What I learned from the 2000 round challenge.

[1986s4]

I have successfully completed two challenges with my Colt .38 super. It has performed as well as I could expect, minimal issues, ammo and magazine related. But it did fail the first time. Not even 800 rounds in and the super groovy lube I was using turned into a gummy paste. Also, in my quest for minimal recoil and to prove I could tune a 1911 like the big boys I experimented with springs and recoil guide rods. Gummy lube, weak springs and light loads doomed my first effort. I ditched the light springs, the green lube and continued to experiment with ammo. The Cerocote finish was also in play, the finisher sprayed the feed ramp which eventually chipped and I suspect caused issues with certain bullet types. I had a conservative smith polish the feed ramp and a couple of other areas, I also figured out which ammo and magazines it didn't like. I went back to my tried and true Enos Slide Glide and Mobile1 lube.
I started it on it's 3rd challenge and its just over 1000 rounds in, including a blown case head that had to dug out. But I've gone back to shooting revolvers so it will remain dirty until I take it to the range again..

What did I learn:

-Buy a quality firearm and don't mess with it to much [like dragging it through the Brownells catalog] and I like Brownells.
-Know it well, lube it appropriately. My 1911, like my AR15 run best wet.
-Use known quality lube. Enos Slide Glide for me
-Use quality magazines. Don't go cheap here!
-Use quality ammo. Dirty or underpowered ammo will choke a good gun.

Do those things and it will run and if it breaks you'll know the weak points. My Colt still has the evil MIM parts, sear, disconnector and something else.. No breakage. I've ruined the Cerocote though..

But I think the biggest is something Todd G. figured out long ago; one just doesn't need to clean one's pistol that much..


What are your take aways?

[Nephrology]

My glocks shoot like glocks.

[M2CattleCo]

The MIM parts in that Colt are GTG. It ain’t a Kimber.

I had a bunch of MIM Colt sears taken out of Series 80 pistols and Pistolwrench bought ‘em from me. Said they were good sears.

[Greg]

I have a theory (no doubt others have concluded the same thing) that the less slide to frame interface you have, the easier a pistol continues to run for extended use without added lube or cleaning.
Think about the "tabs" that serve as frame rails on many striker fired offerings. Minimal contact and swept area - dirt, crud, twinkie filling can goop up the slide rail and it won't matter.

I doubt you'll ever see a tightly fitted, full frame rail,stainless pistol make it 2000 rounds.

FWIW my CZ P-07 had no problems doing 2000+ rounds using 5w-30 Mobil 1 so we don't need to overthink the lube thing.

[Doc_Glock]

I learned it does absolutely zero harm to pistols to run 2000 rounds without cleaning or lubing.

I also think success is highly ammo related. I can find an ammo that occasionally disagrees with almost any pistol.

[Duelist]

I feel a little bit differently about a gun that’s completed 2000 rounds in my hands, with few or no disruptions. It’s a gut level of trust. I may not *like* it as much as some other guns in the safe, but I *trust* it like no other.

[olstyn]

I learned it does absolutely zero harm to pistols to run 2000 rounds without cleaning or lubing.

The only harm I've (occasionally) found is that if enough carbon fouling builds up in the lube, the pistol can end up spitting black spots onto your arms while you shoot. That made me clean my P99 recently. It had zero to do with performance or accuracy; I was just tired of the gun spitting on me. This was after about 1200 rounds. Frankly, if I had lubed it less during that time, my arms probably would have been cleaner, because the carbon would have been dry, rather than wet.