Why do Pistols Jam More in Actual Shootings vs On the Range?

[BehindBlueI's]

Maybe of interest, maybe not.

During T&E for the 5th gen/ "M" Glock 17 I was provided with a variety of cartridges of different brands and bullet weights. With the 147gr bullets I could not induce a 'limp wrist' malfunction no matter how hard I tried. I held the pistol with three fingers on my left hand (form a C with your thumb and first two fingers, thumb was the only finger behind the backstrap, two fingers on the front below the trigger guard) and then pushed the trigger with my right trigger finger with no other contact to the pistol with that hand. That's literally as weak a grip as I could figure without dropping the gun. 100% reliable through a full mag.

If I tried it with the other bullet weights I no longer recall, but I had zero stoppages in the 200-ish rounds I was allowed to shoot and the gun already had a couple thousand through it by other evaluators (with no cleaning or re-lubrication between shooters as that was part of the T&E).

[Rex G]

I beg to differ on revolver skills being less perishable. I would say they’re just different.

While revolvers don’t rely on grip for reliable operation, running a double action trigger Pull at any sort of realistic speed and expecting to hit anything is a perishable skill.

And while reloads are a low priority in a personal defense context reloading a revolver under stress in a realistic period of time, especially without a speed loader is also a perishable skill.

It’s more of a “pick your poison” deal.

I said “my revolvering skills are less perishable.” This was only meant to apply to my personal self, and “less” is a relative term, as compared to my automaticing skills.

I did not say “non-perishable.” I said “less perishable.”

Speed-loading is, indeed, perishable. No substitute for practice. Thankfully, that can be done dry, without going to a range.

My largest worry, lately, is that arthritis is moving into both of my index fingers. My days of limitless long-stroke DA may be numbered. (I dry fire a GP100, a few times, almost daily.) Thus far, arthritis has only limited my live-fire, and only in my right hand/wrist, but being limited in pulling the trigger would affect dry fire. (Sigh.) I can hope that the problem with remain relatively minor. The notably “orthopedic” nature of the Glock 17 may become increasingly important.