So my FFL is also a competitive shooter, trains with many local law enforcement agencies and does CCW classes for civilians. His belief is that a semi auto used for CCW by a should be run with 200-250 rounds of ammo through it before carrying it. This should wear in some contact areas, get a person familiar with the trigger, experience operating the pistol and determine any reliability and function issues.

So I took advantage of the rebate and grabbed a nice 442-1 no lock.

Just curious many rounds would you run in a revolver to answer the reliability and function check? 50? 100?

Thanks in advance

With a revolver, I go with 100 rounds, including 50 of the ammo I'm going to carry. That's totally sufficient.

On semi-autos, I use each magazine twice with full mags, again with at least half of that with the ammo I'm going to carry.

Depends on how much you like/want to shoot.
If it were me, I'd run 2 cylinders through it and, if trouble free, call it good.

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Because of the metric system?

With a revolver I run roughly 3 cylinders of range and 3 cylinders of self-defense ammo.
And I dry fire and dry fire some more. Use quality snap-caps. Gotta get those contacts surfaces to smooth out.

5 or 6 is enough to ensure function in a revolver.

Shoot more of course to become familiar with your new gun.

250-350 rounds is the general rule of thumb for me, regardless of whether or not it's a semi-auto or revolver we're talking about.

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AKA SixToEight

I clean and lube my new Revolvers. I then dry fire 1000-2000 times. At the Range I then shoot for an hour. Depending how fast I go, at least 100-150 rounds. If I detect no problems, I consider it good to go. I still dry fire some between Range Sessions but not that much. The dry firing in the beginning smooths out the action. If it’s gritty after 500 dry fires I clean again, that hasn’t happened much.

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Two Handguns every day

I'd want at least 100 rounds just to make sure that the hammer and firing pin have enough umph to ignite primers close to 100% of the time. Only testing a few cylinders full is a pretty small sample.

On most range trips I try and shoot a few cylinders or magazines though my Colt Cobra or Sig P365 just to train with them and ensure function.

I never worry about round count because if I have a new [NIB or new-to-me] gun that I want to carry it is going to get range time and that usually means anywhere from 50 to 100 rounds. Maybe 200 if it's a semi-auto. I never have had an issue with a revolver and if a pistol jams or stovepipes I double-check my firing procedures and if I decide it's not me and the gun continues to have issues I don't carry it until the issues are resolved.

It's people who only have one gun who have difficulties here. Real gun people, like every one of y'all, have choices.

Raise your hand if you only have one gun...........

I thought so.

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Come and take it!!

A couple of boxes of practice and carry ammo should test the gun and get you used to a light gun with two finger grips.

I am totally in favor of the no lock 442, it's my EDC for a number of reasons. But I've been carrying and training with J frames for 50 years. They are my "happy place".

It's not a easy gun to shoot. They require a lot of dry fire. Draw and coming to a high ready position, fully aligned with the front blade center mass. Each and every time. Hold that center mass, dry fire and break the tunnel vision with a scan. Do the same exercise at the range with live rounds. It's OK if they don't allow you use a holster. Just hold low ready, then high, then fire, scan and fire again.. Do this till its an automatic
response.

Also try shooting two center mass, a scan and then one in the head. The scan is with the eyes, not moving the weapon from a known target. Then try it with three targets. (El Presidente) Two in each chest, one in each head. That will train your reload.

Presuming a normal inspection to check for any observable issues that may have slipped out the factory door ...

I tend to like to run at least several cylinder loads of rounds through a new revolver. Given my druthers, with at least half of them being whatever load(s) I usually carry. Sure, running some lighter recoiling standard pressure loads (Ball, RNL, LWC, etc) is a pleasant way to become acquainted with a new wheelie, but I also like to confirm controllability and general POA/POI using carry loads, which means +P for all of my J's, with 1 exception.

That exception is an Airweight built on the older 37-2 frame, which wasn't rated for a diet of +P. That J only gets standard pressure loads, and since I dislike cleaning lead out of charge holes, that typically means 130gr Ball, or some of the various 110gr standard pressure loads I like to use in it. (Fed Hydra-Shock, W-w STHP or Hornady CD/FTX.) I put back some boxes of American Gunner 125gr standard pressure JHP's a while back, just for that 37, but haven't gotten into them yet.

Like some other J-frame aficionados and longtime users, I don't really need much of an excuse to take a new one to the range and become familiar with it.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

To me it matters who the person is doing the carrying. What I mean is the bulk of us on here are gun people. We've shot and fired and hunted with all types of firearms all of our lives. Hell I'd hate to say/guess how many thousands of rounds I've fired??

I just got a new carry gun and I've got about 150 rounds through it and I'm comfortable I can shoot it well. I'm making it my carry gun, now.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend a non gun person/casual shooter do that.

Also to me a revolver lowers the learning curve a bit. But again much depends on the skill level of the person carrying said gun.

