Loading one in the chamber

[Too Tall]

I was at the range today and there was one other guy there. As I was walking up to the firing line he waved to me...I waved back. He proceeded to lock back his slide, insert a round into the chamber, release the slide, insert his magazine and fire his weapon. (all with the gun pointed in a safe direction)

I was taught to NEVER chamber a round in this manner. I was taught to load a mag, rack the slide to chamber a round, drop the mag, put another round in the mag then re-insert the mag.

What are your thoughts?

[Pistol Teacher]

A lot of work for one more round of fire. Not real world in defensive shooting if that was what he was doing.

[reyno2ac]

Ive heard that chambering a round that way is bad for the ejector. Either way, it seems pointless.

[MFootball]

On the range, I don't really see the point. In fact, after I shoot most of the time I just wait for the slide to lock back, load the new mag, and hit the slide release to chamber the first round. I'm back shooting in 5 seconds.

In terms of people loading the first one by inserting it directly into the chamber. I've seen it done before, I don't see anything wrong with it. Seems like a waste of time either way, but I don't see anything wrong with it.

[yocan]

there was a machine designed to do this, it did it 50,000 times with no bad effects if its designed to allow it. the orinal 1911s were made to do this, since then they are no longer made to do this.

I always top off my mag. but I don't drop a round in the chamber. In fact I've tried it and aside from my 22 none can do it. IMO they should be able to incase the round pops out of the magazine the gun will still work. but 3000 flawless rounds now who am I to argue

[Hockey9019]

Just don't hit the slide release while your finger is still in there loading it. Trust me :lol:

[JWWIII]

Just don't hit the slide release while your finger is still in there loading it. Trust me :lol:

Haha OUCH! :mad:

[justin92]

Haha OUCH! :mad:

:banana:

[RoadRunner71]

The theory against this is that it forces the extractor to strike and then push over the lip of the case. This could damage the hook on the extractor.

Will it happen the first time you do this? Probably not.

Will it happen the hundredth time? Possibly.

Seems to me it is just extra wear and tear on an expensive piece of equipment. Why bother? I'll just top off the mag.

[Leader]

The theory against this is that it forces the extractor to strike and then push over the lip of the case. This could damage the hook on the extractor.

Will it happen the first time you do this? Probably not.

Will it happen the hundredth time? Possibly.

Seems to me it is just extra wear and tear on an expensive piece of equipment. Why bother? I'll just top off the mag.

Doesn't this happen when you load from the magazine also?
Does the extractor hook break more often then people get struck by lightning?
If not, I don't think I would worry about it.

[Buzzcat]

Ive heard that chalcedony a round that way is bad for the ejector. Either way, it seems pointless.


OK, after initially thinking that was some sort of a typo and then failing to decipher it, I googled it. Turns out it's actually a word, chalcedony is a silica based mineral.

Still can't figure out how it's used as a verb though. :scratch:

Oh well, I learned a new word for the day. :wink:

[Zoolander]

Doesn't this happen when you load from the magazine also?
Does the extractor hook break more often then people get struck by lightning?
If not, I don't think I would worry about it.

When you load or feed from a mag, the rim slips up behind the hook on the extractor so no, this doesn't happen when you load from a magazine.

I would think that doing this occasionally, eg. in case of a FTE is probably no big deal but do remember that the extractor will be traveling outside its normal limits.

When I'm at the range, I never bother adding one to the pipe. When loading for CC, I put one in the pipe from the mag, pop the mag, holster, reload the mag and then re-insert the mag. Sounds complicated but really its not.

[Too Tall]

OK, after initially thinking that was some sort of a typo and then failing to decipher it, I googled it. Turns out it's actually a word, chalcedony is a silica based mineral.

Still can't figure out how it's used as a verb though. :scratch:

Oh well, I learned a new word for the day. :wink:

I had to google it too. Still don't understand the sentence though!

[Donzie]

When you load or feed from a mag, the rim slips up behind the hook on the extractor so no, this doesn't happen when you load from a magazine.

I would think that doing this occasionally, eg. in case of a FTE is probably no big deal but do remember that the extractor will be traveling outside its normal limits.

When I'm at the range, I never bother adding one to the pipe. When loading for CC, I put one in the pipe from the mag, pop the mag, holster, reload the mag and then re-insert the mag. Sounds complicated but really its not.
Semi-auto extractors are specifically designed to jump the rim. The extractor is not going to "travel out side there normal limits".
It will wear on the extractor, but no more than normal operation.
The purpose of it is to not over seat the bullets of cartridges the are chambered more than once, like carry loads.

