Topping off your mag...good idea or bad?

I have noticed more reliable feeding when I don't top off. If a jam is going to occur, it seems to happen at either the first or last shot. When that top round is chambered and the magazine is not topped off, my reliability is quite boring. When a round is chambered and the magazine is topped off, a jam will happen every now and then.

I'm not saying my way is the right way, it's just what makes me feel better, and what seems to work for me. Compromising reliability for one extra round isn't for me. If I'm fightin' for my life I want every bit of reliability/decreased chance of a malfunction I can get. Just tryin' to increase my chances of survival.
 
Last edited:
I think Creature hit it right on. Of course it's good to top off, BUT, if for any reason you need to change your gun to unchambered before you get back home... that extra round now maybe doesn't have a very good home. So that can be a reason not to jam "one more" in. It all depends on each person's individual circumstances and situation.
 
"Surely someone out there does not. If you dont, I am interested to know why."

I always load my magazines 1 or more short. I believe it helps the springs last longer, makes the pistols function better, and I like knowing my first pistolfull is a nice-round number, like 10 or 15.
 
When you go into combat, you learn to top off every chance that you get. If you have the right cover available and you have the time and if you can keep a weather eye out for the hostiles, top off. I don't care if it is single stack or double stack. Top off. You also learn to top off while a buddy watches out for the enemy or hostiles and then he tops off while you watch for the zombies. Every chance that you get, make improvements to your combat situation. I learned that overseas in Viet Nam from an old paratrooper sergeant and his advice help keep me alive over there for 19 months. Every day I saw him do a little bit more to his foxhole, check his magazines, position his grenades and so on. In between the firefights he would reload his magazines and reposition or replace his claymore mines as needed. Yes, top off when possible.
 
while I agree with what you say, I'm not sure that's what they meant by topping off. I read it as, do you do an "administrative load" with your weapon or do you simply do a "speed load" (forgive me if I got the terms wrong).

IIRC....

Administrative load: fill the mag to capacity, insert, chamber one, drop the mag and insert a final round, reinsert mag.

Speed load: fill the mag to capacity, chamber one, you're done.
 
With only a mag capacity of 7 for my daily carry, you bet I top off. I need to get an extra mag or two now that you mention it.
 
With my Hi-Power I don't top off and I only carry 12 rds in my spare mags. Not from any real conviction, just the way I have always done it. As I carry a revolver more often than an auto I'm not really worried about only having 13 on tap. I carry my single stacks topped off. I download my 20 and 30rd rifle mags by 2 and my home defence pump shotguns by 1.
 
Happly I have much Glock mags. So my Glock 27 has 10 in the mag, and one in the oven. The spare has a full 10 (these are factory Glock 27s with factory +1 extensions.)

Now if I packed my Glock 17 or 19, well I really would not care if it had 18 or 17 rounds. But the 27 does not even hold a bakers dozen, so I load to max.
 
I don't.

How raised, mentored and all that.

Then again how raised mentored and all that applies to me and like kind.
We also carry dirty guns...

Deal is, our guns run, and we know there will always be more evil than we can ever carry ammunition.
So first off, we do not consider a firearm, or ammunition as being the only tool in the tool box for staying safe.

This frees up a lot of energy that is best used to stay safe.

We also are known to have to drop mag, and rack slide to clear and store a gun,so we don't want to have to keep up with that extra round, and the folks the guns are under care of guns don't have to, so a safety thing.

WE all do the same thing, and repetition becomes habit, and habit becomes faith.
Same reason we only use 7 round mags in 1911, or do not use a greater mag capacity than original mag is.

*shrug*

Reality is, when it is your turn to get injured, maimed or dead, you get injured, maimed or dead.

The universe was clicking along before I or you showed up, and it will continue to, if one gets injured, maimed or dead, despite spouses, kids, friends, material possessions and whatever else.

Accept this and it frees up energy that can better used to stay safe, until check out time.

Carry another gun or two, drawing another is often faster that reloading, and negates the primary gun with any malfunctions.
Drawing from weak side, as many of us were taught, often offers advantages as criminals know intended prey strong side ( they watched you write a check,or open a door) so throwing them off loop is not a bad idea.

Makes sense to me-

Be the firstest with the mostest - Gen. Bedford Forrest, CSA



How raised - what you do.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top