Do you carry your semi-auto pistol with the "+1"?

[Carl N. Brown]

I have a 1911 and I trust its safety so that I have carried that one with one in the chamber, seven in the magazine. (I have a non-carry magazine I use for first round loading, range tested carry mag for full mag.)

I have a couple of striker-fired pistols that I carry striker down on empty chamber because I treat them as dangerous-if-dropped.

 

[Happiness Is A Warm Gun]

Did people forget how to read?

The question wasn't about round in chamber
The question wasn't about using less than mag capacity.

The question is do you +1.

Scenario A:
Springfield XD 9mm. 15round mag has 15 rounds. Load weapon, chamber round. Now there are 14 rounds in mag. Remove mag and TOP MAG OFF. Reload mag. Now you are carrying 15+1

Scenario B:
Springfield XD 9mm. 15round mag has 15 rounds. Load weapon, chamber round. Now there are 14 rounds in mag plus one in chamber. 14+1.

Me personally I go with Scenario B.

The probability I will ever need my firearm is low.
The probability that if I need it I will need to fire is even lower.
The proability that I will need to fire 15 rounds is even lower.
The probability that I will need 16 (15+1) rounds is even lower.
The probability that I will need exactly 15+1 rounds (15 not enough and won't need 17+) is even lower.

Somethings not worth worrying about. I load the mag, chamber round, holster it. Not worried about "topping it off".

 

[notorious]

Go back and read the OP, he's not asking if you carry condition 3 he's asking if you load your magazine, chamber a round then top off the magazine.

personally I leave my carry gun loaded all the time anyway but it's just not worth the hassle for one shot (IMO)

Treo, I thought I answered his question... but I guess I would have to make it more clear then.

We have our weapons with a full magazine along with 1 in the chamber so we are always in +1 condition as required by policy. I would also be +1 in all my carry as well because it is my personal preference to be ready to go from the second I decide to deploy. In a gunfight, adding a step to rack is not my idea of maintaining the tactical advantage.

As I understand it, the +1 refers to having 1 in the tube while the number (13, 15, etc.) refers to whatever is in the mag.

 

[rondog]

I do.

 

[TBT]

Did people forget how to read?

The question wasn't about round in chamber
The question wasn't about using less than mag capacity.

The question is do you +1.

I'm confused then. The question wasn't about using full magazine capacity?

The question can be easily read to be asking about both the full magazine as well as one in the chamber.

Do you ever carry with a full magazine plus one round in the chamber?

 

[SCKimberFan]

I chamber a round, but do not top off the magazine.

 

[Moonclip]

Which weapons besides AR's and possibly some BHP magazies are better downloaded a bit in the mags for reliablilty?

 

[ericyp]

I don't know...

...let me think...don't pressure me here...

...maybe stop one more person.

Haha, if you're being attacked by 17 people, you're already screwed beyond any hope, and having one more round won't make a lick of difference . The difference between 16 and 17 rounds won't make the difference in a gunfight. It doesn't hurt, but doesn't seem to help either, and I like to be efficient with things. Inserting the mag, chambering one, popping out the mag, topping off the mag, and reinserting the magazine won't make a difference at the higher capacities and is not for me. If I carried something like a 1911 I'd do it though.

 

[Davionmaximus]

Depends on the firearm

I carry +1 in my Ruger P345, but not in my XD compact or Glock

 

[JAMES BOND]

My Beretta 96 is 10 shot clip I know one more won't make any difference but I always load' top off the clip and carry 11 ready.. Out of habit

 

[Boba Fett]

Haha, if you're being attacked by 17 people, you're already screwed beyond any hope, and having one more round won't make a lick of difference . The difference between 16 and 17 rounds won't make the difference in a gunfight. It doesn't hurt, but doesn't seem to help either, and I like to be efficient with things.

For efficiency, might I suggest


You only need to load two rounds, be an expert shot, and not get into situations where you'll be attacked by more than two people.

If 17 is too many and not efficient, then why even load 16? That seems inefficient too. Why not just plan on only being attacked by, at most, three BGs and plan on being able to stop them with, at most, two shots each. Then you only need to load your 16 round magazine with six rounds. That's so much more efficient than loading all 16...I mean that would take all day to accomplish. Not to mention, your gun will be lighter.

Sorry for the sarcasm.

So, really, the idea of shortchanging your firearm's capacity doesn't seem all that efficient. If you don't max out your firearm, laziness disguised as efficiency isn't a good reason. If you seriously don't think you'll need it, fine that's your prediction on the future. My prediction includes the +1, but no extra magazine (at least not on me). That's my prediction on the future. Other people predict that they might need a few extra clips. I notice that the police tend to think they might. I wonder if they +1 also...

 

[pcf]

You should carry a fully loaded pistol. If you get into a shooting the police will want to account for every round that you fired. The easiest and most accurate way to know how many rounds were fired is to count down what's left in your pistol, and then account for shell casings. If the number of remaining rounds plus the number of shell casings equals no more room, it will make your life easier.

