Avoiding the infallible reliability blunder.

I wish I had a nickel for every idiot that beats his chest with proclamations of "I've never cleaned my rifle", or "I've shot 2,000 rounds without cleaning it." Especially when they are describing their primary defense rifle or pistol.

Where do I begin?

OK, for starters. I'm writing this to combat a mindset, not to advocate a particular style of firearm, or method for cleaning or reliability testing them. So don't be offended. I'm a very practical person, and like to look at the big picture. One of the major problems I see is how people fall in love with their weapons and begin to give them attributes they don't deserve. Understand the following as truth:

• All firearms are man made machines, and none are exempt from potential failure.
• There is no such thing as 100% reliability.
• All firearms or their parts have a finite life.

A firearm is not the only component to a weapon system. Key word: System. There are a few components. The firearm, the magazine (if autoloader), the ammunition, and the user (you). If any one of these fails, the mission fails. That mission can be anything, like home defense or personal protection in a SHTF scenario.

One of the most egregious offenses of the three basic truths listed above is committed by owners of rifles patterned after the AK-47. A close second would be the owners of Glock pistols. Unfortunately, a lot of folks buy into a dangerous mythology based on the reputation of a particular firearm. People buy an AK or a Glock and just assume that they procured an instrument of infallible reliability. Now, I'm not basing the AK or the Glock. They are perhaps two of the most reliable firearms in their respective categories ever. However, they, like anything else, are machines made by man and are not immune from failure.

Torture Tests

I'm beginning to loathe torture tests. Sure they are interesting, sure they are cool. But what the hell do they really prove? The reality is, all they really prove is that the particular specimen being tested either survives or fails the torture test. Your copy of that very same firearm 2,000 miles away, built from different stocks of material on a different day, in a different year is not the same firearm. Truth is, not even the very next firearm that came off the assembly line can be considered the same. Now, many of these tests are indicative of particular designs reliability, but that is not a substitute for writing yours off as having infallible reliability. It is just a guide.

These torture tests can be pretty stupid if you ask me. What good is freezing the firearm in a block of ice for a person who lives in Arizona? What good is filling the firearm with sand for a person who won't be crawling around in the desert? These tests might be fine for the military that operates in virtually every environment on Earth, but will you be operating in all of these environments? I doubt it. Certainly having that Antarctica-proofed reliability is better to have and not use, than to not have, and then need. My point is that it is somewhat of a distraction for many people. The best of the best produce a lemon from time to time. Test yours and make sure it wasn't built on a Friday.

"My gun is so reliable, I don't even clean it"

This is perhaps the worst of the worst. I keep hearing dozens upon dozens of AK owners spouting this crap. Sure it is wonderful that the AK is one of the most reliable weapons ever. But why would you leave your rifle dirty? People read this garbage on the internet then begin to try it themselves. Consider this; the Soviets trained their professional soldiers to clean their AK's after every use. They didn't tell them it is so reliable that it never needs cleaning. Ironically, the U.S. government told that to the very first soldiers to receive an M16. Look what happened there!

The only people who do not clean their rifles are illiterate, filthy, toothless and barefoot 3rd world thugs. Does the AK work for them? Sure does, and that is a testament to its amazing reliability. However, that is absolutely no reason to treat the rifle the same way. If the rifle is 99% reliable, why not make it 99.9% by keeping it clean? By the way, powder fouling filth doesn't affect most quality firearms as far as reliability is concerned unless it is a considerable amount. Cleaning after every session works more like a function of inspection. Rifles and pistols do wear out. A pistol that has fired 4,000 rounds without a single malfunction might have a spring snap on round 4,001. Cleaning and inspecting often are proper and responsible things to do. Finally, cleaning works to clean the firearm of foreign objects that are much more harmful to reliability than simple powder fouling. It also deters corrosion.

No firearm's legendary reliability record is a substitute for proper training. If you bought an AK and think that "it never jams" and you avoid taking the proper precautions, you are setting yourself up for defeat. Think of this, what good is an AK-47's reliability when ANY brand of ammunition has the ability to have its case head get ripped off by the extractor resulting in a stuck case? This can happen to any firearm, whether it is an AR-15, AK-47, FAL, G3, M1A...they're all the same. They're all reduced to metal and wooden clubs by the failure of a single piece of brass (or mild steel). This is why it is a good idea to keep a sidearm along with your primary defensive rifle. What happens when a particular round is under charged and results in a short stroke? Will you need those jam clearance drills then?

Bottom line, a weapon system is only as good as its weakest part. You can alleviate this by carrying a backup weapon (like a pistol) and training to clear malfunctions. Keep your rifle spotless clean and oiled to reduce the chances that there will be a filth related problem. Choose the best ammo you can. Buy the best magazines. Inspect the firearm during every cleaning to check for worn out parts or trouble signs. Most of all, TEST all the components together. Ammo, mags, rifle and of course - yourself. Yes, some rifle platforms are better than others, but that factor is secondary to an individuals approach towards establishing a reliable weapon system. Your mindset towards firearm reliability in general is more critical than the reliability record/reputation of one firearm over another.