[DetChris]

We've all been thru it. We buy a new carry gun. A LCP, a Shield, a sub-compact. Not range guns but ones that are meant to save our lives one day. Ones we conceal carry daily.

We buy ammo, clean and oil the gun. We hit the range. And out of 200 rounds you get a light primer strike or FTF. Or FTE. Or like in my case today a pretty serious jam - a factory Hornady 9mm round was jammed solid in the chamber of my new Shield. I couldn't clear it. It was lodged bad. A local gunsmith got it out for me. It had also FTE'ed twice before this during a separate range session.

Now the seeds of doubt have been sowed. "What if this happened when my life depended on it?" The trust is now suddenly greatly reduced.

I've sold my XDS 45 because of all the issues above. Now my new Shield is acting up. Both are guns that I really love.

So question to everyone. With a life or death carry piece that has issues: what do you do? Shoot it until the issues go away? Sell it and cut your losses? Send it back for warranty work even though you don't know what's wrong with it? I really want to love my Shield but I'm dejected. It's like my XDS episode all over again.

 

[OldVet]

You and Rollo need to make a trip to the range together and see who can break the most guns. Winner gets to pick a new gun; loser has to fix the broken ones.

Other than one self-induced FTF with my Glock 30, I've never had a handgun malfunction--discounting two dud primers, of course--and that's shooting my guns or anyone else's. Maybe I'm just lucky.

 

[Harryball]

PM inbound...

 

[Mike1956]

We've all been thru it. We buy a new carry gun. A LCP, a Shield, a sub-compact. Not range guns but ones that are meant to save our lives one day. Ones we conceal carry daily.

We buy ammo, clean and oil the gun. We hit the range. And out of 200 rounds you get a light primer strike or FTF. Or FTE. Or like in my case today a pretty serious jam - a factory Hornady 9mm round was jammed solid in the chamber of my new Shield. I couldn't clear it. It was lodged bad. A local gunsmith got it out for me. It had also FTE'ed twice before this during a separate range session.

Now the seeds of doubt have been sowed. "What if this happened when my life depended on it?" The trust is now suddenly greatly reduced.

I've sold my XDS 45 because of all the issues above. Now my new Shield is acting up. Both are guns that I really love.

So question to everyone. With a life or death carry piece that has issues: what do you do? Shoot it until the issues go away? Sell it and cut your losses? Send it back for warranty work even though you don't know what's wrong with it? I really want to love my Shield but I'm dejected. It's like my XDS episode all over again.

I am on my fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh edc guns. The smallest among them is a Glock 19, which I generally carry only as a bug anymore, or sometimes when I am doing long bicycle rides. It has never malfunctioned. Neither has my Glock 17, nor my S&W 1006, nor my full-size M&P. I carry them interchangeably, depending on the day. I don't carry a sub-compact, ever.

 

[Eric357]

Does it do it with all types of ammo or just hornady?

 

[Badey]

I am on my fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh edc guns. The smallest among them is a Glock 19, which I generally carry only as a bug anymore, or sometimes when I am doing long bicycle rides. It has never malfunctioned. Neither has my Glock 17, nor my S&W 1006, nor my full-size M&P. I carry them interchangeably, depending on the day. I don't carry a sub-compact, ever.

I know this is a touch off topic, but I don't think you are a big guy, so how do you manage to conceal of full-sized gun? I have enough trouble concealing my G19, because I don't have enough girth to keep the sights or floorplate of the mag from printing...

To the OP, that is why I quit carrying my S&W Bodyguard 380... too many issues with firing pins breaking on other people's guns for me to trust it.

 

[varob]

I self induce FTF in new guns. After about 200 break in rounds, I start limp wresting to create failures so I can best understand how the gun reacts.

I did have a problem with my S&W 4006. After about 2000 or so rounds, I started having FTF/FTE. After a lot of head scratching and seriously considering shelving the gun, I realized that the springs in the mags had worn out.

That was my EDC gun, and although I had no other problems with it after replacing the mag springs, I never have carried that gun on a regular bases again.

 

[sebring]

Thats why I carry a revolver. 6 for sure. At least I think so.

 

[RETSUPT99]

I am very sorry to hear of your mechanical misfortunes.
I can't really tell you WHAT to do, because if it's mechanical, it can fail.

I have 6 Glocks...they have ALWAYS gone bang...always! I'm just sayin'...

 

[latentcarry]

Just for sake of clarity: what ammo were you shooting; was the Hornady the only ammo.. Recently bought some UMC 380 ammo that I took to the range and was firing it thru a well used and tested weapon that started out clean. Had a similar issue and upon serious scrutiny the chamber was very dirty ....much more than I would have expected after 150 rounds. I cleaned it and didn't have a problem with the other 100 rounds. I attributed it to the ammo.
I wouldn't expect that out of Hornady but you never know with less reputable range type ammo.

 

[Mike1956]

I know this is a touch off topic, but I don't think you are a big guy, so how do you manage to conceal of full-sized gun? I have enough trouble concealing my G19, because I don't have enough girth to keep the sights or floorplate of the mag from printing...

To the OP, that is why I quit carrying my S&W Bodyguard 380... too many issues with firing pins breaking on other people's guns for me to trust it.

It's pretty simple, until I describe it. I carry IWB at 3:00 in a thin, deep-riding holster with a wide profile. The holster has at least a twenty-degree forward cant. The belt loop snaps are about seven inches apart, spreading the load. The front and rear holster wings are curved to fit the contour of my waist, and the leather loops are slightly larger than normal to allow the holster to slightly adjust itself when I change positions. Additionally, the front loop actually loops over the top of the holster to further allow adjustment. All my pants have had the front four belt loops re-positioned to keep the holster at 3:00/9:00, and are two inches larger than my actual waist size. All this with a 1 1/2" five-stitch Wilderness Instructor belt and size larger shirts to for cover, and an a-shirt between the rig and my skin.