This becomes really important if the person you shot (or his friends) starts telling lies (I know they wouldn't), and says that you shot at them on the other side of the parking lot, chased him over to your car, and shot him three more times. Especially if he was in ICU for a couple days before regaining consciousness. This can be reasonable shown to be a lie in one situation, and in the other it leave a lot of room open for doubt.

 

[greenr18]

nope i dont chamber around when its being carried and hope i never have to

 

[Boba Fett]

nope i dont chamber around when its being carried and hope i never have to

I hope the BG doesn't have his chambered either.

Not carrying with one in the chamber is almost like not carrying at all. It takes an eternity to chamber a round in a situation that you might need it. Even if you have the time (i.e. you're hiding behind a desk or something), the sound of you chambering the round will draw attention to your position and let the BGs know you have weapon.

 

[GoodKat]

I drop a round into the chamber before loading my full mag.

 

[GoodKat]

Sorry for the sarcasm.

Dude, that was a full out sargasm.

 

[CWL]

I drop a round into the chamber before loading my full mag.

Goodkat, you probably shouldn't be doing that. Extractors aren't meant to be 'ridden over' a cartridge's rim like you are describing. This can cause failures right when you most need your gun.

The proper method is to load a round into the chamber from a magazine, then you drop the mag and top it off before re-inserting.

 

[CWL]

I'm usually too lazy to top-off the magazine so I usually will have one in the pipe and one-less in the magazine.

I use 8-rd magazines in my M1911s so it is reduced to original JMB design of 7 +1.

Doesn't make me feel undergunned.

 

[GoodKat]

Goodkat, you probably shouldn't be doing that. Extractors aren't meant to be 'ridden over' a cartridge's rim like you are describing. This can cause failures right when you most need your gun.

hmm, wasn't aware of that, think it wears out the front of the extractor?

 

[theotherwaldo]

-And sometimes I carry +2, other times +3... in my G27. Depends on which mag and extension that I'm using.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I hope the BG doesn't have his chambered either.

interestingly, many do not...they learned it from hollywood

hmm, wasn't aware of that, think it wears out the front of the extractor?

actually this isn't true of all pistols, but unless you're familiar with all pistols it likely is safer to load from the mag.

the practice comes to us...as do many things having to do with the deployment of pistols...from the 1911. the round is designed to feed up from the mag and under the extractor hook for a controlled feed into the chamber...much like the Mauser bolt action rifle...remembering that the 1911 originally equipped the calvary.

dropping the round into the chamber and closing the slide causes the extractor to have to bend back and snap over the rim. this stresses the extractor (which is only a leaf spring) and will cause the extractor hook to fracture and snap off .

on the other hand, the Beretta 92/96 manual lists closing the slide on a chambered round as the correct way to fully load their pistol. i once spoke with a Spec Op trainer who had first hand experience with this. they used to regularly break 1911 extractors...lots of failure drills will do that...and the problem went away when they started using the M-9. of course there are alot fewer failures to eject when you have to largest ejection port in the business

 

[9x23]

Easing your mind

I have carried my pistol almost every day of my adult life (Some have accused me of being older than dirt, but actually I have just recently been able to get my senior's discount at most places!). Mostly I have had to threaten with it and on four occasions actually fire it.

To ease my mind I ALWAYS start with an empty magazine and load just one round into it. I put the mag into the pistol and rack the slide. I remove the magazine - if it's empty and nothing falls out of the gun and a COMPLETELY loaded magazine fits in the pistol then there is NO doubt where that first round is. I'm sure most of you have heard that the two worst sounds are a "click" when there should be a "bang'' and a "bang" when there should be a "click". I have experienced both, but thankfully only in competition.

An old timer (Compared to me he must have been older than molten lava!) once told me to have several spare magazines to rotate with to reduce the possibility of magazine spring fatigue. I do it, but I'm going to have to plead the "fifth" to this one. Anyone have a definative answer about magazine spring compression fatigue?.....9x23

 

[notorious]

Other people predict that they might need a few extra clips. I notice that the police tend to think they might. I wonder if they +1 also...

Yes, it is policy that we do carry full capacity magazines with 1 in the chamber.

 

[9mmepiphany]

Anyone have a definative answer about magazine spring compression fatigue?.....9x23

springs become fatigued through being worked...compressing and expanding.

there is not fatigue, with modern springs, if you leave them either loaded (completely compressed) or unloaded (completely expanded)

 

[mgregg85]

I always top off after chambering a round. I've heard tons of people say that this is somehow bad and could lead to a jam. But then those same fools will advocate a tactical reload in the middle of a gun fight, which would achieve the exact same thing as topping off.

For those of you that say things like "well if 16 doesn't get the job done, what will 17 do?" Why not just carry a muzzleloading pistol? If one won't do it, what could you possibly do with 17? Who needs more than one shot anyways, who are you rambo?