How many is too many, when it comes to rounds through your carry gun?

[combat45acp]

The reason I ask this is the other day I grabbed a Glock 21 I have had for years. Always runs good never a problem. I carried it in a bad part of town, while bow hunting. Everything went well, but then I went out back to shoot with it. I had misfire after misfire.

Ok so I change the firing pin spring and away I go, haven't changed a spring on it in well over 20,000 rounds. That said when the tune up kit comes I see that the firing pin channel was cracked.

I rarely ever carry anything other than a 1911 or SW 38, but should I have needed it that day it would have not been good.

 

[youngda9]

I don't think you can put an exact # on it.

Once it stops being reliable for you, stop carrying it. Shoot a carry gun often to make sure it still works and so you hone your skills with it.

Edit: Often times it can be a mag spring problem, or the gun just might not like a certain ammo, etc. Shoot a couple hundred of what you're going to carry through your gun to make sure it functions fine with your SD ammo. If it passes that test without a hiccup than you're good to go. Excersize the firearm often or else it will get sad.

 

[combat45acp]

The Glock runs like a champ now, but every oem part that hasn't been changed has 20,000+ through it.

My 1911 is aluminum frame bottom, so I shoot it like twice a year at most. I got plenty of others to shoot/train with.

Just got to thinking, that Glock's firing pin, trigger assembly, etc has a lot of rounds through it....

 

[shibumiseeker]

That question depends entirely on the gun and the type of rounds you put through it. Glock 21s in torture tests go hundreds of k rounds with little more than the occasional spring change. I'd hesitate to put 20k rounds through my KelTec p3at. Run low or medium power loads, gun lasts longer. Run hot loads, gun is more prone to earlier failure.

For my carry guns, I practice enough with them to ensure I am body-memory familiar with them, and I inspect them regularly and replace springs/guide rods occasionally. My target guns get 10x that number of rounds and things only get replaced when they break.

 

[indytoe]

I don't think you can put an exact # on it.

Once it stops being reliable for you, stop carrying it. Shoot a carry gun often to make sure it still works and so you hone your skills with it.

Edit: Often times it can be a mag spring problem, or the gun just might not like a certain ammo, etc. Shoot a couple hundred of what you're going to carry through your gun to make sure it functions fine with your SD ammo. If it passes that test without a hiccup than you're good to go. Exersize the firearm often or else it will get sad.

(Great advice -- hence the repost.)
I think too it very much depends on the weapon and the use. My little Kel-Tec was never intended to burn through buckets of ammo. GLOCK's are. And what kind of ammo? Target rounds really do put less stress on the weapon's parts, versus SD or military rounds. Does it get a chance to get cleaned up before storage? Is "storage" in a humidity/temperature controlled environment? Dirty weapons age ferociously. Weapons subject to hot-and-cold and/or humidity, will see corrosion too. Yuck.

I think it's a lot like a car. Highway miles and garage storage sure beats stop-n-go and street parking.

 

[rmabrey]

I don't think you can put an exact # on it.

Once it stops being reliable for you, stop carrying it. Shoot a carry gun often to make sure it still works and so you hone your skills with it.

Edit: Often times it can be a mag spring problem, or the gun just might not like a certain ammo, etc. Shoot a couple hundred of what you're going to carry through your gun to make sure it functions fine with your SD ammo. If it passes that test without a hiccup than you're good to go. Excersize the firearm often or else it will get sad.

The red is one part that I wont necessarily disagree with, but where our thought process differs. 200 rounds of my carry ammo would cost ~$300. And considering a malfunction in my carry ammo in a SD situation has the same outcome as not having a gun at all, I'll spend my $300 on other things

 

[combat45acp]

That's kinda my point, this Glock is old and has a ton of rounds through it. It has been reliable up to the other day. It is back in the game now, however my 1911 that I carry I don't shoot much at all because I know it will work. That may seem weird but that is like saying I drive the crap out of my new car to make sure it works. I'm not trying to be a smart a** here just tossing that into the mix.
I keep my carry gun cleaned, oiled, and occasionally shoot it as to keep the round count low.

