Pistol Loading Question

[In God We Trust]

I’ve heard mixed opinions on this. When loading a gun, is there anything wrong with just dropping the round in the chamber and releasing the slide instead of loading from the magazine?

Loading and unloading the same round caused set back and I’ve seen the casing get dinged up also. Some have said dropping the round in the chamber first can damage the extractor?

 

[enbloc]

very hard on the extractor...

 

[AHM]

Some have said dropping the round in the chamber first can damage the extractor?

very hard on the extractor...

Unless it's rimfire ammo;
in which case it can be hard on
whoever the gun is pointed at.

 

[enbloc]

The extractor is a crucial part in the operation of a semi-auto firearm. Anything that may shorten its lifespan and its functionality prematurely... is bad Juju.

 

[Deleted member 67409]

Why would you be doing this frequently enough to be concerned?

If you're trying to load +1, chamber a round from the mag and then drop and refill the mag.

 

[mac1911]

Why would you be doing this frequently enough to be concerned?

If you're trying to load +1, chamber a round from the mag and then drop and refill the mag.

 

[Asaltweapon]

Why would you be doing this frequently enough to be concerned?

If you're trying to load +1, chamber a round from the mag and then drop and refill the mag.

This.

 

[In God We Trust]

Why would you be doing this frequently enough to be concerned?

If you're trying to load +1, chamber a round from the mag and then drop and refill the mag.

Retired now, but at work we had to clear our weapons after every shift. I would shuffle the rounds so I didn’t use the same one all the time, but it was a pain in the ass.

 

[AHM]

Retired now, but at work we had to clear our weapons after every shift.

That happens.

I would shuffle the rounds so I didn’t use the same one all the time, but it was a pain in the ass.

You would have been better off filing a union grievance
that they had to let you fire the chambered round For Great Practice,
to avoid reusing them.

 

[moojpg2]

I’ve heard mixed opinions on this. When loading a gun, is there anything wrong with just dropping the round in the chamber and releasing the slide instead of loading from the magazine?

Loading and unloading the same round caused set back and I’ve seen the casing get dinged up also. Some have said dropping the round in the chamber first can damage the extractor?

Incredibly bad for Glock pistols and most other similar designs, over time it breaks the bottom corner off the extractor.

 

[enbloc]

Retired now, but at work we had to clear our weapons after every shift. I would shuffle the rounds so I didn’t use the same one all the time, but it was a pain in the ass.

This is what I was thinking the basis of the question was on, but figured it was for at home and not work-related.

In the civilian world, I stand by "Always Loaded/Always Ready"

 

[enbloc]

How do Departments/Agencies issue and account for an individual's Duty ammunition?

Are they given "X" amount of ammunition, or just enough for a daily load-out?

I think if I was in that situation; Every "cleared" round would go into a coffee can for range time and not recycled back into the chamber or magazine.

It's a perfect way to train with the same ammo you carry and depend on.

That's only 260 rounds a year for a 5-day work week... Well worth the cost.

 

[Mesatchornug]

The guys on Brownell's YouTube page do a pretty good job of explaining this one:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNTchxSNS3E


TL;DR - it depends on the firearm. Many (most?) handguns are not designed to snap the extractor over the rim of the cartridge. It's safer to not risk it, but some (esp. newer pistols, with external extractors with chamfered leading edges) can handle it.

 

[nstassel]

Why is it worse on the extractor to snap over the rim when the round is manually chambered versus when it's stripped off the magazine?

 

[enbloc]

Many firearm extractors are MIM (metal injected molded) and may be adversely effected by constant slide-drop on chambered rounds.

 

[enbloc]

Why is it worse on the extractor to snap over the rim when the round is manually chambered versus when it's stripped off the magazine?

 

[Mesatchornug]

Why is it worse on the extractor to snap over the rim when the round is manually chambered versus when it's stripped off the magazine?

Generally, it's designed not to snap over but to have the rim slide under during feeding (kind of akin to controlled feed)

 

[ReluctantDecoy]

Don't drop the round directly into the chamber to load. Drop it into the mag and load like this.

 

[In God We Trust]

How do Departments/Agencies issue and account for an individual's Duty ammunition?

Are they given "X" amount of ammunition, or just enough for a daily load-out?

