To train or not to train with your carry gun?

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  • Which do you subscribe to?


    • Total voters
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    Dmac22

    Plinker
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    9   0   0
    Feb 1, 2020
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    COLUMBUS
    There are 3 camps I hear from:
    1. Train with the exact gun you carry. Don’t worry about how many rounds you have on it just make sure it’s clean.

    2. Your carry gun only has a limited number of rounds through it to prove reliability and then no longer train with it. You would have a 2nd copy of this gun or similar gun family that you would shoot or train with to keep rounds off of your carry piece.

    I guess there could be a 3rd camp

    3. I train and carry multiple guns so none of them ever really get many rounds on them.

    I personally subscribe to the camp of limiting my rounds on my carry weapon and then having a copy or similar to train with. I figure firearms are just like any other machine. The more wear and use the more likely something is to break when at the worst time.

    This is a concept that I would like to hear everyone’s thoughts on. Which method do you subscribe to?
     

    EricG

    Sharpshooter
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    13   0   0
    Nov 19, 2013
    566
    28
    NWI
    There is no right or wrong. However, I think the optimum scenario would be duplicate the gun you carry, train with the back up and practice with the carry gun.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
     

    bwframe

    Loneranger
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    93   0   0
    Feb 11, 2008
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    Btown Rural
    I've seen a lot of competition guns, with a lot of rounds through them. In my experience, failure isn't based on round count or cleaning. I'm sure you could go to extremes on both ends.

    A running joke in the competition world is gun failure problems at a match because the competitor made the mistake of cleaning their gun just prior to the match.

    A backup gun is a good thing. Rotating two guns in and out regularly would allow the shooter to stay in tune with how closely to the same they work.
     

    Coach

    Grandmaster
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    3   0   0
    Apr 15, 2008
    13,411
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    Coatesville
    I say train with it and then replace it when the round count gets so high that you are not comfortable with the rounds down the barrel. I have shot the barrel out of my Limited gun. Had to replace it. I bought a new strong side carry gun a little over a year ago because I have somewhere north of 80,000 rounds each on the two guns that I carry. I shoot Carry Gun matches with my strong side gun, and sometimes IDPA, and I practice with it, and a demo quite a bit in classes with it, and I shoot it in classes that I take. It gets shot.

    I figure I will just replace it when the time comes. I have been thinking about buying a new gun and moving it to the strong side gun and retiring the weak side gun.

    I do keep them clean.
     

    Vigilant

    Grandmaster
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    21   0   0
    Jul 12, 2008
    11,659
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    Plainfield
    How often do you “train”? I “train” with my carry gun, it’s a Glock, I have more Glock 19’s than many Midwest small towns have cops. I’m not going to shoot out a barrel with 5K training g rounds, but I may need a new RSA, so I have spare parts as well. If you have the money to shoot 10-15K or more in training each year, then maybe have a dupe for training. I have parts to build 5 Gen 3 G19’s minus frame and slide stocked. I also have spare G19’s. Point being is most of us, even the ones who actually take training courses, don’t expend non enough rounds in a year to worry about a separate carry vs. training gun. Some people have it like that, most don’t. I’m well enough into Gen 3 19’s that I don’t care, if it totally craps out, I rebuild it, or trash it and go get another from the safe. When I go to a training class, I take 3 G19’s. I’ve never personally used any of the spares, but have loaned them to XD and 1911 users before. Same with AR’s, I take 2 or 3 factory built BCM or Colt rifles, along with my LMT. I’ve never went to a backup, but have also loaned out rifles to folks that thought they had JAGA rifles, that didn’t. As with everything, YMMV, but unless you leave one training course, go home and change clothes and go to another, and repeat that throughout the year, train with your carry gun. Another thing to consider, no two guns no matter how identical, are identical POA/POI is generally not going to be the same. Some will not like ammo the other does, etc.
     

    Dmac22

    Plinker
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    9   0   0
    Feb 1, 2020
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    COLUMBUS
    LOL! I think you said it great with the POI/POA changes for every gun. Even if 2 g19s feel the same they may not shoot the same. I’ve always thought about the feel and grip in regards to muscle memory but not actually variance in shooting characteristics between copies of the same gun. I know that’s getting granular but definitely something I never thought about in regards to this.

    Wow, I just typed out a bunch of nonsense when I could have said:

    Spares, lots of’em.
     

    NHT3

    Grandmaster
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    52   0   0
    A Glock with an optic is a Glock with an optic. I rotate between two. I have on occasion shot the Carry gun match with a Glock without an optic. I don't notice a difference when I change from one Glock to another.

