How often do you load/unload your carry gun(s)

Hard to believe people walking around with a gun for self protection and not shooting it for weeks at a time. WOW!!!



More surprising to me are the used guns that I see for sale that have zero rounds fired (or sometimes maybe a few) but the seller says he's been carrying it for months or even years. I've literally seen handguns advertised as "never been fired" and the next sentence states something like "slight holster wear as this has been my daily carry piece for the last two years".
 
Carry gun gets unloaded and cleaned at least once a month and after range sessions. Always at least two loaded magazines per gun. Revolvers get cleaned more often.


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More surprising to me are the used guns that I see for sale that have zero rounds fired (or sometimes maybe a few) but the seller says he's been carrying it for months or even years. I've literally seen handguns advertised as "never been fired" and the next sentence states something like "slight holster wear as this has been my daily carry piece for the last two years".


There are people out there who buy two identical guns and use one for carry and one for range use/ training sessions. The training gun gets all the wear and all the abuse. When James Yeager drops your gun and kicks it aross the parking lot and blows a hole in somebody's truck with it you know it wasn't your carryy gun that's getting abused like that
 
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There are people out there who buy two identical guns and use one for carry and one for range use/ training sessions. The training gun gets all the wear and all the abuse. When James Yeager drops your gun and kicks it aross the parking lot and blows a hole in somebody's truck with it you know it wasn't your carryy gun that's getting abused like that

I have duplicates of several guns. Mostly for the reason I'm sure you're talking about. My main carry gun is a Glock 19 and has about a thousand rounds through it. I have one identical to it that I "train" with that has many more rounds than my primary. I figure the less wear and tear I put on my carry gun the better. But, I have put enough rounds through my actual carry piece to prove it's reliability and trust it.
 
When I clean my S&W 457 I drop the mag, wipe the gun down, unload the magazine by one round and load the "original" first round back into the chamber. I figure, if I'm going to have an issue, "Tap , Rap Bang, and I'm back to running away from the problem.
 
I'd have to say my carry gun is loaded 98% or more of the time. The only time it's unloaded is when I clean it after range trips, or about once a month (which seems to be more often as of late).
As for the mags, usually 2 are loaded with PD ammo. I used to rotate my carry mags every few months as well, but have gotten away from that habit. All mags seem to function equally well, with any of the ammo I've tried it with.
 
I'd have to say my carry gun is loaded 98% or more of the time. The only time it's unloaded is when I clean it after range trips, or about once a month (which seems to be more often as of late).
As for the mags, usually 2 are loaded with PD ammo. I used to rotate my carry mags every few months as well, but have gotten away from that habit. All mags seem to function equally well, with any of the ammo I've tried it with.

I don't "rotate" my carry magazines but I don't use them for carry until I've proved them.

My range magazines are Pmags they take the beating and I use OEM magazines for carry
 
I unload my carry gun when I'm cleaning/lubing it or when I go to the range. Other than that it stays loaded. My magazines stay loaded for literally years at a time.

How often do you load or unload your carry guns?
If I put away a gun for years, or even months, I unload it, and either unload the magazines or underload them.

I load autoloaders in the house as seldom as possible, and don't even play with revolvers very much inside.

When I open a box or a pistol rug at the range, the gun is already pointed downrange. Love that backstop.
 
Administrative handling is dangerous and should be avoided to the greatest extent possible. (Think of clearing barrels and the fetish for empty firearms that infests the military - a disaster from start to finish and a darned good example of the problem.) Any of my firearms in use are loaded and stay loaded until and unless taken out of service for some reason (cleaning, storage, etc.). Most firearms do not need much cleaning, and are better served with adequate amounts of quality lube. A quality AR should go tens of thousands of rounds with no cleaning, just lube.
 
Administrative handling is dangerous and should be avoided to the greatest extent possible. (Think of clearing barrels and the fetish for empty firearms that infests the military - a disaster from start to finish and a darned good example of the problem.) Any of my firearms in use are loaded and stay loaded until and unless taken out of service for some reason (cleaning, storage, etc.).
Worth repeating.
 
I clean my carry after coming back from the range .. which is weekly .. chambered self defense round is shot in practice .. magazine with self defense load is shot once every 3 or 4 weeks ..after cleaning self defense ammo in the magazine is loaded into pistol and topped off ..

my other magazines with self defense ammo can be loaded for years with out unloading the magazine or shooting them ..

no need to worry about set-back then since round chambered is shot in practice ..
 
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More surprising to me are the used guns that I see for sale that have zero rounds fired (or sometimes maybe a few) but the seller says he's been carrying it for months or even years. I've literally seen handguns advertised as "never been fired" and the next sentence states something like "slight holster wear as this has been my daily carry piece for the last two years".

I prefer the steel framed Js. But in the last 10 years I have bought two 642s a 638 a 637 and a 442. All just 'followed me home from the LGS or a show ( meaning they were priced crazy low.).If I told you I bought them new for investment and never fired them you would belive me. I think some folks just buy light weight (because I see KelTeks and SCCYs and other fly weights I have no interest in) 'carry guns' and then they find popping off +p SD rounds not to thier liking. (Guess they never heard of Target wadcutters.)
 
Because target wadcutters are not manly enough. Hence the trend for light weight 357 snubbies. Still waiting on the 357 maximum snubbies, those should be a hoot to shoot.
 
Because target wadcutters are not manly enough. Hence the trend for light weight 357 snubbies. Still waiting on the 357 maximum snubbies, those should be a hoot to shoot.

When I was on the job, older guys and white shirts would 'forget' and leave department issued 750 fps LHBWCs in thier revolvers, after qualification. I have seen more than a few folks laid low by the flat metplat of the lowly wadcuter. I carry them in my Alu-minimums if I for some reason carry one instead of a steeley. (I carry Buffalo-Bore standard pressure 150 grain wadcutters in the steel framed Js.)
 
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I unload into targets at the range... clean at the range when finished... reload before I get in the truck..... repeat as often as I have time. I keep all guns coated with Ren.Wax to keep finger prints at bay and press on. IMHO, the more you unload and reload it opens the door for a greater chance of trouble.
An unloaded gun is just a paper weight.
 
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