Carrying an UNFIRED gun..

[groovatron]

I carried my LCP for one night without having fired it. I loaded the mag but did not put one in the pipe. I mostly wanted to see how the holster worked out. The next day, I put 100 rounds through it with no issues. A week later I put another 100 rounds through it with no issues. At this point, I was comfortable. Oh yeah, I also carried my proven primary 1911 while I tested out the holster in the LCP. I would not feel at all comfortable carrying an unfired pistol as a primary.

 

[phatgemi]

I had a similar scenario on testing auto's. I have keltec pf9 which has functioned perfectly with fmj 115 grain and I've put about 250 rounds thru it with no problems. Friend gave me a box of 147 grain hydra shocks. I tried a clip and I have jamming problems big time. Now if I had carried it with the new ammo untested and needed it, I would have been in a world of hurt. It's a possible lifesaver to test your weapon and ammo ahead of time. Practice with what you will be shooting. I still have to address my hydrashock probs but for now it's back to the fmj.

 

[Disposable Heart]

I carried my LCP for one night without having fired it. I loaded the mag but did not put one in the pipe. I mostly wanted to see how the holster worked out. The next day, I put 100 rounds through it with no issues. A week later I put another 100 rounds through it with no issues. At this point, I was comfortable. Oh yeah, I also carried my proven primary 1911 while I tested out the holster in the LCP. I would not feel at all comfortable carrying an unfired pistol as a primary.

From what I have seen of the LCPs at our range, you are very lucky. Some LCPs are hit or miss, some are finiky until they have some ammo through them to break 'em in. But, you carried a primary, good insurance!

 

[rmabrey]

I personally only put 100 rounds through my Glock 27 before i started carrying. Mainly because it got cold out and .40 were hard to come by at the local Wal-Mart at the time. I haven't tested my carry ammo in it however mainly because of the cost ($15 for 8 rounds). I will be braving the cold soon to do so (not a fan of indoor ranges).

 

[groovatron]

From what I have seen of the LCPs at our range, you are very lucky. Some LCPs are hit or miss, some are finiky until they have some ammo through them to break 'em in. But, you carried a primary, good insurance!

Yep.....I just got it 2 months ago. She's been 100% reliable. I think the most recently produced ones are having less problems. When I carried it unfired, I could have just as easily carried it with no ammo seeing as though I still had my primary. I just wanted to feel the correct loaded weight. I bought it mostly for a backup mouser. At this point, I trust it enough as a primary when the situation calls for it. Nothing will replace my .45 though.

 

[Bastispah]

ya gotta shoot 200-500rounds just to break most guns in. Let alone practice time to get comfortable with it.seems odd to me.

 

[groovatron]

I personally only put 100 rounds through my Glock 27 before i started carrying. Mainly because it got cold out and .40 were hard to come by at the local Wal-Mart at the time. I haven't tested my carry ammo in it however mainly because of the cost ($15 for 8 rounds). I will be braving the cold soon to do so (not a fan of indoor ranges).

It is a very bad idea to carry any pistol with ammo that you have yet to fire through it...

You are better off carrying the FMJ that you know your gun eats. The two most common causes of FTF/FTE are ammunition and magazines. Better to carry FMJ that positively works, then hi-tech defensive rounds that you have a hunch about. Not worth the risk.

 

[Jerry C]

I've always tested my carry gun before carrying it. But I would feel confident carrying a Glock without testing it. Of my 19 Glocks, all have been 100% right out of the box.

 

[groovatron]

I've always tested my carry gun before carrying it. But I would feel confident carrying a Glock without testing it. Of my 19 Glocks, all have been 100% right out of the box.

19 Glocks!!! Wow...that's alot of plastic!

 

[Tinman]

I was once a newbie, and carried an unfired pistol for a while before I got to the range to test it. I’d like to think I know better now. Whenever possible, I do test fire prior to carrying. Anytime I’m home, that’s a given.

However, I’ll lay out a situation that admittedly most will probably never be in. You fly into an area that is shall we say less than friendly, you have folks on the ground already, and they pick you up. Once in the vehicle, you are handed a pistol and loaded mags to defend yourself with should the need arise. In lieu of no defense at all, do you strap on an untested piece until you can test? IMO, yes I do. Obviously, I’d like to be particular and say it needs to be a Glock 17 or 38 revolver, but hey if someone’s handing me a tool in a bad place, I’m taking every advantage I can get. Special circumstance I realize, but never say never.

