What's wrong with dropping a cartridge in the chamber?

Question

With modern semi automatic handguns why is it recommended to charge the firearm with an inserted magazine, and not simply dropping a cartridge in the chamber, closing the slide, and loading a magazine?

Why does it make a difference?

Answer 1

This is 1911 lore, which dumass said it was Glocks? Most modern pistols have a fairly substantial extractor and when you drop the slide it just springs out over the rim of the cartridge. Modern 1911s like my Kimber have an external extractor and similarly have no real issue with it. 1911 purists often dislike these designs because the external extractor isn't as pretty as the internal (see the first link to see the internal extractor and the second for the external extractor on a Kimber). Amusingly Kimber seem to doctor their images so the the extractor doesn't show, see the third link on their web site for the same pistol as the second but doctored to hide the extractor, unless they changed all their slides and didn't tell anyone?.

So what was wrong with the extractor on the 1911? It has to be shaped just so or it won't reliably engage the rim and dropping the slide on a round can damage the extractor with a single event. The original extractor is a springy bit of steel that is burried inside the slide, when you drop the slide on a cartridge is forces this 'tuned' piece of steel out over the rim whereas in normal use the cartridge rim is slid up under the extractor as the slide strips the round from the magazine and loads it into the chamber. This is called 'controlled feed' and is common to most modern semi-autos (I don't know any that don't do this). The link below describes the problem with the 1911 extractor and says:-

"Problems can occur immediately, or over time when this important 1911 operational rule is not followed: Always load the chamber by cycling a cartridge into the chamber from a loaded magazine."

I own four semi auto pistols (Kimber, Sig, Glock and Beretta) and despite none of them suffering from any issues in this area I still don't load cartridges by dropping them in the chamber simply because it's not the 'normal' way and I prefer not to cause the extractor to work in an unusual way.

Answer 2

It's all about wearing the edge of that extractor. I have a Kimber Custom II 1911 and never do it. Also,some autos (like my Buckmark .22) are slingshot operated only, with the slide stop only being a slide stop and not a slide release. These guns also have smaller, less stout extractors that can wear easier. Glocks should get the slingshot treatment as well.
It all has to do with how the slide release/stop is designed. By the way, my Kimber has the standard extractor, not that lousy external job. Go on any 1911 bulletin board and all you read are complaints about it. External extractors on a 1911 are for suckers. And to think that people pay all of that money for a 1911 with such an unreliable part!

Answer 3

I would say it is more of a habitual thing. At the range when you reload, you: drop a mag, insert a new one, and then release the slide. You don't: drop the mag, insert a new one, *insert a single cartidge in the chamber*, and then release the slide....that doesn't make sense. Dropping a cartidge into the chamber isn't really "natural."

I keep my pistol loaded with a full mag and one in the chamber. It has always seemed odd to me to insert the mag, chamber, drop the mag, put one more in the mag and re-insert the mag. Instead, I just use a second mag with a single round in it.

Answer 4

It's mostly the flimsy extractors on Glocks that are a problem. They're designed to have the rim of the cartridge slide up and under the extractor, and if you drop one in the chamber, it's pushed up and over the extractor, which has a great chance of breaking off the points of the extractor and causing your pistol to jam far more frequently due to cartridges failing to eject.

I know three people who carry and they all keep it hammer down on a live round. This is with a 1911A1, 92F, and a Sig 220. None of them have ever had a problem with keeping their pistols at capacity+1, and if they'd ever need to use them, they're already ahead by one, and don't have to pull the slide to chamber a round.

Answer 5

There's usually nothing wrong with it, other than it is a bit tough on your extractor. When feeding from a magazine, the edge of the rim will slide up and under the extractor. When you drop a round in the chamber and close the action, the rim of the casing forces the extractor to move outward and slip over the rim. The less flexing and stress on the extractor, the better.

Answer 6

you don't want to have the weapon discharge prematurely

if there is one ready - the weapon can be fired

don't LOAD until you are READY to shoot!

(and I consider any weapon that I handle loaded - until I see the chamber clean)

remember our local police dept had a new handgun to show around - the owner took the magazine out and gave it to another officer - who pointed it at the top of the clock
and HIT the 1 when it fired

he was given 3 days off (hopefully because he did not hit the 12 he was aiming at)

just gun safety

Answer 7

Because most of us learned that it's faster to just slap in a mag and rack the slide, instead of fumbling with a single round.

Just like the racking of a pump shotgun action is the single most recognizable sound as a criminal deterrent , the racking of a pistol slide says "i'm loaded".

Answer 8

Less chance of accidental discharge
Less wear on the extractor

Outside of beretta owners, not too many people know that the 92 series pistols are designed to be top fed ammo safely, the 96 series pistols are as well.

Answer 9

You can. You run an increased risk of a jam... but you can load single rounds into a semi-auto pistol.

Answer 10

It is just hard on the extractor, that's all.

H