Newb question on firearm service life

[Teej]

I can't remember where I read it but the article/post mentioned something about a gun being "shot out". I inferred that this means the gun had been used so often that the rifling had been worn down such that it was no longer effective. I regularly see people posting about having put thousands of rounds through their guns (some in the tens of thousands) but no mention of their guns being "shot out". Is it possible for a gun be "shot out"? If so how often would one expect it to happen (material and design quality is obviously a factor) in a general sense or what manufacturers have the problem the least/most? Before seeing the statement I wouldn't have thought it possible with lead and copper both being softer than steel, but I have no idea if heat or a chemical reaction from the powder comes into play allowing the bullet to erode the rifling.

 

[Cross-X]

My Sig P226 stopped shooting lead bullets accurately at about 25K. Solution? Ordered and instaled a new Sig barrel. Shots just great once again.

 

[highlander]

22,handguns and shotguns are very rarely shot out. Centerfire rifles on the other hand can be but it depends on the cartridge the rifle shoot as to how quickly the barrel is shot out. the 264 Win Mag has a reputation for short barrel life as do some of the smaller caliber Weatherby cartridges. We're talking as few as 500 rds IIRC. The culprit is the hot gases generated by the burning powder that "eats" away at the throat and rifling.

 

[Supermoto]

It depends on the firearm and the round being fired. Some rifle rounds are very hard on the rifling. I would say on handguns, most of the wear come from from over aggressive cleaning

 

[Teej]

So it's possible for it to happen. 25K sounds like a lot but I suspect it might not be as much as it sounds, how log did it take you to get there? I have a picture in my head that once I get my license that I'll be putting a box or 2 of ammo through the gun once a week which means I'd hit the 25K in about 5 years or so. Although I can always use that as an excuse to get more guns. "But honey this way I won't be replacing the barrel every few years because I'll be spreading the ammo around."

 

[Teej]

22,handguns and shotguns are very rarely shot out. Centerfire rifles on the other hand can be but it depends on the cartridge the rifle shoot as to how quickly the barrel is shot out. the 264 Win Mag has a reputation for short barrel life as do some of the smaller caliber Weatherby cartridges. We're talking as few as 500 rds IIRC. The culprit is the hot gases generated by the burning powder that "eats" away at the throat and rifling.

As few as 500 rds?! Wow. In a scenario like that is it a barrel replacement like in a handgun or is it something that can be fixed, similar to how an engine would get bored out.

 

[jar]

When you think about the fact that the cost of 25k rounds of factory ammo is at least $5,000 these days the cost of a new barrel is no big deal.

 

[Teej]

It depends on the firearm and the round being fired. Some rifle rounds are very hard on the rifling. I would say on handguns, most of the wear come from from over aggressive cleaning

When you say over aggressive cleaning are you referring to the frequency, the strength of the cleaning solution or the gusto with which it is cleaned?

 

[Supermoto]

I'd hit the 25K in about 5 years

25k is under a years worth of shooting. all my barrels are in great shape, why? because I don't clean them often. maybe 1x a month a run a bore snake down it after I clean the chamber

 

[Teej]

When you think about the fact that the cost of 25k rounds of factory ammo is at least $5,000 these days the cost of a new barrel is no big deal.

Very true. Though I'm a cheap sob (cheap as in I like to save money not cheap as in I am unwilling to pay for quality) I hope to get into reloading to shave costs on that particular front.

 

[Supermoto]

I'd hit the 25K in about 5 years

25k is under a years worth of shooting. all my barrels are in great shape, why? because I don't clean them often. maybe 1x a month a run a bore snake down it after I clean the chamber

 

[Len-2A Training]

S&W and Glock will both replace the barrels for you free if you burn them out. You will have to pay shipping one-way to Glock however, S&W will pick up the tab both ways if you ask them.

Part of their lifetime warranty service.

Read here for a torture test of the M&P 9, with 62,333 rds thru it before they quit (small crack in the slide currently being analyzed by S&W).

 

[vellnueve]

I would imagine that 62K rounds out of a combat handgun is more than satisfactory...

 

[drgrant]

Most people save for hardcore competition guys probably won't ever wear out a handgun barrel, or wear out the gun for that matter.