I might be comfortable with just a box? Making sure you're shooting your carry ammo.

Fifty rounds.

On our police department, officers bought their own duty weapon. When you bought a new firearm, you needed to qualify with a new revolver or pistol before you could carry it on duty. The course of fire was 50 rounds.

I was confident when I walked out of the range that my firearm would protect me when I needed it.

The only right answer here so far

Revolvers require less of a "break-in" than Semi Autos but I'd shoot at least a few hundred rounds minimum just for familiarity with a new carry gun. Function and accuracy will be checked at the same time and the action will also smooth out. When ever I used to get a new carry revolver I'd put at least 1,000 rounds or so through it over a month or so just because I wanted proficiency with it. I also enjoy shooting them - a win/win!

Another test is to see how many rounds it can go without cleaning before it malfunctions. I have had issues with a revolver that would bind up after not very many rounds (< 50).

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Common sense isn't so common.

For a revolver, 50 rounds is a minimum to uncover any issues and provide good familiarization. For a semi-auto pistol, I lean more toward 100 as a minimum and 200 provides an excellent level of confidence in reliability.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

Back in the old days when you could actually get ammo easily and cheaply I would go with one box of wadcutters, just to smooth things out a bit and make sure I was getting good ignition, and then one full box (or two half boxes of different) carry ammo just to ensure things were good. Clean it good and lube it lightly and that would make me happy. Semi-autos (except for Glocks) got quite a lot more than that.

I picked a 642 back in August. To date I have 1600 rds through, one hundred being my carry ammo 135 gr GD. Generally about 100 rds of training ammo and 50 rds. Of carry ammo and I’m good to go.

Also don’t think you need to fire that many rounds to break in a revolver.
But make sure you shoot a load or two of the ammo you plan to carry.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

New gun....field strip, clean and oil, then fire a box to break it in.

Next go weekly to the range to become proficient. Twice a month at the very least.

In the interim, dry fire at the TV twice a week.

If you intend to carry you need to put in the time or maybe you should think about it.

For a 442/642 five rounds is all you need. Same for a Glock.

For 1911’s, no less than 1000 break in rounds.

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Live long and prosper

About 12 rounds for the gun itself.

Quite a few more to zero and test ammo..

Exactly, it is best to know where the bullets impact after they leave the barrel.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

I can't see any break in needed. Shoot it a cylinder or two to make sure it goes "bang" then you're good to go.

I agree with at least 200 rounds with no malfunctions with a semi auto including at least 100 rounds with your carry ammo.

But for a revolver the major threats are:

- light strikes and hard primers;

- sticky ejection (particularly with small frame revolvers and revolvers with short ejection rods);

- insufficient crimp allowing the bullet to back out of the cylinder and jam the cylinder in the frame.


Three or four cylinders is plenty to confirm reliability of the hammer and primer combination as well as discover any ejection issues.

If you also take a couple rounds and load and reload the, so they both experience the recoil of about 10 rounds and measure or compare to ensure they didn’t grow any longer you can cover that contingency in those 3 or 4 cylinders of testing.

Another thing to look for are large grains of unburned or partially burned powder that can end up getting under your ejection star during a reload and prevent you from getting the cylinder back into the frame.

You won’t necessarily experience this in 2-3 reloads, but using your preferred tactical reload and seeing large grains of powder on the cylinder face is a good indicator that a grain could land on the inner face of the ejector star. Generally speaking I avoid self defense loads that use colloidal ball powders that leave large unburned or partially burned powder grains.

I did not mention it, but I spnd time doing the the growing OAL cartridge length just like you do.

All my handguns go to the range. None stays in the Gun Safe and even my Seecamp 32 ACP has 133 rounds down range. My one year old Glock 26 has 800 rounds down range and I may have carried it only six times. (but its fun to shoot)

I have bought used guns in the past that has came with partially used boxes of ammunition. One pistol came with 48 bullets, the owner took two shots apparently. Two snubbies I bought, one came with 45 rounds the other 40.

Not to change the direction of the thread, but I don’t buy a lot of handguns like some of you and was a little surprised to read that folks have enough confidence in Glocks that shooting them 5 or 6 times is enough. I don’t own any Glocks. Are Glocks really that much better than other semi-autos?

Sure, in a perfect world I would probably toss hundreds of rounds downrange to check a new revolver. I have done that a time or two. Most of the time, I do a quick hands-on mechanical check and fewer than 50 rounds. Maybe 5-6 cylinders full. Sometimes less.

No. Glocks have a reputation for reliability, so do lot of other semi-auto pistols, but lemons do make it out of factories and there is no reason to believe that Glock is somehow different.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

I'll be honest, I'm a lot less worried about break-in with a revolver.... maybe not concerned at all, really. I fire off a few to see where it's shooting with my customary point of aim. Once I'm satisfied that I know the gun and I are on the same page, I don't have any issues with carrying it.
I do, however, go back and shoot a few from time to time just to remind myself about its POI, especially since I have anywhere from 2 to 5 guns in my "ready to carry" locker.

