Compact handgun durability in training class or competition

[2damnold4this]

I'm interested in feedback from folks who have taught or attended training classes that featured handguns intended for concealed carry or have competed with a small handgun. How do the little guns hold up as compared to service size handguns? The limited experience I have had with handgun training class was with a G26 which held up fine. How do other small pistols and revolvers do in the training classes and competitions?

 

[Aguila Blanca]

Are you asking about "durability," or "reliability"?

 

[2damnold4this]

A bit of both but more durability. I'm interested in stoppages but I'm more interested in whether the handgun had a part break.

 

[BigJimP]

There is no way to really tell.....

some guys / ladies ...may show up at a class with a gun that has 25,000 rds thru it ....and it runs fine / some folks show up at a class...only having put 50 rds thru a new gun....and the new gun breaks...

some guns are kept clean ....some are hardly ever cleaned....
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I'm not a fan of any of the poly frame guns ...but if they're taken care of, like anything else, they seem to run fine.

I've been in classes where 1911's had all kinds of issues / and in 4 day classes where they ran without a single problem...( probably depends on whether they were taken care of or not )....

 

[Sgt127]

For whats it worth, these are my obeservations. Small, easy to conceal "niche" pistols, like Kahrs and Rorebaughs won't hold up to as many rounds as shortened duty guns like a Glock 26, Glock 27 Sig P229. That said, most of the niche guns are dramatically smaller than the cut down duty guns.

A Karh PM9 is much smaller and lighter than a Sig P239. Theres no doubt, in my mind, that a P239 will outlive a Kahr PM9. But, the Sig is nowhere near as small or light. Perhaps the Kahr PM9 would be a micro gun rather than a compact gun though.

If you consider the Glock 19 a compact gun, I think you will go broke and die of old age before you wear it out. Same for the Sig P228-228 etc.

Much like an airweight Smith 642 will never outlive a Smith 64.. But, the 642 is alot easier to carry around all day, every day.

 

[sgms]

Pistols are machines and machines break, a well designed handgun be it revolver of autoloader with proper cleaning and care should work reliably for years with out a problem, that said they will eventually need repair as parts will wear out.

 

[Technosavant]

The smaller a gun is for the platform, the greater its tendency to be finicky or require more maintenance.

There was a thread on here a while back about statements by Rob Pincus (one of the moderators here) stating that the micro-sized 1911s (the officer's sized 3-3.5" barreled ones) being unable to make it through a regular class. Thing is, those classes tend to be hundreds, if not a thousand or more, rounds in a short period of time. It's a crucible for reliability. Some guns will do it just fine, some other guns won't. Many guns may be perfectly reliable for 200-300 rounds (well more than one will ever fire in any defensive situation), but will get iffy when you hit the 800+ mark.

What I would anticipate is that in most platforms, the "compact" sized guns (roughly 4" barrel) will work just fine- no worse than the "full size" variants (tend to be 4.5-5" barrel). The subcompact sized guns (sub-4") may be finicky, they may be fine. But those tend not to be much fun to shoot- firing one for a thousand-plus rounds will be pretty uncomfortable; more so than the mid-sized guns.

To borrow the Glock model numbers (I'm not making any statements about Glock itself, they're just a well known brand with multiple sizes), the full size 17 would likely be great, the compact 19 would likely be great, the subcompact 26, if it handles things fine, would likely have you wishing you'd brought something more comfortable/suitable for higher round counts.

 

[Deaf Smith]

I use the Glock 26 in practice, carry, and IDPA competition.

It will stand up GREAT.

I've shot many many thousands of rounds from my 26 practicing (granted my practice 26 is my competition 26 bur it is NOT my carry 26!)

The real great thing about it is you get so much practice with the very same thing you pack on the street. No games. Use came CCW holster, mag pouch, etc.. just use FMJ for practice/IDPA ammo and a good JHP on the street.

Deaf

 

[Technosavant]

I use the Glock 26 in practice, carry, and IDPA competition.

It will stand up GREAT.

My point wasn't so much about the 26 per se... it's more that with most designs, the smaller it gets the more trouble one is likely to see out of it. I wasn't intending to make any point about that model of Glock, it's just that most folks are most familiar with that particular family of guns.


I should have added that the newer designs seem to hold up a little better as they get miniaturized (a recent subcompact is likely to take extended firing strings better than a chopped down variant of something that was never really intended to get that small), but generally the larger the gun, the more "wiggle room" there is for things to be just off a tad and still work. Shrink down the barrel and slide and the timing becomes that much more critical... a magazine that is a touch slow at presenting the next round may work fine in a 4-5" gun, but in a 3" variant it may not get it fed in time.

 

[PeterGreg]

I use the Glock 26 in practice, carry, and IDPA competition.

It will stand up GREAT.

I've shot many many thousands of rounds from my 26 practicing (granted my practice 26 is my competition 26 bur it is NOT my carry 26!)

The real great thing about it is you get so much practice with the very same thing you pack on the street. No games. Use came CCW holster, mag pouch, etc.. just use FMJ for practice/IDPA ammo and a good JHP on the street.

Deaf

you make it sound so simple just think how much bandwith and money your attitude would save us.

 

[chris in va]

I'd be more concerned about mag capacity and 'shootability' than whether it'll break.

 

[2damnold4this]

I like the idea of training and competing with the firearm that I will carry. Some folks can manage carrying full size handgun concealed but that's not for me. When I get back on my feet, I think I'll try using a 642 in a class.

 

[moxie]

I've seen the compacts in training classes hold up just as well as the full size versions. I'm talking about G-26, M&Pc, G-19 if that's a compact!, Commanders and Officers, the small Springfields, etc. No difference.

What I've observed doesn't hold up as well is the little .380s. Very often they die early in the game and get traded out for G-19 loaners so the shooter can complete the class.

A 642 is about as reliable and durable in the practical sense as you want. Will it run 10k rounds without breaking? Don't know, but it's pretty much moot.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Give you a hint guys,

I was in an advanced handgun class and I used my 26 (it has a NY-1 trigger) and at the end of the class I was sited by the instructors as being outstanding with my 26 (most others used mid to full sized autos.) The class was a combo of Rangemasters (Tom Givens) and SouthNarc's so it was not an easy class.

All my drawing was from IWB and t-shirt to boot.

Just get two of what you carry. One for practice/competition the other for carry and get ot the range!

Oh, one more thing, I have a all aluminum Glock 26 and S&W 36 (used to make holsters) and I use that for drawing practice in the home (so no AD/ND's can happen.) Sure they cost some $$ but an AD will cost you more!

And don't forget my 'laser Glock' ex-airsoft! I use that to.

Deaf