Author Topic: Chambering Semiauto First Shots (Read 3018 times)

john9001 · « **Reply #45 on:** April 04, 2007, 09:02:09 AM »

amazing, the slide locks back on a empty magazine, absolutely amazing.

i don't know what to say.

take a firearms training course.

Gunthr · « **Reply #46 on:** April 04, 2007, 09:04:43 AM »

Quote

Have any of you ever had a failure of a mag that you could attribute to the springs "taking a set"? I didn't think so.. laser may of read about it tho.

i've never heard of that. my gun is always loaded - mags loaded to capacity for years - never any problem. new mags have usually gone from being really stiff when brand new, to a little less stiff after being broke in. but then they stay that way and do not lose strength.

Captain Virgil Hilts · « **Reply #47 on:** April 04, 2007, 09:10:17 AM »

I got into the habit of rotating my magazines. Out of three to five magazines, each month I unload one, and load the one that was unloaded in the previous month. Probably not necessary. I've seen people take a 1911 that was left loaded with the same magazine and ammunition, including the one round in the chamber, for 20 years or more, and shoot it dry, with no failure to feed or eject.

AquaShrimp · « **Reply #48 on:** April 04, 2007, 09:10:51 AM »

See Rules #2, #4, #5, #16? (last warning for you, next time you are banned)

Xargos · « **Reply #49 on:** April 04, 2007, 09:17:58 AM »

Laz, I had a Colt officers model .45 and it had a double spring in the slide. If you did not put it in just right it would cause problems. It is the only auto that I ever had that problem and I did not keep it long.

As for the statement on not loading the mags all the way, I kept some aside that where fully loaded but did not use as often at the range and the ones that I did use the most at the range I would load them one short trying to make the spring last a little longer. I know many other people in law enforcement who do the same thing.

P.S. The reason I used the term "set" is because that was the term the gunsmith at the prison I worked at used when he looked at it.

Shuffler · « **Reply #50 on:** April 04, 2007, 09:23:40 AM »

My XD 45 was a little stiff new as can be expected. After about 150 rounds through it you'll find if get better. As for locking back.... it should never lock back unless the clip is empty. Springfield has lifetime warrantee... I suggest you contact them.

Hornet33 · « **Reply #51 on:** April 04, 2007, 09:38:42 AM »

I'm getting out of all the responses you've made that this problem ONLY occurs when your SIMULATING loading the weapon at home. Is this correct? You've also stated that you DO NOT use live rounds when practicing this at home, and are doing so with an EMPTY magazine. Is this correct?

If the above statements are true, then what is happening is to be expected. With an empty mag in the pistol, if you pull the slide fully to the rear it WILL lock open on the empty mag. It's designed to do this. With a live round in the mag the slide should never lock open if pulled fully to the rear unless you are manualy engaging the locking lever.

Has this situation ever occured at the range when firing live ammo? If you are having feed issues at the range it could be several things. 1. you are not pulling the slide fully to the rear. 2. the magazine is not seated all the way in the pistol. 3. the ammo your using, the pistol doesn't like it. 4. the magazine is defective.

As some other people have suggested, go buy yourself some "Snap Caps" (practice rounds) and use them. They can be purchased at any gun store and most ranges I've been to will have them. You can also order them online from many places. Here's a link just in case you need it.
MidwayUSA

lasersailor184 · « **Reply #52 on:** April 04, 2007, 11:00:39 AM »

Lazs, I had one decent mag (not a quality, but not a cheap one either) have problems with the last round feeding after keeping it fully loaded (7 rounds) for about 3 months.

I have since bought two quality ones from Numrich which have worked really well, but I keep them unloaded, mainly because I don't have them with me, nor a need for them right now.

Keiler · « **Reply #53 on:** April 04, 2007, 12:16:42 PM »

About the spring issue..

It depends on the steel of which the spring is made of. If its low quality stuff it will wear out whatever you do. Putting it away loaded will tire it out, loading and unloading will kill it even faster.
Quality spring steel and a spring made out of it for its purpose (ie well engineered), will ONLY wear out due to cycling, i.e. loading-unloading procedures. Static load will do absolutely nothing to it.

Matt

Terror · « **Reply #54 on:** April 04, 2007, 12:33:12 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Halo
The XD has never locked open when I'm firing it. Only when I'm doing home drill with an UNLOADED magazine.

