How many rounds before you carry

[jack010203]

Hey everyone,

I was just wondering how many rounds you guys shoot out of a gun, before you are confident that it will not jam on you, and it can be used as a CCW (assuming you are accurate enough with it, it can be concealed , etc.).

I like to put 500 flawless rounds through a gun before I am confident enough to carry it for self defense. I really have no good reason for this, except that the first gun I started carrying gave me problems after ~400 rounds, and I figured I would at least make any other carry gun pass 500 rounds before I would carry it. I know its not a good system and I guess if it happens again I will have to bump that number up again to gain confidence in my next gun.

What do you guys like to do, and any reasoning behind it?

[Beiruty]

Quality new guns, like an HK SIG, Berretta or even S&W, I would say 0 is lowest and 50 rds is the max. I expect to have jamming, failure to shoot, or even a squib (bad, bad, bad) in any moment, while using my sidearm. I only has to deal with it.

[USA1]

well i've got 4 or 5 hundred rounds through mine so far with no problems. i think it is very important to hit the range regularly to make sure every thing stays in good working order. hopefully any problems that may start to show themselves will occur during practice time.
question - is it true that most problems happen during the " breaking in period " ? or do they happen down the road as a result of heavy use ? i guess it depends on the particular gun in question.

[MoJo]

1911 - 5-6 hundred rounds and 2 mags of chosen carry ammo. Glock, M&P, XD, etc. - 100 rounds and 2 10 round mags of chosen carry ammo. Revolver - 50 rounds of range ammo and enough carry ammo to see where it hits. If the gun will run reliably with range ammo then a couple of mags of carry ammo will tell you if your gun likes or dislikes your carry stuff. The reason for so many rounds in a 1911 is they tend to need more break-in than the others.

At today's ammo prices and scant availability it might take you $300.00 worth of ammo to break in a new 1911.

[WildBill]

well i've got 4 or 5 hundred rounds through mine so far with no problems. i think it is very important to hit the range regularly to make sure every thing stays in good working order. hopefully any problems that may start to show themselves will occur during practice time.
question - is it true that most problems happen during the " breaking in period " ? or do they happen down the road as a result of heavy use ? i guess it depends on the particular gun in question.

Excellent advice. Just because a gun works right out of the box is no guarantee of long-term reliability. Besides, everyone needs continued practice.

[ELB]

FWIW, I asked this question on the handgunsandammoproboards.com website; while as expected the numbers ranged widely, they seemed to center around 200 for semi-autos and twice around the clock for revolvers.

I personally tend to want at least around 200 "good" rounds since the last hiccup with a given gun, magazine, and good practice ammo, then 50 or so for the carry ammo. I would like more, but ammo is expensive, especially carry ammo, so I live with 200. For a brand new gun I am not so concerned if there is a few malfs in the first couple hundred, as long as it smooths out after that. I have tracked nearly every round fired thru my Hi Power, by magazine, since I got it. I am too lazy to look it up right now, but the lifetime malf rate with all magazines is several zeroes to the right of the decimal point. After several thousand rounds, any malf is important, and I study it hard to make sure I know what caused it. Dirt? Bad round? Slide moved out of battery somehow? Need new springs?

elb

[JackRR]

100+ and then 20-50 more for your "carry" ammo. Of course if you need it sooner, a quality handgun with quality ammo, should go bang on round #1. But...yeah it needs to be tested. My Glock 17 and 27 no worries still you need to test new HP's for the specific gun, My new Ruger LCP.. several jams at first. Cleaned with the right ammo it is good to go.

[ScottDLS]

For semi-autos, I'd have to say 100-200 rounds, mostly of what ammo I was going to carry. Revolvers...don't care/not worried. Just buy decent ammo. Now for a minor thread hijack, which I still think is true to the original question ('cause ultimately could be a semi vs. revolver issue).

10 or 11 years ago, I had a Walther PPK/S (.380). I really liked that gun and mostly pocket carried or sometimes IWB at 5 o'clock. I understand the arguments against .380 as underpowered, but darn it... that gun was the only one I regularly carried. I liked the profile, concealability, and feel of the gun. The problem was when I got it to the range, I couldn't put 20 rounds through without a jam, FTE, stovepipe.... All kinds of ammo, hardball, JHP, SJHP, glaser, etc. I bought some different mags. The only thing I can think is that I have medium large hands and maybe my right ring finger was pulling the mag down by the finger grip at the bottom of the mag.

Finally, I traded the PPK/S in for a Stainless Ruger SP101 .357 snubbie. Great gun, not underpowered (obviously). I carry .38spcl +P Silvertip JHP's in it. Revolvers don't jam and I've NEVER had a FTF in a revolver in 22 years of shooting them. Problem is that it is a BRICK. Are you happy to see me? Or do you have a .357 in your pocket?..HA..HA..HA.

Now that said, personally I am a semi-auto fan. Did college/military in the mid '80's and this is when the PD's, FBI, military, were moving to the "hi"-cap semi auto pistols. When I was in the Navy they hadn't gotten the 9mm's yet. I "wore" a .45cal 1911 on the occasion that it was required. Didn't feel bad even with 7 rd mag, although I suspect some of these Navy issue .45's might have seen service against the Kaiser in the Great War...

If Texas were an open carry state, I'd "semi" conceal a Beretta 92F or Glock 17, or maybe even a .40 cal full size. I've had one FTE in my Beretta in probably 2000 rounds. But let's be honest...these are hog legs for a normal sized and clothed guy. Only cops and Feds can really get away with a full size semi-auto..."concealed" next to their badge or Fed creds. What do you TXCHLForum guys & gals like for a truly concealable, at least 9mm, flat profile semi auto?

[tropicalsun]

Certainly no expert here....I am comfortable with a pistol after 200 rounds. The only issue I have ever had is with a Glock 19. At just over 100 rounds it failed to eject twice from the same magazine. Shot 200 more rounds through the glock without a hitch.

As for concealability - I carry a full size semi auto, a XDM 9mm. I am short at 5'3" and only weigh 132 lbs right now. I carry in a CB supertuck, adjusted for a full forward cant carried just north of 3 o'clock. You'd never know....

tropicalsun
Rob

[USA1]

something very important to remember....any gun can malfunction any time
knowing what to do when this happens can be the difference between life and death.

[dicion]

something very important to remember....any gun can malfunction any time
knowing what to do when this happens can be the difference between life and death.

You could actually possibly even create "4 rules of a deadly force scenario" based on that, and possibly some other things.

1: Your weapon will malfunction.
2: The BG will fire at you first.
3: There will be more then one armed BG.
4: You will have no cover.

Just like the 4 rules of gun safety, I think if you always kept those things on your mind, you would be better apt to handle them if they did happen.

Although, on the failure issue... it's yet another reason to carry L&L. Can't Have a FTF on your first round if it's already chambered
You'll at least get 1 shot off.

[USA1]

Although, on the failure issue... it's yet another reason to carry L&L. Can't Have a FTF on your first round if it's already chambered
You'll at least get 1 shot off.

my thoughts exactly

[rmoraes]

B"H

100+ and then 20-50 more for your "carry" ammo. Of course if you need it sooner, a quality handgun with quality ammo, should go bang on round #1. But...yeah it needs to be tested.

[caldvn]

Zero rounds before I carry. I have but one gun... :) Let's hope I made the right choice.

[Mithras61]

Zero rounds before I carry. I have but one gun... :) Let's hope I made the right choice.

"Beware the man who has one gun, for he probably knows how to use it." - Jeff Cooper (or maybe Elmer Keith)