 

[combat45acp]

I guess I should state that I have a Dillon 650 so I tend to wear guns out . I load my own ammo and hollow points too. I have heard the debate about loading you SD ammo, but like the earlier post said buying 45acp SD ammo @ the store is crazy money for 200-300 rounds.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

I shoot my carry gun as much as possible. I want to make sure I'm more than profecient with it. I bought my new carry gun, a FNP 9mm this year at tax time. So far, I have put almost 400 rounds through it. That is including SD ammo.

 

[rimfire_crazed]

45acp SD ammo @ the store is crazy money for 200-300 rounds.

Phooey! Everyone knows that 230gr roundball out of a 1911 will kill an attacker with an extremity strike, and punch a six inch hole straight through center mass on an attacking perp. Silly hollowpoints.

 

[combat45acp]

I shoot my carry gun as much as possible. I want to make sure I'm more than profecient with it. I bought my new carry gun, a FNP 9mm this year at tax time. So far, I have put almost 400 rounds through it. That is including SD ammo.

You need to get out more! That gun is not even broke in, I go through about 2000-3000 45s every 4-6 months. Maybe I shoot too much.

 

[possum_128]

What I want to know is why were you bow hunting in a bad part of town and what were you hunting?

 

[combat45acp]

What I want to know is why were you bow hunting in a bad part of town and what were you hunting?

Gary in Lake county, urban deer. They are loaded with deer. I always carry a gun when I go to Gary

 

[Blackhawk2001]

I carry a Glock most of the time and take pretty good care of it; it doesn't get shot as much as I'd like, but that's a function of my ability to make time/money for range time as much as anything else. On the other hand, when I was on AD in 2006, qualifying w/the M9, I'd done crappy w/the M4 (hadn't shot an M-16 since 70) but I figured the M9 qual would be a cinch, especially since it was a really nice reactive-target, walk-down-the-lane-and-shoot course of fire. Forgot to oil the thing prior to shooting it. Got about a dozen rounds through it before the thing started to FTE. The point I guess I'm making is that it wasn't my pistol. I was comfortable shooting it; I didn't have any problem carrying it around, but I wasn't used to the routine maintenance needed to keep it running properly.

The unit I was with in Iraq had a new WO1 who exhibited a problem typical of non-infantry military training. We had to carry our pistols everywhere on this Marine Corps-run base, and had to clear all weapons before entering various buildings. This particular newbie racked her slide, aimed into the barrel and BANG. Startled, she racked the slide again, aimed into the barrel and BANG. Three times before one of the other WOs could stop her. She'd been carrying the thing around for several months of training and a month of combat flying, but still wasn't clear about how her pistol worked. Good thing she wasn't a door gunner...

 

[youngda9]

The red is one part that I wont necessarily disagree with, but where our thought process differs. 200 rounds of my carry ammo would cost ~$300. And considering a malfunction in my carry ammo in a SD situation has the same outcome as not having a gun at all, I'll spend my $300 on other things

If you don't feel that is necessary to ensure that your firearm is reliable with your chosen ammo then so be it. It's your life. Spend your money how you wish if it doesn't concern you.

I'd hate for my last thoughts to be "tap-rack, ouch, ouch, ouch...damn I wish I wasn't such a cheapskate...I thought the light was supposed to be white, oh crap", haha.

 

[kludge]

I'd change the mag springs at 10k, otherwise, if it's not broke...

 

[rmabrey]

If you don't feel that is necessary to ensure that your firearm is reliable with your chosen ammo then so be it. It's your life. Spend your money how you wish if it doesn't concern you.

I'd hate for my last thoughts to be "tap-rack, ouch, ouch, ouch...damn I wish I wasn't such a cheapskate...I thought the light was supposed to be white, oh crap", haha.

I fired 20 rounds of it with no issues, thats good enough for me.

 

[combat45acp]

If you have a good firearm, and good ammo, 20 SD rounds down range to test it out is good enough in my book. But I don't carry 3 extra mags and a surefire everyday.

 

[youngda9]

I fired 20 rounds of it with no issues, thats good enough for me.

We all have our priorities and have to pick our battles.

 

[GeneralCarver]

Just another reason to inspect your weapons every time you clean them. For a carry gun, might not be a bad idea to do that once a week.

I would not give up on Glock. They have too good a track record for this to mean anything other than.. any gun can fail. They are imperfect manufactured devices, designed by imperfect people using imperfect materials and imperfect measuring methods.