Round Count / Pistol Log book

Has anyone else seen military shooters on the line filling out what could only be round count/log books for their pistols?

I'd like to take up the practice, but other than date, match, number of rounds, I'm not sure what should go in just such a book. Any ideas on what information was recorded? Presume it is to help the gunsmiths on diagnosing trouble- any truth to that?

Date, rounds fired that day, total rounds fired and any maintenance performed would go in the book.

kc.crawford.7 wrote:Date, rounds fired that day, total rounds fired and any maintenance performed would go in the book.

I also include handload recipes, parts/handload purchases and any hardware modifications.  In the short time I've been shooting my 2 pistols I've already filled over 100 pages (non-competitive shooter).   It's amazing to look back at all those data which are very helpful for current shooting.  Merry Christmas everyone...stay safe and healthy.
Dave

I keep a small notebook in every one of my gun cases. In it I list:

What it is (Make, Model, Serial Number, Caliber, Barrel Length , where I bought it, what I paid for it .

Starting Round Count - Number of proof rounds if I know and if bought new, known round count or estimated starting round count.

What date I shot it, how many rounds, new total round count. What ammo, and comments.

Of course I am a little excessive compulsive, or does that mean Anal!

Bob

Round Count/ Pistol log book
 It is funny how those exact same words can mean something totally different to someone else. Yes, I keep a log book with my pistol round count. Rifle and .22 also.

Amateur!

But seriously, l do for rifle because they are expected to wear out. Buy a sleeve of primers, a jug of powder, and a spare barrel. 

Wearing out a pistol is harder especially with lead. I periodically test against a Ransom Rest. There is so much at my fault that equipment is less if a concern for pistol, at least to me. I may become more attentive when I resume shooting Master scores on a consistent basis.

I used to keep a log book when I first purchased my Pardini. 

dutifully recorded match scores, practice scores, number of rounds fired, date, time, weather, lighting conditions, wind, ammo details including lot number, and any malfunctions and probable cause.  

Sometimes after a match we would hurry to the bar and I would forget so I would sweat until I filled it out later with the details I could remember.  

I even charted my performance on a excel spreadsheet for future reference.  Not sure what it was good for but I did it anyways. 

Started getting repetitious, and then monotonous.   Then I asked what information I am getting out of this.  Ammo lot number details so that I can get good lot numbers?  well, most of the ammo that was good five years ago is no longer available.  

Alibi information?  Well, I could tell that certain ammo's did not perform when it was cold but I really did not need the book to tell me that.  Also told me which ammos had dud rounds but already knew that as well.  

Score?  Ok that is a bit fun.   

Lighting conditions?  I use a dot and only adjust my sights when going to the long line and back.  

Match Location?  did not see any performance difference based on match location, indoors vs outdoors, except when it was very cold but again, the book did not tell me that.  

I abandoned it after a couple years.  Still have the book but hardly crack it open.  It has some interesting information on various european ammo that was available back in 2014 but not available now.  About the only valuable information I gleaned from the book was that I am shooting between 10,000 and 20,000 rounds a year, but now I use my Visa statement to quantify that.  

I do chart match scores, but other then that I do not get much information that is valuable.  

Regards, 
Cranky

IMO technique, shot process, nutrition, sleep and mental state are much more important to record in a pistol journal than rounds fired.

For the same reasons Cranky listed, I quit obsessing about keeping a “data book”  when shooting rifle.  About all I’d do with it is plot slowfire prone.  

In pistol, you might find it less useful.  Your training and practice is more important.  If you want to keep a tally on number of rounds fired, I’d just limit to +/- 50  or 100. There really isn’t much value between 3824 and 3800.

I am a data-junkie.  I record things that many of you don't even think about recording.  So if you ask me about specific, please be ready to read few pages and see several pictures.  Recording round count through each firearm, maintenance records for each firearm, ammo used in each firearm and notes how it performed, load data and testing, location where I shot, and environmental conditions, etc., etc., etc. is SOP.   I make notes on targets during practice and then scan them by date, maintain several spreadsheets with information pertaining to firearms, ammo loads, and testing (downloading data from LabRadar and indexing it to scanned targets).  Surprisingly, since it is SOP, it doesn't take a lot of time!

AP

I do find that many potential buyers these days ask for "Round Count" as an indication of how much any given firearm was used. When and if I sell anything I have that information and data to provide to the buyer. 

I have been keeping flight log books since the early 60s and I guess it just rubbed off.

Bob

I log rounds  shot on my guns based when I come in from shooting on a tally system I learned in forestry school, one dot is 50 rounds, when aligned in a square pattern for the first 4 dots you have 200 rounds, then connect dots with a line to get to 400 rounds and then cross to make an X in the box  to log round counts 450 and 500.

When I clean the guns I transfer the counts between cleaning to a second grid-for that I use round count to know when I should consider replacing the consumable items (mainly recoil springs and sometimes magazine springs) so I don't start to experience malfunctions due to that part. I've added my Pardini bolt O rings to this cycle. 

This is only to assist me with the cleaning and consumable maintenance aspect of shooting a collection of diverse pistols, some are shot several  times a week (the primary BE match pistol group) and some (the BE match backups and plinkers) just several times a year for fun. 

I log practice scores and match scores as a separate subject matter. To me round count is useful for the wear and tear management to my pistols.
It's different strokes for different folks!

rkittine wrote:I do find that many potential buyers these days ask for "Round Count" as an indication of how much any given firearm was used. When and if I sell anything I have that information and data to provide to the buyer. 

I'm sorry, I don't understand what you mean? sell a firearm? what a strange concept.

The If was a big IF.