do you carry +1 ?

[David Armstrong]

David Armstrong---
You still haven't revealed your source of all this wonderful information. LOL.

Ummm, perhaps you missed this part: "you mean, maybe, like the folks at Wolff Gun Springs?" Of course, maybe they don't know what they are talking about.

[akr]

Well, we just have your word on that. You still are not providing us with any solid documentation. Lots of bozos work in businesses but it doesn't mean they know what they are talking about. Maybe it's like a lot of businesses--a chief or two and a bunch of "fly by night" employees.

[INGunGuy]

I ALWAYS carry 11+1 I used to cycle all rounds thru my firearm every morning to just make sure the action was working nice and smooth. That was until I read on here that working the spring will work harden the metal of the spring then eventually cause the spring to fail. NO need to work the spring. I now leave my firearm fully loaded 11+1. I hope and pray that I never have to use any of the 12 rounds that I carry, but like I like to tell people, I want the best odds possible, that is why I carry a S/W .40 and I go to the range at least weekly and put around 500 rounds down range when I do.

INGunGuy

[akr]

David Armstrong--
The Hi Points are on sale at Bud's for $99.

[SMiller]

I am tired of hearing guys talk about wearing the spring out by having the gun +1, last time I checked my cc gun was a tool, I couldn't care less about holster wear or bumps and bruises, I carry my fullsize S+W M+P .40 15+1 and thats with no real safety, makes me think a little more and pay more attention. If my gun wears out or looks bad I will trade it in and get another, money no object...

[Creature]

top it off? what are we filling up our gas tanks in hope that we make it that xtra mile?

If only it were that mundane a reason...

[HiBC]

One little detail(I only read page 1,so forgive me if I restate something)
How do you load that +1 round?
If you drop a round in the chamber and then drop the slide,some handguns,like the 1911 are designed to have the round feed up under the extractor.It is a bad idea to have them spring over the rim.The extractor does not like it.

[Creature]

One little detail(I only read page 1,so forgive me if I restate something)
How do you load that +1 round?
If you drop a round in the chamber and then drop the slide,some handguns,like the 1911 are designed to have the round feed up under the extractor.It is a bad idea to have them spring over the rim.The extractor does not like it.

Rack the slide with a full magazine inserted, chambering a round. Then drop the mag, replacing the round that was just loaded into the chamber and reinserting it back into the gun...now you have the +1...

[WhiteH2OWoman]

To answer the original question,

1. Yes, I always carry +1.

2. No, I do not top off the mag to full capacity. I keep those mags loaded at 90% capacity to lessen jamming potential and increase spring life. So for my primary carry Glock 30, that's 9 in the mag, and for my AR-15, with the 30-round mags, that's 26-27.

[WC145]

To answer the original question,

1. Yes, I always carry +1.

2. No, I do not top off the mag to full capacity. I keep those mags loaded at 90% capacity to lessen jamming potential and increase spring life. So for my primary carry Glock 30, that's 9 in the mag, and for my AR-15, with the 30-round mags, that's 26-27.

If you're not topping of your mags you're not carrying +1.

A weapon is designed to function in a certain manner, if you don't trust it will work, find another one that you do trust. They wouldn't make the mags to hold X number of rounds if they didn't intend for them to be used that way!

Look at it this way - Is their anything else you own that you don't use to capacity or the way it was designed? Maybe you put just 3 slices of bread in your 4 slice toaster, or no more than 15gals of gas in your 18gal tank, or just $90k in your savings account because the FDIC insures it to a max of $100k? Obviously not and the argument for "under loading" your weapon is just as silly as these examples.

Like I said before, when I go to work (and any other time I put on a gun) I have my guns loaded to full capacity - one in the chamber, mag topped off, and all of my spares loaded to capacity - as do all the other LEO's I work with and know. Anybody else that carries a gun should do it the same way we do, not because we're cops or anything stupid like that, but BECAUSE IT MAKES SENSE!

[BikerRN]

on your cary pistols do you chamber a round, then load your mag to max?
IE:15+1, 8+1, etc?

Yes.

I want the most ammo capacity that the gun was designed to give me, unless the gun has proven itself unreliable to be carried +1.

Having a close friend that was in a shoot-out "back in the day" with two nefariously felonious individuals, and having him expend all the rounds he had on him that day, except one, to bring them to a cessation of hostilities tends to alter one's perception in to the matter.

In short, he fired through three magazines and the last bad guy stopped without him having to fire his last round, which was chambered in his gun. He was down to his last bullet, number 22, as he carried 7 Round magazines then. You never know how many you're going to need, so carry what you're comfortable with.

Myself, I won't carry less than one reload and a BUG with a reload, if given a choice.

