Number rounds through your handguns

[Guest Matchguy]

I carried a gun for a living for three decades and I'm sensitive to my round counts in my service and carry guns. I won't shoot the living crap out of a carry gun, preferring to put all the wear and tear on an identical or essentially similar range gun and shoot the carry gun enough to keep it functioning well and stay good with it.

When we had to buy our own guns in law enforcement, I routinely replaced my service gun every five or six years, while I knew men who carried the same one for their entire career. I'm just not comfortable doing that, especially with the K Frame Smith .357's we were using. It's my life and I want the newest, most pristine perfect gun I can fit in a holster to defend it with, and I'm still that way. I burn the pants off of my 9mm CZ 85, but my CZ 75 .40 has less than 600 rounds through it.

:shrug:To each his own, I guess.

Jer

[krunchnik]

My guess is to change springs at the recommended intervals. That's the only reason I can think of after the initial break in period.

YA,that would be my guess too,My Kimber Ultra they recommend changing the guide springs as a set after so many rounds.At the tune of 45 bucks a set.

[Guest gcrookston]

How do you keep up with the number of rounds that you put through your handguns? I only have one 9mm, so I number each box of ammo that I buy. Presently I have boxes numbered 600 through 1200. The next time I go to the range I will carry box number 600 and 700. Is there a better way to keep up with the numbers? Do you keep a log with each gun? What info do you keep on your handguns?

I keep a moleskine notepad for my pistols in my range bag, same one I've had since 1985.(I have dope books for each of my precision rifles and this is different data for different reasons). I do this in order to keep track of when to field strip and clean, vs just a bore/bolt clean. Most of my guns only see a hundred or less rounds per trip to the range and I don't like to break them down except once a year or 500 rounds. My Sig 226 is the high round count in my collection, with 15,500 (rounded off). I've owned it since purchased new in 1989.

Edited April 19, 2009 by gcrookston

[wjh2657]

I am my own armorer and I do keep pretty detailed records on my guns: Rounds fired, maintenance records, inspections, etc. I take very good care of my guns because I do understand they are complicated mechanical devices and require careful care. The records allow me to track the use and wear on each gun. I have owned dozens of guns through my life and I have only had three that caused me grief in consistent failure to fires and failure to feeds. All three were due to the weapons design and not due to care or ammo (I always fire a lot of different ammo in each gun until I get one it "likes" and then stick to that ammo for that gun.) When I strip my guns, I use a jeweler's loupe to check for cracks in critical parts, any "hint" of a crack means part change. All possible areas of trouble are duly noted in the record, to remind me to follow up at next inspection. The USMC taught me to respect and care for my weapons if I expected them to take care of me and records keeping is a big part of that care. I currently own over 30 handuns and long guns and I find time to check and clean every one of them at least once every 90 days. The EDC gets a "clean patch" and function check daily. Records keeping is not an obsession, it is an insurance policy.

Anybody that believes that any gun is an "Uberpistol" that never needs cleaning or inspection is due for a harrowing and possibly fatal shock someday.

[gunner]

got the gun for xmas and have put around 250 through it