Test Fire

[Moe T Vator]

Howdy All,

 

How many rounds does a gunsmith put down range after conducting the work on a gun before returning it? 

 

One for function? 

 

10 for accuracy? 

 

A few different load/primer combinations? 

[Phantom, SASS #54973]

3.87349573 average.

[G W Wade]

Good question.  A guy I shoot with got his new rifle back from gunsmith.   Loading gate would not open to load          GW

[Just Ace]

Not nearly enough.

 

[Injun Ryder, SASS #36201L]

Five! (But one must have missed.)

 

[Widder, SASS #59054]

I normally cycle 100 dummy rounds thru a Marlin 1894  and require that it feed 100 'consecutive'

rounds with NO hiccups, hitches, jams, etc..... before I would return it to the owner.

 

I have, on occasion, set up a rifle that gave 250 'consecutive' cycles with no hiccups, glitches, jams, etc....

before sending back to the owner.

 

I think most GS try to achieve a high rate of reliability but when the owner puts ammo in them

with high primers or uncrimped bullets, all that work on reliability goes down the drain.

And the most common problem I encounter was the owner not FULLY working the lever

while shooting.   In other words, the owner induces his own jam because he doesn't

work the action completely.

 

..........Widder

 

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

What makes you think they fire any rounds?

[Phantom, SASS #54973]

You know the answer involves statistics...right?

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

I'm not a gunsmith and have no place to test fire a gun except at the range.  But on this subject, I do keep a small package of CCI primers, and any time I work on springs, firing pins, or anything else that could affect ignition, I like to pop off a couple of empty shells with the CCI in them.

[twelve mile REB]

3 hours ago, Phantom, SASS #54973 said:

3.87349573 average.

Quite a difference between Utah and Colorado average runs at 3.87349577 for big bore 3.87349957 for small. 

[Phantom, SASS #54973]

1 minute ago, twelve mile REB said:

Quite a difference between Utah and Colorado average runs at 3.87349577 for big bore 3.87349957 for small. 

Must be a Regional thing.

 

[twelve mile REB]

Actually most do a very good job for reliability but rarely work on accuracy unless hired to do so  

[Moe T Vator]

Better way to ask the question. 
 

how many gun smiths DON’T test fire before sending the gun back? 

[Singin' Sue 71615]

1 hour ago, Widder, SASS #59054 said:

I normally cycle 100 dummy rounds thru a Marlin 1894  and require that it feed 100 'consecutive'

rounds with NO hiccups, hitches, jams, etc..... before I would return it to the owner.

 

I have, on occasion, set up a rifle that gave 250 'consecutive' cycles with no hiccups, glitches, jams, etc....

before sending back to the owner.

 

I think most GS try to achieve a high rate of reliability but when the owner puts ammo in them

with high primers or uncrimped bullets, all that work on reliability goes down the drain.

And the most common problem I encounter was the owner not FULLY working the lever

while shooting.   In other words, the owner induces his own jam because he doesn't

work the action completely.

 

..........Widder

 

We just did this very thing with a worked gun!!!

Not used to the action and didn't fully work it.

So yup...100% failure on our part!!

[Singin' Sue 71615]

12 minutes ago, Moe T Vator said:

Better way to ask the question. 
 

how many gun smiths DON’T test fire before sending the gun back? 

Hmmm...

If at a match, usually you will get it from the smith and test yourself.

If sending...one should also make sure your ammo of choice is used to test fire! In my opinion!

[Widder, SASS #59054]

As for IGNITION reliability, when I set up a Henry .22, I make sure the firing pin protrusion 

out of the bolt face is between .025 and .035

 

If less, I put in a new firing pin.   I've never had one that exceeded .035

I also make sure (guarantee) that the firing pin moves freely in the bolt with no

friction to bind or hinder its movements.

 

..........Widder

 

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

13 hours ago, Phantom, SASS #54973 said:

3.87349573 average.

 

I thought it was 3.1415926535

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

Quote

 

You know the answer involves statistics...right?

 

And that statistics have a lot of MEANNESS in the results, on average.

 

I've only witnessed gunsmiths shooting work  guns which they have rescued at major matches, like EOT and WR and BT.   Shooter is usually anxiously waiting for the gun so they can get back into the match.   So, if the GS runs a magazine full (10 rounds), most declare it Good To Go at that point.

 

good luck, GJ

[Captain Bill Burt]

When Harland Wolf set up my Uberti I think he asked for 20 rounds, but who knows, it might have been 15.75.

[Krazy Kajun]

1 hour ago, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

 

I thought it was 3.1415926535

Nah, pies are different in WY and CO, it's an elevation thing!

 

Kajun

[The Rainmaker, SASS #11631]

Hey, I didn't know we were havin' pie...

What pie? 

[Captain Bill Burt]

2 minutes ago, Krazy Kajun said:

Nah, pies are different in WY and CO, it's an elevation thing!

 

Kajun

I think that's your imagination, it's clearly something to do with the square root of negative one. 

[Krazy Kajun]

23 minutes ago, Captain Bill Burt said:

I think that's your imagination, it's clearly something to do with the square root of negative one. 

i Captain!

 

Kajun

[Frontier Lone Rider]

I have watched Cody on several occasions where he steps out to the range and fires a minimum of ten through the rifle.  If there are no hiccups, the rifle is good for me to take home.

 

I have three rifles that Cody has fired more rounds than I have, those being back-ups.

[Moe T Vator]

Why does it matter?

 

the point here is if you’re going to spend money to get a gun tuned then it should be put in your hand verified ready to go. 

[Eyesa Horg]

2 hours ago, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

 

I thought it was 3.1415926535

That's for dessert!

[Crazy Gun Barney, SASS #2428]

Did you have issues with a gun from smith?

 

When I sent my OMV's out, they came back with targets, noting the load and distance, signed and dated by the smith.

[Shooting Bull]

49 minutes ago, Moe T Vator said:

Why does it matter?

 

the point here is if you’re going to spend money to get a gun tuned then it should be put in your hand verified ready to go. 

 

Shouldn't even need to be said.  Sad state of affairs when people need to be reminded of it.  

[KingSnake]

I have known a number of good Cowboy /Wild Bunch gunsmiths. Some have had me shoot the gun while they watched it function. The amount of test ammo they run thru depends on what they’re doing to the firearm. Parts replacement versus full action job. 

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

4 hours ago, Krazy Kajun said:

Nah, pies are different in WY and CO, it's an elevation thing!

 

Kajun

Oh!  Then it must be 3.142857...

[wyliefoxEsquire]

OK someone just earned a Pie in the face.

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

3 hours ago, wyliefoxEsquire said:

OK someone just earned a Pie in the face.

 

Chocolate cream?

 

[wyliefoxEsquire]

Come back to Fernley and YES!!!

[Nate Kiowa Jones #6765]

I usually run 30 to 50 action dummys through the gun for function and safety checks. Then I'll run 5 to 10 live rounds of my test ammo into my bullet trap here in the shop. My test ammo is made using Remington primers. Though not as hard as CCI's they are generally harder than Wins or feds.

 

The only time I shoot down range is if the owner request I sight the gun in for him. But, the only way to do that with any consistancy is with his ammo. 

[Rye Miles #13621]

I think it totally depends on the gunsmith, firearm and what was wrong.