Keeping a round count

[BuckRub]

Yea, I drain my vehicle oil at 2000 miles but I keep it in a jug just in case I ever need to put it back in for an emergency. It's still good.

[Smit]

If you plan on selling it someday, it might be a useful # to know for the potential buyer. Other than that, meh.

[Don P]

Honestly couldn't care less about rounds. I know that I'll never shoot any gun I own enough to even be concerned about numbers of rounds fired.

[Dragline45]

I know that I'll never shoot any gun I own enough to even be concerned about numbers of rounds fired.

What about self defense guns? It's a good thing to know a ballpark figure of how many rounds you have through the gun to swap springs out before they start giving you problems.

[Don P]

What about self defense guns? It's a good thing to know a ballpark figure of how many rounds you have through the gun to swap springs out before they start giving you problems.

My take is why go and fix something that isn't broke. Whats to say the "new replacement part" is good, it could be bad.
At what intervals are you folks going to be replacing parts, springs, to insure a working SD piece? 1,000, 2, 3, 4, 5,000 rounds?????
I still say looking for problems that don't exist.

[JohnKSa]

It's common for manufacturers to recommend that certain parts be replaced regularly based on round count. The manufacturer will generally provide recommended round count replacement intervals for various parts such as recoil springs or other normal wear parts if consulted, or in the owners manual.

The reason you fix it before it's broken is so that it doesn't break or malfunction when you need it, and/or so that the worn out part doesn't cause damage to other parts because it's not properly doing its job.

As far as the potential for installing a defective part--that's always a possibility. A gun should be tested thoroughly after any modification or parts replacement. That should go without saying.

[osbornk]

Honestly couldn't care less about rounds. I know that I'll never shoot any gun I own enough to even be concerned about numbers of rounds fired.

I agree. Besides being old, I couldn't afford enough ammunition to wear out any gun I have.

[Willie Lowman]

A few years back I could tell you how many thousand rounds I had shot through most of my guns because I could remember how many cases of ammo I had bought for each.

Any more I don't worry about it.

[deepcreek]

I usually buy ammo by the case or multiple boxes and only have a few guns so when the case is empty I know I shoot that many. If I every get more guns in the same cal I would probably have to start writing a log.

[Don P]

The reason you fix it before it's broken is so that it doesn't break or malfunction when you need it, and/or so that the worn out part doesn't cause damage to other parts because it's not properly doing its job.

As far as the potential for installing a defective part--that's always a possibility. A gun should be tested thoroughly after any modification or parts replacement. That should go without saying.

Parts are parts, as a ex auto mechanic of 20 + years I have installed many a bad part out of the box, with its new replacement bad as well. I have helped a friend with his M/C with carburetor problems install 3, yes 3 defective carburetors one after the other new right out of the box. Odd, yes very odd, BUT my point it does happen.
With all my experience with mechanical things, cars, M/C's, 18 wheeler s, and firearms at any given time something can and will fail when least and unwanted expected.
My point is even new parts installed with the thought of preventing a future problem can fail. Chances are slim but are still there. We never know when something will fail is all I'm saying.
Good intentions can have the same effect as neglect with regards to parts failure.

[spacecoast]

I track all my shooting in a spreadsheet. I think it's a good idea to know about how many rounds a gun has fired. I would think this would be especially relevant for guns prone to parts wearing out, such as rifle barrels.

[481]

Yeah, Excel is a wonderful way to do it.

[JohnKSa]

...as a ex auto mechanic of 20 + years I have installed many a bad part out of the box, with its new replacement bad as well.

Yes, that's why you test the gun thoroughly with the new part.

BUT my point it does happen.

Since you've seen the need to say it three times. I'll answer three times.

Yes, it does happen, that's why you need to test the gun thoroughly after modifying it or replacing a part.

...and firearms at any given time something can and will fail when least and unwanted expected.

As an auto mechanic, I assume that you understand the concept of normal wear parts, and also the idea of how one worn part can contribute to additional wear or even breakage of other parts.

For example, my car (which has an interference engine) requires the replacement of the timing belt at a specified mileage. If the belt breaks from wear, the engine will be damaged. Based on what you have said on this thread, your automotive experience would apparently lead you to advise me not to keep track of my mileage and not to worry about replacing the timing belt because the new one might be defective.

There might be some mechanics out there who believe that's a wise course of action, but I've never run across one before. Every one I've ever talked to has understood the value of preventive maintenance.