[esq_stu]

I have always topped off by chambering the first round from the mag, then pulling the mag, adding a round to the mag, and then re-inserting the mag.

I have heard it is bad for extractors to do otherwise but have no first hand knowledge. AFAIAC, it is straightforward to use the magazine the way it was intended.

[Will-IB-Ready]

I have always topped off by chambering the first round from the mag, then pulling the mag, adding a round to the mag, and then re-inserting the mag.

Sure. It's called a "Barney Load" after Barney Fife.

[ChaneyD]

You could end up with bullet set-back doing it that way.

[Zoolander]

Semi-auto extractors are specifically designed to jump the rim. The extractor is not going to "travel out side there normal limits".


Could you elaborate on this a bit? I'm the first to admit I'm not an expert and just would like to know more.

Are extractors designed to jump the rim a lot or just as an occasional thing? The reason I ask is that I have seen that extractors on some autos need to be fitted to the gun and apparently the adjustment is done with a file on the "back" of the extractor. If that's hitting a hard stop when it jumps the rim that would indeed take it outside of normal limits.

[oldfart]

From my operating manual that came with my Kahr pistol
" Do not load an individual round into chamber and then close the slide. This can damage the extractor"

[ChaneyD]

The magazine helps support the extractor when stripping off a round. Dropping the slide will give you no extractor support. It's not a matter of if but when it breaks. Just not a good habit to get into. It's called 'lazy'.

[06camarodude]

A friend of mine tried loading a round directly into the chamber once, told me that when he released the slide, something hit the primer on the round, and the pistol went off. We were actually just talking about this yesterday, I didn't see any problems with it besides a little additional wear and tear on the extractor (that alone is enough reason for me to not do it), and he mentioned it is possible for the weapon to discharge. I've never seen it happen, and was rather intrigued as to what could cause a weapon to discharge while loading a round, but I guess it could be possible. . .

[06camarodude]

Sure. It's called a "Barney Load" after Barney Fife.
Didn't Barney Fife carry a revolver though?

[ChaneyD]

A friend of mine tried loading a round directly into the chamber once, told me that when he released the slide, something hit the primer on the round, and the pistol went off. We were actually just talking about this yesterday, I didn't see any problems with it besides a little additional wear and tear on the extractor (that alone is enough reason for me to not do it), and he mentioned it is possible for the weapon to discharge. I've never seen it happen, and was rather intrigued as to what could cause a weapon to discharge while loading a round, but I guess it could be possible. . .

I call BS.

[Will-IB-Ready]

Didn't Barney Fife carry a revolver though?
Yes, but more to the point, he only carried one round, and he carried it in his shirt pocket.

So when guys put in a magazine and chamber a round, then remove the magazine and put in one more loose round from their pocket or wherever, it's called a "Barney Load" or a "Barney Mag" if they use a spare magazine just to get that +1.

[esq_stu]

intrigued as to what could cause a weapon to discharge while loading a round, but I guess it could be possible. . .A slamfire - on a pistol with no (or stuck) firing pin safety, when the pin protrudes from the breechface and hits the primer when the slide is released. I've experienced it with rifles.

[Ol` Joe]

A slamfire - on a pistol with no (or stuck) firing pin safety, when the pin protrudes from the breechface and hits the primer when the slide is released. I've experienced it with rifles.


High primers (not fully seated) can do this also from the breechface slamming the primer.
As for the chambering question I`d suspect the design of the extractor will dictate whether or not it is a good idea. Some "may" allow closing the breech on a chambered round and others may not. There are some rifles that are not made to load this way (most Mausers) and others that are design to do it (push feeds like the M700). A little filing on the extractor lip however will allow the Mausers to feed with no problems or damage to the claw, I expect pistols are similar
Personally though, I wouldn`t do it if I had a choice.

[Tom Fineis]

As mentioned, the theory is that forcing the extractor over the case rim can cause premature wear or breakage. Loading from a magazine allows the case to slide under the extractor, which is a much less violent way of loading.

Will it break your extractor? Maybe. I haven't seen specific studies done to test it.

However, the extractor is a very important piece of the operation of the gun. Without it, you won't be feeding new rounds. I personally like to save this 'excessive' wear on my extractor for FTE occurrences. I'm hard on my guns, but I'm not overly hard on them. Why apply more stress to a part when you don't have to? I want to know that my extractor is still in good shape to jump the case rim in the event of an FTE during a string of fire.

[nick ls1]

i never did