Do you read the owner's manual?

If all else fails, read the directions. No, seriously, with a new gun I read the manual several times before stripping and again before shooting.
 
Depends on the gun. My first, a Ruger 22/45 I read cover to cover. I still refer to it whenever I clean that gun.

I also read the manual of my second gun, a Kimber 1911. Didn't read any manuals for my next couple of 1911s.

My LMT lower didn't come with a manual. Perhaps because it was only part of a gun.

I read the manual for my CZ 452.

I guess I do read the manuals. Part of the ritual of getting a new gun. Take it out of the box, read the manual, and clean it before heading off to the range.
 
Yes, I always read the manual and usually prior to firing it. I'm not a total idigit, but I usually read (or scan) all manuals I get almost regardless of product. Sometimes there is even something in them worth the effort.
 
I'm like several others. If I buy a revolver, a 1911, or other gun I know, then I don't bother reading the manual unless I have a specific question.
 
90% of my guns that i have ive bought from either friends or pawn shops. and none of them have manuals :) but the first thing i do when i get home is get online and look up how to disassemble it, and clean the bugger. but when i bough my 10/22 i did skim through it a bit
 
Read it cover to cover several times before I ever shoot the gun. Also highlite as I read. You are about to play with a deadly piece of machinery, so knowledge is power and safety.:)
 
If you don't read the manual, then what do you do with those extra parts you find after you reassemble the gun as John suggested?

Happened to me with a SW revolver - now what is that doing on the table? Where's the picture?
 
Very funny, Glen. Being the stickler I am for manuals, I always read them, even if I am familiar with similar guns e.g. the 1911. Each manufacturer has a little "gotcha" in their particular gun that could cause a future problem if not heeded.

I happened to have purchased a Cobra FS .380. Didn't really want it but it was almost a giveaway, in new condition. I bored into the manual and then disassembled the gun, my standard protocol. I reassembled it, took it to the range and it would not feed ammo which meant I didn't get a chance to fire it. I got home late that night so the next morning I pulled the gun apart to find the problem. I had inserted the firing pin backwards. Now the real fun began. A spring let loose and there parts all over my desk and floor. Several frustrating hours later, I finally got the gun back together again and it now looks right. I haven't had the time to get it to the range. I would love to cock and dry fire it but the manual says, "Warning...Do not dry fire this gun. It could severely damage the firing pin rendering it unusable." Saved the expense of a new firing pin by reading the manual and I don't have any spent .380 casings nor do I have snap caps. Stay tuned....
 
Guess maybe I'll have to be called lazy or something, . . . because, frankly, I do not read owner's manuals. I'll peruse the thing for breakdown proceedures, . . . dangers, . . . but read,................nahhh.

May God bless,
Dwight
 
I can figure out most firearms without having to resort to the manual, but every now and then I do it when field stripping a design I've never dealt with. As far as operation or manual of arms of the firearm itself, I think if you need the manual for this purpose, then you shouldn't be handling that firearm.
 
I download and read manuals on guns I'm even thinking about buying. I'm still waiting to buy my first handgun, but reading and understanding the gun is important part of the process for me.

Andy
 
I read the manual. Most of it is rehashed safety rules and lawyer-speak. However, the older I get, the less I know. I am always ready to learn something new so I read the manual with an open mind.
 
I generally read the manual cover to cover just to make sure there is nothing strange that I wouldn't be able to figure out. I also like to know as much as possible about the firearm so every little tidbit is something I like.
 
I don't even care if I have a manual anymore. I used to read them thoroughly. After you've used quite a few guns over decades you get to know them and the various brands differences. I'm sure there are guns I'd fumble with for a couple of minutes. I've not used any guns that were complicated to use though. For problems I can usually take care of it myself. If it's a bad problem I couldn't figure out I'd go over to my best friends house who is a gunsmith.
 
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