When is your (rifle or pistol) barrel worn out?

 I was shooting on the range with a friend the other day and we were working on B-8 bullseyes at 25 yards. I was shooting my Glock 17 with an optic, and my friend was shooting his Glock 19, also optic equipped. He is an excellent shooter, but his groups at 25 yards were sucking on this day. It was so bad that at one point he rested his gun on a bench and repeated the exercise, with the same abysmal result. His group was stringing along in weird directions. He was using good factory ammunition, too.

I asked him how many rounds he had put through that gun, and he said somewhere between 80,000 and 100,000. To paraphrase that old movie that we love to quote, "in all the excitement he kind of lost track." I told him to trade guns, he shot mine and I shot his. When he shot my Glock 17, his group tightened up by better than half, whereas mine with his Glock 19 doubled. In other words, the problem followed the gun, not the shooter.

When we did some work at 10 yards with the same guns, the result wasn't bad. He was easily able to hold the 10 ring with most of his shots. The real issue didn't evidence itself until we put some distance between us and the targets. 

So, is his barrel worn out? For what he wants to do with that gun, yes. That gun is now shooting 8-9" groups at 25 yards. He wants a gun that will hold the 9 or 10 ring at that distance, so he wants a gun that will shoot around 4" groups or better at that distance. But please understand that this is his situation, and it may not be yours.

I had a rifle that was a good rifle. FN cold hammer forged barrel, chrome lined, excellent parts on it. At some point I was testing out different hand loads and none of them would print better than 3" at 100 yards. It got so frustrating that I bought some match ammo and it also printed 3" at 100 yards. That was my clue that the barrel wouldn't do any better. It was a good barrel, but I know it was tired, having done at least 12,000 rounds, and many of those at a very accelerated firing schedule. I replaced that barrel with a match barrel and it went down to 1" groups at the same ranges with good ammunition.

Not that you need a match barrel for good accuracy. Two other rifles I've built with BCM barrels were both shooting 1-1.5" groups at 100 when those barrels were new.

But back to the original question, when is your barrel worn out? It is worn out when it won't do what you want it to do. My rifle barrel that I swapped out I ended up giving to a friend, because he really didn't want or need a rifle that would shoot better than 3 MOA. For him that barrel was solid and it would probably be good for several thousand more rounds. For him it probably would've been worn out when the bullets would no longer stabilize and they started hitting the target sideways.

If your pistol has 50-60,000 rounds on it, and you're concerned about the ultimate accuracy of it, that may be time to see what it is doing and consider another barrel. If, however, you never shoot that pistol any further than 7, 10, or 15 yards, maybe it won't matter up until the accuracy degrades at those distances.

Rifle barrels are a different animal and will certainly get more wear and tear from high round counts. I've not seen an AR-15 barrel make it more than 15,000 rounds without being pretty ragged, and depending on what you're doing, it could certainly happen before then. For some match barrels, if you want ultimate accuracy, you may end up swapping them out much sooner, especially if you're shooting very hot ammunition. Certain calibers are also well known for burning up barrels. Every situation is different, and yours may fall wildly out of any of the parameters that I've mentioned.

I will just close with this. If your gun isn't doing what you want it to do, accuracy wise, there are several things to try. Firstly, have somebody else shoot it, somebody that you know can shoot well. If their results mirror yours, it is time to try different ammunition. If that doesn't work, a trip to an armorer or gunsmith is likely in order for them to diagnose what is going on, provided that you don't have those skills and tools yourself. If you do, then you'll obviously be able to decide, is it time for new parts, or possibly even a new gun? If you're shooting enough to wear out a barrel, the cost of your ammunition is going to outstrip your parts or gun costs by a huge margin, and if you're shooting that much, you probably want equipment that will perform to your standards.

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As a side note, the only pistol barrel I've tried that I was satisfied with on all fronts is KKM Precision. I know there are a ton of manufacturers of aftermarket barrels out there and I haven't tested them exhaustively, nor do I plan on doing that. I have used KKM in 3 different guns and they've all been accurate and reliable, even when a bit dirty. I have one of their conversion barrels in my old Glock 22 and it has run amazingly well and amazingly accurately. I have absolutely no affiliation with them, aside from being very happy with their product. I have spoken to one of their engineers on the phone at length, and he was super helpful, despite not knowing me from any other individual that would call with questions. I did not identify myself as an industry insider, instructor, or law enforcement. As far as they were concerned, I was just some dude. Not that I was unhappy before, but after that call it certainly cemented my happiness with their product and service.