 

[Easy8]

Come into the light, be a wheelgunner

 

[Sandpiper]

Been at this for a long time....I never buy guns until they've been proven.. There are a long list of pistols released that have issues. You can read about them on their respective Owners Forums. New doesn't mean "better"..... If the Fans of a brand complain about their new "whatever", that gun goes on my DO NOT BUY List....Despite Brand loyalty, those guns still get purchased in the hopes that theirs will be better...I don't get it. I don't like Glocks. They simply don't fit my hands. However, if a pistol has a solid reputation, I'd be all over it. I've never had a Sig fail me, and the 239's simply work for me as a CCW. Always. Sandpiper

 

[DetChris]

Does it do it with all types of ammo or just hornady?

I hit the range again after work and confirmed that my issues are with the Hornady rounds - my Shield just pukes with them. I has like 5 FTF's or FTE's in just 50 rounds of the stuff. Yuck. I fired PMC Bronze FMJ and Golden Sabers and no issues. My two FTE's were with PMC JHP's. So I guess my Shield is very ammo sensitive.

 

[Hoplyte]

Sorry for your string of ill-fortune with your pistols. Any man-made machine can fail. Glocks, revolvers, the 1911,etc. All can malfunction. I'd rather they'd malfunction on the range where it can be fixed, than have it happen when I really needed it.

 

[Fitch]

We've all been thru it. We buy a new carry gun. A LCP, a Shield, a sub-compact. Not range guns but ones that are meant to save our lives one day. Ones we conceal carry daily.

We buy ammo, clean and oil the gun. We hit the range. And out of 200 rounds you get a light primer strike or FTF. Or FTE. Or like in my case today a pretty serious jam - a factory Hornady 9mm round was jammed solid in the chamber of my new Shield. I couldn't clear it. It was lodged bad. A local gunsmith got it out for me. It had also FTE'ed twice before this during a separate range session.

Now the seeds of doubt have been sowed. "What if this happened when my life depended on it?" The trust is now suddenly greatly reduced.

I've sold my XDS 45 because of all the issues above. Now my new Shield is acting up. Both are guns that I really love.

So question to everyone. With a life or death carry piece that has issues: what do you do? Shoot it until the issues go away? Sell it and cut your losses? Send it back for warranty work even though you don't know what's wrong with it? I really want to love my Shield but I'm dejected. It's like my XDS episode all over again.

Wow. Sorry to hear that. I had a Shield. It was flawless. I have an XDs, and so far (knocking on wood here) it's been flawless. I bought the XDs because I have three friends with them and theirs are all flawless. I think I'm lucky.

I saw two P938 pistols at the range, they were both malfunctioning 2 and 3 times per magazine. I do not have one of those. I've not been brave enough to buy a 1911 with a 3" barrel though.

Fitch

 

[Blue Thunder]

This is the primary reason you test your gun with your carry ammo to insure flawless function. I also add one step to the QC check of the ammo. I chamber check (in a die not the barrel) every round whether Factory or my own Reloads. I have had two rounds of WWB 9MM fail the CC out of 1200 rounds to be used in two different Gun Fighting Classes. One had a mangled case and the other was out of size and neither would chamber, but would have taken my gun down. That would have been a mess to fix on the range. Yes, some guns are sensitive to some but not all ammo. Good Luck with finding the right combo!

 

[Fitch]

This is the primary reason you test your gun with your carry ammo to insure flawless function. I also add one step to the QC check of the ammo. I chamber check (in a die not the barrel) every round whether Factory or my own Reloads. I have had two rounds of WWB 9MM fail the CC out of 1200 rounds to be used in two different Gun Fighting Classes. One had a mangled case and the other was out of size and neither would chamber, but would have taken my gun down. That would have been a mess to fix on the range. Yes, some guns are sensitive to some but not all ammo. Good Luck with finding the right combo!

I check them for fit, but I field strip and remove the barrel from the pistol first. Then I drop the rounds in the chamber to test the fit. It's obvious if they fit or not. They can't go off, the barrel isn't in the gun. It should loosely slide in. It takes maybe 5 seconds a round to check them.

With double action revolvers, I drop them in the cylinder, then eject them back out with out closing the cylinder. With single action revolvers, I remove the cylinder from the pistol (takes 10 seconds) and use that to check the fit.

Fitch

 

[G-man*]

Thats why I dont carry anything smaller than a G26 or 27. These scaled down girl guns are all the rage these days with cute little names like "nano, shield, and micro", but I havent brought into it.

By sticking witha platform originally designed for and not "scaled down" to a certain cartridge, you greatly improve your chances of having a reliable, durable firearm big enough to actually fight with and hit with.

Now there will be those that will take offense to this because they have one, but I stand by what my opinion. If you really need to carry a firearm, then it should be bigger than a rabbits foot, and big enough to fight with.

 

[Nix]

DetChris,

Sounds completely frustrating. My Hi-Power is a range gun because I've had two failure to feed issues (using cheap, underpowered ammunition). Never had it fail with good ammo, shoots smooth as silk, great ergos...but it had a couple FTF's (out of a few thousand rounds). Once my confidence is gone, it's gone. What can ya do? I think all the sub-compacts are prone to cycling issues. I went with a .38 snubbie; revolvers can fail, but they don't.