Topping off your mag...good idea or bad?

[stephen426]

By the way...

I just wanted to post this for those who may not know that you should not load the gun by dropping a bullet into the breach as this may damager your extractor. The proper way to top off is to insert a loaded mag, eject the mag, and then insert another round into the mag. If everyone knew that already... sorry to be redundant.

[Nnobby45]

If it was designed for 6, then it shouldn't weaken with constant compression.

Well, I lean toward your point of view, but "shouldn't weaken it" it isn't the definitive answer I'm looking for, and the link you furnished still amounts to one persons opinion in contrast to those of others.

Probably just a mental thing where 5" of spring sounds better than reducing it to 2.5" with the 6th round. Might be working on the edge of it's limits.

I can tell you that an aquaintence of mine had a weak spring in his 1100 Rem. and it wouldn't push out the last couple shells. I got a phone call asking me to diagnose the problem.

Many years ago, I'd guess 25 or so, he made himself a plug of his own unique design! A piece of broom handle that compressed the spring, even when unloaded, for all these years. He never removed it.

Doesn't really prove that a five inch piece of broom handle weakend the spring after decades, but does make one consider the possibility.

[ISC]

I keep 30 in most M16 mags, if the last on was tight going in I'll take it out.

as for my personal pistols, I don't top off. I usually don't even keep a round in the chamber unless I'm somewhere I think of as unsafe.

I can't see how 16 rds is going to do anything more than 14, but there are plenty of times when I need to make a pistol safe and don't want a loose round floating around.

[Stevie-Ray]

Never. Mostly because I attend a lot of gun shows and don't want an extra cartridge rolling around my pocket with the mag after the gun is show-safed.

[mountainclmbr]

In my carry gun I always have the full mag capacity plus one in the chamber. Why place the odds in favor of the BG's? I shoot this way too so I know my guns/mags are reliable in this method.

[Rifleman 173]

When you are not shooting you had best be reloading or moving. Top off if time allows it or top off and move if possible.

[Hook686]

02-17-2008, 01:11 AM #18
epic4444
Member


Join Date: 06-23-2007
Posts: 64 glockkkkk

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i have a glock 19 that gets stuck only when i top off....i chamber one...take out tha mag and pop another in...put it back and fire only to have tha slide not return but get jammed...i take tha clip out...clear and then reload....but when i dont top off it works fine...anyone have this problem?? and please tell me how to fix it... and btw not my ccw but i wish it was

I have the same problem with my S&W 3913TSW. I do not top off simply because when I do, the slide jams on the first shot, but does not if only 7 are in the magazine. I am attributing this currently to the 'newness' of the pistol. Hopefully it will ameliorate with time and useage.

[Brit]

The new Glock 9mm followers, are the best they have ever made, and when fitted into a G17 magazine, allow for an 18 round load! I don't do that, but just to show how much more advanced this combination is I mentioned it, yes the 18 round mag will click home on a closed bolt/slide.

Carry G19, 15 round Mag; in place, one in the chamber, never had a problem, it was designed that way.

Your spare on the other side magazine, use a G17, gives you two extra rounds.

[Doggieman]

when I'm carrying, I load 'em to capacity. When they're sitting around at home (sometimes for months at a time) I leave the mag one round light. For the spring's sake, even if the Internet says compressing it all the way down for long periods of time doesn't weaken it... I don't believe everything I read on the internet.

[si vis pacem, para b]

It makes sense to me to top off, I carry a 1911 I know I have seven rounds before I need to reload. After I shoot those seven rounds I still have one in the chamber therefore allowing me to reload without having to release the slide. This may not seem like something that takes a lot of time but milliseconds can make the difference in a real life situation. Or would it make more sense to shoot that eighth round then reload and release the slide. What do you guys think?

[parrothead2581]

I have noticed more reliable feeding when I don't top off. If a jam is going to occur, it seems to happen at either the first or last shot. When that top round is chambered and the magazine is not topped off, my reliability is quite boring. When a round is chambered and the magazine is topped off, a jam will happen every now and then.

