How many rounds of SD ammo should you test in your gun?

[Elbowtko]

Just got a brand new Glock 19 Gen4

Planning on picking up some good self defensive ammo. This stuff is quite expensive, but I don't mind doing what needs to be done which is testing if it really works well in my hand and as well as in my glock.

My question is on avg just how much should I have to fire before I can say its good to go?

[Airhasz]

Ilike to put around 500 through mine till I'm satisfied. Much of it is practice ammo to keep the cost down...ymmv

[markm]

On a glock? None.... maybe when the ammo it due to rotate out... but if unless the thing is choking on ball ammo... I've never found it necessary.

I did run a small sampler platter in my FNX 45 just because I'm not experienced on these pistols.

[ImBroke]

I can't speak for you and your gun... but I will run a full magazine of carry ammo with each of my carry mags on a family that I have never had a malf with (ie, glock 17/26, sig 228/229/220 series). Making sure I shoot two and one handed, etc.

When I got my Kahr CM9 I shot multiple magazines of carry ammo b/c I was not as familiar with the platform and it ended up showing me that I needed to modify my slide release a bit.

[C4IGrant]

Just got a brand new Glock 19 Gen4

Planning on picking up some good self defensive ammo. This stuff is quite expensive, but I don't mind doing what needs to be done which is testing if it really works well in my hand and as well as in my glock.

My question is on avg just how much should I have to fire before I can say its good to go?

As a general rule, I like to run 250-500rds of ball and 25-50rds of carry ammo through any gun that I am going to bet my life on.

So shoot half a box of SD ammo and carry the rest.


C4

[STONE-YARDER]

50-100 rounds to get a good feel for it. Then every other training session I run 2-3 mags of my carry ammo at the end of the session.

[Guns-up.50]

After break-in I usually do an accuracy test 5-25 yards slow fire then a function test of about 5-10 rnds rapid fire

[PA PATRIOT]

500rds of FMJ to insure the pistol is sound and without any function issue. Then at least 100rds of my selected carry ammunition to check for 100% function and POI for sight adjustment.

I will also shoot half a box to unsure Q/C and use the other half for carry.

As for effective self defense ammunition I would suggest a internet search for information on same posted by Dr. Gary Roberts and select one that offers acceptable terminal performance.

While ammunition is expensive one has to assess what their life is worth and spent accordingly.

[oldtexan]

For an auto pistol, my method is put 1000 rds of decent quality factory ammo through the gun without a stoppage (or 1500 rds with no more than one stoppage) unless that stoppage can be definitely attributed to a magazine or operator issue. At least 200 rds of that 1k are my carry ammo. I do the testing with several mags. About a quarter of the rds are shot weak hand only, and another quarter are shot strong hand only. Any mag that causes a stoppage gets tossed.

I'm not an expert in probability or systems analysis, so I don't really know how much more rigorous (if at all) my method is than that of someone who just shoots a few hundred rds total.

[Gatorshark]

It doesn't take much for a glock. The pistol's reliability as a whole has already been established. As poster earlier said, shoot half a box for your confidence and ss a quick test then you are ready to rock.

More importantly, never stop training and practicing.

[Wake27]

Like markm, I didn't do much for my Glock. Probably ran at least 100 rounds of FMJ through it the first time I shot it but wasn't too concerned with hitting some numerical value between FMJ and JHP before I carried it. Two full magazines of your chosen SD round should be enough.

[Apricotshot]

Only if I'm switching between ammo so I know where my pistol is zeroed at 25 yards. Example: going from 115gr DPX to Gold Dot 124gr+P.

[beschatten]

I would just do a magazine to just double check if it functions. Other than that, the gun's reliability has been established and shouldn't have any issues.

I usually shoot 1-2,000 rounds with no cleaning just to see if it can and to test ejection patterns.

[rickmy]

I run 100 rounds of duty through my new m&p's and 400 ball before I will carry them for duty/self defense. I clean the gun, liberally lube, then will run the 400 ball and finish with the duty before cleaning. 1911's are a whole different story as mine have been a PITA with duty ammo.

