Over the last few years of carrying a gun for the first time my idea of a reliable semi auto has changed. For range use a jam or two per range session were no big deal. Now that I carry a gun I cannot trust a gun that jams even once every 100 rounds without an obvious reason that can be fixed like just using different ammo.

 

I therefore would like to hear the opinions of forum members as to what they consider reliable in a semi auto gun used for defensive purposes. Hard core defensive gun people tend to be much less tolerant of a gun's faults than the casual shooter so this should be interesting.

 

For me, I do not carry a semi auto that has failed with my carry ammo after 100 rounds. Once it jams I lose confidence in the gun will trade it in. Maybe that is why half of my guns are revolvers. I will also get rid of the gun if it does is too fussy with practice ammo. It does not inspire confidence to practice with your defensive gun while it is jamming on every box of ammo.

 

Let's hear what you consider reliable.

Over the last few years of carrying a gun for the first time my idea of a reliable semi auto has changed. For range use a jam or two per range session were no big deal. Now that I carry a gun I cannot trust a gun that jams even once every 100 rounds without an obvious reason that can be fixed like just using different ammo.

 

I therefore would like to hear the opinions of forum members as to what they consider reliable in a semi auto gun used for defensive purposes. Hard core defensive gun people tend to be much less tolerant of a gun's faults than the casual shooter so this should be interesting.

 

For me, I do not carry a semi auto that has failed with my carry ammo after 100 rounds. Once it jams I lose confidence in the gun will trade it in. Maybe that is why half of my guns are revolvers. I will also get rid of the gun if it does is too fussy with practice ammo. It does not inspire confidence to practice with your defensive gun while it is jamming on every box of ammo.

 

Let's hear what you consider reliable.

Well I did alot of research on this subject, and my feelings are that no matter which gun you buy it MAY have a few little issues. Send it back to the factory or a qualified gunsmith one time and from what I read most all the time that fixes the problem and they run great after that. Don't give up on your gun. I went with the Sig 1911 XO. 799.00. I'll let you know when it gets here.

Some carry guns are ONLY reliable with full powered defensive ammo. The Kimber Solo comes to mind. As long as my gun never/hardly ever chokes on my carry ammo, I would be good.

I wouldn't trust a gun until I get 500 rounds through it and at least 200 rounds of the ammo I intended to carry

For me it has to shoot every kind of factory ammo. I find it unacceptable that a pistol require a specific ammunition. Unless it's of course some special target or custom gun. I also think it should be able to run dirty and a little dry. My mark of reliabiliy would be at least 500 rounds with no malfuntions without cleaning.

 

My Sig 228, Beretta 92G, and after a little sanding of the slide stop my Kimber TLE RL II were able to hit that mark. Surprisingly niether of my Glocks have.

To jump the gun and get rid of something b/c it had a failure seems a little crazy to me. I had 2 failures with my Nano. got pissed. Unloaded it, took that ammo and put it in my PX4 and had 2 more failures. After that shot a different brand through both and had no problems after that. Find a good ammo for that particular gun and then shoot it til you feel okay with it. I wouldn't ditch anything just b/c of a failure.

yeah use decent ammo, when I first started shooting my brother would always buy reloads, always had problems... I always brought new ammo never had any problems my bro noticed and he stopped using cheap ammo. another thing is limp wristing, a friend of mine had a glock that would always jam on him, but never on me, he was not using a proper grip...

I'll tell ya, not my gun of choice to shoot as I would rather shoot my STI or CZ but I'll show my STI and CZ to steel and paper, JT I'll show an intruder to my home who mean me harm my Glock 19.

 

For Ray Ray, yes I have my shottie's at the ready also but the OP is talking pistols.

 

 

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I'll tell ya, not my gun of choice to shoot as I would rather shoot my STI or CZ but I'll show my STI and CZ to steel and paper, JT I'll show an intruder to my home who mean me harm my Glock 19.

 

For Ray Ray, yes I have my shottie's at the ready also but the OP is talking pistols.

 

 

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There are six rounds of 45ACP or 357mag waiting for ill-intentioned visitors (I rotate stock in the safe based on which I have been shooting lately). My favorite is the 4" Model 28-2 Highway Patrolman with the service grips. A clean, oiled revolver with good ammo works every time, although jams in revolvers tend to be much harder to clear than jams in semi-auto pistols.

