[sheepdog]

Ever had that never-let-you-down old dog pal of a gun that just fit good-feels good-and you get to take for granted? Had it happen to me this morning-kind of a slow morning-so I polished off a little hard-work rust on my bobbed hammer of my M65 3" ...and just had to dump the shells and feel the trigger some. Oops-wouldn't open. I knew immediately WHY-with a Smith-the ejector rod's backed out and won't compress the locking pin enough--simple to tighten it back up-open up and unload. My point in posting is to remind us all to REGULARLY check every mechanical function of what we carry-even lint can ruin your day. If I had needed my gun-I'd have had a six-shooter and the 30 extra rounds I carry in various speed strips and speedloaders would not have been any help . I have time to sit and watch TV-sharpen knives, etc......no excuse but too comfortable with the old friend to check him out like I should-this time I got away with it-it's been 4 weeks since I shot it-all I can do is thank God and be more careful...and maybe not wait till jacket weather to carry my M649 backup EVERY day.

 

[gunman42782]

Good post. Every month on the first of the month I will swap out magazines in my P89. I know people say that they stay compressed for years without any problems, but I just feel better rotating my magazines. I one time had a GP100 that a small fleck of powder got under the extractor star and I missed it when I had cleaned the gun. When I took it to the range I could not get the dern cylinder to close with the ammo in! Finally did figure it out, but could have been bad news if I had needed the dern gun!

 

[Baldy]

Our home defense guns get fired every 2 to 3 weeks at maximum. I got 6 mags that fit both guns and I swap them around weekly. After going to the range I field strip lube, and check out each gun. At present I don't use any of my revolvers for home defence.

 

[Keith Smith]

For issues like this, is why I always prefer a wheel gun for carry. Even with lint and other debris that can get into the gun, you usually can get the rounds that are in the chambers to fire without mishap. However you can experiance issues with reloading, as sheepdog pointed out. The problem is with autos. A good chunk of lint can jam your gun on the second round loading, and cause your pistol to be a single-shot. So at least with a wheel gun I count on at least getting 5-6 rounds down range before I *might* experiance an issue.

For home defense, I have a HK .12ga pump shotgun in the closet. Perhaps the pump .12 ga is the most reliable firearm ever made. Too bad I can't tuck it in my pancake holster

 

[bunzo351]

I hear ya!

When I was still working, I used to carry my P90 in a Smart Carry. That’s an apron kinda thing made from denim with a pocket in the front for your piece and another pocket for an extra magazine. You put it on and then put your pants on over it.

I carried it like that winter and summer, so in the summer, seeings as how I worked pretty hard, I sweated a lot. The sweat soaked the Smart Carry and went through to the P90, and some rust started to ensue before I took a close look at it. Plus it was full of lint and other debris from food and just plain dirt.

I was horrified! I’ve never had rust on a weapon before, and that includes over two years of sea duty! I never let it go more than one day’s work without cleaning again. (One of my days at work sometimes lasted 35 or 36 hours)

I either clean it or inspect it at least every 24 hours after I retired.

 

[btrumanj]

I think one of the biggest problems with far too many people is that over time they have a tendency to become a bit careless. Many don't even realize it. Some of the worst offenders I've seen are older 1911 fans and a lot of people that cannot keep their finger off the trigger of a Glock. They're quick to criticize younger shooters but often don't see themselves as being a bit blase about gun handling. Also a lot of younger shooters become cocky. Either of these can cause things to happen, in most cases with no harm done other than getting woke up by a negligent discharge. Removing the mag but leaving a shell in the chamber of an auto or unloading a revolver and having one stick in the cylinder as happened once even to the late, great Jeff Cooper are just a couple of things that can happen. Always keep that gun pointed in a safe direction.
Baker

 

[GrovenRuger]

I don't buy the wheel guns are more reliable arguement. If you get enough lint in an autoloader to make it jam, you can be sure the same amount of lint will lock up a wheel gun. This train of thought has been kept alive as an old wives tale by LEOs in the early '50s and '60s that didn't want to switch to autoloaders and other "experts", nothing more. If autos were so unreliable why are they so prevailent in the law enforcement/military arena? Sorry, I just don't buy it!? I own both and neither type will ever give ME trouble. I keep my s**t clean! Anyone that doesn't believe this needs to see Bigbores Glock torture test on GlockTalk.com. Sorry, no flames intended, just tired of hearing this nonsense.

 

[sheepdog]

Lots of those articles are written trying to sell revolvers-which have been less popular for self-defense in the past 30 years because of the good autos---remember that the 1911 and the Browning Hi-Power were about it for a long time---and my Combat Commander wouldn't feed anything but ball till I had Jim Clark (bless his hide) work on it-they just hadn't come that far...the worst thing about autos is the magazines-most stoppages are cheap or damaged mags-lint and dirt and rust can jam any gun, but those who carry in deep cover usually have a reason to carry that makes proper maintenance and cleaning a good habit. A casual carrier may not check his equipment till he finds a problem...I'm down to two-a S&W M649 revolver-which gathers lint in the groove the hammer rides in on the hump-I blow it out 3-5X a week as I pick it up, and a P90 auto-which I only put Ruger factory mags into and check the action in every day or two...I do trust my life to each one-I also take responsibility, like GrovenRuger says-to keep them clean...and (as I found out the hard way) functioning properly----the auto mechanics tell us the part on a car that goes wrong most often is the nut behind the wheel....that crosses over to many things---there's one thing I won't tolerate on an auto-magazine disconnect---I'd rather have a single-shot if my mag is lost or damaged than a club---other than that-give me either one and I'm content.

 

[Calvin Wiles]

I usually don't comment about a Revolver virsus Auto thread because it boils down to personal preference. The revolver lovers say the revolvers are less likely to jam, but the military and police would use the most reliable weapons because their lives are at stake. You will find all kinds of pros and cons for each one being the best. I have shot snakes and armadillo's with my auto, and when I took it out of the holster I saw the space behind the hammer full of lint, and it just blows it out when the slide cycles. Revolvers will jam, because I had to take one to a gunsmith to get the cylinder to turn. My humble opinion is that its strictly personal preference, and they both are adequate for what they were designed for.

 

[white dog]

Had my security six fail when a piece of a wire brush was lodged in the frame where the nub that holds the cylinder from turning was jammed and the hammer fell between rounds. My Sig .380 failed to feed when I let it get cruddy one cold and crispy mornung. Faulty maintenance but I learned.

 

[GrovenRuger]

KP97C has nailed it! User preference. Any "quality" firearm is a good choice, and there are lots of them out there. These forums are the best way I know of to get "correct" information out to the masses. The old wives tales shown for what they are and good proper info that people can make good choices with. I have nothing against wheel-guns, hell, I own six, one (Ruger Security Six .357) I carry on occasion to the woods and such. I have and would not hesitate to trust my life to a wheel gun. For human predators, I draw the line at DA wheelies though. SA is ok for the furry type in the woods. And Kieth, no offense to you friend, I apologize if I offended you or anyone else on the boards here. I have a tendency to overstate (read slam) a bit, but I guarantee you I mean nothing by it. And anyone who sees fit to correct me on anything is encouraged to do so, I can hack it. PS: this portion does not require a response. And Merry Christmas to all!