At What Point In Time Do You Think Your Carry Gun Is Not Reliable
- Thread starter mrt949
- Start date
Kreyzhorse
New member
Little lost myself on your post, but in my opinion, there is no trade off between reliability at the range or while carrying. (At least that is what I think you were asking about.)
One of my main carry pieces is a .38 snubnose which is 100% reliable. My winter carry is a full size 1911 SA TRP. It's 100% reliable as well. You can easily find a gun that will work as a range gun and CCW gun without compromise.
One of my main carry pieces is a .38 snubnose which is 100% reliable. My winter carry is a full size 1911 SA TRP. It's 100% reliable as well. You can easily find a gun that will work as a range gun and CCW gun without compromise.
chris in va
New member
I'm still not understanding your question. Are you asking which single gun is the most reliable?
partemisio
New member
I use my M&P9 at the range and carry it. I will consider it not suitable for carry once it jams or fails to feed for the first time. If it does that, I will fire at least 200 rounds through it. If it happens again within those 200 rounds, I will fix whatever the problem is. Until then, I would carry one of my friends guns. So, if it malfunctions more than once in 200 rounds, it will not be carried. I have fired around 10,000 rounds through it without a single malfunction though.
In a semi auto,if it repeatedly jams with fmj ammo.
In a revolver,if it EVER has a failure to fire problem that a stock set of springs or grinding the barrel to cylinder gap can't fix.
With semi auto's though,it should be noted that magazines cause a heck of alot of problems with reliability and that dropping them just once on the feed lips can cause all kinds of gremlins to happen.
Keep a good eye on your mags,the feed lips can crack as well.
Then where the bullet sits at the top of the mag can expand and cause a jamming issue.
In a revolver,if it EVER has a failure to fire problem that a stock set of springs or grinding the barrel to cylinder gap can't fix.
With semi auto's though,it should be noted that magazines cause a heck of alot of problems with reliability and that dropping them just once on the feed lips can cause all kinds of gremlins to happen.
Keep a good eye on your mags,the feed lips can crack as well.
Then where the bullet sits at the top of the mag can expand and cause a jamming issue.
This is a very broad question.
Reliable means:
1) Capable of being relied on; dependable. This make one think along the lines of mechanical functioning.
2) worthy of reliance or trust. This definition broadens the considerations. While it still must include mechanical function, it can also extend (in the case of a firearm) to the choice of which round is fires from the firearm.
mrt949,
Please narrow the inquiry. Much has been already written about choice of a handgun caliber for personal defense.
If you are strictly asking about mechanical reliability: I'd venture the opinion that 1 malfunction in a 1000 of a well maintained firearm is acceptable; 2 is not.
Reliable means:
1) Capable of being relied on; dependable. This make one think along the lines of mechanical functioning.
2) worthy of reliance or trust. This definition broadens the considerations. While it still must include mechanical function, it can also extend (in the case of a firearm) to the choice of which round is fires from the firearm.
mrt949,
Please narrow the inquiry. Much has been already written about choice of a handgun caliber for personal defense.
If you are strictly asking about mechanical reliability: I'd venture the opinion that 1 malfunction in a 1000 of a well maintained firearm is acceptable; 2 is not.
I think that the answer to your question depends more on the experience level of the person behind the gun than the gun itself.
If you have several people that live in the same house that have access to the gun and there experience level is limited, then a good quality revolver is the way to go.
It’s not so much the reliability factor, but the person’s ability to work the gun when they are under a very high level of stress.
That is why for me, a revolver is the more reliable gun. All you do is pull the trigger. If it fails to fire you pull it again and again.
There are no safeties to forget, no magazines to mess with, no opening the slide to see if its loaded, no condition 1, 2 or 3 (hammer back safety on) to remember or mess with, and no FF's to mess with or clear.
I carry an auto, a Glock 26.
For my wife, she carries a Smith M60 but she also knows how to use the Glock.
Pick the gun that fits your hands and experience level the best and stay out of the “Who makes the best gun” argument.
If you have several people that live in the same house that have access to the gun and there experience level is limited, then a good quality revolver is the way to go.
It’s not so much the reliability factor, but the person’s ability to work the gun when they are under a very high level of stress.
That is why for me, a revolver is the more reliable gun. All you do is pull the trigger. If it fails to fire you pull it again and again.
There are no safeties to forget, no magazines to mess with, no opening the slide to see if its loaded, no condition 1, 2 or 3 (hammer back safety on) to remember or mess with, and no FF's to mess with or clear.
I carry an auto, a Glock 26.
For my wife, she carries a Smith M60 but she also knows how to use the Glock.
Pick the gun that fits your hands and experience level the best and stay out of the “Who makes the best gun” argument.
I think what he's trying to ask is at what round count do you start replacing springs, discarding magazines, replacing firing pins, etc?
Might be wrong here, not sure, it's a very vague question with incomplete phrasing.
If in fact the above question is the intended question; the answer is as follows...
Buy a Glock, shoot said Glock a lot, clean Glock when done shooting. Aside from this, leave it alone except for factory replacement drop-in barrels. The best way to get an unreliable Glock is to start monkeying around with all it's guts... They're kind of like everything else; if it ain't broke, don't try and fix it.
Might be wrong here, not sure, it's a very vague question with incomplete phrasing.
If in fact the above question is the intended question; the answer is as follows...
Buy a Glock, shoot said Glock a lot, clean Glock when done shooting. Aside from this, leave it alone except for factory replacement drop-in barrels. The best way to get an unreliable Glock is to start monkeying around with all it's guts... They're kind of like everything else; if it ain't broke, don't try and fix it.
Bear 45/70
Moderator
Your premise off only one gun has never happened and will never happen to me. If I had any inkling my gun was unreliable, I wouldn't be carrying it for SD and would most likely not own it very long, so there is no such point. 
The same applies to a battle rifle as a carry gun. "First and formost it must function every time and all the time." That is the main reason I still HATE the M-16 and all it's variants. The damn things tried to kill me 3 times, two times to many.
The same applies to a battle rifle as a carry gun. "First and formost it must function every time and all the time." That is the main reason I still HATE the M-16 and all it's variants. The damn things tried to kill me 3 times, two times to many.
Buzzard Bait
New member
less than 100%
In a carry gun if it falls below 100% it's not acceptable I would then work on it until it was 100% when I pull a defensive gun out it must go bang and run every time or it stays in the safe. I might tolerate some hiccups out of a plinker but not a (go to) gun, it and it's ammo have to be 100%
any thing less could make you-----Buzzard Bait
In a carry gun if it falls below 100% it's not acceptable I would then work on it until it was 100% when I pull a defensive gun out it must go bang and run every time or it stays in the safe. I might tolerate some hiccups out of a plinker but not a (go to) gun, it and it's ammo have to be 100%
any thing less could make you-----Buzzard Bait
A quality handgun can last a very long time -- 50,000+ rounds or even 100,000+ rounds.
With revolvers, you keep an eye on timing, end shake, and flame cutting in some models. For auto loaders, change springs as recommended by manufacturer and just watch for extractor wear, peening, cracks on the slide, or other unusual wear.
With revolvers, you keep an eye on timing, end shake, and flame cutting in some models. For auto loaders, change springs as recommended by manufacturer and just watch for extractor wear, peening, cracks on the slide, or other unusual wear.
