40SW
Member
After reading magazines like Gun Tests and Guns & Ammo, etc.,etc. I've been wondering recently if the testers actually take the time to break down the weapon and give it a throurough cleaning prior to testing. My guess is that they don't. Now I know that the point is to see how well the weapon functions out of the box, but for me, out of the box does not mean packed in factory oil. For me out of the box means, once fired and not lubricated. After shooting seriously & extensively for several decades, one comes to a solid conclusion, the conclusion is simple, many of the feeding malfunction and similar issues can be resolved by novice shooters with proper lubrication and maintenance. I wouldn't think of taking a 1911 out of the box NIB and not doing a thourough break down, lubrication, etc,etc. (and I am not even talking about polishing the feedramp and other things that more advanced shooters do), I am just talking about basic lubrication. This applies to both semis and revolvers, Yes, revolvers are more reliable, but cleaning the cylinder, the chamber area, the ejector rod, etc,etc, will contribute to better overall reliability and longevity. So my question is this, how can a magazine like Gun Tests gives Brand X a (c-) grade because of feeding and extraction problems and not tell me if its been cleaned prior to shooting. I buy the same brand x, give it a breakdown and lube, take it to the range and not have a single malfunction, nonewithstanding lemons which are possible, when a dozen other students tell me that they have cleaned it and fired it , and zero malfunction, my question is, how can a test be taken seriously if a firearm is taken right out of the box and not broken down/cleaned. I don't get it, my grandfather taught me this at the age of 12. This is as basic as breathing. You buy a new gun, you break it down and clean it, you come back from the range or from the hunt, you clean it. Especially with semi automatics, how can you just take a brand new gun packed in factory grease and not clean it. Maybe the gun mags do clean them and not tell us, if thats the case, it should be mentioned in the article. Any thoughts?