What's the proper way to load the +1?

[CHLSteve]

Just wondering if there's a correct (safest) way to do this.

Slide lock open, drop a round directly into the chamber, drop the slide and insert the magazine?

Or insert the magazine, rack the slide, remove the magazine, load one more round, and the replace the magazine?

Does it even matter?

[WildBill]

Or insert the magazine, rack the slide, remove the magazine, load one more round, and the replace the magazine?

I think this is the consensus as the proper method.

Does it even matter?

Some people think so.

[flb_78]

Ive read that the ejector could be damaged by just dropping 1 in the barrel. I don't know if it's true or not though.

I add the +1 now by going through the mag.

[AEA]

Just wondering if there's a correct (safest) way to do this.

Slide lock open, drop a round directly into the chamber, drop the slide and insert the magazine?

Never,.....NEVER......NEVER Do this.....
You can damage your extractor!

ALWAYS strip rounds off the magazine.

If you MUST load the +1, insert Mag and cycle slide to strip one off. Drop Mag and reload one into it.

[CertifiedKJ]

In my Glock 26, it's just a 10 round mag, but it allows me to add the +1, pretty much making it an 11 round mag.

[flb_78]

Just for shiggles, I very slowed racked my pistol to watch the extractor. It does not slide over the rim, the cartridge and the extractor "mesh" as the slide comes forward and the cartridge is raised into the chamber.

I can now see how just dropping one into the chamber and dropping the slide could damage the extractor.

[ETexPops]

Probably makes a lot of difference depending on the type of gun you are loading. XD's won't work with the adding one to the chamber routine. You have to rack one out of the mag and then top of the mag again. Just don't know about other brands.

[CHLSteve]

ALWAYS strip rounds off the magazine.

If you MUST load the +1, insert Mag and cycle slide to strip one off. Drop Mag and reload one into it.

Gotcha... but why would anyone NOT want to load +1? Isn't the idea to have the most rounds your gun can carry ready to go?

[srothstein]

Some people are not as concerned about one round as others are. I prefer to carry as full as I can, but I know many who do not even load their magazines fully.

A long time ago, I was taught to never load a magazine fully because it could cause the spring to compress and set, losing some of its elasticity. I have since learned that this is not true, at least with modern metallurgy and springs. I still occasionally hear someone giving this advice, but the reason is now that a full magazine can jam or be too hard to insert and seat fully.

If people still believe this (and it might be true for some weapons but not for mine), then they might not want to load the plus one.

[Pinkycatcher]

Probably makes a lot of difference depending on the type of gun you are loading. XD's won't work with the adding one to the chamber routine. You have to rack one out of the mag and then top of the mag again. Just don't know about other brands.

I've tried with with my Glock, and the side won't fully close, so it doesn't work with Glocks. (Unlike in the movies, I've actually seen someone do it in a movie with a glock, so I wanted to try!

[jimlongley]

In the case of the Colt style extractor, a piece of metal with a "sprung" bend to it, maybe damage would occur by dropping a round in the chamber and allowing the slide to slam shut on it, but also remember that there is a relief cut there for just exactly that to happen, if there wasn't you couldn't try to extract an unextracted round using just exactly that technique.

On some 1911s, and a variety of other handguns, including the m1919 and other Browning designed and inspired machine guns and many other long guns, the extractors are spring loaded and designed to ride over the rim without damage.

[Oldgringo]

Just wondering if there's a correct (safest) way to do this.

Slide lock open, drop a round directly into the chamber, drop the slide and insert the magazine?

Never,.....NEVER......NEVER Do this.....
You can damage your extractor!

ALWAYS strip rounds off the magazine.

If you MUST load the +1, insert Mag and cycle slide to strip one off. Drop Mag and reload one into it.

That's what I was taught by wise old semi-auto gunslingers and I do want one in the chamber. Furthermore, I think 10 or so rounds in the magazine should be sufficient. I don't want to carry the extra weight plus any gunfight I get in will probably be over - one way or another - before me and my opponent/s exchange 20+ rounds.

[AEA]

ALWAYS strip rounds off the magazine.

If you MUST load the +1, insert Mag and cycle slide to strip one off. Drop Mag and reload one into it.

Gotcha... but why would anyone NOT want to load +1? Isn't the idea to have the most rounds your gun can carry ready to go?

While some of my 1911's accept a fully loaded 8 round mag just fine, a couple of them don't quite like it. My Kobra Carry for example will take it but it takes a bit of effort to get it all the way in and locked.

Therefore, I do not carry a full 8 rounder in any of my 1911's anymore. I load an 8 rounder and rack the slide, leaving 7 in the mag.

I carry 2 spare mags. If I can't get the job done with 24 rounds, I really doubt that 25 would make any difference.

[Liberty]

Just wondering if there's a correct (safest) way to do this.

Slide lock open, drop a round directly into the chamber, drop the slide and insert the magazine?

Never,.....NEVER......NEVER Do this.....
You can damage your extractor!

ALWAYS strip rounds off the magazine.

If you MUST load the +1, insert Mag and cycle slide to strip one off. Drop Mag and reload one into it.

Depends on the gun. While might not be recommended for lesser guns such as Glocks or 1911s, Beretta suggests loading the chamber to fire the gun in singleshot mode in case the mags are lost or misplaced. It has something to do with the open slide design.

[KD5NRH]

I generally use one of my low-cap mags to supply the +1, and then swap it to a hi-cap. It's just building a habit to get the gun ready to go ASAP whenever I'm ready for it, rather than fooling around topping off a mag while the gun sits there with the magwell empty. I do a similar process with DA revolvers when I'm changing ammo for practice; load up a speedloader with the ammo I'm changing to, then dump the cylinder and load from the speedloader. Same thing when switching back to carry ammo after practice.