Pistol Mounted Optics: Recommendations

Here are the pistol mounted optics that I know will work. I am offering them in no particular order, and will tell you what I am currently using at the end.

Trijicon RMR06 Type 2

This is the OG reliable pistol mounted optic. When this revision debuted, it set the standard for durability, reliability, and battery life. If you have watched any of Aaron Cowan’s videos, you’ll know that he isn’t kind to pistol optics, and this was the one that survived his drop testing repeatedly. I have run one on a Glock 19 for years and found it to be a solid optic.

Pros: probably the most durable pistol mounted optic out there, solid battery life, easy adjustments for brightness and elevation/windage. Fits the most ubiquitous footprint for mounting on the market. It is easy to get a slide milled for this optic, to buy a pre-cut slide for this optic, or buy a mounting plate for this optic.

Cons: scales down brightness every day, so when you pick it up in the morning, you’ll need to readjust the brightness to your desired level. Requires an additional sealing plate to mount it to a pistol to retain water tightness. Must dismount the optic to change battery, which necessitates a zero check after installation/re-zero. Also, after all these years, this optic still isn’t cheap.

Aimpoint ACRO P-1

Aimpoint burst on the scene with their optic in a completely new package. This one has an enclosed emitter, so you don’t have to worry about getting any debris in between the emitter and the projection glass. Some initially complained about it being bulky, but it is around the same footprint as the Trijicon, however the back part of this Aimpoint is squared off, which some have likened to a mailbox on your gun. Still, this one passed very rigorous durability tests and has very clear glass, so people who care about blue tint, distortion, or fish-eye type issues really like this optic. Battery life has been reported all over the map. Some have said that they have to swap batteries every few weeks, while others have said that they can get a few months from one.

Pros: mount it, set it, and forget it. External battery means that swapping batteries is easy. Enclosed emitter means that you won’t be getting any mud/snow/Cheetos in between the emitter and the front glass. Speaking of the glass, you’d never know that they put in any sort of filter to show you the dot. It is exceptionally clear. Durability is on par with the Trijicon, as it should be. 

Cons: using the optic as an improvised slide racker, especially off of walls or such, can crack the external glass. It won’t compromise using the optic, but it can certainly piss you off. Battery life is regarded as somewhere between not good and really not good. And it commands Aimpoint money, which means that you’re going to pay for this optic, easily as much as you pay for a mid-priced gun.

Holosun 407c/507c/508t

Holosun is made in China. So were your shoes, your pants, your cell phone, and a lot of your car. If you have beef with this then I can refer you to the Trijicon or Aimpoint I mentioned above. But if you’re still listening, let’s move forward, shall we? These optics are aggressively priced and get updated much more rapidly than their competition. 

This is a set of very durable and reliable optics at an exceptionally palatable price point. The feature set of these optics sets the standard by which I judge all others at this point.

The 407c and 507c differ only in which reticle(s) are available. If you only want a dot and don’t want the circle/dot/circle-dot set of choices, the 407c is your jam. If you want all of those options, the 507c is the one. And if you want the reticle choices with a titanium housing, then 508t it will be. This line of Holosun optics has an open emitter, durable housing, and solar backup. It has an external battery, so you don’t need to dismount the optic to swap batteries. Battery life is solid, averaging around 6 months in my tests, and I run my dot very bright all the time. Oh, and I should mention that it has shake-awake, so it senses no movement and turns off the optic, but as soon as any movement is felt, it immediately comes back. I’ve never been able to catch that dot asleep. You can lock out the brightness adjustment to keep any inadvertent changes from happening while carrying or during weapons manipulation, and I find that feature to be quite useful. One last “feature” is that the 407c and 507c share the exact same footprint as the Trijicon RMR. Any slide milled for the RMR or any plate that accepts the RMR will also accept the 407c and 507c. The 508t may also fall into this category but I haven’t explicitly tested it, so I can’t state for a certainty on that particular optic.