-Mike

 

[highlander]

As few as 500 rds?! Wow. In a scenario like that is it a barrel replacement like in a handgun or is it something that can be fixed, similar to how an engine would get bored out.

The 264 Win is a rifle cartridge that use a medium caliber bullet with a huge powder charge behind it. This is called overbore I believe. There is a better example,to set a world velocity record one gun writer took a 264 case and necked down to .224 dia. He called it the 22 Eargesplittenloderboomer,got some thing like 6000 fps but the barrel was burned out after 10 rds or so.
Especially in rifles when you have a small/medium dia bullet and large powder charge your barrel life will be relatively short.

 

[BillO]

The Sigma SW380 is the only gun that I remember as having a very short service life. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it was made of zinc.

 

[Len-2A Training]

My apologies!

I forgot to post the link to the M&P 9 Torture Test.

Here it is:

http://pistol-training.com/

The author of this website, Todd Louis Green was the LE Ops Mgr for Beretta. I think he's now affiliated with S&W, but not certain.

 

[JoeT]

I have a picture in my head that once I get my license that I'll be putting a box or 2 of ammo through the gun once a week which means I'd hit the 25K in about 5 years or so.

That's 10 years (actually 500 weeks)

 

[EddieCoyle]

Some of it depends on the gun, and it's not always the barrel that you have to worry about. I shot an S&W Airweight loose by running a steady diet of hot +P loads through it.

Hi-Powers shoot loose really quickly as well.

 

[Len-2A Training]

Jim, with your interpretation of a "hot load" you could loosen the teeth in a bystander from the concussion of the guns you fire!

 

[Teej]

S&W and Glock will both replace the barrels for you free if you burn them out. You will have to pay shipping one-way to Glock however, S&W will pick up the tab both ways if you ask them.

Part of their lifetime warranty service.

Read here for a torture test of the M&P 9, with 62,333 rds thru it before they quit (small crack in the slide currently being analyzed by S&W).

Nice. I wasn't aware there was a lifetime warranty on the barrels. Good to know thanks. Do you know if Glock's warranty is still in effect if the gun is resold? If so it definitely takes the worry out of buying a used Glock given we can't buy brand new ones here (well NIB that doesn't carry the specter of a straw sale that is).

 

[Teej]

Some of it depends on the gun, and it's not always the barrel that you have to worry about. I shot an S&W Airweight loose by running a steady diet of hot +P loads through it.

Hi-Powers shoot loose really quickly as well.

I haven't been here very long but two things I've learned so far. You'll hit just about anything that can be classified as female (which I can appreciate) and that your definition of hot round is something capable of sinking the USS Missouri from a 1000 yards.

When you say loose are you referring to the over all fit of the gun or declining accuracy.

 

[EddieCoyle]

When you say loose are you referring to the over all fit of the gun or declining accuracy.

More the overall fit, but accuracy suffers as well.

 

[Supermoto]

I have heard that the airweight's have problems with top strap stretch if fed lot of +p.

Teej, you can always get an aftermarket barrel for a Glock, more accurate and it will allow you to shoot lead

 

[Len-2A Training]

Nice. I wasn't aware there was a lifetime warranty on the barrels. Good to know thanks. Do you know if Glock's warranty is still in effect if the gun is resold? If so it definitely takes the worry out of buying a used Glock given we can't buy brand new ones here (well NIB that doesn't carry the specter of a straw sale that is).

In both companies' case, they don't care if you are the first owner or the 110th owner. Warranty applies to all factory parts of the guns. I've had two of our 3 Glocks repaired at no cost, both were bought as used guns. One difference is that I opted to have a local Glock Certified Armorer take care of it rather than paying shipping to the factory. The S&Ws that I had repaired were shipped back to the mfr at their expense, 3 of the 4 guns were bought used.

Only cut-off to be aware of is that the S&W will only warranty firearms made after 1986 (IIRC), due to obligations that were part of the purchase of the company over the years (S&W has had numerous owners over the past 40 years). My S&W 39-2 cost me ~$100 to get fixed (broken safety plus return shipping), but I have owned it since the late 1970s.

 

[Teej]

Great. Thanks for all the info everyone.