The Loadout Room
Menu
  • Shooting
        • Pistol
        • Pistol Accessories
        • Rifle
        • Rifle Accessories
        • Shotgun
        • Machine Guns
        • Air Guns
        • Ammunition
        • Optics and Sights
        • Weapon Lights
        • Tips & How-To
        • Concealed Carry
        • Holsters
        • Suppressors
        • Precision Rifle Shooting
        • Firearms Training
        • 1A Gun to Ride the River With: The Smith & Wesson 686
        • The Tristar folding shotgun is ready for your wilderness adventuresThe Tristar folding shotgun is ready for your wilderness adventures
        • maxim defense cqb stock (8)The Maxim Defense CQB Stock: Short and Sweet
        • Perfecting your zero | A little help goes a LONG wayPerfecting your zero | A little help goes a LONG way
    • Close
  • Gear Reviews
      • Mission Gear
      • Camping Gear
      • Survival Gear
      • Medical Gear
      • Adventure & Travel
      • Knives & Tools
      • Overland
      • Disaster Preparedness
      • Footwear
      • Womens Gear & Clothing
        • RIP-MVehicle Preparedness: Fast access to essential items | Grey Man Tactical RIP-M
        • Midland radioOverland Essential | Midland Radio MXT275 | GXT1000
        • ppGrab your gear and go | Here’s everything you’d need to build an adventure go bag
        • Scrubba Washbag: Keep your clothes clean in the fieldScrubba Washbag: Keep your clothes clean in the field
    • Close
  • Men’s Lifestyle
      • Fitness
      • EDC
      • Eyewear
      • Watches
      • Electronics & Technology
      • Downtime
      • Mens Clothing & Accessories
      • Manly Skills
      • Style & Grooming
      • Gentleman Drinks
      • Crate Club
        • The Outdoor Edge ParaClaw: A concealed stingerThe Outdoor Edge ParaClaw: A concealed stinger
        • How to determine how long you have before the sun setsHow to determine how long you have before the sun sets
        • fireWilderness survival expert breaks down how to build a fire
        • 5.11 Tactical Expedition Long Sleeve Shirt5.11 Tactical Expedition Long Sleeve Shirt, SWAT Tested and Approved
    • Close
  • News
  • Video Demo
  • Shop

Break-In Period: Is Your Gun Fit For Duty?

Kahr CM9: More Than A Bargain

April 5, 2018 by The Arms Guide Guest Writer Leave a Comment

A break-in period is a vital step and should be a key focus when getting a new gun you intend to carry or serve in a self defense role. When you get a new pistol, rifle or shotgun, you are getting a freshly finished product made of metal, wood, polymer, or some other material shaped by man to serve a purpose. These guns are mostly designed with exacting tolerances and springs designed to provide the perfect tension needed in order to make the gun work when the user calls for it to. When being made, gun manufacturers have stages of QC where they inspect a few guns from each batch, or may even inspect them all. The problem is that in some cases, not all problems that can show up will be evident from a visual inspection. The most stress you can put on these guns in order to uncover issues is to shoot them. This does not mean that the factory test fire is good enough, but rather that it is a verification of functionality, not integrity. What I am referring to is running your gun for several hundred rounds, if not a couple thousand before trusting it to function perfectly every time you call for it to.

