Defensive ammo reliability testing

[gdubya]

Wondering how many rounds of a particular defensive ammo do other folks put through a carry gun before feeling confident that particular ammo will perform reliably if/when it is needed?

[Motoman]

I like to run 200 through it. You can always break it in with cheap ammo, and then switch to your carry ammo for reliability testing.

[BBeckwith]

About two magazines every few months.

ETA... First box shot maybe 25 rounds with out any issue so didn't feel the need to waste money on the rest of that box. I cycle through roughly 100 rounds of carry ammo a year.

[gdubya]

I like to run 200 through it. You can always break it in with cheap ammo, and then switch to your carry ammo for reliability testing.

Yes, I am talking about a gun I have run plenty of FMJ through at the range without issue but it is meant to be a carry gun and sadly has not seen a single defensive round.

[gdubya]

I like to run 200 through it. You can always break it in with cheap ammo, and then switch to your carry ammo for reliability testing.

Yes, I am talking about a gun I have run plenty of FMJ through at the range without issue but it is meant to be a carry gun and sadly has not seen a single defensive round.

[photogpat]

I will typically run at least 3 mags of the carry ammo through my already broken-in carry gun before I'll start carrying it just to make sure everyone likes each other.

When I went from Gold Dot's to HST's in my xD45, I ran about 40 rds through. No hiccups.

[Viking343]

I start with 50, and if there are no malfunctions, I call it good. If I experience any more than 2 or 3 issues, I'll switch to a different brand and start over. Anything over a 5% failure rate is unacceptable to me.

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[Mn01r6]

[snip] Anything over a 5% failure rate is unacceptable to me. [/snip]

Please tell me you are not comfortable with 1 in 20 odds and that you seek for perfect reliability in your defensive firearms. Would you accept it if 1 in 20 times your brakes failed on your car?

[Viking343]

I always look for perfection when it comes to how my pistol functions, but you have to accept the chance that something man made will fail. It is inevitable with manufactured equipment. Fortunately, when it comes to firearms and defensive ammunition, do you reasonably ever expect to have to use it in a real life scenario? I certainly hope I never have to, and I do my part to stay away from situations where I would have to draw and use my weapon on someone. Situational awareness trumps the chance of mechanical failure every time, no matter how small that chance may be.

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[arizona98tj]

On a new handgun, I'll break it in (several hundred rounds) using my normal range practice rounds. If I have problems at that point in time, the handgun is sold. If it makes it past the FMJ, I'll test it with several of my own handloads using various hollow points, etc. Finally, I'll shoot 20 or 25 rounds of the intended carry ammo, which must cycle perfectly, group well, etc. If it doesn't, reset to another potential carry ammo and repeat previous step.