I think if I was in that situation; Every "cleared" round would go into a coffee can for range time and not recycled back into the chamber or magazine.

It's a perfect way to train with the same ammo you carry and depend on.

That's only 260 rounds a year for a 5-day work week... Well worth the cost.

We would get issued new ammo every year and fire last years ammo at qualification. We had cases of ammo, but each guy only had his duty load out.

 

[AHM]

(I have wondered which (centerfire) pistols with (pivoting) external extractors,
if any, experience significant wear from that).

Our Ruger 1911CMD has an internal extractor, so it's poor practice there.

I am not interested in roaching an extractor
and having to pay someone to "fit" a replacement.

Why is it worse on the extractor to snap over the rim when the round is manually chambered versus when it's stripped off the magazine?

We are told that Lugers and HK P7 extractors snap over the rim when the round is manually chambered from the magazine.
Which others firearms do that, if any?

ETA:
THR moderator 9mmepiphany said in 2012:

...​

I remember taking a handgun class from a retired Marine who trained security details. He told the class that his experience was that 1911 extractors regularly fail after extended malfunction clearance drills of Type 3 jams (double feed) as it forced the extractor to jump over the rim of the chambers cartridge. He said that that failure stopped when they were issued the M9.​

...​

Yes he said even more. But what I quoted seems like a juicy anecdote.

Generally, it's designed not to snap over but to have the rim slide under during feeding (kind of akin to controlled feed)

(Before I saw your post), I went searching and saw that
we are told that the distinguishing terms are "controlled feed" vs "push feed".
(And we are told that AR-15's are normally push feed).
But you might easily have access to more nuance than some 10-yo post on ArfCom.

 

[Mesatchornug]

(Before I saw your post), I went searching and saw that
we are told that the distinguishing terms are "controlled feed" vs "push feed".
(And we are told that AR-15's are normally push feed).
But you might easily have access to more nuance than some 10-yo post on ArfCom.

Quite the opposite. I don't know enough to be sure which is the correct term for self-loading pistols. It seems to me that most would be most closely related to controlled feed, but I'm not a firearms designer so I'm not certain that it's exactly the same.

(Much like ARs are called Direct Impingement, but are technically an internal piston that looks an awful lot like DI)

 

[enbloc]

You can see in this function animation, that in this case, the round is stripped off and the feed ramp pushes the nose of the round at an upward angle.
This movement cantilevers the rim up into the breech face slot and under the extractor, rather than the extractor riding over the rim...

 

[AHM]

Quite the opposite. I don't know enough to be sure which is the correct term for self-loading pistols. It seems to me that most would be most closely related to controlled feed, but I'm not a firearms designer so I'm not certain that it's exactly the same.

Oh, I'm sure that "controlled feed" refers to the
"follower gently guides the rim under the extractor" narrative
that appears so often in retorty responses to questions like @nstassel's,
while the "violent snap" design is how I (at least) imagined
magazine/clip actions actually worked until I read differently.

I can't remember the specific moment when I first learned that
many actions "gently guide" rounds' rims,
but I know I needed to be disabused of my crass assumption.

(Much like ARs are called Direct Impingement, but are technically an internal piston that looks an awful lot like DI)

I'm sure there's a 12 Step group for people
with troubling private thoughts such as that...

 

[Broc]

Wow, I learned something new today ... and from Enbloc. Amazing.

 

[DarthRevan]

In my TRP I’ve noticed that multiple loadings and unloading of the same +1 round from the magazine has resulted in the bullet becoming deeper set in the case. I rack the slide and let it go if it’s own volition. Should I guide the slide back slow?
Or just don’t be a poor and fire the round after three loads and buy more?

 

[76Too]

hard on

 

[enbloc]

Wow, I learned something new today ... and from Enbloc. Amazing.

Post #16?

 

[Broc]

Post #16?

Post #2, bruh.

 

[AHM]

(Much like ARs are called Direct Impingement, but are technically an internal piston that looks an awful lot like DI)

I'm sure there's a 12 Step group for people
with troubling private thoughts such as that...

(And I'd be there, too ).

 

[gerrycaruso]

I always insert the magazine, drop the slide, remove the magazine and top it off. I think that what you suggest would be fine with a spring-loaded extractor but I'm not sure..