How many rounds until you ccw?

[Pokerstar]

I'm doing a bit of research, how many rounds do you our through a new pistol until you feel confident to carry it? What I have been doing is shooting a box of 50, cleaning, shooting 100 (different brand), cleaning, then shooting 100. After those 250 I will test various brands to see what it likes form an accuracy point of view. That will put the round count to about 300 or so.

THEN, I will take a box of 25 of the self-defense ammo I use and shoot that. If the results are good (no ftf, fee, stovepipes, etc) then I will feel comfortable about carrying.

Thoughts?

 

[StatesRightist]

25 rounds of your CCW ammo is not enough to verify functionality--100 is the minimum I've seen recommended by the "experts."

 

[pff]

100 of the carry load is about minimum in revolvers IF it includes running it hot and dirty. In Airlites also test for bullet pull.

Most auto's can generally be considered reliable after 300 or so of the carry load. This assuming a make/model that has a reputation for reliability.

Some folks like more. A friend who has been in more for-real gunfights than most people see on TV figures reliability starts at 800 rounds. He also carried the keys to the ammo locker for a federal agency, so that helps.

For us plain folk living on Social Security, hunt for deals. I recently scored a case of Nyclad .38 for $19 per 50 rd box. Saw an ad last night for Federal 9BP for $285 a case.

I'd rather carry a second-tier load that I can afford to shoot a lot of, than the buck-a-bang wunderblitzen loads.

Regards,

Pat

 

[MichiganScott]

I'd rather carry a second-tier load that I can afford to shoot a lot of, than the buck-a-bang wunderblitzen loads.


Pat

1+

You don't need to spend $1.25/rd to be effective.

I figure a couple of hundred various rounds with different bullet shapes, weights, velocities, etc., and 50 rounds of the desired carry ammunition without a bobble and I'm pretty confident that it will work when needed.

 

[OKFC05]

Only thing I'd change is clean the gun and magazines FIRST, brand new, before firing.
Had a bunch of folks with jam-o-matics at the range that didn't--one last Saturday in a CHL course.
"Why should I clean it? It's brand new!"

 

[J-FRAME]

I think 1 k in a Glock or similar auto and no problems proves itself out pretty well. But on a J-Frame I think 250- 300 rounds with no problems is proof it will work.

 

[walnutred]

For me it depends on the individual firearm as I very seldom buy them new. The last new semi auto I bought after 200+ problem free rounds I started feeling confident carrying it. A few years ago I bought a S&W M37 that was produced in the mid-1970s. After passing the pre-purchase visual inspection and function test and firing 10 rounds of my carry ammo through it to verify function and POI I started carrying it. In that particular revolver firing another 200 rounds through it would not have told me anything the first 10 had not. The several hundred trouble free rounds I've since shot though it has borne this out IMHO.

 

[coorslight]

On a new gun like a semi-auto, 500 rounds minimum, I allow, FTF,FTE in the first 250, for break-in, after that it should be flawless, with a used gun 500 rnds with no issues. If they don't meet my standards they become a range gun for students, or up for sale.

 

[Pote]

for semiauto:

500-750 rounds of FMJ and 250-300 rounds of your favorite JHP SD ammo without a single failure of any kind. then its good to go for me.

 

[Thunder71]

I need my Shield to fire AT MOST 15 rounds of ammo at a time and my XDM 32 rounds (one flush and one extended magazine each), if it does that consistently then I trust it.

I doubt I'll ever be in a situation where I have to fire 100's of rounds in one sitting in a defensive situation, if so - I'm more likely to run out of ammo before my gun fails.

I also don't feel excessive amounts of ammo through a gun are necessary for it to be relied on.

Say your 'trust level' is 500 rounds, what if you put 500 through it and 501 fails? You would have had a trusty gun if you left well enough alone at 300 rounds with 200 to spare.

My point is, it's not the number of rounds that matter to me - it's that it can reliably fire the amount of ammo I have with me, every time.

 

[cgt4570]

Putting enough rounds through it to be sure it functions 100% is adequate in my opinion. Beyond that, failures cannot be predicted. It may last 1,000 rounds or 10,000 rounds or even more before the first hiccup. No one wants a failure at that one life-dependant moment, but just because it worked on the last round at the range does not mean that the very next round won't be the one that jams.

