put 60 rnds through my s&w 640 is this enough to know the gun is reliable?

G

glock17luver

New member
I bought a s&w 640 a while back and just yesterday got around to firing it for the first time yesterday i put about 60 rounds through it 50 125gr. magtech (lots of muzzle flash on those) and about 13 125 gr. +p+ corbons.

My question is this guys would you feel comfortable using this gun for defense with only 60 rounds or so though it? Maybe its me but i feel good about it i think if the gun had any problems it would have showed up up front right? Please correct me if i'am wrong i would have put more rounds through it but i was pressed for time and was kinda short on cash so i coulden't put more ammo through but whats your take should i shelf this gun until i can put more rounds through it and if so how many is a good number to know if it is reliable for sure?

Any help or input from you guys would be great thanks in advance for the help.
 
When I see topics of this nature, most responses seem to fall somewhere between 200 and 500 rounds. Generally, people seem to give revolvers the "green light" more readily and with fewer rounds fired than the semis.

Of course, it's totally subjective and up to you. If 60 rounds without a hitch is enough to put *your* mind at ease, that's fine. That's what it's all about, after all....

I'm no expert, and I'd hate to give you some bad advice, so I'll just leave it at that. Hope things work out.

-tubeshooter
 
IMO, if you have cleaned and lubed your revolver after the range session, then you are good to go.

The very minimum that I would practice with it is every 3 months.
 
FWIW, the problems I've had with new revolvers all occurred within the first 20 or 30 rounds. Like my S&W M19 whose cylinder jammed up completely after 15 rounds, my M48 that wouldn't eject empty cases after maybe 18 rounds, my M57 one of whose extractor pins drifted out and jammed the gun after about 25 rounds (I was not sorry when S&W stopped using extractor pins), and my M629 whose barrel rotated out of alignment with the locking bolt after about 12 rounds.

However, YMMV. :)
 
Just one question before you start carrying it.

Can you hit anything with it?

Serious question. I have several snubbies, and they take a little practice to use at more than three feet. I would want to "get to know it" a little better, and try a few other loads before feeling comfortable. Choose a holster, practice with the holster at relatively close range. You don't have to be Dead Eye Dick, but keeping it all on paper at seven yards would lessen the chance of shooting things you're not aiming at.

Sorry to drag this off topic, and I don't mean to imply anything personal by my question.

Bottom line is, by the time I have shot one enough to determine how point of aim and point of impact relate, I have also function tested it. For me that may be a lot more than 60 rounds, but I am not a great shot, and I also like to try different loads on a new gun.
 
Three or four years ago I bought a new 638. In the first 300 rounds I had 3 FTF, due to light primer strikes, with two different kinds of ammo. Sent it back to S&W and had it back in a week. S&W said cylinder was out of spec. This is not a S&W bash; I like their revolvers very much, just not their politics. YMMV.
 
Ditto AR-10s post.

Shoot it till it naturaly comes out of the leather and presents you with a good sight picture.

Only your life.

Sam
 
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