I prefer to use a longer break-in time for all my guns than is normal. I found that this number works best, no matter the caliber, unless otherwise specified. The IWI Tavor is a good example of a gun that has a specified and well researched break-in period with strict guidelines. Now this is for a good reason, but sometimes people can see this as a daunting task. People today want a gun that can be 100% reliable and ready to carry out of the box. This is not always a reasonable expectation for many guns, since some of their tolerances can cause failures to feed from stiff extractor springs, failures to extract/eject due to weak extractor springs, etc. Some issues like parts breakages could crop up in only 100 rounds. This has happened to me and my wife plenty of times, and we accept that as a possibility for all guns. My most criticized and questioned problem was a Glock 23 Gen4 that did not want to feed the bullet. The face of the bullet would push to the right and I would have to take tension off the round and use my index finger to push it into position. This happened every other round sometimes, but every mag had this issue, right out of the box. No matter the mag I used, and yes I tested about 5 or 6 different ones, it still gave me issues. Then on my first Glock, a Glock 17 Gen3, the top pin retaining the trigger and extractor walked out of the frame. I noticed it and had to keep pushing it back in. Did this every time I shot it and unfortunately i didn’t have the patience to deal with it and I just sold it, which i regret. This happens and shouldn’t turn people off to a certain brand, but make them realize that no gun is infallible. It is a machine and should be treated as such. I am not distrusting of Glocks, but I do treat it like any other pistol and give it a thorough break-in in order to ensure its reliable enough to carry.

Guns that have early breakages are not crap, but just have manufacturer defects. If your car broke down ten miles out of the dealership parking lot, are you gonna stay away from that whole brand? You can, but that isn’t good judgement unless it becomes a pattern. If you have a problem that keeps happening over and over again after sending it back to the manufacturer for warranty repairs, that may be a sign that the gun is a Lemon and should be replaced. But don’t bash the company for the pistol being a Lemon. If the next one also gives you a hard time, then I say it is up to you to decide the next course of action and I will respect your judgement of the companies product.

My advise is to use a safe and well tested break-in period of 2000 rounds. I found this to work best because I have had issues crop up at almost every round count, even past 1200 rounds. Some components may not get molded just right or heat treated poorly. Heat treating properly and with precise timing and temperatures can make a huge difference in a spring fatigue life. Metal recipes may have gotten diluted, which can cause metals to become brittle and crack very easily under pressure. The first thing to give problems in my experience is springs. Just be mindful if you have one gun you run a lot and want it to continue to run, get extra springs and be ready to have to replace them. This is the best advice that I can pass onto you. Just be ready for something to give out and remember that it is better to happen now than when you need it to work.

by David Donchess

David served in the USMC for a few years, deployed twice and got wounded. Retired and moved to Alaska. Has a passion for reviewing and testing guns and gear of all kinds. Enjoys working to dispel myths and show that you can train and practice in a realistic, safe, and practical way.

Share This

Filed Under: Pistol Tagged With: arms guide, Break in, Break-In Period: Is Your Gun Fit For Duty?, Is your gun fit for duty?, new gun, new pistol, new rifle, parts breakage, spring life, spring wear, TAG, thearmsguide, wear, wear life

More From The Loadout Room

Comments

What’s Hot

Top 8 upgrades every Kel-Tec Sub 2000 owner needs: MCARBO parts review
Featured

Top 8 upgrades every Kel-Tec Sub 2000 owner needs: MCARBO parts review

Why .45ACP is an outdated caliber
Ammunition

Why 45 ACP is an outdated caliber

What Do You Really Need in Your Trauma Kit?
Medical Gear

IFAK - What do you really need?

Dogs

Tactipup Extreme Collar and Leash: Tactical dog gear, Perfected

SEAL CQBR
Rifle

The M4A1 and CQBR/Mk 18 5.56x45mm

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive email updates daily and to hear what's going on with us!

In Case You Missed It

Gear Reviews

A Gun to Ride the River With: The Smith & Wesson 686

October 9, 2019 Leave a Comment

Camping Gear

The MSR Pocket Rocket | Your little camp dragon

October 8, 2019 Leave a Comment

The Outdoor Edge ParaClaw: A concealed stinger
EDC

The Outdoor Edge ParaClaw: A concealed stinger

October 7, 2019 Leave a Comment

Gear Reviews

A plate carrier for the big boys: AR500’s Testudo Gen 2 is a good pick for large frames

October 7, 2019 Leave a Comment

Get it on Google Play

© Copyright 2021 Crate Club Group · All Rights Reserved.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Advertisers