Tired of guns that fail

C

couldbeanyone

New member
Can anyone recommend a pocket sized plinker that might actually stand a snowballs chance of making the 50,000 round mark without a failure?
 
Have you thought about a subcompact? I bet the subcompacts in 9mm made by S&W, Glock, Springfield or Ruger would run well past 1000. If that is too big, what about a Ruger LCP or LC9?

What about a J-frame Smith or Ruger revolver?

I'm surprised the Bearcat didn't make it past 1000. What happened?
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I was gonna ask the same thing. A buddy of mine had a spring break on his. Pretty sure it was cause we were fanning it. Lesson learned:(
 
When I hear "plinker," I think .22LR.

How are you defining a plinker? It looks like your examples so far are either .22LR or .22WMR.

Also, how are you defining "failure?" Rimfire is notorious for misfires, and rimfire autos are notorious for unreliable feed (probably in large part because of ammo variances).
 
Never fanned or even rapid fired the Bearcat. A small flat spring inside failed. I don't remember its name, but it had something to do with the cylinder latch lifting out of its notch in the cylinder. Since it never lifted the latch the cylinder couldn't be turned.
 
MLeake, Yes primarily interested in 22lr. I want something I can spend the day rolling a can around with, or just drop in my pocket for targets of opportunity on a walk in the woods.

By failure I mean parts breakage or malfunction that renders the gun unusable without a trip to the gunsmith or factory. Jams and misfires are not a big deal as they are going to happen and are easily remedied on the spot.
 
A small flat spring inside failed. I don't remember its name, but it had something to do with the cylinder latch lifting out of its notch in the cylinder. Since it never lifted the latch the cylinder couldn't be turned.
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Just a hunch, but I bet that Barcat goes for a long time on the new spring.
 
couldbeanyone, the next question is what do you consider "pocket sized?"

K-frame is probably bigger than what you want, but I have a 1966 vintage S&W Model 18 that has never required a repair of any sort, and has fired thousands of rounds over the 28 years I've owned it. (Not sure how many, but easily 1,000 per year on average.)

If you can find an SP101 .22, that would probably suit your purposes for both size and durability.

I'd avoid the Zamac guns (most if not all Umarex products, like the Walther P22 and SIG Mosquito) as their frames and slides won't last that long, let alone their small parts.
 
By failure I mean parts breakage or malfunction that renders the gun unusable without a trip to the gunsmith or factory. Jams and misfires are not a big deal as they are going to happen and are easily remedied on the spot.
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Firearms are mechanical devices. They break. They require periodic maintenance. And... they're designed for a certain type of use.

Do you ask the same of your vehicles, home, clothing, and electronics?

I want a TV that will run continuously for 1.3 million hours, without dimming more than 1%.

I want a truck that will run for 100,000 miles, without requiring any maintenance. Oh... and I don't want to have to put gas in it.

I want clothing that never has to be washed, and will last the rest of my life.

I want a house that never needs repairs, cleans itself, mows its own lawn, and has light bulbs that will not burn out for 600 million hours. :rolleyes:



It is unfortunate that the Bearcat broke so early, but it would have happened eventually. Now, you know the breakage is out of the way, and it should run for 50k, without an issue.

Expecting your Black Widow to hit 1,000+ rounds without an issue is completely ludicrous. That revolver was designed to be a novelty, that fires about 50 rounds in the first 2 years, then is forgotten until your death. They aren't meant to be used for daily practice.

The Walther? Well, it really sucks, but that's just Walther. They've been letting QC drop, and are only slightly better than Taurus now.

I'm sorry that you've had such trouble, but your expectations were too high, I believe.


As for something with longevity...
My Buckmark Standard exceeded 100,000 rounds without suffering a failure. I had to replace several recoil buffers along the way, and the springs were completely worn out, but it made it. It is a great pistol, but that is FAR better than normal (or expected). I might as well consider myself the luckiest man in the world, for the performance I got out of that mechanical device.

On the flip side... my Ruger P95 broke the recoil spring retaining clip within the first 300 rounds. I don't hold it against the firearm. It's a mechanical device. Things break. I spent a whopping $0.15 on a Ruger replacement, and was back in business. (Though most people would have taken it to a gunsmith, since the pistol was locked up, solid, when it broke.)
 
Can anyone recommend a pocket sized plinker that might actually stand a snowballs chance of making the 50,000 round mark without a failure?
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Not asking for much are you? I do agree with Mleake's suggestion though. Might not get you to 50,000 rounds but it has a good chance.
 
A gun that will go 50K rounds is not all that much to ask for and they are out there. But if you're using factory loaded ammo - not a chance. Especially rimfire ammo. There's at least a dozen duds in every brick I have ever bought of any brand.:D
 
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