Practice time before strapping on your hip?

[sheepdog22]

So long story short I will be getting my CCW verrry soon. I current carry around my FNP9 around the house that has a ton of rounds down range but I am going to pick up my new CW9 tomorrow. I know the Kahrs need a pretty decent break-in period before they are good to go.

My questions is what kind of rigorous torture....testing do you put your new carry piece through? I plan on putting 3-400 rounds through in the first week or so. I also need to order a new kydek sleeve for my MTAC for the Kahr so I wont be able to carry it immediately. Do you have any drills or criteria you make it meet before you make it your primary?

Just looking for some advice on how to get my new piece ready!

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[smolck]

I personally think if you buy a quality gun, use quality ammo, and keep it clean and well maintained you will have no issues.

[retsupt99]

Going to the range and just shooting that sucker is a great way to 'figure out' your firearm.
If you want to progress, I would suggest getting into a multi-day defensive firearms class...there are a lot to choose from in Florida.
This will allow you to give your firearm that 'test' and grow in your defensive firearm skills.

[Spidey2011]

My most recent carry gun has about 100 flawless rounds through it. Some may go overboard with it and put 2,000 rounds through it before they "trust" it, but I've never seen any reason for it. I buy reliable guns, and test them to what I believe is necessary to ensure they function properly. Shoot as many rounds as you feel is necessary to ensure you have a functioning firearm. If that happens to be 50 or 500 then so be it. YOU have to trust that gun, no one else.

[TX-JB]

With my CW9, I picked up the gun and went straight to the range. I shot 100 rounds with a FTF in the first fifty. It had gotten pretty dirty and gummed up. I wiped it down then finished the rest of the 100 rounds. Once cleaned and lubed, it's never had another hiccup. For the 2nd session, I fired 50 FMJ range rounds, then finished with 4 or 5 mags of carry ammo and was good to go. I've never believed it's necessary to shoot 300-400 range rounds, then 200 rounds of duty ammo before trusting a gun.

I've always taught my officers that every firearm will fail and it'll always be at the worst time. I tell them to practice malfunction drills until they can do them in their sleep, then practice some more. Have fun and be safe...

[red13]

Snap Caps are a great way to go. You want the trigger pull down to muscle memory, and that is a lot of pulls. Also, gives you an opportunity to get real comfortable swapping mags and racking the slide (or working the slide release lever as Kahr recommends). Kahrs are tightly made and loosen up a bit after 300 rounds. As you know, Kahr doesn't consider there own guns reliable until then.

I personally am not comfortable with putting a gun in carry duty until I have my system down. That means: 1. Holster, comfortable and consistently positioned. 2. practice a bunch just getting my grip on the piece firm without drawing 3. drawing, till it's somewhat smooth. 4. carry for spare mag/speedloader figured out in terms of how and where. 5. practicing the reload with that. Might take a week of daily sessions practicing those things for me. This is really what I do. I have my PM9 down that way, and my g27, and my 642. My new Colt Commando is still in the getting all the physical pieces together stage.

Sure you could just throw it in your pocket, or tuck it in your waistband. When I didn't know any better, that's exactly what I did.

[sixsccw]

The first couple hundred rounds through my PX4 .40 included cheap and dirty ammo like UMC FMJ's, +P hollow points, and all in-between. The gun was held at different angles, limp-wristed, etc. No failures of any kind. I didn't feel like it had to prove itself beyond that.
Now I'm past 2700 rounds of the same kinds of various ammo, not one failure. I would say that qualifies as trustworthy.

[Cattus Vir]

I did a lot of reading before I ever went looking. Reviews, both pro and amateur, helped narrow my list down. From there came my price range. From that list I went and actually looked and held the guns for fit and comfort. Once I had narrowed the list down to 5-6 I borrowed, rented ect the one's I was interested in to take down to the range and actually fire. As for testing my choice and putting my trust in it I put a few hundred rounds of mixed ammo, different manufacturers and grain weight through it. I have to admit a lot of my "testing" was more for my amusement than anything else since I feel like I purchased,IMHO, a reliable weapon from the start.

[SIGguy229]

If you want to progress, I would suggest getting into a multi-day defensive firearms class...there are a lot to choose from in Florida.
This will allow you to give your firearm that 'test' and grow in your defensive firearm skills.

Yep!! I second this!

[sheepdog22]

Yep!! I second this!

I really want to get to one of these classes. I forget if its this forum or floridaconcealedcarry but a member (swamprat) was running $100 off his Advanced Pistol I class. Im suppose to be out of town on the date but maybe I can wiggle out of it somehow :)

[Spidey2011]

Snap Caps are a great way to go. You want the trigger pull down to muscle memory, and that is a lot of pulls. Also, gives you an opportunity to get real comfortable swapping mags and racking the slide (or working the slide release lever as Kahr recommends). Kahrs are tightly made and loosen up a bit after 300 rounds. As you know, Kahr doesn't consider there own guns reliable until then.

I personally am not comfortable with putting a gun in carry duty until I have my system down. That means: 1. Holster, comfortable and consistently positioned. 2. practice a bunch just getting my grip on the piece firm without drawing 3. drawing, till it's somewhat smooth. 4. carry for spare mag/speedloader figured out in terms of how and where. 5. practicing the reload with that. Might take a week of daily sessions practicing those things for me. This is really what I do. I have my PM9 down that way, and my g27, and my 642. My new Colt Commando is still in the getting all the physical pieces together stage.

Sure you could just throw it in your pocket, or tuck it in your waistband. When I didn't know any better, that's exactly what I did.

+1 on the snap caps. Great way to get used to a new trigger.

[sheepdog22]

I need to pick up some snap caps. They seem like a great training tool.

[wjh2657]

Fire carry piece S&W 642 once a week (30 rounds). Fire .22 S&W 317 (same frame and action as 642) daily (30 rounds).Practice drills daily (drawing and moving, with and without flashlight) with 642 and snap caps or with "blue gun".

[sheepdog22]

A lot of good advice in here . Thanks everyone for their responses!

[brobar]

"blue gun".

If you don't mind me asking... where did you find that bluegun? I've been looking for one that mirrors my 642 but the only ones I could find have the skinny grip on it. I've got the CT laser grips on mine but your bluegun looks so much closer to my CT grips than the skinny grip version I normally see.