plus one in the chamber

[GLOOB]

I participated in an action pistol shoot, today. On a couple of the stages, I needed to put one in the pipe to get enough shots. I notice that everyone else used a spare magazine to put one in the chamber, then switched mags. I only have two mags to begin with, so I locked the slide back, put one in the chamber, then dropped the slide. The rangemaster suggested that this was bad for my gun's extractor. I have a Glock 21SF. Can this do any harm?

 

[cslinger]

You do not want to make a habit of this. It cause the extractor to bend a bit in a manner it wasn't designed to as it rides over the rim of the cartridge. This can cause it to break. It is always preferable to feed from a magazine unless some dire reason dictates you load single rounds like this.

Just load up, chamber, drop magazine, top off and re-insert.

Chris

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

If you are saying that you chamber a round by locking the slide back, inserting a round into the chamber with your fingers and letting the slide slam home, this causes the extractor claw to flex and pop over the rim. This does not happen when you feed the round out of the magazine as the gun is designed to do. It can, over time, damage the extractor. How long it takes to fatigue or break the extractor -- if it happens at all -- is a matter of much debate and conjecture, as well as varying between makes of guns and designs of extractors.

Prudence would indicate that you not do this, as it was not something the part was designed for.

 

[MachIVshooter]

some guns do OK with this practice, others not good. Some are actually dangerous to single load that way (series 70 1911's, for example). As said above, I wouldn't make a habit of it.

 

[target1911]

I would get another mag, they are cheap enough.....Its not worth the frustration have the extractor break...and if its a SD/carry gun......Murphy's Law would take charge and the darned thing whould break when you need it most.