Posted: 2/18/2009 9:22:48 AM EDT
| Would you put through a weapon before you would trust your life on it? |
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500 jam free rounds of ball for a new gun then at least 200 jam free rounds with the intended carry ammo abbreviate or skip the first step for one that's been broken in already. For mags - three complete cycles by hand and then three complete cycles rapid fire on the range each. |
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In general I think the 500 round mark is a pretty good number. But I think you also need to take into account the type of shooting you will expect the gun to keep running through and the expected use of that firearm. A CCW rig is different than a battle rifle or a bug out type weapon or a hunting rig. Granted, all firearms should be reliable but some need to be extra reliable. And make sure you use the same or similar ammo to test that you will carry in it (i.e. FMJ vs. hollowpoints).
For example... I have taken several tactical firearms training courses and in those courses I have seen weapons go down that the owners said NEVER choked before the class. Putting 50 or 100 rounds a range trip through a weapon is nothing like putting 1500 rounds in 2 days in the dirt and mud through the same rifle during a class. Disclaimer: This is not to bash any one type or brand of firearm as I have seen supposedly ultra reliable guns like an AK or an XD or Glock have problems. |
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For me, there's no magic number.
Most guns will be fine and trust worth. Most of the problems are usually ammo or mag related. That, and the more you fire a weapon, the more likely you'll break parts... I remember reading about a guy that has 2 of the same guns. One is a practice gun that he puts thousands of rounds through a year. The other is one he'll put a couple hundred rounds through in a year. The one he only puts a couple hundred rounds though in a year is his carry gun. Also, some guns don't like certain brands of ammo. If you get a problem with a certain brand of ammo, do you say, "I can't trust my gun because it had a FTE." Or do you say, "I won't use that ammo ever again." What about maintenance? Do you change out your buffer spring at the recommended intervals? Have you EVER changed your buffer spring? Does the new buffer spring require a new break-in period? Again... There's no magic number for me.... Just like rock climbing equipment or scuba equipment, take care of your equipment and trust your equipment and it save your life. Hardwarz |