Biker

[BikerRN]

if u need an entire mag during a firefight, either you're in iraq or on swat. if i have to empty a clip, then god help me. this isn't terminator where we shoot robots...

Obviously you have never had to shoot at an indiviual that is trying to kill you.

It tends to induce shaking, sweating and defecating one's drawers son. You may need more than one mag in Po'dunk, let alone Iraq. See my previous post about the friend that needed all three magazines and was down to his last round.

BTW: the friend I'm referring to was a "crack shot" and still is. He is the man I would go to if I had a family member hostage and needed someone to make "that shot" with a handgun.

Now we are all smart enough to know that a handgun is not the optimal choice here, and that one does not willingly try to get in to gunfights, but hey, stuff happens that we have no control over. It's best to be prepared.

Biker

[OuTcAsT]

It's best to be prepared

Yup, my scoutmaster taught me that

[BikerRN]

blackflags,

I'm no where near prepared enough for WWIII.

I don't even consider myself prepared for day to day activities and just consider myself "lucky". I pray each and every day that I never have another "Armed Encounter" but the odds don't favor me.

Now I have to get ready for work. The good thing is, 12/26/2008 has been declared a Federal Holiday by Executive Order. As a Federal LEO I'm making more money today than I normally would. That will pay for more bullets to train with on my own time, and go towards a shooting school, like LFI or Gunsight.

Biker

[zombieman]

I only go +1 when I am going to a hostile situation. Otherwise its just one in the chamber, and mag also not stuffed to limit.

Wow, and exactly how do you decide when you are going into a hostile situation? I wish I too had ESP. Firepower, what exactly are you going to do when a hostile situation comes to you?

if u need an entire mag during a firefight, either you're in iraq or on swat. if i have to empty a clip, then god help me. this isn't terminator where we shoot robots...

Blackflags.. on that note I believe I'll just go to work tonight with no extra magazines and just keep my active mag half loaded. After all, I'm not in Iraq or on swat. Some of these comments blow my mind, you must live one sheltered life to have the attitude you do. To think that you don't need a full magazine because that only happens in iraq or if your on swat? [color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color]? :barf: I would love to see you teaching a class on officer safety. "ok, guys first I'm going to start off by saying that all of you are carrying way to many bullets". Dude get real..

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Lots of bozos work in businesses but it doesn't mean they know what they are talking about.

Unlike the 'bozos' who post on the internet anonymously. Sorry - couldn't resist.

The man who carries a Glock 17 with only 17 rounds is a loser as compared to the man who carries a Glock 19 with 16 as compared to 15?

This argument is getting a touch silly.

[akr]

LOL. He he he--I left myself wide open for that one.

[akr]

I think some of these "good shots" that we have on the forum who only need 5 or 6 rounds in a shoot out, have never been in a shoot out. They watch too many John and Clint movies.

[JimAmentler]

Full mag and one in the chamber. Then two mags carried on my support side.

[David Armstrong]

Well, we just have your word on that. You still are not providing us with any solid documentation. Lots of bozos work in businesses but it doesn't mean they know what they are talking about.

LOL!!! Actually you don't have just my word on it, you also have the word of most members of the active shooting fraternity who look at this kind of stuff. If you want to say that the folks at Wolff Gun Spring don't know what they are talking about when they discuss gun springs, that is well within your rights. However I would suggest it indicates just how little you know about guns, as Wolff is generally considered one of the top names in the business. But hey, that's all right, you go on trying to convince folks you know more about gun springs than does one of the top manufacturers in the business. Might want to tell most of the custom gun makers about that also, I'm sure they'd like to know they've been wrong all these years.

[akr]

LOL

[Brit]

I have gone to the range every 6 moths or so, for a while not an exact time.

Put 3 IDPA targets on a single range, draw and fire, mix and match, a couple of rounds here and there, then empty the pistol on one target!

Reload from lock back, one round, two rounds, 6, till just a few are left, take cover, head shots only, not quick.

Now when empty, strip and clean my Glock 19, replace with new factory 127g +P+ WW rounds. Never had any malfunction of any kind.

Full gun always!

[dirttrackdemon]

I had a P89 with both mags. loaded to the max, on the shelf for 15 years, yea thats right, 15 years. Went to the range and shot both mags with NO problems. Got my CCW with it.

[MikeMurf0505]

Practice, focus, and a health fear of what could happen if I ever underestimate my gun's potential for destruction (I carry a 45 ACP) keep me safety minded enough to carry +1.

The image of needing another shot, and not having it keeps me loading that +1 every time.

[Kline605]

I load the magazines to capasity and chamber the first round leaving them down one. I really don't know the scientific data, but have always been taught to download magazines by 1 or 2 to reduce spring fatigue.