I'm not saying my way is the right way, it's just what makes me feel better, and what seems to work for me. Compromising reliability for one extra round isn't for me. If I'm fightin' for my life I want every bit of reliability/decreased chance of a malfunction I can get. Just tryin' to increase my chances of survival.

[warrior poet]

+1 parrothead!

[ssilicon]

I think Creature hit it right on. Of course it's good to top off, BUT, if for any reason you need to change your gun to unchambered before you get back home... that extra round now maybe doesn't have a very good home. So that can be a reason not to jam "one more" in. It all depends on each person's individual circumstances and situation.

[weldonjr2001]

"Surely someone out there does not. If you dont, I am interested to know why."

I always load my magazines 1 or more short. I believe it helps the springs last longer, makes the pistols function better, and I like knowing my first pistolfull is a nice-round number, like 10 or 15.

[Rifleman 173]

When you go into combat, you learn to top off every chance that you get. If you have the right cover available and you have the time and if you can keep a weather eye out for the hostiles, top off. I don't care if it is single stack or double stack. Top off. You also learn to top off while a buddy watches out for the enemy or hostiles and then he tops off while you watch for the zombies. Every chance that you get, make improvements to your combat situation. I learned that overseas in Viet Nam from an old paratrooper sergeant and his advice help keep me alive over there for 19 months. Every day I saw him do a little bit more to his foxhole, check his magazines, position his grenades and so on. In between the firefights he would reload his magazines and reposition or replace his claymore mines as needed. Yes, top off when possible.

[Doggieman]

while I agree with what you say, I'm not sure that's what they meant by topping off. I read it as, do you do an "administrative load" with your weapon or do you simply do a "speed load" (forgive me if I got the terms wrong).

IIRC....

Administrative load: fill the mag to capacity, insert, chamber one, drop the mag and insert a final round, reinsert mag.

Speed load: fill the mag to capacity, chamber one, you're done.

[Yellowfin]

With only a mag capacity of 7 for my daily carry, you bet I top off. I need to get an extra mag or two now that you mention it.

[Horseless Trooper]

With my Hi-Power I don't top off and I only carry 12 rds in my spare mags. Not from any real conviction, just the way I have always done it. As I carry a revolver more often than an auto I'm not really worried about only having 13 on tap. I carry my single stacks topped off. I download my 20 and 30rd rifle mags by 2 and my home defence pump shotguns by 1.

[Deaf Smith]

Happly I have much Glock mags. So my Glock 27 has 10 in the mag, and one in the oven. The spare has a full 10 (these are factory Glock 27s with factory +1 extensions.)

Now if I packed my Glock 17 or 19, well I really would not care if it had 18 or 17 rounds. But the 27 does not even hold a bakers dozen, so I load to max.

[sm]

I don't.

How raised, mentored and all that.

Then again how raised mentored and all that applies to me and like kind.
We also carry dirty guns...

Deal is, our guns run, and we know there will always be more evil than we can ever carry ammunition.
So first off, we do not consider a firearm, or ammunition as being the only tool in the tool box for staying safe.

This frees up a lot of energy that is best used to stay safe.

We also are known to have to drop mag, and rack slide to clear and store a gun,so we don't want to have to keep up with that extra round, and the folks the guns are under care of guns don't have to, so a safety thing.

WE all do the same thing, and repetition becomes habit, and habit becomes faith.
Same reason we only use 7 round mags in 1911, or do not use a greater mag capacity than original mag is.

*shrug*

Reality is, when it is your turn to get injured, maimed or dead, you get injured, maimed or dead.

The universe was clicking along before I or you showed up, and it will continue to, if one gets injured, maimed or dead, despite spouses, kids, friends, material possessions and whatever else.

Accept this and it frees up energy that can better used to stay safe, until check out time.

Carry another gun or two, drawing another is often faster that reloading, and negates the primary gun with any malfunctions.
Drawing from weak side, as many of us were taught, often offers advantages as criminals know intended prey strong side ( they watched you write a check,or open a door) so throwing them off loop is not a bad idea.

Makes sense to me-

Be the firstest with the mostest - Gen. Bedford Forrest, CSA



How raised - what you do.