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Here's a semi-different carry question

News Shooter

News Shooter

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Would you carry a NIB handgun without firing it?

If you had plenty of experience with the gun? You know you can shoot it well and most self-defense situations are close in?

Recognizing there is a one in 10K chance it might not function properly?

Does that offset the potential future resale of an unfired gun?

Be realistic in your answer. Don't take the knee-jerk answer.
 
News Shooter said:
Would you carry a NIB handgun without firing it?

If you had plenty of experience with the gun? You know you can shoot it well and most self-defense situations are close in?

Recognizing there is a one in 10K chance it might not function properly?

Does that offset the potential future resale of an unfired gun?

Be realistic in your answer. Don't take the knee-jerk answer.
Click to expand...

No, I wouldn't..
 
Nope...

I guess I am a little paranoid, I don't even chamber the first round until I get to the range... No chamber, no carry... (I carry chambered, so if I can't do that, I won't carry it).

I've also found that when I switch around guns my accuracy can take a big hit depending on what to/from I switch... It only takes a few shots to re-adjust, but my "first shot" at the range improves drastically if it was the the same gun that I last fired...

As a result, I prefer to carry whatever I last shot (and shot best) if I am choosing between them...
 
There is a better than average chance I would want to shoot the new carry piece so much I would make a special range trip just to shoot it. NIB resale value be damned.

If it is a piece I plan to sell then I would likely not shoot it ever.
 
Last edited:
Yes I would, but it depends on the gun. Not a 1911 or any new type gun.

I don't think it would offset the resale price if its going into a holster.

People seems to think that the internal lock on Smiths will give them a one in 10k chance of locking up, even if it's been shot hundreds of rounds.
 
News Shooter said:
Would you carry a NIB handgun without firing it?

If you had plenty of experience with the gun? You know you can shoot it well and most self-defense situations are close in?

Recognizing there is a one in 10K chance it might not function properly?

Does that offset the potential future resale of an unfired gun?

Be realistic in your answer. Don't take the knee-jerk answer.
Click to expand...

Interesting question. If it were a revolver, I might. I can pretty quickly confirm that a revolver is functioning normally by examining it even without firing it.

If I knew I was only going to need one round, then I might take a chance on carrying an unfired semi-auto. I would be very uncomfortable in not knowing that it would eject and feed reliably for a follow up shot.

I wouldn't worry about the resale value in this instance. If I'm carrying it then it's no longer a safe queen anyway.
 
If it's an NIB shiny thing, than I will carry it to the range with all speed, where I will make it less NIB.

If I bought it as an investment/collectors piece, I wouldn't be carrying it.
 
If you carry, even without ever firing it, the gun will still quickly lose its NIB status through holster wear and proximity to the human body. Since there's no value in not firing it other than preserving NIB status, the point is moot.
 
center442 said:
Interesting question. If it were a revolver, I might. I can pretty quickly confirm that a revolver is functioning normally by examining it even without firing it.
Click to expand...

Funny you should say that about a revolver. My S&W 642 Airweight never failed to fire through over 300 rounds. I popped the sideplate just for fun and found a broken hammer stud. It could have failed at any time. Let's face it, any gun can fail at any time. Would I carry an untested one? Nope!
 
nope.

*only exceptions are guns I know were carried and fired by people I know.

-but even then, I have other guns I'd carry "in between"
 
No I would not carry something that I didn't know would work.

I'm not worrying about resale price on a carry gun, I want to no if it will go bang and how well I can make it go bang and what I can hit when I make it go bang. So yes I want it to go bang.

I've seen were gun makers are even saying to put a few hundrend to a thousand rounds through the gun first before carrying it.
 
News Shooter said:
Would you carry a NIB handgun without firing it?

If you had plenty of experience with the gun? You know you can shoot it well and most self-defense situations are close in?

Recognizing there is a one in 10K chance it might not function properly?

Does that offset the potential future resale of an unfired gun?

Be realistic in your answer. Don't take the knee-jerk answer.
Click to expand...


Any gun you buy over the counter isn't really an investment. Me personally, I'd not carry something special commerative gun as a duty carry anyway. Sure it will maintain some value, but I'd never pay full price for any gun on the secondary market. That's just me though. Some rifles, aka black guns subject to banning, are a different story.

