glock 17 mag capacity

[Duane Thomas]

Just because you have been doing something for years doesn't mean it's right.

How about if you've been doing it for decades, over tens of thousands of rounds, without a single problem?

I have taken several Advanced Glock Armorer Courses and this is what they teach Police Personnel.

No offense, dude - and I mean that sincerely - but you are on a web site where you are talking to people who - if your primary source of info is what you were told in a Glock armorer's course - have a level of experience you can only dream of. We're not saying it's okay because we've been told it works. We're going on what our own, real-world, long-term experience has shown us is true.

Also, the reason G-ManBart has that screen name is because he's an FBI agent. When he says something like, "At work we've issued multiple thousands of Glocks, and require that the magazines be fully loaded....hasn't caused any problems yet," understand that "work" is the Federal Bureau of Investigation which has been issuing Glocks since, I believe, the '98-'99 time frame, and factor that into how much weight you want to be giving his information.

If you think you know better, good luck with that.

We're not basing our position on luck. Nor are we basing our opinions on Argument By Authority, i.e. to put forth as the proof of a position's truth the fact that a particular person said it. "Aristotle said this, therefore it must be true." "My instructor said it, so it must be true." Personally I'll take Argument By Firsthand Experience - especially if it's my own - every time.

What's the name of Glenn Becks book?

Well, he has about ten of them, but I assume you mean Arguing With Idiots. If that is the case, please reread the Forum Guidelines regarding the level of civility required to be posting on this board. Thanks.

[alpha-charlie]

Listen up,

Just because you have been doing something for years doesn't mean it's right. I have taken several Advanced Glock Armorer Courses and this is what they teach Police Personnel. If you think you know better, good luck with that. What's the name of Glenn Becks book?

Stay Safe

Well....I'm police personnel and we were trained to load to full capacity and then top off our magazines with another round. And that was with all the firearms that were used: Beretta, S&W, Sig, Ruger, Springfield, and Glock. If you could provide some info that you received at the Advanced Glock Armorer Courses that you attended as to why you should never load to capacity, well, that might help your original statement.

[GForceLizard]

My unscientific survey of my 9mm glock 17 mags. 9 mags all work filled with 17 rounds.

[Rob D]

Listen up,

Just because you have been doing something for years doesn't mean it's right. I have taken several Advanced Glock Armorer Courses and this is what they teach Police Personnel. If you think you know better, good luck with that. What's the name of Glenn Becks book?

Stay Safe

Glock must have recently changed their position on this. I took the Armorers course last month, and their instructions were to load them full. They said that consistent compression and decompression wears out the springs(I can attest to that personally), but that keeping them constantly compressed didn't really have much effect.

That said, if the instructor had said something different, I would still follow Duane and Gman's instructions over the official stance.

Edited December 9, 2010 by Rob D

[Paul-the new guy]

I know that when I load them to the max if I don't slam them in rather forcefully they fall onto the second toe of my right foot as I am moving towards the next target in a stage... Not an issue with the magazine or the gun, an issue with my slamability.

[JonInWA]

Street Survival, I'd be interested for you to lay out for us the specific "Advanced Glock" courses you've personally taken, and the instructors.

I raise an eyebrow whenever someone dogmatically asserts something like you have. Frankly, your chosen screen name and icon does little to dispel this without any further amplification regarding your particular skills, training, qualification, and actual experience.

I'm a graduate the Glock Armorer's Course, taught by Dennis Tueller. Never was what you've stipulated taught.

Glock magazines are designed to be fully functional when loaded to capacity. Duane and G-Man Bart's points are well taken.

However-I personally choose to download my Glock magazines by 1-2 rounds, as I find them easier to load when the slide is at slidelock (i.e., when performing a tactical reload). The additional space allows for some flex for the top cartridge to "give" when hitting the bottom of the feed rail making magazine insertion a bit more certain-I've found this to be particularly a concern with the 10 round G21 .45 ACP magazines when loaded to full capacity. It may also place a bit less stress on the magazine release notch on the magazine tube, prolonging tube life to some degree. But that's my personal choice; a personal preference, not one mandated by any intrinsic flaw in the magazines.

I always carry at least one spare magazine when carrying defensively, so I'm not particularly concerned about having inadequate amounts of ammunition.

However, it's a different world for a LEO, where there conceivably could be very necessary reasons to have maximum capacity (i.e., the need to deliver supressive fire, as well as operating in isolation from back-up, to name just two possibilities). What's critical is a viable training program to insure proper magazine insertion upon reloading.

Spring longevity is a non-issue with this; what causes spring wear is repeated compression and extension, not just compression.

Best, Jon

Edited December 12, 2010 by JonInWA

[Jman]

Listen up,

Just because you have been doing something for years doesn't mean it's right. I have taken several Advanced Glock Armorer Courses and this is what they teach Police Personnel. If you think you know better, good luck with that. What's the name of Glenn Becks book?

Stay Safe

Jeez Jimmy, little harsh no? As Duane mentioned this site has in its ranks some of the most experienced practical and tactical Glock shooters...in the world. Seriously.

You get a do over! I am hopeful that next time, you take into consideration what a 10 year old forum with thousands of members and millions of rounds fired has brought to the table.

Jim