cheaper than buying another BHP. You could replace the springs, extractor, ejector, barrel, slide stop, hammer and sear with better parts than it started out with and have the gun you like with newer guts.
 
32,000 rds really isn't that many ..thru most guns, at least in my view. I have more than one 1911 -- that has run way over 50,000 rds ...and while I did break an extractor on one of them a little under 50,000 / it was easily fixed under their warranty - and the gun has run solidly for at least 30,000 more now...and I have no issue still relying on it.

Since the extractor broke at 30,000 rds or so - then just make a note to replace it at 25,000 rds or so....and not worry about it.
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Like you say ...springs are just part of the maintenance package that gets done on a routine ( my guns all get new recoil springs at 5,000 rds / firing pin springs at 10,000 rds / new main springs at about 25,000 rds ) and I base it on what the mfg suggests.
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In general I view a gun that has 30,000 or more rds thru it as very reliable ...way more than a new gun / and if you like the Hi-Power why not keep it.../ get a qualified gun smith to look it over ..and keep shooting it.
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same issue on the ejector ..replace it at 20,000 or whatever...

The barrel lug ...broke at 7,000 ...and now has been fine for 23,000.../ so I don't think I'd worry about it.
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Confidence is a big deal....and if you really wonder about it too often...then go to a different gun ...but most anything will break / its just part of the game. New doesn't mean it won't break...
 
This needs to be a preamble to all my replies to any thread.
Click to expand...
:D

To add to my previous ramblings...

An alternative to learning more about the gun would be to find a good gunsmith that you trust and take the gun to be checked periodically.
 
32,000 rds really isn't that many ..thru most guns, at least in my view.
Click to expand...

Today, you are probably right. But, note there is NO warranty or guarantee for any gun that covers the number of rounds fired.

Anyone know the required service life of a High Power?

Wasn't the design service life for the 1911 5,000 rounds? (memory fuzzy on this)

Meaning the pistol was expected to last at least that long, without a major (critical part) failure. At one time, that was considered to be a long time. Today, based on what I read on the Internet, it seems like 5,000 rnds is barely broken in. On the other hand, it IS the Internet....

You have a mental thin line to walk. The gun is well used, and trusted, then it breaks. You get it fixed. DO you trust it again? How many rounds are needed to "regain" your trust? How many after that put you back in the worry category?

Everything wears out, or breaks, at some point. When it happens before we expect it, we call it a failure.

If I put 32,000 rounds through my deer rifle, without needing to replace some small part, like say,..the barrel :rolleyes:, (and maybe several times) I would be amazed.

On the other hand, that many rounds through a .22LR might only mean its time for a good cleaning....

Trust is faith, and faith is a personal matter. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something...
 
Only as a perspective....but I have a pair of Wilson Combat 1911's...both full sized guns with 5" barrels...one in 9mm that is 9 yrs old and a little over 82,000 rds thru it ( its my primary range practice gun ) ....and the other in
.45 acp ..with around 25,000 rds thru it and its about 15 yrs old - its my primary carry gun.

I have broken one extractor and one ejector on the 9mm version ...both replaced by Wilson.../ the .45 acp version has not had a single issue..both were purchased new. ( I put 250 rds thru the 9mm and 100 rds thru the .45 acp yesterday at my local range on some tactical drills)....
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Wilson Combat tells me - they do not expect to see extractors on their guns break inside of 250,000 rds ....and see very few ejectors broken...and that they have a number of guns, at their shop range, with well over 500,000 rds thru them with no significant breakdowns and no change in the accuracy from the barrel. I'm not trying to say every 1911 out there will perform like that ...but I have confidence in Wilson's folks ...and trust that both of my Wilson's will continue to perform / even despite a couple of broken parts on the 9mm version. Wilson's warranty guarantee is for the life of the gun ...not a round count as you say ...but they extend that to their guns even if they are purchased used...as long as they are not misused. I'm in my 60's now ...and expect both of these Wilson's to live long for 4 or 5 generations in my family ( if , or when, I finally give them up )....
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I have a lot of S&W revolvers with well over 25,000 rds thru them / model 27's ( .357 Mag ) especially that were made in the late 70's and early 80's that I shoot quite a bit ...with no issues either..but some high round counts out of model 18's and 29's as well....

and a couple of my primary clay target shotguns..Browning Citori Over Unders...with well over 500,000 shells thru them - and no issues at all / not even replacing springs or firing pins yet...but I don't know that comparing Over Under shotguns to semi-auto handguns or revolvers is fair.../ but I would still trust either of those shotguns in a tournament / and while I always have a backup gun with me at a tournament if I'm more than a few hours from home...I've never needed the backup yet.
 
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I wouldn't retire it, personally. You now know what needs to be periodically be replaced, which is no different than a car. Your car needs new brake pads, spark plugs, etc, at certain intervals of use, but that doesn't make the car bad. Thats just part of using a mechanical device long enough.

You could just buy a duplicate of your current High Power setup exactly the same. Then run 1000 rds through it to get a feel for it and be satisfied with it's reliability. That new High Power is now solely for carry, it will just live in your holster. Keep shooting the snot out of your other High Power so you never lose your familiarity/skills.
 
Actually, as I may have mentioned earlier - I have a Hi-Power with almost identical custom work. It is a surplus Israeli that has been reworked. From a practical standpoint, I prefer to carry the high round count Hi-Power because:

1) It already has "character" so I worry less about normal wear and tear
2) It has the firing pin safety - the others do not
3) It has a stippled grip frame (which by the way is great for every day carry but hard on your hands in training - wish I had used the smooth frames to train)
4) It is a newer Hi-Power with the chamber cut out so press checks aren't necessary

In retrospect, wish I'd trained with the Israeli and carried this one; but that is water under the bridge now.
 
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