So yes, I generally buy my guns at a retailer that has a firing range as part of the store. I buy the gun, a box of ammo, walk onto the firing range and shoot it. Any problems and I bring it right back to the counter to deal with it.
 
I put 500 rounds through any gun I want to carry before I carry it. If it will go 500 without a malfunction, it's good.
 
Ive only carried 2 pistols in my life and before I did I spent time putting rounds down range. Its the only way I can be sure that I will be able draw it and know that I can hit what Im aiming at. If you plan on carring it...dont expect it to come out squeaky clean...ive dropped mine while pulling up the shorts while on the throne. Not a good scenario. Plus like stated above...holster wear and other objects make it look used quickly.
 
No way. I won't load a semi-auto for the first time anywhere but a range. Before I carry something, I'll put a few hundred rounds through it, including a box or two of my carry ammo.
 
I will always shoot as much carry ammo as I can afford through a carry gun. I want to make sure its reliable on the range so its reliable on the street.
 
yanici said:
Funny you should say that about a revolver. My S&W 642 Airweight never failed to fire through over 300 rounds. I popped the sideplate just for fun and found a broken hammer stud. It could have failed at any time. Let's face it, any gun can fail at any time. Would I carry an untested one? Nope!
Click to expand...

Very true. Could you tell if the hammer stud had recently broken or if it had been that way for a while? Did you reassemble the 642 and try it for function? Just curious as to what the result would be.

I would definitely prefer to carry a gun I was confident in, but if I had to carry an untested one I would still prefer the revolver. I'd still be playing the odds, but I think the odds in this case favor the revolver over the auto. It may just be prejudice on my part, since the first guns I shot were revolvers. [grin]
 
SHTF looting scenario - probably

Going from a fully controlled situation with choice (i.e., looking at my safe) to the generalized random normal day, absolutely not.

But an uncontrolled SHTF scenario - think Kyle Reese in Terminator or the kids looting a parent's store in Red Dawn.
If I needed a weapon and had to choose among an untested new firearm or an untested used firearm, the new status would be compelling on an apples to apples basis. Apples to oranges, maybe not.

If faced with having to arm myself during the process of looting a gun store for SHTF survival, I'd loot in the following order:

EBR, shotgun - pump only, bolt-rifle in a common chambering
new Sig, because that's what I'm familiar with

new HK, new Glock (full or compact frames only)
used good/clean looking Sig (again, due to familiarity)
new Beretta, new Ruger, new S&W semi-auto, etc.
any new S&W or Colt revolver (I'm not familiar with revolvers) in .357m/.38sp
used full or medium frame Glocks
used HK, used Beretta, used S&W auto
used S&W or Colt revolver in .357 or lighter
any 1911 (I'm unfamiliar with the design)
any revolver in .44mag or heavier
single action .22lr semi-autos or .22lr revolvers
Browning HiPowers or other single-action semi-autos (like 1911, unfamiliar)
Kahrs. dunno how to take those apart.
new or used sub-compact frame Glocks

Now you're hitting the bottom of the barrel. .380acp/.32acp/.25acp stuff, then:
questionable looking beater used Sig
Desert Eagle, new or used
any other used semi-auto other than Raven/Jennings/Lorcin
derringers
Louisville Slugger
Raven/Jennings/Lorcin, any condition
 
My answer, if I got to it, would be an unqualified, "No."

My first response, however, would be, "Why?"
 
True story from D-Day. As reported by Lt Lynn "Buck" Compton in his book "Call of Duty" about his part of the war with Easy Company.

He parachuted in with the rest of the airborne forces early that morning. And like many other soldiers lost his equipment during the jump. Shortly afterwards he borrowed a Thompson from somewhere.

Later that morning he took part in the engagement at Brecourt Manor which was pretty well covered in many venues. Compton came across two Germans and tried to take them out. As he described it, "Without hesitation I pulled the trigger. All I heard was a soft plunk. I racked it back, and a live round popped out. My borrowed machine gun was completely useless."

Turns out that the gun be borrowed had a broken firing pin. Compton was lucky though, he has other men around him to help.

Go armed with a gun which has not been test-fired? I don't think so.
 

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