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Perhaps I'm mistaken (I frequently am), but my Pop (and the fine folks here) have taught me that mag+1 is more about your ability to rack the slide than the time it takes. Sure, if you're 100% functional, I'm sure taking the time to rack the slide in a self-defense situation take mere moments and *may* not impact your ability to defend yourself. But what if you've already taken a round in (or otherwise injured) your off-arm and its not functional? How are you going to rack the slide then?

I'd rather carry one in the chamber so that all I have to do is drop the safety (I carry a 1911) and engage.

+1 Always. Never had a problem with springs. Springs break or weaken from being compressed and released too many times. Think of twisting a wire back and forth to break it. IMHO keeping them compressed does no harm.

I don’t think he is asking about carrying with empty chamber, I think it is after racking slide do you pop mag out to top it off.

I don’t top off.

NNT wrote: Tue Jun 26, 2018 8:51 pm I don’t think he is asking about carrying with empty chamber, I think it is after racking slide do you pop mag out to top it off.

I don’t top off.

My comments were addressing 2 questions in one post. But to be more accurate on this question- on my subcompact 9mm I ALWAYS top off. On my 1911- I may or may not, depending on where I am and what ammo is nearby.

+1

RottenApple wrote: Tue Jun 26, 2018 6:40 pm

txhighlander wrote: Tue Jun 26, 2018 6:30 pm Full mag +1 for me as well.

All of firearms (that use magazines) in my house are loaded with full mag +1.

Same here

flechero wrote: Tue Jun 26, 2018 8:57 pm [quote=NNT post_id=<a href="tel:1209471">1209471</a> time=<a href="tel:1530064313">1530064313</a> user_id=21314]
I don’t think he is asking about carrying with empty chamber, I think it is after racking slide do you pop mag out to top it off.

I don’t top off.

My comments were addressing 2 questions in one post. But to be more accurate on this question- on my subcompact 9mm I ALWAYS top off. On my 1911- I may or may not, depending on where I am and what ammo is nearby.
[/quote]

Yes the first quote. Is what I am talking about. Chamber one then take out mag and top it off. Also sometimes I do the dud round drill where you pull the trigger on a snap cap then tap rack bang. That’s what I mean when I said it’s sometimes hard to rack the slide with a full mag and one in the pipe. Sometimes I suck at words and forget to say them.

I must be dense tonight, you have one in the chamber ready to go and you place a full mag in on an already racked slide that is in full battery so what is the question? Let's say you don't carry one in the chamber, would you not load a full mag into the racked and full battery gun? People who don't carry one in the chamber still have a full mag in the gun ( I would assume) and don't walk around with the slide locked open. If your mag holds 15 than use a full mag. Your choice, 15 in the mag (assuming it holds 15) and one in the chamber or 15 in the mag and none in the chamber. I won't get into that argument

I carry a Shield 8+1. With 8 rounds, I want that one extra.

In my 1911 14+1 always top off my mag!

For some of us, not filling a magazine to capacity may be a matter of performance; that is, it makes the pistol work better. For most of us, I suspect, making the choice to carry a magazine loaded to less than capacity may be more a matter of style. Obviously, we each have to make our own decisions and a friendly discussion can be fun.

My wife loads the single stack magazines for her Walther PPS M2 LE to capacity and carries a round in the chamber; 6+1, 7+1, and 8+1.

I also carry with a round chambered, but load my four magazines for my S&W M&P M2.0 one down; 16 instead of 17. My basic load is three magazines; 16+16+16+1. I selected the M&P partly for its 17 round magazine, but I carry two spares more in preparation for magazine malfunctions. Active Self Protection videos and articles/videos by Tom Givens seem to show that I am much more likely to use the tourniquet on my belt than I am the spare magazines.

I prefer to have one method of handling my pistol and use that one method all of the time. While I do not expect to have to reload in self defense, I do reload during USPSA matches. During a match, I try to keep count of my shots so as to not fire to slide lock. If I fire to slide lock, I have to manipulate the slide after reloading. That takes time and lowers my score. If I have to reload in self defense, I have a plan that I have practiced and I am confident in my ability.

If you have not already done so, I encourage you to try pistol competition using your every day carry gear. I am using the USPSA matches to test my training and skill in drawing, rapid target engagement, shooting and reloading while moving, shoot/no-shoot decisions, moving targets, and so much more than can be accomplished on the standard one-way square range. Placing myself under pressure and stress then being able to compare my performance to others has helped me evaluate and verify my ever day carry choices. Of course, any pistol competition is artificial and does not 100% simulate a real-life situation. It does, however, give me valuable experience and information that I expect to be able to apply when my battle plan falls apart upon contact with the enemy.

Springs do not weaken by flexing them. As long as the metal is not stretched/compressed beyond its elastic limit, it will function indefinitely. I have magazines that are decades old for my 1911 (almost 80 years old now). (BTW, I'm not referring to repeated cycles of a dynamic nature which can cause fatigue failure, and a magazine is not subjected to that type of motion.)

As for inserting full magazines, it doesn't matter if there is a round in the chamber or not. If the gun is designed to have a full mag inserted with the slide closed, then that would be normal. I think this question is being "overthinked" too much.

FWIW, I am a +1.

+1 in all guns carried for social purposes -- after validating consistent functionality with each magazine when employed from that condition.

Full mag +1. I ALWAYS top off the mag.