Would you carry a gun you have never fired?

[Wes]

Not a chance, and I will say that I have fired around 500 rounds through my lcp and while I used to receive an occasional stovepipe, I never received one when using my personal defense ammo.

[gthaustex]

Absolutely not. I want to make sure what I am carrying will fire. More than that, as said before, I want to make sure that I am extremely familiar and comfortable with whatever weapon I have. I want to make sure I can hit the target at varying ranges, on the move, etc. Range practice, prior to carry is the only way for me to do that.

[drjoker]

I have had my chl for 6 weeks, and my Ruger LCP has been with me every day. I am a revolver guy at heart, and picked up a LCR 38 sp today.

It will be a few weekends before I can make it to the range, yet I plan on carrying this new never fired by me revolver starting tomorrow. Am I nuts?

While I like my LCP, I have had 3 stovepipes in the first 300 rounds. I am sure it was the cheep amo and breaking in, but a revolver makes me more confident.

Revolvers are incredibly difficult to fire accurately double action but also incredibly reliable. That's because with a semi auto, if you're using ancient ammo from your emergency stash like a lot of us are, if you have a dud round, you get a jam. However, with a revolver, all you have to do is pull the trigger again to skip a dud round.

That said, carrying a never fired revolver is kinda bad. However, the MAJORITY of gun owners out there have never fired or only once fired their weapons. I kid you not. I went to a recent gun show and talked to some people there while waiting in line for the CHANCE (not guarantee) to buy ammo. I changed my mind when I found out the crazy prices. However, upon discovery of the crazy prices, the other guys still stood in line. Curious, I asked them why they would pay such obscene robbery prices. 4 guys replied that they never plan on firing their guns. They just plan on putting ammo in the gun and locking it in their nightstand drawer. That's it. These guys never intend on ever practicing! One guy I spoke with only plan on shooting his gun once at the local range and then put his gun away, never to fire it again! NONE of the guys I spoke with ever plan on practicing regularly!

So, you're not nuts, but just average. However, that long stiff double action trigger will make you miss the broad side of a barn (and maybe hit an innocent bystander or a loved one). Therefore, if you're not going to practice with live fire, at least attach a laser sight to it and practice dry firing with dummy rounds or empty brass casings in the cylinder. Practice pulling the trigger without moving the little red or green laser dot. Betcha $1000.00 that you can't do this on the first try! As long as you can do this, I think you'll do fine. From experience, I know that dry firing with a revolver gets you about 90% of the benefit of live fire practice. With autos, you cannot practce rapid dry fire because you have to cycle the slide manually every time. In today's ammo shortage world, it is much better to have a revolver that is dry fire practiced with a laser than live fire practice. Also, a lot of people shoot their own foot when they draw their weapon under stress. To avoid this, practice drawing and firing a toy gun that is kinda like your real gun. Practice doomg this a fast as you can. If you shoot yourself in the foot with a bb gun, then you'll know you need more practice. I've been doing a lot of practice with bb guns lately because of the ammo shortage.

Also, my wife, who used to be anti-gun, now has a CHL and occasionally carries maybe once a year or so. She has only fired her gun once for the CHL qualification test. Her first time shooting was the CHL qualification test. Anyways, I asked her why she never practices. She said that she never plan on being a hero. She will only shoot someone if that someone is within spitting distance or less and it is impossible to miss at that distance.

I think those 5 guys at the gun show and my wife are the vast majority of gun owners and we who are members of this forum who shoot a lot are the minority. So, nah, you're not crazy, but just average.

P.S. the guy with the "pencil test" to test if the gun will fire is very sage advice.

[flechero]

To the OP:
The only time I could see carrying a new gun w/o range time would have been my first gun, on the way to the range from the store. Surely you can hit an indoor range going to/from work, evening or on a lunch break?

She will only shoot someone if that someone is within spitting distance or less and it is impossible to miss at that distance.

Lots of shooting stats don't support this claim. There have been many LEO's (who presumably train to fight and shoot) that have missed at arm's length in a fight... assumptions can be dangerous, I hope you can convince her to train in case she ever has to deploy her weapon.

the "pencil test" to test if the gun will fire is very sage advice.