Tinman....

 

[esrice]

Special circumstance I realize, but never say never.

Interesting, as that scenario had not occurred to me.

For the OP:

I would not feel comfortable carrying an untested gun. I would not recommend this practice to others either.

 

[bigcraig]

Although it is not something that I have done in the past and honestly don't recommend it, I would trust a NIB Glock G19 or G17 after the good old pencil test.

Pencil test:
1) Make sure gun is unloaded.
2) Do #1 again.
3) Rack the slide on the Glock.
4) Insert pencil, eraser first, down the barrel.
5) Point in safe direction and pull trigger. (Best results if barrel is facing up.)

If pencil ejects with a good bit of force, I will at least know the gun will go bang. As far as if the gun shoots to POA, that will just have to be a faith based decision on the shooter of the gun.

 

[hotrodtba]

I've carried an unfired gun... from my house to the range.

Seriously, any gun that I want to use for self defense (carry or home defense; handgun or long gun) gets tested with many different mags and the ammo I plan on using. I value my life too much to carry or use something that I haven't tried out first.

I guess in an emergency of some sort, if it came down to using an unfired gun or no gun at all, then I would take the gun. Also, if it was a Glock 9MM, I would feel better about it.

 

[esrice]

the good old pencil test.

That's not the "pencil test" that lovemywoods told me about when I was in Jr. High. . . .

 

[Bisley Man]

:

I'm in full agreement with you. Any gun, no matter how good the brand name or reputation, can have issues. It simply must be tested before I will stake my life on it. And with semi-autos, it's not just the gun that needs tested, the mags do as well. Sitting at home and cycling a few rounds through a new mag simply isn't sufficient, they must be test fired.

 

[WIZZO499]

I think that's crazy stupid.

They might be thinking.....scratch that, they aren't thinking.

 

[R3ydium]

Here are my two cents.

I just purchased my first handgun, but am still waiting on my permit. Obviously I am not carrying my gun in public, but have carried it around the home. In my particular situation, it is technically illegal for me to transport my pistol or shoot my pistol anywhere until my little pink paper arrives (hopefully soon) . . .

So to answer your question:
Do I carry an unfired weapon, yes, and no.

The particular manufacturer of the pistol I bought test fires every pistol that rolls of the line, and includes the spent cartridge in the retail packaging. But, I am not an advocate for carrying and untested weapon, for many reasons, however, in certain situations, one might be forced to use a weapon he has never shot.

Would I hesitate to use my new pistol right this very second if my family depended on it? No. Will I spit a few hundred rounds through my pistol the MINUTE i get my permit, yes!

 

[mercop]

Even so they say it is not to many a gun is a talisman and nothing more. I have a buddy who runs a very busy gun shop in NC. He said he estimates that about 80% of people who by a handgun in his store never shoot it. With the way things have been the past few years with the panic buying people bought guns like fire extinguishers, and after all you don't test a fire extinguisher, you just expect it to work when you need it.

My guestimate would be that about 90% of the people who own firearms with defense in mind have never had any training besides maybe someone showing them how to shoot the gun. And the truth that what is not known cannot be taught.

Of the 10% left that train about 1% of them are actually training for the reality of using a firearm to protect themselves.

As far as carrying an unfired gun, I was one of the Glock armorers for my agency. I was the only one out of four who after making a repair to the gun would order the officer to go out to our range and fire three mags through the gun. And those I did it too hem and hawed.- George

 

[Yeah]

I won't even carry a mag I've not used.

But I look at a lot of guns on the used market, and while they may not all be carry guns, there are tons out there that you can tell have been fired little or not at all. You can't shoot a revolver much without putting a ring on the cylinder. You can't shoot a pistol much without darkening the breech face. But there are lots of them out there 'used' in mint condition.

I never understood that, but I am less a gun owner than a gun user.

 

[Armed-N-Ready]

How can you buy a gun and not want to shoot it.

A new gun is a real buzz for me, can't wait to get to the range and test it out with a variety of ammo. I usually run a least 10 rounds of PD ammo through a carry gun before I trust it. The last time I carried anything I had to depend on without first testing was a condom in high school. (never had to pull that out either).