TexasCHLforum.com

Oldgringo wrote:
Be not dismayed. Unless you're some sort of LEO, drug dealer or something, the odds of you getting into any sort of defensive shooting incident beyond a half dozen rounds are astronomical. Should that ever happen, heaven forbid, you'll have enough problems without adding collateral damage to your burden.

chocolate bayou wrote:To add a different slant on the original question, how many of us that do carry 17+1 capacity, carry all 18 rounds defensive (Critical Duty, etc). I will load mine with the first 10 rounds are self defense followed by fmj.Just an idiosyncrasy, but I figure after ten rounds they are running away or hiding behind something that I would just be wasting the SD rounds. Does any one else split their load?

That's not a bad idea. Or, carry one mag with SD and one with FMJ, if you've a mind to. I also agree that usually by the time 10 rounds(or less) have been expended, the situation has probably been resolved (hopefully in your favor). I also agree with rogueUSMC's comment that a fleeing suspect is no longer a threat and shooting him might bring legal problems. Plus, shooting at a hidden suspect is a low return shot, depletes your ammo and may have unintended consequences.

Due to my low expectations of actually using my firearms in a defensive situation, and my innate laziness, all my carry guns just have defensive ammo, usually one of the Hornady's. I use FMJ at the range and shoot and replace the defensive ammo with new every year.

Stratman wrote:I load just the standard 7 in my 1911 with one chambered. I figure since a war hasnt broken out in my area since around 1862 that should be enough. If I hear the yankees are coming back I will load the full 8

Abraham wrote:I feel under ammo-ed (if you will) unless I have at least 32 rounds available.

Ever been in a shopping mall with an active shooter or shooters?

Me neither, but it could happen, as well as any number of other scenarios where having more vs. less ammo could be a life saver.

If you're going to carry a chunk of iron anyway, a bit more weight for some additional ammo ain't gonna be asking much...

This is a common theme among us CHL'ers. Sort of a 'dress for success' senario. And you certainly can't fault the sentiment. Like the adage that you don't need a gun until you really need a gun, the same could apply to those extra rounds. It would be hard to disagree with that philosopy in principle.The tricky part is determining what 'a bit more weight' is and how many extra rounds to carry.

It's always going to be a range between not carrying and carrying everything in your arsenal. My threat assessment is probably lower than others.

Off topic: I just got a couple of Remora holsters today for an early Christmas and they're pretty awesome. They're having a 30% off and FREE mag holder sale 'til Christmas.

Abraham wrote:One sure way of not stressing your mag springs (and yourself) is to load 1 cartridge in the chamber and NONE in the magazine.

Your welcome!

Or, maybe alternate the direction of the bullets, put one in facing forward and the next backwards. This will take up less room and take the stress off the mag.

While reading jmra's response, I noticed an error in my original post. I said I carried a full load in my LCP and underloaded my PX4.

I meant LCR.

[quote="jmra"}

There is a big difference between what something is "capable of" and what it is "designed" to do. I own a truck that is designed (according to the specs) to tow X amount. It is capable of towing much more but doing so may well exceed the intended design. Loading quality mags at the level they were designed for is in no way abusing or damaging them. They were designed for that specific purpose. Nor should a fully loaded mag cause a FTF in a quality firearm. I have carried every firearm I've owned with a full mag plus 1 in the chamber for many years without a FTF. I have mags that have sat fully loaded for years without issue. I removed a 1911 my FILs closet that sat with a fully loaded mag and one in the chamber for almost 60 years. The mag, ammo, and firearm functioned flawlessly.
Like I said before, nothing wrong with operating equipment below its designed performance levels. Also nothing wrong with consistently operating it at the levels for which it was designed.[/quote]

What you said before was, "I understand that many people aren't comfortable using equipment the way it way designed to be used." A little different.

There is a lot more debate about this than I would have imagined. Most of it anecdotal. Here's an opinion from some folks that should know. http://www.gunsprings.com/resources/FAQ.htm#5" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

5. How often should I change magazine spring? Should I unload my magazines, rotate magazines, load with fewer than the maximum rounds?

Magazine springs in semi-auto pistols are one of the most critical springs and are the subject of much debate and concern. Magazines which are kept fully loaded for long periods of time, such as in law enforcement and personal/home defense applications, will generally be subject to more fatigue than the weekend shooter's magazine springs in which the magazines are loaded up only when shooting.

Magazine design and capacity also affect the longevity of the spring. In many older pistol designs, maximum capacity was not the always the goal such as with the 7 round 1911 Colt magazines will last for years fully loaded. There was room for more spring material in these guns which reduces overall stress and increases the usable life of the spring.

More recently higher capacity magazine have become popular. These are designed to hold more rounds with less spring material often in the same space. This puts more stress on the spring and will cause it to fatigue at a faster rate. Unloading these magazines a round or two will help the life of the spring. Rotating fully loaded magazines will also help the problem somewhat but it is not always practical.

In applications where the magazine must be kept loaded at all times, a high quality magazine spring such as Wolff extra power magazine springs, will provide maximum life. Regular replacement of magazine springs will provide the best defense against failure from weak magazine springs. Regular shooting of the pistol is the best way to be sure the springs are still functioning reliably.


I remain comfortable with my procedure.

cb1000rider wrote:

I like it... You don't mean you don't look for an opportunity to legally make that 0-60 run in 3.3? :-)

I dunno what the 9mm insults are about..

No, most of my hair-on-fire episodes occur randomly and spontaneously. Usually precipitated by smooth, curvy rural roads with no traffic.

Me, either.

jmra wrote:

myntalfloss wrote:Well, somebody's got to be different.

When I'm carrying the LCP, obviously it's a full load, but in my PX4, I carry 15 in a 17 round mag + 1 in the chamber. My rationale is FTF and mag spring wear.

Yes, I do know I'm going to heck for this.

I don't think that you will get heck for it...I understand that many people aren't comfortable using equipment the way it way designed to be used.
Nothing wrong with a sports car 50mph down a straight road.

Passive-aggressive much?

Regardless, I don't believe in abusing my equipment. And, I have countless years of experience with failures that have occurred in equipment well within their design specs. Particularly with metal fatique and items under stress.

Using your sports car anology, my current motorcycle (ST1300) has a 160mph speedometer. While I've been near the top of that, I don't routinely operate in that environment and it's a rare occasion that I'll utilize the 3.3 sec, 0-60 capability. I have however taken the anti-lock brakes to the max. (Thanks, distracted drivers!)

Same with the PX4, right after acquiring the pistol, I ran several boxes of ammo through it loading it to the max, just to assure myself that it would work to spec. Since then, I've under-loaded to reduce stress on the mag spring and to offset any tendency for FTF. However, should I feel the need for a full load, I certainly would not hesitate to top it off.

Well, somebody's got to be different.

When I'm carrying the LCP, obviously it's a full load, but in my PX4, I carry 15 in a 17 round mag + 1 in the chamber. My rationale is FTF and mag spring wear.

Yes, I do know I'm going to heck for this.