Yet the manual does say if there is a feeding problem, the slide can be pulled back and locked.

This is the same for all pistols, isn't it?

Yes, an unloaded mag will cause the slide to lock open. Get youself some "snapcaps" 9mm example (dummy rounds) and load your mag with them. Then you won't have the problem of the slide locking to the rear while practicing.

To lock the slide back with a loaded mag in the pistol, you have to manually hold the "slide lock" lever up while pulling back and releasing the slide.

The proper way to chamber the first round from a full mag in a semi auto pistol is to pull the slide FULLY to the rear and release it. Do not hold onto the the slide as it returns to battery as this will reduce it's inertia. Allow it to return to battery with it's full inertia.

Terror

lazs2 · « **Reply #55 on:** April 04, 2007, 02:21:05 PM »

lazer... mags fail for any of a number of reasons... the spring taking a set because it was left in a loaded condition is not one of em tho so far as I have been able to tell.

If I thought that a mag would be useless after being left loaded for 3 months... or three years for that matter, I would not even own such a mag.

lazs

Masherbrum · « **Reply #56 on:** April 04, 2007, 03:32:33 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by lasersailor184
Lazs, I had one decent mag (not a quality, but not a cheap one either) have problems with the last round feeding after keeping it fully loaded (7 rounds) for about 3 months.

I have since bought two quality ones from Numrich which have worked really well, but I keep them unloaded, mainly because I don't have them with me, nor a need for them right now.

It should have worked after only 3 months Laser. Maybe the "feed ramp" is at fault? Just saying is all, seems weird after that short of time.

Dago · « **Reply #57 on:** April 04, 2007, 04:02:46 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Halo
(quote) For Gods sakes people, get it right. It isn't hard.

If you can't get the slide all the way back, have your wife chamber the first round for you, since you are too weak. (unquote)

Dago, can you spell s u p e r i o r i t y c o m p l e x ?

Halo, can your grasp sarcastic humor? (apparently not)

Halo · « **Reply #58 on:** April 04, 2007, 04:58:45 PM »

Well, guys, thanks again for your concern and advice. I thought I was doing everything fine, but obviously I wasn't.

Ironically, I've had Snap-Caps for other guns, but the .45 was always out of stock. Today I found some. And they have made a world of difference. Guns are sold with nearly all the basic stuff needed nowadays, but they should include Snap-Caps too.

I took my XD to the gun store and consulted with a couple of the experts. They quickly assured me and demonstrated that the XD does NOT lock open with a loaded magazine.

So as some of you mentioned, my practicing with an unloaded magazine was almost worse than not practicing at all because I was not only making wrong assumptions but doing wrong "corrections."

To my embarrassment I realized my left hand is not strong enough to reliably chamber shells in the pistol! Geez I hate that. But, gotta face the facts. I was dinking and fudging the slide when I should have been snapping it with authority.

Fortunately I have no trouble holding the XD in my left hand and cocking the slide with my right hand. That's what I should have been doing all along. My own quirky but effective way of fixing the problem.

Without the Snap-Caps to verify if a shell was in the chamber, I had no way of knowing many of my make-believe chamberings were not happening. As Virgil in particular was warning me, I was "learning" the wrong lessons.

This has been a revelation. I'm not even going to try cocking large pistols anymore with the traditional right hand hold and left hand ****, both hands facing forward.

Instead, I need to hold the pistol in the left hand, hand facing backward, and **** the slide with the right hand facing forward and pulling backward. Sets up much better opposing forces for me. Know thyself, huh?

Mighy take a few more seconds, but better slower and correct than faster and wrong.

The XD as always is perfect. What a great gun. Still my favorite home defense and plinker. But much as I studied it, I didn't continue far enough to graduate with the Snap-Caps. Now I think we're combat ready, although as many of you have said, only with good periodic practice to include, of course, shooting at the firing range.

Thanks again to all of you for insisting I realize something not only was amiss but needed to be fixed quickly, and then showing me the best way to do it.

Halo · « **Reply #59 on:** April 04, 2007, 05:08:36 PM »

(quote) Halo, can your grasp sarcastic humor? (apparently not) (unquote)

To paraphrase W. Rogers, I never met a Humor I didn't like, but Sarcasm is smirking on the edge. Gets tedious quickly, e.g., most people tolerate Leno better than Rickles.