Watch out on the TV thing. A friends uncle was on the police force. Every day, as he was going to work, he drew and dry fired at the TV. Why not, the gun was not loaded? He checked it himself. One day he was wrong!

This has always struck me as something of an outdated sentiment...

It would seem to me that in the modern era of CNC Machining, firearms typically run perfectly right out of the box, and typically a single box of ammo (50 rounds) is more than enough to inspire confidence, as generally speaking, if a semiautomatic pistol can get through a cylinder/magazine or two without malfunctioning, then you can be fairly certain that it's good enough to trust your life to, because realistically speaking, that's as about much ammo as you could realistically use in a self-defense situation.

Break-in periods are a thing of the past, a relic from an age in which firearms were largely machined by hand, and although they generally had very high standards of quality, firearms were more tightly fit, providing very little clearance between moving parts which in turn made them less reliable because all it took was a bit too much lint in the nooks and crannies to impede function.
Nowadays, firearms aren't very tightly fit at all, which some folks view as a negative, yet their outstandingly reliable. Take a Glock for instance, if you hold it up to the light, you can see that there's a considerable gap between the slide and frame, yet Glocks are known to be of the utmost reliability.

That being said, if you're looking for an excuse to spend an afternoon at the range, then more power to you!

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

I feel confident in a revolver after about 50-100 rounds DA and another box of 50 for single action personally. Gives me a chance to dial in the sights, make sure I have no light primer strikes or timing issues and learn the personality of the weapon.

Used revolver, 25 rounds.
Used Auto, 50 rounds

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V/r,
Markham

Depends on the gun. I once had a 659 that needed a few hundred rounds thru it to wear in. After that it was totally reliable. With stainless guns I like to fire them enough to get them hot. Probably not necessary. My first duty weapon was a Model 67. Academy qualification was a two week affair, well over 1000 rounds. No problems.

Not a big thing with revolvers.

If it will fire a box of ammo without a problem, you should be good to go.
If you get copper shavings in your face, hard cylinder removal, etc. you have problems.

A pistol is the one that needs 200 rounds or more for a "Break in" session
to smooth out the metal and make sure that the used ammo will work in it.

Have fun.

Mo more than 50.
Usually 10 to 12.
One of the advantages of a revolver.
200 rounds of anything but 9mm costs some serious bucks.

Kahr used to tell customers a minimum of 200 rounds were required to break in one of their new guns, which is ridiculous.
If Glock can make guns that work right out of the box, why can’t Kahr?

To test for reliability and POI, I’d should at least a couple cylinders of the ammo you decide to use for SD. More is always better, but not necessary.

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213th FBINA

I've had a very few revolvers fail, but all did fail within 6 shots. A Ruger Security Six, new from a box, fired 6 rounds of Federal 125 grain JHP and the cylinder locked closed so rigidly that our armorer couldn't open it. Very used Smith M19s had either cartridge throw-by or failures to fire (usually timing issues) within the first cylinder I fired.

I've carried several duty revolvers that I fired 18 duty rounds through before initial carry, then followed up within a week or so with another 50-100 rounds. If they made it through the first 6 rounds and a reload, they've all been fine.

You just never know.

A buddy of mine was standing next to me at a training course, armed with a Model 65 he had just bought. He dry fired for an hour the night before, and at the class, he fired 12 rounds and the firing pin broke off.

Done.

BTW he finished the course using a Model 38 and some Band-Aids.

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Tony

Pretty much what I do with a brand new from the factory revolver. If a used revolver, I generally don't do as many dry-fires. I am seeing if the trigger will smooth out a bit. I do something similar when I do a polish & spring trigger job, to insure ignition of my preferred carry loads.

Making sure that all parts work and funtion correctly is a good start.
Firing pin and spring tension are two things that might cause problems with a new revolver.

Most should be good for 10,000 rounds before a "Oil change".
Have fun.

The downside to used revolvers is you never know if somebody did a poor job putting in a "spring kit". Usually the spring kit will get lighter hammer strikes as it goes along. Will the problem be discovered with five or six rounds or 50 or 100?

Another reason when I was a cop we carried two revolvers.

My S&W 686 Plus has been almost perfect with 3800 rounds down range. The first 3650 were my reloads with Federal primers. The last 150 were with CCI primers and I had three requiring a second strike.

Yes, Glocks are that much more reliable. In general, the folks who typically thinks a Glock needs an extensive break in period are 1911 aficionados, probably because they're used to breaking in 1911's after they've changed out half a dozen parts to get them to work reliably.

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Live long and prosper

How ever many you're comfortable with.

How many? As many as it takes for you to get good at hitting what you're aiming at with your new revolver.

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