Haven't forgotten about the re-test! Been a busy couple of weeks but I'm planning on finishing the re-test tomorrow morning. The G17 has been returned to "stock" (factory spring cups and a factory "-" connector). Since I also want to get in a good practice session I've decided to only shoot the 50 rounds of Federal HST 124+P through each gun during the tests.
Instead of changing the test protocols I'm just gonna do the same sand shaker test that I did the first time to keep things fair. Whether or not that's applicable in the real world is another topic entirely, but that test is by far the hardest test to pass. Then the guns will do the mucky/muddy water test, and finally each gun will get a bath in clean water and will be shot one last time.
Testing protocol:
Function Check - 5 rounds
Sand Shaker Test - 15 rounds
Mucky Water Test - 15 rounds
Clean Water Test - 15 rounds
All guns will start each portion of the test "hot." The clean Water test is to see how each gun does void of lubrication, as it should be washed off by this point. Plus it'll make things easier for me when I go to detail strip each one! I'm planning on doing one continuous video so no one can claim I skewed the tests or favored one gun over the other. Check back tomorrow for the results and video!
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Teaser:
Attachment 19315
Terminology:
FTRB - Failure to Return to Battery
FTE - Failure to Eject
FTR - Failure to Reset
FTF - Failure to Feed
Will upload the video to YouTube this afternoon. It's ~18 minutes long, one straight video. Audio quality isn't the best but all I had to record it was my iPhone. I'll write up my thoughts when I post the video but the P30 still reigns supreme in my eyes, even with the failures, for my go-to outdoor activities sidearm.
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With respect to AKs I've actually seen the opposite. Too many spots for ingress allow the guns to get stopped up easier than an AR. If you close the dust cover of an AR and dump sand on it the system stays relatively dirt free. Ballistic Radio did a few sand tests with their 20,000 round KAC SR-15. Thing didn't miss a beat. I've seen more than a few AK sand and mud videos where they ceased to function.
But, like anything, I view these "tests" more as guidelines. They aren't gospel. I would encourage any of you that find yourselves in the outdoors to test your personal guns accordingly. I'm around water. Lots and lots of water. And lots of beaches/sandy & muddy river bottoms. Upriver of my town we have predominantly muddy river bottoms. As you go east the bottom transitions to sand and then you end up at the beach. I'm also in swamps a fair bit. YMMV. If you're in a dusty environment, get your guns dusty and see how they function. Could be useful info.
On a day to day basis I do my best to keep my guns free from foreign matter/elements. But sometimes shit happens. I just want to know that what I'm carrying will *likely* work if I'm up shit creek, literally.
As to the USP, I do wonder if the dual recoil spring would lessen some of the FTRB's the P30 saw. Not sure. I sold my USP 9 last year otherwise I would test it too!
Last edited by MSparks909; 08-24-2017 at 02:50 PM.
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