Firearm Service Life

[Gun1]

I constantly keep getting different answers from gun manufacturers as far as a pistol's service life. It's consistent that service life refers to components of a firearm and not the actual frame or slide of the pistol. However, I've been getting conflicting answers as far as the frame or slide of a firearm. This has been at all major brands, so it's not isolated to just a few brands. I've been told that a firearm's slide and frame should never wear out or crack regardless of round count unless you shoot higher than approved pressured ammo, which would be negligence. However, at these same places I've been told that the actual frame of a firearm or slide will crack after a certain number of rounds through a pistol, so low as 50,000 rounds?
So now I don't know if the frame should last indefinitely, or if regardless of how well you take care of it it'll eventually crack out of the sheer number of rounds fired through the gun?
Thanks

[SkyHawk]

It all depends on the gun.

Check out some of Neds's threads to see what can happen to guns that are shot a lot - and how to keep them running

https://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=1360758

https://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=1740035

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=1243589

[plumbum]

If you can afford to wear out a gun, you can afford another gun.

[sbo80]

a gun is still a piece of machinery with high pressures and moving parts. To think it would never wear out is unrealistic. What you're running in to is companies trying to walk fine lines about reliability and legal warranties.

[SkyHawk]

If you can afford to wear out a gun, you can afford another gun.

A good point. But that assumes our government will continue to allow us to obtain them, or even continue to service them by getting parts.

So this discussion of wear is a good campfire topic if you believe that wont always be the case.

[deadcoyote]

Glock warrants their guns for 100k rounds. At armorer school they state realistically that applies to .40 and .357 sig and that .45 and 9 will last well over 250k with regular recoil spring replacement.

[SharedShots]

Glock warrants their guns for 100k rounds. At armorer school they state realistically that applies to .40 and .357 sig and that .45 and 9 will last well over 250k with regular recoil spring replacement.

Not true.


Reps at armorers schools say all kinds of things. For every 100 owners of a Glock pistol how many do you think can tell you how many rounds they've fired out of the pistol?

This is what their warranty says and it doesn't mention 100,000 rounds anywhere.

"Subject to terms, conditions and limitations outlined below, GLOCK, Inc. guarantees its pistols against defects in materials and workmanship that adversely affect their operation for a period of one (1) year from the date of their original purchase by the initial consumer."

The full warranty is found here (because things can change: "https://us.glock.com/en/own/warranty"

The 100,000 round warranty is a myth, at least according to their current warranty statement. What it does mean however, is that their warranty is in effect for one year from original purchase by the initial customer regardless of the number of rounds fired. It could be 1 or it could be unlimited.

If you know of another warranty, please post it, it would help others.

If you want to hear some really good stories about quality and such, go through a H&K Armorer's School. Ask them about their Cannon Grade steel. I'm not saying the stories aren't true, they are interesting to hear though depending on which rep tells it.

.

[rodralig]

My question/s to the OP would be - how much rounds does he/she/they/them expect to shoot per year per gun. Most folks only shoot about a box per month, meaning 50x12 = 600/year. Say, failures are at 20K rounds (BTW, one of my Glocks are already nearing 20K/4-years but still good) - that is about 33-years. At 50K “mean time between failures” - that is 83 years. I believe that the gun will outlive most shooters/owners out there…

So #TLDR - what is the worry?


_

[deadcoyote]

I can say I put over 30k rounds through one Glock and over 65k through another, both Glock 22’s. These were used in uspsa and steel challenge. I’ve seen plenty of glocks break through work, but none catastrophically. Typically it’s the spring in the slide release lever, but I’m sure they do in fact fail, all things mechanical do.

I’ve seen a ton of 3rd Gen smiths blow frames, and only after about 7500 rounds each. I don’t blame SW, they were being used with +p+ ammo they weren’t rated for.

[The Gleam]

An old Cleveland Indian chief once told me, after looking to the sky, then back to his open hands, as if he knew he was providing an unknown fruit of great reverence, to those eager for such whispered wise words only repeated in clandestine circles over smoky desert fires at Chautauqua....

"Do not letum gun fall off bed onto carpet and you'll be fine."

---

[CAL.BAR]

Service life of most any modern pistol? = LONGER THAN YOURS. Don't worry about it. Maybe throw a new barrel in it every 10-15K rounds.

[static2126]

A good point. But that assumes our government will continue to allow us to obtain them, or even continue to service them by getting parts.

So this discussion of wear is a good campfire topic if you believe that wont always be the case.

This is why redundant spares are key. I hope to wear out a g19 in my life. I don't think I can wear out 6 glock 19s in my lifetime

I shoot around 1 to 2k a month of 9mm out of my primary gen 4 G19

[DaveInOroValley]

Many manufacturers have lifetime warranties as well.

[Foothills]

Lets do the math...

If you can afford to wear out a gun, you can afford another gun.

Yeah, if we calculate the ammo cost of 60,000 rounds...

[Barang]

if you like a certain gun, buy a duplicate so you don't have to worry about the lifespan. and if you only go to range twice a week consuming 2k of ammo annually, then both guns will outlast you without a sweat.