It must go BANG when I pull the trigger. If I have a problem at the range and I can't figure out why then it is not considered a defensive weapon until fixed.

My H&K P30, pictured left has never jammed. I'm pushing just over 2000 rounds. The only issue that has happened half a dozen times was the slide not locking back on the last round. This happened during a run of 500 rounds of Sellior and Bellot. Roughly 1000 rounds later the problem has not happened again.

 

I have carried this gun IWB and OWB and if I ever were to carry it daily, I would probably get a P2000sk or the HK45c instead just to keep the size down.

that looks nice lunker...

 

There are six rounds of 45ACP or 357mag waiting for ill-intentioned visitors (I rotate stock in the safe based on which I have been shooting lately). My favorite is the 4" Model 28-2 Highway Patrolman with the service grips. A clean, oiled revolver with good ammo works every time, although jams in revolvers tend to be much harder to clear than jams in semi-auto pistols.

no fair, I was thinking semi autos.

 

 

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Anything mechaical has the potential to fail at any time there is no 100% reliable gun 100% of the time. Take any weapon glock, sig, XD, Khar can be taken brand new out of the box and minor faults can be found if you know what you are looking at and for. May not cause trouble now but can down the line after a few hundred rounds or more. I have carried a Khar cw9 when I can, it never had an issue at the range with seveal hunder rounds through but doesnt mean it cant or wont one day.

havent had a single jam on my PX4 storm yet. I also only use federal 180 grain FMJ and keep my gun clean and oiled. I have shot 115 grain Federal guard dogs without issue as well.

Ruger P95. Never a jam on any ammo I've used. From blazer to defense.

My idea of reliability...GLOCK...never had a malfunction due to gun...mags, ammo yes...gun no. With 1000's of rounds through em.

 

HK...issues...with guns with high round counts

Sig..dont like the slide stop location

XD...hate the grip safety..to many safeties...

M&P...growing on me A LOT..still evaluating

Beretta...92FS great battle pr oven platform...dont like DA/SA triggers...

1911...can be finicky. ..

 

And I have owned all or still own all of the listed guns...

Ammo:

 

Practice...American Eagle 180 pretty good stuff. Its consistent however have had some backwards primers and sideways primers.

 

HD...Speer GoldDot 180 HP...great stuff

Absolute zero tolerance for any failure that couldn't be directly and obviously attributed to user error.

I play a little game with my G19 where I load different types of weight/bullet into my mag and see if she'll choke.

Never does

I had two FTF with my Kahr PM9 from only one of the mags, the other two ran perfect...

Sold

My G21sf had issues and was replaced with a brand new pistol from glock..

Brand. New.

Wouldn't even let it in the house

I've fully accepted that I'm OCD, not sorta, full blown

 

HK...issues...with guns with high round counts

 

 

I searched all over the web for this one and didn't come up with anything. Everything I have read up until now led me to think the opposite, that HK's shine in the high round area when other brands start to crap out.

I searched all over the web for this one and didn't come up with anything. Everything I have read up until now led me to think the opposite, that HK's shine in the high round area when other brands start to crap out.

 

Perfered side arm of the Navy Seals.

 

 

I searched all over the web for this one and didn't come up with anything. Everything I have read up until now led me to think the opposite, that HK's shine in the high round area when other brands start to crap out.

 

Trigger springs, flatsprings and hammer springs are the most common.

I think ultimately the combination of what you feed it will provide you the reliability you desire. In a SHTF situation, you're not going to be mixing ammo brands. Ie. loading one mag with one brand and another with a different brand. So the quality ammo that works will be most reliable. I understand the perception that a hg that can eat anything is the most reliable, but you're not going to be in a stand-off that you're going to be using a high round count. At least, I hope not. I concur that hotter SD rounds minimize FTFs, ejections, etc as everything just cycles harder.

 

On that note, my 92 eats everything. Only one time it FTF'ed was because of an out-of-spec round in a box. The shell was oddly flaired wider than normal. I don't blame the equipment for this incident. Mic and chamber check each round if your life depended on it.