How many rounds until a malfunction is deemed "acceptable?"

[C4IGrant]

I am curious what everyone thinks on this subject. Should you be able to fire 100, 200, 500, 1,000, 5,000 before you experience a malfunction??

Personally, I have seen the whole spectrum. Some will get a malfunction within 50rds and be ok with that gun for "defensive purposes" while others will shoot over 1,500 (without cleaning), get a malfunction and sell the gun off.


What say you??


C4

[Caduceus]

Personally, I'm OK with a random malfunction - as in, every few hundred rounds. Depends a bit on the platform though. It's consistent malfunctions that worry me - ie, certain ammo type, every fifth round, certain magazine only. We practice remedial actions for a reason to deal with the random.

For a rifle, around 500 rounds I'll consider reliable. For a pistol, usually several hundred. This equates to roughly the same number of full magazines run through the gun.

For example, I swapped my .40 barrel in a Sig 229 to a 9mm barrel. Had numerous FTE's with one brand of ammo, but great results with 100 rounds of a different brand. I don't consider it ready to be a CCW as a 9mm, but as a .40, it's been great for the past 2000+ rounds - 2 failures to seat the slide forward after a magazine change (and likely due to carbon buildup during a class, approximately 700 rounds after cleaning).

[Ryno12]

It depends on the type of malfunction. If I can pinpoint the cause of the malfunction & trace it back to operator error, ie. reloaded ammo, etc; then I'd pass it off. I have numerous rifles/pistols that I shoot equally as much, therefore they generally have a low round count, as compared to most others here. I have never experienced a mechanical malf that was a fault of the rifle/pistol itself. If I did, the type & frequency of the malf would dictate my concerns more so than the round count. Either way, I'd rectify it immediately.

Edited to say my initial response was based on ARs. I didn't notice the this was in the handgun sub via Tapatalk. My response is still somewhat applicable.


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[C4IGrant]

It depends on the type of malfunction. If I can pinpoint the cause of the malfunction & trace it back to operator error, ie. reloaded ammo, etc; then I'd pass it off. I have numerous rifles/pistols that I shoot equally as much, therefore they generally have a low round count, as compared to most others here. I have never experienced a mechanical malf that was a fault of the rifle/pistol itself. If I did, the type & frequency of the malf would dictate my concerns more so than the round count. Either way, I'd rectify it immediately.

Edited to say my initial response was based on ARs. I didn't notice the this was in the handgun sub via Tapatalk. My response is still somewhat applicable.


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What is the number of rounds fired?


C4

[JHC]

Personally, I'm OK with a random malfunction - as in, every few hundred rounds. Depends a bit on the platform though. It's consistent malfunctions that worry me - ie, certain ammo type, every fifth round, certain magazine only. We practice remedial actions for a reason to deal with the random.

For a rifle, around 500 rounds I'll consider reliable. For a pistol, usually several hundred. This equates to roughly the same number of full magazines run through the gun.

.

I think this is pretty solid and pretty much reflects my POV. I'd rather it be a thousand but I wouldn't give up over 500. OTOH my favorite defensive pistols over a three decades; 1911s, BHPs, Glocks, have all done much better than that.

[_Stormin_]

I've run 4K through my favorite 1911, and will holster and carry it without hesitation. I can trace every malfunction I've experience with it directly to cleaning/lubrication, or operator error.

My others have (and will all see) at least 500 and a minimum of one day of competition before they're "trusted."

I did have a Glock 20 that simply loved to stovepipe rounds. Didn't matter the ammo brand, or the recoil spring assembly (swapped by Glock once, then for an aftermarket part), then the barrel swapped because of concerns that the chamber was the issue in not allowing proper extraction. It still would have the malfunction every 50 rounds or so. Pistol was traded off and the new owner given a heads up. He was only
Planning on having it as a range gun, so he had no issues.


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[Redstate]

I am not okay with any malfunction that is caused by the firearm. All malfunctions in my firearms have been ammo related or user malfunction.
Examples:
1. I have a G36 with about 900 rounds through it and it has never malfunctioned for me (except once with a weak reload I was testing); however, my friend tends to cause malfunctions when he has tried it.

2. I have a G26 that has over 3,000 trouble free rounds through it and it has never malfunctioned, even with reloads. If it starts to malfunction, it will probably be a rsa or other easily replaced part that I will replace and confirm the issue is resolved before I depend on it.

3. I have a G17 that has over 7,000 rounds through it and the only time it has malfunction was due to ammo (reloads) issues. I have not replaced anything yet; except added a Ghost Rocket. I anticipate the recoil spring will need replacing soon.

4. As to my 1911's, only malfunctions have been reloads ammo related, especially with lead that I have trouble with reloading.

In conclusion, if my firearm has malfunctions that I cannot attribute to user error or ammunition, that firearm is going to get fixed, and if it then goes around 500 rounds without issue, then in my book it is good to go. Of course, I would qualify this by saying that it is very dependent upon the circumstances and type of malfunction.

[Mauser KAR98K]

To be honest it is not the round count to malfunction ratio that concerns me, rather it is the frequency of a malfunction during a range trip. For instance, I could get one or two malfunctions out of a 300 round range trip, but those could be a bad loaded round (had some lightly charge blazer brass rounds that did not cycle, causing FTE), or human contributing factor (shooting in urban pron got me a stove pipe). Now, concerning my Browning Hi-Power (FM), or my late father's Colt Government Series 80, 1911, those were having failure to eject malfunctions, and failure to feed self defense ammo (in case of the 1911) every magazine, almost every few rounds. Those were not acceptable.

1,500 rounds with a malfunction is acceptable; if it repeats from there, not good. 100 rounds with a malfunction: acceptable unless it starts happen more frequently. My first M&P did not feed the first round when I bought it, but worked like a champ afterwards, and still is. That was round number 1, and a failure to feed.

Besides, I don't worry about malfunctions that much: I shoot HKs now.

[Mauser KAR98K]

I am not okay with any malfunction that is caused by the firearm. All malfunctions in my firearms have been ammo related or user malfunction.

In conclusion, if my firearm has malfunctions that I cannot attribute to user error or ammunition, that firearm is going to get fixed, and if it then goes around 500 rounds without issue, then in my book it is good to go. Of course, I would qualify this by saying that it is very dependent upon the circumstances and type of malfunction.

Based on this and what Grant is asking, for me it would 1,000 rounds till I would comfortable...maybe 2,000 before I am comfortable; and that is malfunction free. The problem must be solved.

[swamper]

Like Ryno12 has said, it depends on the malfunction. My range/training P30 has had close to 20k rounds through it between 2012 and 2013. I had a double feed malfunction that was traced back to the magazine. A FTF that was attributed to the round as there was definitely a good firing pin strike to the primer. I had a third malfunction that was caused by me not seating the magazine fully during a reload.

I have had one issue that did not impede the firearm from functioning though. I did have an instance of the trigger resetting, but it was not a discernible reset, i.e. there was no "click" felt or heard during reset. I sent the firearm off to HK but can't recall exactly the issue. I'll get home and look at the paperwork and update with what was found.