 

[silentflyer]

I use Federal Hydra-Shock for CC, in a revolver so maybe a dozen, in the one semi-auto I own a Bodyguard .380, I ran about 400 rounds through it with only 1 miss fire, before I tried the Federals, about 50 of those with no problems. The .380 is a summer,CC gun when I am out on the Harley or someplace I have to be a bit discrete about packing heat.

 

[Pokerstar]

Only thing I'd change is clean the gun and magazines FIRST, brand new, before firing.
Had a bunch of folks with jam-o-matics at the range that didn't--one last Saturday in a CHL course.
"Why should I clean it? It's brand new!"

Thanks - I failed to mention that I field stripped and cleaned the pistol when I brought it home. Then went to the range and did the shooting.

Thanks for all of the advice folks!

 

[TACC1]

I am not any kind of professional when it comes to
shooting. When I get a new-to-me firearm, it'll see maybe
three cylinders or two magazines to check POI. After that,
I figure it's good to go. I don't want to find out its breaking point.
Good to go is good to go. I've never had a failure at the range.
If I have any doubts, I'll carry a back-up. No way can I afford
to range-test every one. I think I've found my "always" gun.
That one will get shot all the time. The rest have been tested
to my satisfaction, and are ready to go when called upon.
I like to shoot, but I don't risk a failure by pushing my
equipment to the edge. JMHO, TACC1.

 

[Kanewpadle]

I am not any kind of professional when it comes to
shooting. When I get a new-to-me firearm, it'll see maybe
three cylinders or two magazines to check POI. After that,
I figure it's good to go. I don't want to find out its breaking point.
Good to go is good to go. I've never had a failure at the range.
If I have any doubts, I'll carry a back-up. No way can I afford
to range-test every one. I think I've found my "always" gun.
That one will get shot all the time. The rest have been tested
to my satisfaction, and are ready to go when called upon.
I like to shoot, but I don't risk a failure by pushing my
equipment to the edge. JMHO, TACC1.

Same here but it also depends on the gun. If I need to get better aquainted with the trigger then I'll run 100 -150 rounds through it. But normally a box will do.

 

[sigp220.45]

Twenty years ago I bought a new Sig P220 off my Dad's FFL. I took it to our agency's main firearms instructor, who looked it over for about 30 seconds and said "load it up". I fired a 50 round qualification course, stuck it in the holster I had been issued for the Sig 226 I went through the academy with, and sallied forth to fight crime. I'm still carrying it, many thousands of rounds later.

It is probably not the best course of action, but I didn't have the internet in those days to tell me any different.

I wonder about these recommendations to put huge numbers of rounds through a new gun before deeming it reliable. I shoot taxpayer ammo, but most folks have to pay for their own, and 500 rounds of "carry ammo" is practically the cost of a new gun. Plus, it seems like saying you won't trust your new car until you put 100,000 miles on it.

Of course, if you can afford it then you're getting some great practice and possibly peace of mind. I just don't think its necessary.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

IMO revolvers Do Not require hundreds of rounds of your carry ammo before you can use that ammo. Sure you should fire the revolver enough to proof the revolver and dry fire it a lot to smooth out the trigger but again, IMO, no reason to burn up a lot of carry ammo before you use that ammo for SD. Fire enough of it to be sure the bullets won't pull and to find out where the POI is and that's that...

 

[pff]

The weapon and its ammo are a system. They need to be tested together. To include ammo of the same lot number.

Would you go through all that and then buy a new pistol made 3 years later and assume because its the same model you could carry it without trying it out at all?

To me its no different to buy a box of ammo and shoot half, call it good, then assume the next box you get is going to work OK.

Quality control from the major ammomakers is at an all-time low.

Hunt for deals, buy a case. What you have stashed will always be less expensive than the current offering.


Regards,

Pat

 

[BoDog]

I have to go with Maasad Ayoub and Clint Smith (Thunder Ranch) they tell you to bring a weapon with you at least 300 rounds through it. You and weapon should be one and reliable.
What is your life worth?

 

[nipster]

I would say no less than 100. 500 is a bit much, really.