[Leejack]

I use to, but don't anymore.

I always have a decent estimate in my head.

[LarryFlew]

Yup, spread sheet of all my guns and pretty exact counts.

[Lamar Jr]

I keep a small notebook in my range bag. At the end of each session I write down guns used and how many boxes (or rounds) of ammo for each. I have never compiled the information to see how many rounds for each gun, but could do so easily if and when the need arises.

[Don P]

For example, my car (which has an interference engine) requires the replacement of the timing belt at a specified mileage. If the belt breaks from wear, the engine will be damaged. Based on what you have said on this thread, your automotive experience would apparently lead you to advise me not to keep track of my mileage and not to worry about replacing the timing belt because the new one might be defective.

There might be some mechanics out there who believe that's a wise course of action, but I've never run across one before. Every one I've ever talked to has understood the value of preventive maintenance.

John, I believe you have twisted my words a bit or misunderstood the point I am trying to make. As a mechanic, yes you do follow maintenance schedules. I would never tell anyone NOT to.
I have gone through 3 owners manuals I have here, Springfield 1911, XD and a S&W revolver.
None of the manuals have any info in them on the intervals that parts are recommended for replacement. I am willing to bet that if I go through the remaining owners manuals I have I will not find any info regarding intervals for the suggestion of replacing parts.
Folks will do what they feel comfortable with with regards to maintenance to whatever mechanical devises they own, vehicles , firearms to home appliances.
I'll pose this question to you. My Springfield Mil-Spec 1911. At what round count should I be changing springs and or parts that may fail? Same question for a revolver say a S&W model 10?

[Aguila Blanca]

Originally Posted by Don P

I'll pose this question to you. My Springfield Mil-Spec 1911. At what round count should I be changing springs and or parts that may fail?

Not, John, but the answer is found on probably every 1911-oriented board in the universe. Here's one example: http://forum.m1911.org/showthread.php?t=13240

A lot of people have written to me, to ask about tips on M-1911 maintenance. So I decided to gather some information, and put some guidelines here. Most of them come from Bill Wilson's "1911 Auto Maintenance Manual", but I've added some of my own.

Maintenance Schedule


Clean and lube (routine)

* Lead bullet use : every 300-500 rounds
* Jacketed bullets: every 500-700 rounds
* Carry pistols : once a month


Clean and lube (thorough)

* Every 5000 rounds and/or every 3 months, the pistol should be fully disassembled, cleaned and lubricated.

Spring replacement

* Recoil spring : every 2000 rounds
* Firing pin spring : every 5000 rounds
* Hammer spring : every 25000 rounds

How do you know when you're reached 2000 or 5000 rounds if you don't keep some sort of log?

[JohnKSa]

None of the manuals have any info in them on the intervals that parts are recommended for replacement. I am willing to bet that if I go through the remaining owners manuals I have I will not find any info regarding intervals for the suggestion of replacing parts.

Perhaps that's true, but even if it is, that isn't evidence that there are no normal wear parts in firearms.

Glock, for example, recommends the replacement of recoil spring assemblies every 5000 rounds in the Gen4 Glock 22 pistols and every 2500 rounds in all other generations of Glock 22 pistols. That information is from the Gen 4 armorer's manual addendum. It is not found in the owner's manual, but that hardly makes it less true.

For what it's worth, the Caracal F owner's manual recommends replacing the recoil spring assembly every 10,000 rounds.

Unless we are to believe that all other pistol makers have somehow managed to create springs that last forever and only Glock and Caracal haven't broken the code, that might suggest that recoil springs are a normal wear part.

[eman]

I don't keep a record but can give a ball park number within a few hundred and thats close enough for me.

[ZIA]

I have a general idea of how many rounds I've put through my firearms because I tend to shoot around the same # each time I head to the range but I don't keep an exact count. Personally I clean my guns & inspect them (kind of fun) after each trip to the range so I don't really see a benefit of keeping a log of how many rounds have been through each gun.

[bonefamily]

I admit to keeping a log count. Right now just in a written notebook, but starting to create an Excel file. Also going to link from that to an inventory of ammunition on hand rather than counting boxes in the safe. Just something for me to do and I like it.

[jib]

Yes. I'm an engineer. I can't help myself.

[gandog56]

I always guesstimate, of course. But I'll bet it was 100's of thousands through my Taurus model 66 I've owned for 35+ years.

[Don P]

Thought I'd pass this along,

Quick Overview
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