Holosun 509t

Much like the other Holosun optics, the 509t has different reticles, solar backup, external battery, shake-awake, and brightness lockout. The one real difference with this optic is an enclosed emitter. Some say this is useful and some say it isn’t, but having the ability to shrug off mud, dirt, debris, or similar, is probably useful, especially for a duty-oriented optic. 

There are many other optics that are forthcoming as of this writing. Aimpoint announced the P-2 version of their ACRO, and it seems promising, especially from the battery life perspective. Steiner floated some prototype enclosed emitter optics at a recent trade show I visited, and that looks like it will be a solid contender, especially if it comes out at the price point they were mentioning. Swampfox has also teased an enclosed emitter with exceptionally high durability as well. Of course, as of this writing, all of these items are vapor-ware, and so we can only speculate as to their long-term potential. 

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Now, as for me, I have gone almost exclusively with Holosun. I have one of their 509t optics on my Glock 17 MOS and have been running that one for months. I even pulled a Trijicon RMR type 2 off of my Glock 19 and stuck a Holosun 407c on it instead. This behavior set isn’t going to win me points if I’m trying to flex on the poors, but from what I am experiencing, the Holosun is the best combination of durability and features right now, and that at any price. The Trijicon RMR type 2 was definitely the king of pistol mounted optics when it first debuted, but it has quite rapidly become yester-tech by virtue of the continual innovation of the competition. 

What is amazing is that this market space is moving so rapidly. Pistol mounted optics were quite niche when I first started experimenting with them, but they are quickly becoming the norm. Several major police agencies are allowing them, and some are even issuing them to all of their members. I expect that in 3-5 years the only real hurdle to adoption will be budgetary in nature, and not due to any pre-conceived notions about whether these are useful or not.

Please note that my Amazon links are affiliate links. If you purchase any of these items through these links it will get me a small percentage of the cost of the item, but at no cost to you. This helps me offset my expenses for running a business, such as hosting fees and buying items to review. Thank you!

State of the Pistol Mounted Optics

 So welcome to 2021, pistol mounted optics are becoming a normal thing. Most of the advantages of them have been covered before, but briefly, let me discuss them. They allow a shooter to target focus rather than having to shift focus back and forth between multiple planes. They can provide greater accuracy, especially at distance. Most individuals find that they can shoot as fast, if not faster, with a pistol mounted optic. They also allow for much easier shot calling and error diagnosis by the shooter.

Of course, the detractors are still out there, and there are at least two real downsides to pistol mounted optics. One is the cost, not just of the optic itself but any associated mounting bits, machining of slides for those not optics ready, different iron sights to accommodate the higher sighting plane, and holsters. That cost is a Real Thing, and if you’re on a budget, it can be difficult to overcome. The second downside would be some additional maintenance and operational check of the firearm prior to carrying or using it. With a pistol mounted optic it behooves you to check for the presence and proper brightness of the dot each time you are going to carry it or go shooting with it. Most quality pistol mounted optics have very good battery life, but any battery will eventually die, and a regular check and replacement of that battery is important.

The one big detractor that people like to cite sounds something like, “muh irons ain’t never failed.” Maybe they’ll veer off into “two world wars,” or other similar things. And here’s where I diverge with them, because I’ve seen irons fail or become dislodged many times, especially on Glocks. Don’t believe me? Unload your Glock, field strip it, and then drop the slide on a hard surface a few times and see what happens. Quite often the rear sight will shift from the impact, either left or right. And I’ve seen guns that had the rear sight shifted and the shooter didn’t notice. It had significant effect on their accuracy, and as distance increased, it only got worse.

Now I hear you saying, “well, I don’t drop my gun, so I don’t have to worry about it.” I love it. You should also just never get into a gunfight, then you won’t have to carry that gun. Furthermore, don’t ever set your house on fire, that way you can avoid having to mess with those pesky smoke detectors. Don’t ever get hungry, tired, wet, cold, or anything, that way you won’t have to prepare for those eventualities. And yes, I’m being hyperbolic. Nobody intends to drop their gun, but I’ve seen a lot of that Murphy’s Law stuff kick in, and things happen. Many of us carry a gun because Things Happen. So having plans and mitigation for those things is a good idea. And now we get back to pistol mounted optics.