    [FONT=&amp]NRA Life Member / [/FONT]Basic Pistol instructor[FONT=&amp] / RSO[/FONT][FONT=&amp]

    [/FONT][FONT=&amp]"Under pressure, you don't rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training. That's why we train so hard" [/FONT][FONT=&amp]
    [/FONT][FONT=&amp]Unnamed Navy Seal[/FONT][FONT=&amp]

    [/FONT][FONT=&amp]“Ego is the reason many men do not shoot competition. They don't want to suck in public” ….Coach[/FONT]
     

    dudley0

    Nobody Important
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    99   0   0
    Mar 19, 2010
    3,725
    113
    Grant County
    Typically I use the same gun that I carry. I have an identical back-up in my GHB, as well as a couple other copies sitting at home.

    I did recently switch over to the M&P 2.0 after I put some rounds down range with it. Texture on the grip is taking some getting used to, but otherwise I will start using it for all shooting.
     

    Denny347

    Grandmaster
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    21   0   0
    Mar 18, 2008
    13,415
    149
    Napganistan
    Any top tier manufactured handgun is designed to handle a high round count. Don't overthink this. Buy carry gun, train with it, replace parts (if any) that become worn/broken, continue to train with it. It's a TOOL to be used as such. My patrol rifle for work is my own. I've owned it/used it for the last 15 years. 10k rounds and I've only replaced the extractor donut and gas rings. I am not gentle with this rifle in training. It shows the wear hard use. I WANT to make it fail in training so I can address it then and prevent that from happening in the field. The fact that I train so hard with it means I trust it to save my life if called upon. Your self defense handgun should be no less trust worthy.
     

    bcannon

    QC Dept aka Picky F'er
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    55   0   0
    Apr 13, 2012
    18,316
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    Boiler Country
    I have 2 of the same pistols for this. 1 for carry and the other I keep stashed in the house for home protection. They both are used for training but get rotated. Theyre not rotated to keep the round count down, persay, more just to get use out of both. Both have the same setup and parts. You need to train with what you carry or you might have a oh :poop: moment in a oh :poop: moment. If youre concerned about wearing it out you might need to concider upgrading your carry firearm. :dunno:
    Keep yourself trained and keep your carry firearm serviced, clean, lubed and loaded ready to work.
     

    ISP3435

    Plinker
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    0   0   0
    Dec 27, 2011
    26
    3
    I think it depends on the gun. I carry one that is fine with being nasty as long as it isn't dry. I have another one that locks up very tight that I only carry clean.
     

    bwframe

    Loneranger
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    93   0   0
    Feb 11, 2008
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    Btown Rural
    ^^^ That's a very good point.

    My carry G19 went dry over time with only occasional shooting, thus "no need" for other maintenance. I thought I was sick or weak when I could hardly get the trigger pulled during one of Coach's Carry Gun Matches. Got the gun home to find the trigger pull was up to 9 pounds. Dry connector.
     

    Denny347

    Grandmaster
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    21   0   0
    Mar 18, 2008
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    ^^^ That's a very good point.

    My carry G19 went dry over time with only occasional shooting, thus "no need" for other maintenance. I thought I was sick or weak when I could hardly get the trigger pulled during one of Coach's Carry Gun Matches. Got the gun home to find the trigger pull was up to 9 pounds. Dry connector.

    "Went dry?" over time? I don't understand this sentence. Shoot, clean, lube, repeat... I tried to get my G23C (at the time) to stop running back in the day by running 1k rounds through it as fast as I could. Ran like a top until the trigger got heavy. Cleaned it and back to normal. I detail strip my Glocks after every range day. They will run for almost indefinitely if they are cared for.
     

    BehindBlueI's

    Grandmaster
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    29   0   0
    Oct 3, 2012
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    Depends. Some guns I shoot, or have shot, a lot more than others. I don't run enough rounds through long guns to worry about. I have ran handguns to 40-50k+ rounds before experiencing any breakage, and even the things that did break weren't catastrophic. That said, I prefer to have a trainer gun, especially for dry fire.
     

    churchmouse

    I still care....Really
    Emeritus
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    187   0   0
    Dec 7, 2011
    191,809
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    Speedway area
    "Went dry?" over time? I don't understand this sentence. Shoot, clean, lube, repeat... I tried to get my G23C (at the time) to stop running back in the day by running 1k rounds through it as fast as I could. Ran like a top until the trigger got heavy. Cleaned it and back to normal. I detail strip my Glocks after every range day. They will run for almost indefinitely if they are cared for.

    Bingo.
     

    Dmac22

    Plinker
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    9   0   0
    Feb 1, 2020
    80
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    COLUMBUS
    Thanks for getting everyone’s input. Obviously I know there is no right answer but I do love hearing everyone’s feedback based on their experiences with high round count guns, etc.
     
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