Test Your Carry Guns

There are many ways to categorize people who carry guns. One way I frequently categorize them is by number of carry guns. I know quite a few people who either have a half dozen different carry guns in their rotation or change out their carry gun more often than their socks. Some of these people are fairly new to carrying and are still learning what they like and dislike. Others seem to view their carry gun as a fashion accessory.

Then there's the other category into which I fall. I seldom change my carry gun and my rotation is quite small. My first carry gun was a Springfield XD in .45 (first generation before they acquired the "grip zone" bullshit). I switches to a Glock 30SF after a few years because finding holsters, parts, and accessories for the XD was a pain in the ass. Then I switched to a Glock 19 because I accepted that 15+1 rounds of 9 mm is superior to 10+1 rounds of .45 Auto. I've carried the Glock 19 for almost a decade. I also have a Ruger LCP that I use for specific occasions. This year I bought a Glock 43X, which I carried during the summer. It was nice having a thinner gun that I didn't have to specifically dress around to conceal. I also bought a Gen5 Glock 19 MOS and recently a Glock 42 to replace my LCP.

Neither category is objectively better. But many of the people who fall into the former category seem give little or no thought to testing. Part of the reason I'm in the latter category is because buying a new carry gun is expensive and I'm not talking about the cost of the gun itself. A new gun doesn't enter my carry rotation until I've tested it to my satisfaction. Just as neither of the two categories I mentioned are objectively better, there is no objectively correct way to test a carry gun. You need to test it to your satisfaction. But you should test it.

I have two tests for my carry guns: the initial test and the continuous tests. The initial test involves at least 100 rounds with at least 50 of those being the ammunition I intend to carry. During the initial test, I'm looking for reliability and accuracy. This test involves both the gun itself as well as the magazines I intend to carry. If the gun suffers a failure, I won't carry it until I can identify the cause, correct it, and the gun can pass the test. The continuous tests happen after a gun passes my initial test and I start carrying it. These tests don't take specific forms. The most common continuous test is competition. I shoot my Glock 19 in USPSA and PCSL matches. My local gun range runs a pistol club during the summer. Each week the club meets and we shoot what is basically a stripped down USPSA stage that works within the confines of our pistol bay. It's not a match since we don't keep score, but it's a great opportunity to run my Glock 43X (and the Glock 42 next year).

That schedule means I can comfortably shoot 500 to 1,000 rounds through each gun during the summer. Because I'm not made of money, I don't regularly shoot my carry ammunition in matches. But I try to cycle it out about once a year. When I cycle my carry ammunition, I shoot the ammunition that I've been carrying for the last year (including the ammunition in any spare magazine(s) I carry). This serves as a continuous test of my carry ammunition.

Why is testing important? Because a gun isn't always manufactured to spec, not all ammunition functions in all guns, and guns suffer from wear and tear like any other tool. My initial test is meant to ensure the combination of gun, magazines, and self-defense ammunition work together. Finding out that a gun doesn't like my self-defense ammunition or a magazine is faulty on the range isn't a problem, it's an annoyance. Finding that out when somebody is trying to kill me is a problem. My continuous tests are meant to ensure my gun remains in good working order. To give an example of why this is important, I will tell you about an event that happened a couple of weeks ago.

My friends an I were at a gathering and as is often the case we started talking guns. I mentioned wanting to check out a CZ P-10C. One of my friends happened to be carrying one so he unloaded it and let me handle it. His gun had a mounted Holosun optic. I couldn't see the red dot so I asked him how to turn it on. He said it was supposed to always be on and confirmed he couldn't see the dot when he examined it. It turns out some pocket lint was obstructing the emitter. Once he cleared it, I could kind of see the dot even though the optic glass was largely obstructed by more pocket lint. His gun didn't have functional backup iron sights. If he had needed it, he would've been reduced to aiming with hopes and prayers.

My continuous tests are meant to address problems like this. The failure in this case was due to a lack of maintenance, specifically cleaning. Frequent use of the firearm would've brought attention to the need for cleaning. Post shooting cleaning would've corrected the problem. Other problems that can be addressed by continuous tests are recoil spring wear, extractor wear, magazine function (pocket lint can get into and hinder the function of magazines too), and other problems that arise over time with firearms. If you clean your guns after each use, continuous tests also ensure the gun is free of debris and properly lubricated.

Back to the categories I mentioned at the beginning of this article. The fewer carry guns you have in your rotation, the easier it is to ensure they're all tested. Buying a new gun, loading it up, and sticking it in a holster without any testing it is foolish. You have no idea whether the gun will function if you need it. Carrying a gun for a year or more without shooting isn't a great idea either. Carry guns are subjected to sweat, pocket lint, and other environmental factors. It's wise to test your carry gun periodically to ensure it's still functional. This is harder to do if you have a half dozen carry guns you rotate through on a regular basis.

Test your carry guns. If you don't have the time or money to properly test all of the guns that you regularly carry, consider reducing that number.