A quality pistol mounted optic can take a good amount of abuse. If it is properly mounted, it won’t dislodge, shift, or lose zero, even if significantly impacted. Further, that optic may shield the rear sight from impact since the pistol mounted optic has a wider and taller footprint than the rear sight. So, the presence of that pistol mounted optic may be a safety net for your rear iron sight.

Right now it is an exceptional time in the evolution of pistol mounted optics. There are several good offerings out there as of this writing (October 2021) and more forthcoming all the time. My specific recommendations will be the topic of part two of this writing, as well as my conjecture about those future offerings.

Comey

My dearest wife and I watched the 4 episode series on Netflix based on the book by the former head of the FBI. It took us several tries to watch it all the way through due to us both falling asleep during it multiple times. I don't say this to indicate that it was boring, but the material was mostly familiar and the dialog driven story tends to be somewhat monotone at times, delivering some sound sleep if you aren't focused.

The show opens with Mr. Comey assuming the lead job at the FBI. He is bright eyed, bushy tailed, and ready to make the USA a better place. Very quickly we establish Mr. Comey's bonafides: he loves the FBI, the USA, and his family. We also rapidly learn through some Hillary Clinton hijinks that the FBI is completely apolitical and above the fray.

And oh, Hillary Clinton. We find out that she has sent north of 31,000 emails through insecure means, some of which may have had some classified information in them. Also, several of them sent while in countries not particularly friendly with the USA, and also having sophisticated means of intercepting such communication. But you need to know that Hillary is not the bad guy here. In fact she is such not the bad guy that the FBI and DOJ both decline to prosecute her, and both do this independently, no matter runway meetings with the head of the DOJ and Hillary's hubs. That was just the appearance of impropriety, you see, and not the actual occurrence of impropriety, those are quite different. And just to let you know for sure that the FBI didn't have anything to do with that event, our man Comey makes an independent press statement about not prosecuting Hillary so that he can keep his organization neutral, non-political, and still following the rule of law.

But as I mentioned earlier, Hillary Clinton is not the bad guy here, there is much worse! Anthony Weiner? Negative good friend, he is just more side-show. Our real villain is the nefarious guy from The Apprentice, dear Old Donald Trump. But surely he can't win? That is the sense, and if he does? End of world type events. Yes, cats and dogs actually living together. That kind of bad. 

And, of course, the show introduces The Russians. Because you obviously know that they are responsible for all of the behind the scenes bad going on. And quite quickly the show brings in The Steele Dossier. The thing that launched multiple investigations into members of the Trump Campaign and eventually into old Donald himself. But more on this in a few. 

Despite everybody's hopes and prayers, Old Donald wins. How could this happen? Probably Russia. The show then introduces you to Old Donald, who is apparently at turns so dumb he can barely form coherent sentences, but also so slickly manipulative that he can get people to continually break the law for him, including unwilling individuals such as our beleaguered Mr. Comey, who just wants the country to be a great place that follows the rule of law.

Here is where the show really turns into a one trick pony because it wants to beat you about the head and neck with: Trump, the idiot, and: Trump, the master manipulator. Actually, I should say two trick pony, because Saint Comey is beset upon by the two headed Trump monster continually throughout the final parts of this show, so you get the juxtaposition of how bad Trump is, along with how amazing and selfless Comey is.

But wait, you say, surely the show discloses that The Steele Dossier was a complete fabrication and the sole basis for the Russia/Trump investigation? No? It conveniently makes no mention of that, not even in passing. Curious. And, I wonder, if a law enforcement official, having knowledge of that fact, went on to generate warrants and an ongoing criminal investigation, would that official be subject to discipline, censure, or termination? Well no matter, there was no mention of any of that in there either. 

Silly talk.

So as you probably surmise, several individuals in the DOJ and FBI lose their jobs as the show winds down. Not due to any impropriety, goodness no. They lose their jobs because they weren't loyal to Old Donald. Furthermore, the show lets you know in closing that The Russians also interfered with the 2020 election. Read into that what you will.

So, overall, if you feel that Trump is awful, that Comey was the good guy, and that the FBI is righteous, this show will confirm your bias. If you feel remotely differently, this show will not even briefly nod to your concerns. Obviously a show based on a book written by Mr. Comey and aired on a network partly owned by the Obamas is going to have bias in these regards. Watch it if you want, but much like The Titanic, you already know how this one ends.