I don't plus one for SD carry,do you?

[ARperson]

Depends

Usually yes, the more lead I can throw at the bad guy if necessary, the better.

However, some exception include higher capacity mags with extremely stiff springs, like 15-round Glock mags. And the only reason I don't load them to capacity with one in the pipe is because it's just to darn difficult to compress all 15 rounds in the mag period. Nothing to do with unreliability or worry about excessive wear.

But without fail, there is always one in the chamber.

 

[toocool]

I always top off. For some reason I don't feel quite "right" if I don't have a full magazine and one in the chamber. Reliability has NEVER been an issue, and as others have stated, if I ever do need the thing, I want all the firepower it's capable of.

 

[ChefJeff1]

I fill mine up like my belly. When you get a chance to fill the hump, fill the hump.

 

[kage genin]

I've found, rather disturbingly, that my Glock 30 doesn't like being topped off with one in the chamber and a fully loaded magazine. First, the magazine requires a STRONG slam to seat. Then if the Glock is fired, it will often malfunction after shooting the first cartridge out. I suspect it is because the fully loaded magazine is pushing up and causing too much friction with the slide as it cycles. Anyone else with a Glock 30 encounter this?

 

[Oldtimer]

Texas Bob, as you mentioned, you don't have any "scientific proof". I, too, have CCW'ed for 35+ years, and have also noticed the discoloration from the top round "riding" against slide, but that will happen whether you top-off the mag or not.

I have always loaded by racking/chambering the top round of the mag, then remove the mag and insert a fresh round before re-inserting the fully-loaded mag. I also test my carry pistol EVERY time I go shooting by unholstering and firing it....no visible check of the bore, and no wiping off lint or dirt that may have gotten onto it. Why? Well, if you're going to NEED to shoot your pistol, you won't have the time to inspect it beforehand! So far, I've had 100% reliability!

While a fully-loaded mag WILL compress the mag spring slightly more, with the top round riding slightly below the feed lips, that is NOT, as far as I know, a negative. It might even be a positive, since you are not stressing the feed lips with that top round pushing against them.

I've always been on the "safe side" with my mags. They are rotated continuously, from being inserted in the pistol for no more than one month, then emptied and the mag spring allowed to "rest". The
other loaded mags will be used in the pistol, or in a pouch....but they ALL get "rested" on a continuous, routine schedule. That's just my own "druthers", but I have done some long-term testing of mag springs, and know that the higher quality of most factory mag springs will be reliable after YEARS of being fully-loaded (My longest test was with Italian-made Beretta 92F mags....2 years, and they worked just fine).

As for the brass discoloration on the lower-most rail of your slide (firing pin "housing"?), it's time for solvent and brushing! It'll be back, though!

 

[hank327]

I will top off single stack magazines. I don't bother to top off double stack magazines. I think I got into this habit because the magazines of my Browining Hi-Power rattle when fully loaded, but are quiet when they are at -1.

 

[k_dawg]

I do not understand the logic of the basic premis.

If the gun will not reliably feed off a fully-loaded magazine, then how could you chamber a round in the first place?

If you have an 8 round magazine, and you insert it, then chamber a round, you have just chambered a round off an 8 round magazine.

Then, if you insert a new mag ( or add an addition round ) for a full 8 rounds in the magazine.. you are back to where you started from! Chambering off 8 rounds.

###

Or, are you talking about, you would load up 7 rounds, then chamber a round, then put another one in.. so you always are feeding off of 7 rounds in an 8 round magazine????

###

In reality, if your gun is problematic, and wont feed reliably with ANY number of rounds in the magazine... FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON NOT USE IT AS A DEFENSIVE WEAPON!!!!!!

For example, for my 1911's, the 8 round magazines sometimes hicup. So, I only carry 7 round magazines. And no, only putting 7 rounds into the 8 round magazine isn't the cure.. the springs are physically different. Any magazine that isn't 100% reliable, I paint a bright orange stripe. Those are range only.

 

[dogngun]

I don't add an extra round, just carry what's in the mag. I like to have the same number in the gun that's in the spare.
( I carry either 15 or 17 round mags, so 1 extra round probably is not much difference.)

Mark

 

[carebear]

Load mag, chamber, eject mag, load one (top off), rap mag on random body part (you and me both sm ), say "ow", reinsert mag.

Never had a functioning problem.

Don't do it on detachable mag rifles, do top off the tube on my Mossberg when I'm carrying it.

Not sure if I was ever "taught" to do so. Just always made sense to me to maximize the mag capacity, especially on my Commander.

Come to think of it, I don't "top off" the 1911 in the drawer. I may have an unconscious "take all the ammo I can into 'indian country'" mentality going on.

 

[riverdog]

I don't top off. I like to leave a little wiggle room for the spring. My formula is similar to Preacherman's ~10% down.