I second this and do it when I reassemble my carry guns after cleaning.

[The Annoyed Man]

Would you want a triple bypass done by a guy who just graduated med school and had never actually done a triple bypass?

If there were NO other alternative....yes. I own multiple carry pistols. There are alternatives.

[bdickens]

No way! Your life may depend on its reliability; you need to verify that it is indeed reliable. And you need to familiarize yourself with its feel and operation.

[bdickens]

Would you want a triple bypass done by a guy who just graduated med school and had never actually done a triple bypass?

Ya know, even the best and most experienced had to do it for the first time once....

[z_clark]

Wow, good responses here!

I decided to carry both today (the LCR as BUG). I hope to make it to the range this weekend, if I can find some amo. I own a few other double action 357, but just one box of 38 sp. left in the safe.

[Scott in Houston]

I'm so against this idea...

I even get too paranoid. If I haven't fired a certain gun in a long time, I'm worried about carrying it... even if nothing has changed.
For example, I have a Glock 32 that I love, but due to ammo costs, I usually shoot my Glock 19.
As a result, my G32 may go for a few months without being fired. After a while, I start to 'worry' that it won't operate like I expect. It's 100% in my head, I know, but I can't help it. If I haven't fired a gun recently, I'm uncomfortable. Also, if a gun has fewer than 500 rounds through it, I would NOT carry it.

[flechero]

Wow, good responses here!

I decided to carry both today (the LCR as BUG). I hope to make it to the range this weekend, if I can find some amo. I own a few other double action 357, but just one box of 38 sp. left in the safe.

38 has been fairly available, i was in Dallas last week and saw it several places.

[The Annoyed Man]

Snubby revolvers are ones that I'm relatively comfortable with carrying if I haven't shot them yet. I'll dry fire them to verify that the cylinder turns and the trigger will drop the hammer. I'll use either a snap cap, or a spent case with a little piece of sticker or tape over the primer to confirm a firing pin strike, but they are like anvils, and they are likely to be used at such a close range that it's not going to matter if POI is a little bit off from POA. If it is a quality piece like a S&W, I don't worry about it. I'd rather shoot them first, but once you've fired enough .357 or .38 +P in enough revolvers, a new revolver doesn't really seem to me to take much getting used to.

Now semiautos are another matter. I won't carry one without first confirming its reliability with a a couple hundred rounds.

[Jumping Frog]

While I like my LCP, I have had 3 stovepipes in the first 300 rounds. I am sure it was the cheep amo and breaking in, but a revolver makes me more confident.

Revolvers are incredibly difficult to fire accurately double action but also incredibly reliable. That's because with a semi auto, if you're using ancient ammo from your emergency stash like a lot of us are, if you have a dud round, you get a jam. However, with a revolver, all you have to do is pull the trigger again to skip a dud round.

In general, I agree with you that revolvers tend to be more reliable than semi-autos.

However, I'd also like to point out that most semi-auto failures are something that can be quickly fixed and get a person back in the fight. A stovepipe leads to the familiar "tap, rack, bang", or with a double feed you can drop the mag, clear the gun, and reload.

However, if a revolver does fail, it is usually something serious enough that the gun is not functional at all.

[MoJo]

What Jumping Frog said about the reliability of revolvers is true. When you have a malfunction with a revolver it generally takes a gunsmith or at least tools to resolve. Semi autos not so much.

My main issue with carry of a gun that I haven't fired is where it hits. I have fired a few brand new or friends guns that didn't hit where I was aiming. A quality brand of firearm is likely to function properly sometimes it won't shoot to POI. I prefer at least one hundred rounds through any gun before carrying.

[RoyGBiv]

I would not carry a never-fired gun.

I have traveled to visit friends in VA and rather than pay $50 (round trip) to check my gun I borrowed one from my friend when I arrived. It was the same model & caliber I normally carry (I brought my holster), my buddy shoots it and maintains it (but switched his carry gun when his wife bought him a Kimber) ... so.. I was familiar with the weapon and had confidence it would function.

In a pinch, I might carry a gun that I never fired, but not one that had never been fired by anyone other than the factory.