Dowter Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 In the last year, I've probably put about 20,000 rounds through my Edge and it's holding up fairly well. The slide is getting a little loose but that's it. So I was wondering what the life expectancy of my gun is. How many rounds can one get through it? What parts wear out when(like the barrel) and can I just keep replacing parts indefinitely? At what point do I have to just get a new gun and how do I recognize that point?(frame cracks in half, etc.) Another question is what can I do to extend the life of my gun? I have a tendency to load up the 20 round mag and unload them in about 3-4 seconds and do this over and over again. I've been told this is pretty bad for the gun. What is considered normal practices for shooting to extend the life of the gun? Thanks for the input in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dowter Posted January 15, 2003 Author Share Posted January 15, 2003 (I forgot to select "email notification" - please ignore this post) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 Check out Will Schuemann's site - there is a link on http://www.uspsa.com. Check out cleaning for SS barrels like yours. In a word, stop cleaning the barrel. Ever. Clean the chamber if you want, but not the barrel. It will last longer. I have broken my original Edge ectrator ( its numbered to the gun on the inside) and the ejector is coming loose after the 15,000 rounds I put through it; no idea how many rounds were fired BF I bought it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dowter Posted January 15, 2003 Author Share Posted January 15, 2003 "SS barrel"? I always thought "SS" referred to "single stack" but that wouldn't make any sense in this context. What do you mean by "SS"? (I know it'll be obvious but I'm having a stupid moment ) ------------------- EDIT - Nevermind, I just though of it - Stainless Steel. Doh! (Edited by Dowter at 4:16 pm on Jan. 15, 2003) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipster Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 SS = Stainless Steel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriss Grube Posted January 16, 2003 Share Posted January 16, 2003 I would change the concept of loading them up and emptying it as fast as you can over and over. Real good way to burn out the barrel and standing in a mountain of brass won't make you a better shooter. Even in a match you shoot 15-40 rounds then wait for the next stage. Normal drills won't hurt it like machine gun type firing will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott G Posted January 16, 2003 Share Posted January 16, 2003 I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 55-60K rounds through my Edge, and aside from the slide being pretty loose, it is fine. I clean the barrel every couple of thousand rounds or so. The only things that have broken are an Aftec extractor, a couple of front sights, and a rear sight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPSC CHIK1 Posted January 16, 2003 Share Posted January 16, 2003 i cannot speak to the durability of the Edge. however i traded for a colt 1911 when it had 100,000 rds on it and i proceeded to put another 120,000 rds through it. at that point 2 pieces of the slide broke off (on the rear where it had been milled for a bomar). the frame did crack somewhere in there but i had it welded up and it awaits a new slide to bring it back to usefullness DVC SharonAnne L2387 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dowter Posted January 16, 2003 Author Share Posted January 16, 2003 Quote: from Chriss Grube on 9:02 pm on Jan. 15, 2003 I would change the concept of loading them up and emptying it as fast as you can over and over. That's actually what an IPSC course is like except I'm not taking a 15 minute break between stages. Y'know I'm not just emptying them into the berm. At 25 feet, sub .20 splits is normal for me. I usually load up the mag 10-20 rounds then unleash. On a indoor range with shooting booths that only go out to 50 feet, there's not that many things I can practice. When I'm not waiting for anyone else to shoot I can shoot as often as I can load up the mags. standing in a mountain of brass won't make you a better shooter. It don't hurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dowter Posted January 16, 2003 Author Share Posted January 16, 2003 Quote: from Scott G on 9:48 am on Jan. 16, 2003 I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 55-60K rounds through my Edge, and aside from the slide being pretty loose, it is fine. I clean the barrel every couple of thousand rounds or so. The only things that have broken are an Aftec extractor, a couple of front sights, and a rear sight. I'm glad to hear that I get some more wear out of my gun. Have you thought of getting it acc-u-railed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Olhasso Posted January 16, 2003 Share Posted January 16, 2003 With a little maintence and replacement of old or worne parts, you should be able to keep you edge running for about forever. Triggers will eventually fail. Barrels will wear out after 100,000 rounds or more. Sights will break. The slide to frame may loosen up but even that is easy to fix. Slides may eventually crack. The grip may loose the stipiling and the thumb safety may crack. All of these problems are easily fixed. Easy answer to your question: "As long as you want it to" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott G Posted January 16, 2003 Share Posted January 16, 2003 I don't know much about ac-u-rails, but I plan on just leaving it alone, unless it gets REALLY loose. As is, it feeds everything and goes bang every time, so I don't want to screw around with something that works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted January 16, 2003 Share Posted January 16, 2003 Wise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipster Posted January 16, 2003 Share Posted January 16, 2003 "Boring." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheOtherErik Posted January 16, 2003 Share Posted January 16, 2003 acc-u-rails break too...I've seen it happen a few times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dowter Posted January 17, 2003 Author Share Posted January 17, 2003 Here is my conversation with STI. ----- I have an STI Edge and I love it. I just wanted to ask a quick question on how to take care of it. I have a tendency to load up a 20 round mag and unload it in about 3-4 seconds, then do that again and again. My question is will this damage the gun if I shoot it so quickly, so much ? I know that an STI is durable but I end up shooting about 300 rounds in an hour and the thing gets magma hot. Do you recomend a cool down period while shooting? Thanks for your advice in advance. ------------ From Chris Schirmer I can unload it faster than 3-4 seconds ;-) It will not hurt the gun at all. Keep shooting, I doubt you will damage anything. These guns are made to compete. -------------------- My response. I can unload it faster than 3-4 seconds ;-) I was just being modest ;-) Thanks for the info. (Edited by Dowter at 7:10 pm on Jan. 16, 2003) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 Dowter, Shooting it fast, in and of itself, shouldn't hurt the gun. But, if you heat it up too much, you might accelerate the wear process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dowter Posted January 17, 2003 Author Share Posted January 17, 2003 ahhhh but shooting it fast(and not taking breaks between reloads) = heating it up I'm not not putting it in the oven for s and giggles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSeevers Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 I shoot my Super like that. Its is harder on the gun but sometimes its summer and I have 1 hour to practice with 300 rounds. You will have to replace the barrel eventually but my last one had 50,000+ and still shot well. I replaced it last year and will say holding it up beside the new barrel is freaky. It looks like a smoothbore. Now I am shooting my one and only Super this year and will definitly pass 100,000 rounds. I have replaced extractors, ejector, grips, safety and small stuff in the past, but I am confident it will work fine. If not I'll fix it. Your Limited gun should last twice as long or longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPSC CHIK1 Posted January 21, 2003 Share Posted January 21, 2003 the first accu rail i saw was sticking 2" out the back of the 1911 DVC SharonAnne L2387 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Kline Posted February 11, 2003 Share Posted February 11, 2003 Dowter, Like Flexmoney said, shooting it fast isn't a problem, but shooting it fast and continually sticking mags in it (like 300 rounds in 15 minutes) will get it extremely hot and accelerate the wear process. Remember, we shoot them fast in IPSC matches, but have 15-30 minute waits in between where the gun gets to cool down. Nothing wrong with shooting fast, but if it gets excessively hot, it will wear it out quicker. I've talked with other shooters that routinely put 100,000 rounds through the same frame/slide and sometimes replace little small parts. Barrels are different, some guys will shot them for 100,000 rounds plus and have a smooth bore and still compete with that, others are real picky and want it replaced after 20,000. With Scott G, I've heard it you hard chrome your gun (if it doesn't already have a hard chrome finish) it might tighten it up a little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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