Loading mags to capacity

[Blackstone45]

I currently shoot IPSC Production, so there are no restrictions on magazine size, just how many you can have loaded. I'll be getting a Standard (ie. Limited) gun soon so wanted some advice on whether people load their magazines to full capacity. A fully loaded magazine is usually harder to seat on a closed slide, so do people get around this by down-loading the mag by a round?

[Braxton1]

Most folks calculate what their "reloadable" capacity is and what their "full up" capacity is.

 

For example, my Limited mags are reloadable at 19 but very tough at 20.  The mags on the belt are all at 19, but the one in the gun is a "barney'ed up" 20 (meaning 20 in the mag and one in the chamber).  I'll double check that the mag catch has fully-engaged its slot in the magazine, ensuring that the mag is fully-seated during the "Make Ready" process.

 

[Blackstone45]

2 minutes ago, Braxton1 said:

Most folks calculate what their "reloadable" capacity is and what their "full up" capacity is.

 

For example, my Limited mags are reloadable at 19 but very tough at 20.  The mags on the belt are all at 19, but the one in the gun is a "barney'ed up" 20 (meaning 20 in the mag and one in the chamber).  I'll double check that the mag catch has fully-engaged its slot in the magazine, ensuring that the mag is fully-seated during the "Make Ready" process.

 

Thanks, this sounds like the sensible approach

[Joe4d]

yeh back when limited was a main division there were lots of threads on mag capacity.. usually referred to as "X" reloadable...  with a 32 round max, and generally 19-23 round starts, reloading with more than 19 wasnt needed. Reloadable meant you could easily seat it.. Generally that was 1 round down.. 

[Haywizzle]

I usually do the same thing with my CZs in carry optics (141.25mm max length). I have a few different mag setups. I've started 23 + 1 for years without issue, making sure to tug on the bottom of the mag during the make ready to make sure it's truly seated. The mags on the belt are loaded to 22 for easier insertion. 

 

I've experimented with some newer base pad and follower kit setups that allow 24 in the mag. Some are reloadable on a closed side others are absolutely not. Most scenarios it's not worth the risk of a bad reload and a mag hitting the ground when you present at a target.

[IVC]

Downloaded - the last thing you want is to slam the mag in on reload only to have it pop out on the next shot. If it's tight, it's not worth the risk. Even the initial magazine, where you can force it in, is rarely worth it unless your stage design really calls for *every* single round to be used prior to reload. But if you run the gun dry, you'll have to rack the slide as most Limited guns don't slide lock on empty; a mess . 

[Blackstone45]

2 hours ago, IVC said:

But if you run the gun dry, you'll have to rack the slide as most Limited guns don't slide lock on empty; a mess . 

Is this a byproduct of strange follower/spring setups to maximise capacity in a mag?

[Haywizzle]

29 minutes ago, Blackstone45 said:

Is this a byproduct of strange follower/spring setups to maximise capacity in a mag?

A few follower makers will have competition followers designed to not lock back and maximize capacity, MBX, Atlas, and others. Those two both sell lockback followers for those that want that feature. I've trimmed Grams followers to have them not lock back.

 

My limited 2011 has a modified slide stop to not lock back on an empty mag because a normal one will sometimes lock back with a round still in the mag. 

[waktasz]

On 2/27/2024 at 9:42 AM, Braxton1 said:

Most folks calculate what their "reloadable" capacity is and what their "full up" capacity is.

 

For example, my Limited mags are reloadable at 19 but very tough at 20.  The mags on the belt are all at 19, but the one in the gun is a "barney'ed up" 20 (meaning 20 in the mag and one in the chamber).  I'll double check that the mag catch has fully-engaged its slot in the magazine, ensuring that the mag is fully-seated during the "Make Ready" process.

 

 

Yep. My CO mags are 24+1 to start, 23 reloadable. 

This is generally how we refer to capacity. 

[RJH]

10 hours ago, Blackstone45 said:

Is this a byproduct of strange follower/spring setups to maximise capacity in a mag?

 

 

It's either people trying to get the most capacity out of their gun, or modifying a slide stop so that it doesn't work, or both. A lot of guys don't want their slide stop to work because reloading extended magazines into guns with a slide lock back tends to screw up ejectors

[Haywizzle]

16 minutes ago, RJH said:

 

 

It's either people trying to get the most capacity out of their gun, or modifying a slide stop so that it doesn't work, or both. A lot of guys don't want their slide stop to work because reloading extended magazines into guns with a slide lock back tends to screw up ejectors

True, that's a good point. Traditional magazine/base pad setups usually makes contact with the frame to not over insert on a reload. Extended magazines, especially in use with a magwell, usually don't stop on the frame/magwell when reloading. If the slide is locked back, one is able to sometimes over insert the magazine on a vigorous reload causing problems sending the slide home. It could also cause unnecessary wear on the catch cut out of a magazine.

[IVC]

5 hours ago, RJH said:

It's either people trying to get the most capacity out of their gun, or modifying a slide stop so that it doesn't work, or both. A lot of guys don't want their slide stop to work because reloading extended magazines into guns with a slide lock back tends to screw up ejectors

You normally don't mess with the slide stop, you modify the follower. The flat followers will allow the spring to bottom out, but at the expense of not having the bulk to push the slide stop up on the last round. 

[IVC]

15 hours ago, Blackstone45 said:

Is this a byproduct of strange follower/spring setups to maximise capacity in a mag?

Yes, you can get an extra round into the magazine if you thin the follower and allow it to go further down. But such follower normally won't have the ability to push the slide stop up. Even if it did, once you make followers very thin, you don't want them to interact with the slide because they could potentially twist or cause other issues. A tall follower sits very firmly inside the magazine tube, the thin one so-so. 

[392heminut]

On 2/28/2024 at 1:46 AM, Haywizzle said:

 

My limited 2011 has a modified slide stop to not lock back on an empty mag because a normal one will sometimes lock back with a round still in the mag. 

 That is fixable and still have normal slide lock on an empty mag. I have trimmed several slide stops in both 1911s and 2011s that were doing this and still had full function. I just recently went from Bear Creek bullets that I had been using for years to a different bullet from Blue Bullets. The Blue Bullets started causing this issue in my ST! Trojan 40 because they had slightly more bulge in the ogive. A few strokes with the file fixed it. I shot the Western States Single Stack Classic last weekend, 400 rnds and no problem with the slide locking when it wasn't supposed to, but it locked back on every empty mag and there were a LOT of empty mags in that match!