Do you think most firearms failures are gun, operator, or ammo related?

I feel most firearm failures are...

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Playboypenguin

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Do you think most firearms failures are gun, operator, or ammo related? I have found that about 90% (just estimating) of all gun failure I have seen are not actually the fault of the gun but more often the fault of the ammo or operator. Ammo is usually the cause but in second place would be operator error. I have seen very few cases where the firearm is the actual issue. I have seen so many people bring a gun into the dealer wanting it sent back for one reason or another where I have stood there and thought to myself..."that is an ammo issue" or "that is because you do not know how to operate, or are incapable of operating, the firearm."

I think cheap ammo and improperly self-loaded ammo is the biggest gun failure cause.

There are of course gun failures. I had a new Colt 1911 seize up completely the first day it was taken to the range. It was a complete lemon. Usually though the fault is either mine or the cheap ammo I am shooting. I also think most gun failures that are do to manufacturing defects are usually minor parts.
 
I think most could be attributed to ammo...after that I'd think it'd be operator error (mainly lack of proper maintenance).
 
I chose "other" as I have experienced all 3 categories. Regardless, I really think it depends on the weapon.

Now, ammo certainly is a consideration in terms of weapon malfunction. But, overall, I have found that most modern weapons are not nearly as ammo sensitive as they once were.

Hence, user error and/or weapon malfunction would be my top 2 choices in regards to the primary origin of failure.

Several of the weapons I own have malfunctioned in the beginning due to obvious weapon related issues; and these were well made and high quality weapons. But, after a bit of polishing here, and a bit of "tweaking" there, I have yet to encounter another malfunction with these weapons... regardless of ammo choice.

Again, I think it depends on the gun.
 
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Operator error

In all the shooting matches and qualifications I've attended, I'd say most problems are operator generated.

Number two would be ammo malfunction - in some cases that would be operator error as well; they reloaded their own ammo.

To be clear, these are my observations. They come only from my recollections and are not guaranteed to be perfectly scientific or conforming to anyone else's observations and recollections.
 
I've only had one....

... but that was a combo of ammo (factory load went squib) and operator error (I failed to recognize the squib, and shot another round).

I'd guess that most failures aren't due to a single cause, but are a combination of factors.
 
While ammo does fail as do guns, most failures to fire that I have witnessed were things like:
*Safety still on.
*Mag not seated.
*Easing or following slide down.
*Limpwristing.
*No round chambered. (amazing how many times this has happened)
*Wrong ammo (scary)
*Improper hold on gun (thumb or finger hitting mag catch, slide release, or safety)
*Shortstroking trigger not allowing it to reset.
Dallas Jack
 
Dunno about on the whole, but for me, it's been mostly ammo related, two words can explain that: Remington Thunderbolt.
 
What people are referring to in this thread as "failures"...

... are what I was taught to call "stoppages."

I had originally thought the thread was supposed to be about more catastrophic failures.

However, I still think that stoppages are often caused by multiple factors. I've seen them caused by bad ammo, bad magazines, bad parts, and bad handling.
 
In my experience, people are usually the cause of these 'stoppages' or 'failures'.

Whether it's ignorance, laziness, stupidity, or misuse; most problems I see, or hear about, were caused by people.
 
stoppages

Can only speak for myself. All of my failures to fire have been ammo related. Since I load everything, except rimfires, the failures are attributable to me of course.
Pete
 
No "magazines" category? In my experience, bad magazines with either damaged feed lips or weak springs were almost always to blame.
From there it's failure to properly maintain the firearm.
 
With some of the back QC and junk gun show reloads I've been seeing at the range. I'd have to say ammo. Cheap mags and bad cleaning jobs are a close second.. :)
 
I've seen a guy spend $2500 for a custom 1911A1 then buy some military surplus mags to use in it, then he even started in on how it wasn't reliable later on :rolleyes:
 
I strongly suspect most failures are the fault of the person shooting. The problem is how you go about telling them, there is a lot of ego involved and sometimes it's just not worth going there (I've found).
 
Almost all of the failures I have personally had have been mechanical on new guns. I'm just lucky that way :(

With that said, most of the failures/stoppages I've witnessed while taking courses have been user related. While at the range, ammo failures seem to close the gap to user failures though.
 
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