[TAZ]

Ill generally run 500 rds of plinking ammo to test reliability, function and POI. I will then run a sampling of different mfg's and weights of SD ammo to find the one which is the best out of the particular gun. Then I'll run a box or two of the chosen round. All that said with ammo being as hard to find my new P30 had that cycle short circuited to plinking ammo for breakin and then 1 batch of SD ammo as that was all I could find.

[Plumber237]

One 50 round box of SD ammo is all I normally run through any new pistol, 2 boxes or so if it's a used pistol...that's just me personally though.

[THCDDM4]

I used to be crazy and anal about this- shooting (1000) rounds of FMJ and (500) HP/defensive carry rounds before I would feel safe carrying the gun.

After awhile I felt this was a bit over the top and now I do about (350-500) rounds of FMJ and (100) rounds of HP through Autos and only (50-100) FMJ and a wheel or two full of HP/defensive ammo in revolvers and call it good.

[Kokopelli]

Well I shoot the crap out of them. Any new pistol I get; carry or range. 250-500 ball and for carry pistols at least 100 rounds defense ammo.. I buy them to shoot, so that's what I do.. JMO.. Ron

[Army Chief]

I think a lot of guys are realizing that we've probably recommended an overkill approach for a lot longer than it has really been necessary. Of course, when ammo was plentiful and relatively cheap, a 500 round minimum (with at least 100 rounds of your defensive fodder) was considered a reasonable outlay. These days, half of that figure may be more than enough.

Much will likely depend upon the gun, of course. A new Glock or PPQ probably doesn't require a lot to demonstrate that it is Kydex-ready. A new 1911 might benefit from more attention to general running-in prior to throwing it into front-line service. With used guns (i.e. those that have actually seen some rounds), you can probably scale things back just a bit more, assuming everything is sound inside of the gun.

Naturally, we are operating under the presumption that this discussion is limited to handguns of quality manufacture and design, as there are plenty of guns that I would prefer not to stake my safety upon, regardless of round count or demonstrated performance.

What is the right answer? Some ... how many rounds that might actually be depends upon whatever it takes to win your confidence.

AC

[Voodoo_Man]

For any pistol I carry I run 500rnds standard range ammo, if there are zero failures of any kind, I move forward with the defensive ammo I carry. I shoot one box of them just to see if they cycle the gun and have no issues. After that I run another 100 rounds to make sure I know the distance applications for the gun, sight and specific ammo combination, from 3y to 100y.

[gun71530]

I typically run around 100 rounds of any self defense ammo to check function and accuracy.

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[Pappabear]

One trip to the range to prove it functions, one mag of HD ammo. Is plenty for me. Yea, a baseline 1911 may benefit from a little more stretching out. Even though I have owned several that never malfunctioned - ever.

[BTL BRN]

For a Glock, about 250 ball and a mag or two of Gold Dots (my personal "social" ammo); as stated other guns have different requirements.

[PatrioticDisorder]

I run 200 rounds of ball, 50 rounds of carry ammo through it before I call it good to carry. I try to run the gun as hard as I can over those 250, shooting fast, intentionally limpwristing it, shooting side ways... Anything I can do to try and get it to fail. If it doesn't fail, I have confidence in it.

[Urban_Redneck]

300 rounds of ball.

I figure if a hollow point round will cause a stoppage it will happen:

a) Within the first three rounds of a full mag.
b) During the last three rounds from a mag
c) first round or two from a +1 loaded pistol

I'll shoot 50 rounds rotating through those conditions and call it ready to carry.

YMMV

[blade_68]

I was one of the 500 rnd. test before carry with my G19. I took 500 + rnds. mix bag of leftover ammo and my reloads to the LGS to test/ break it. Second one, 2 mags. Kind of the same as when I got second CZ83 in stainless. Verify function and point of aim /grouping part is to get to know how the gun shoots and to know the trigger and reset. With first one.
Army Chief is spot on "ammo cost less then"
FYI.. I was changing over from double/single action carry guns. CZ75/85, CZ83, M9/ 92fs, 1911s