38 Super) even when quite dirty, but due to a variety of factors, require more attention to lubrication than modern striker-fired designs such as Glocks, HKs or Smith & Wesson M&Ps. A properly manufactured and set up 1911, for example, can be extremely reliable (particularly in. Of the two, lubrication is particularly crucial. Despite the temptation from a money savings perspective, steel or aluminum cased ammo of all types are best avoided as well, and such ammo is often prohibited on many indoor ranges, including Bellevue Gun Club.ĬLEANING & LUBRICATION: While many modern pistols (and guns of all kinds for that matter) are quite forgiving in terms of cleaning and lubrication schedules, all guns eventually need it, and some more than others. Revolvers are not immune to ammunition-related stoppages, either: if the overall length is excessive, cylinder binding can occur, and if there are case bulges or expanded brass from excessive pressure, extraction can become difficult or even impossible without gunsmith assistance. Do your diligence!) If shooting reloads or handloads, care must be taken that you or the loader of the ammo absolutely adheres to proper reloading protocols for safety and reliability. (Some boutique-type companies produce truly exceptional ammo, however. Stick with top quality manufacturers, and be very careful about choosing smaller companies that may or may not have adequate quality control in place. At very least, accuracy is often poor, and the ammo is dirty, which necessitates more cleaning of your firearm. In worst case scenarios, careless ammo quality control may catastrophically damage the firearm and cause severe injury to the user. Not only will this insure continued reliable functioning, it will also extend the service life of your firearm by reducing battering to the frame and other components.ĪMMUNITION QUALITY: You wouldn’t condemn a fine sports car or performance sedan for poor acceleration, hard starts, or reduced fuel economy if you fed it nothing but the poorest quality fuel, would you? Similarly, not all ammunition is created equally: the overall length of the loaded rounds may be inconsistent, there may be bulges in the case caused by sloppy bullet seating that create nasty situations where the round ends up sealed into the chamber, and unable to be cleared by conventional tap-rack procedures. Whatever the type, buy extra recoil springs for your firearm in advance–they’re quite inexpensive–and prepare to replace them when necessary. The same applies to recoil springs: Good quality coil springs as found in 1911s should generally be replaced every few thousand rounds, while the more durable flatwire springs found in Glocks and many other contemporary pistols can often go 15-20K rounds before replacement–but none last forever. Remember: keep plenty of mags on hand for your carry or competition firearm and don’t be afraid to replace them when they begin to create feeding problems. Even if the magazines are of top quality, if they have been heavily used in training or competition-to the point where springs are weak or feed lips deformed–they will not function 100 percent and should be discarded in favor of new mags. MAGAZINES AND RECOIL SPRINGS: Are your magazines OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) or if aftermarket, of top quality? Magazines are vital to the proper feeding of cartridges, and poor feed lip geometry or improper spring tension can hamper the most capable firearm in terms of feed reliability. Much of the same information can be applied to modern rifles such as the popular AR-15 platform, as well. There are a few things to consider when experiencing malfunctions or stoppages, especially when dealing with a gun whose quality is not under question. But, as with any machine, certain parameters must be met for them to operate to their best capability. Buyers of pistols for personal protection have an array of quality choices like never before.
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