The mystical +1

[middy]

"In almost any situation a civilian is likely to find him or her self in, one is enough." Not trying to be a jerk here, but I have to assume you haven't seen very many people that have been shot by handguns ?

No, I haven't, but I realize that 1-shot stops are rare, I'm just taking into account the fact that 9 times out of 10, when a civilian defends themselves with a handgun, they don't have to shoot at all. Just the threat of that one bullet is enough.

I like to be more prepared for that 1 time out of ten and carry at least 5 shots.

If carrying 35 rounds makes you feel more comfortable then that's all right by me, I'm just relating my own comfort level.

 

[444]

I thought that was where you were coming from with that statement. And, from what I have read, it is true. I always have to wonder about that though. It must be referring to home invasion type situations.
In most states it is illegal to brandish a gun unless you have been presented with a threat of deadly force. Because true threats to one's life are very fast paced, I can't imagine very many situations where you would draw your weapon (in response to a deadly threat) and then not instantly fire. By definition, if there was no need to instantly fire, there were no legal grounds for drawing the weapon.

 

[Yowza]

444

That may be true in theory, but by many accounts I've read on this forum and elsewhere, people with evil intent have a tendency to change direction really quickly when confronted with an unexpected weapon. Once an attack is broken off, it would usually be a pretty bad idea to fire.

Rick

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

Andrew the question is, even though you carry seven in the mag, do you add one in the chamber?

with my 7 round magazines, i top off the magazine after chambering a round.

with my 8 rounders, i don't.


I don't like loading 8 rounders to full capacity, because they're harder to seat on reloads.

 

[gazpacho]

Get FACTORY 8rd Kimber or 8rd Colt magazines. Both are actually CMC Shooting Star magazines. I keep a small ammo case filled with 20 7rd MecGar mags for TEOTWAWKI. The 7rdrs have proven them selves reliable for extreme long term storage.

 

[Black Snowman]

Like my friend who carried illegally in his car for several years which saved him from about a dozen potential car-jackings. Had to pull it 8 times, only had to reach down for it in 4 or 5 instances to get them to back off. Never had to fire.

More than a dozen other times he ran red lights to avoid trouble.

 

[BluesBear]

I'm just taking into account the fact that 9 times out of 10, when a civilian defends themselves with a handgun, they don't have to shoot at all. Just the threat of that one bullet is enough.

Then why not just play the odds and carry a Remington style Douible Derringer?

That logic also plays right into the gun grabbers theory that no one needs an 11 shot magazine.

 

[jc2]

I think it's really more of psychological/comfort thing (on the user's part). My comfort level starts at six, and after that, it really doesn't matter--six or sixteen. I was just never comfortable with five-shots--whether they were .38, .44 or .45--up it to six, and I'm OK.

That being said, I always stuck with the seven round magazine for the 1911. I never really did trust the eight-rounders--and that includes Shooting Stars (Chip McCormack) and Wilson. I had enough reliability problems with them that they just weren't real comforting.

 

[Black Majik]

"Its better to have it and not need it than the need it and not have it."

Having an extra round never hurts to have.


I personally like the 8 rounders. Topped off, it is 8 + 1. That's close to 9mm territory in capacity (California "standard" capacity)

 

[Jeff Timm]

Michael T observed: "Barney always did alright with one in his pocket."

But it was a .45!

Geoff
Who prefers a .45.

 

[BluesBear]

In the bud,

Let's Nip It In The Bud!â„¢

Bernard P. Fife (aka Bernard Milton Fife) carried (depending on which season) either a 5" barreled Colt Official Police or 6" Police Positive Special revolver chambered in .38 Special.

The "bullet" carried in his pocket was a round nosed lead loading. It was more than likely either a 150 grain or 158 grain version.

 

[Highland Ranger]

more is better

but I believe the +1 issue is also about reliability - if the gun can operate well "fully" loaded then why not - as long as you rotate your ammo

 

[riverdog]

One of my Colt GM's has a problem with Wilson 47D's. The 8 rnd Wilson uses fewer coils with thinner wire in the spring; hence, they start out with a weaker spring. The 7 rnd Wilson, 8 rnd and 10 rnd Shooting Star work just fine. So that Colt pistol gets a factory, USGI or 7 rnd Wilson mag, or an 8 rnd Shooting Star. With the others I use standard Wilson 47D 8 rnd mags, but I don't top them off, it's a second round reliability thing.

 

[Mixlesplick]

I think it's really more of psychological/comfort thing (on the user's part).

I am psychologically more comfortable carrying as many rounds as my pistol will hold. That said, I carry a Kahr with six plus one and a spare mag. I am seriously considering a Glock or Sig if I get some money back from my taxes so I can up the number of rounds in the gun I carry. I will still need my super thin Kahr in some situations though.

 

[444]

I am amazed that this is still being discussed.

To me, this would be like going on a cross country car trip and every time you stop for gas you fill the tank 3/4s full.
Why ?
I have no idea: maybe you are so conservative that you just can't allow yourself to take advantage of everytihng offered to you. I always suspected that on my dads side of the family what made the happy was being unhappy: being the martyr or something ???

 

[fastbolt]

I use a simpler formula for my .45 pistols ...

Reliability first, last & always ... with the "benefit" of an additional round being considered only after the reliability requirement has been addressed.

If there's a difference in reliability in any respect, comparing a 7 or 8 round magazine in a specific .45 platform, then I go with the better reliability.

I've encountered "big name" 8-round 1911 magazines that wouldn't provide the continued level of consistent reliability, with factory ammunition, that I desire ...

Everything being the same? Well, how often is EVERYTHING the same?

I've switched back over to 7-round capacity magazines for my 1911's, by the way ... and I also know some "special folks" that became tired of feeding malfunctions in their 1911's when using 8-round magazines, particularly last-round feeding malfunctions. One fellow told me that he'd been experiencing last-round failures-to-feed in as few as 1200 rounds having been fired from a magazine that was only a few months old.

Everyone's gotta satisfy themselves when it comes right down to it, don't they?

 

[Motor-T]

"You can't carry too much ammo... unless you're trying to swim... or on fire." -Shamelessly stolen from comp-tac.com

I bought my SIG 229 because it was a good fit for me. I bought the 12rd mags because I couldn't think of a good reason to carry 11rds when I could carry 13rds.

If you can think of a good reason not to carry 7+1, don't.
Is it extra trouble to top off? Certainly.
If you ever need that 8th round it will have been worth every time you topped off.

"nobody who's ever been involved in a two-way pistol match wishes afterwards that they had brought a smaller gun that held fewer bullets". (Great sound bite)

 

[threefeathers]

My 1911s all like Shooting Star Power Mags and have never choked. I shoot a lot. All but my Colt 1911 El Companero that likes the Shooting Star in 10 rounds of 38 Super. You can have a 1911 in high cap, a 38 super with one in the tube and 10 in the mag. Voila, 11 rounds.

 

[BluesBear]

fast bolt, I agree than some 191 pattern pistols prefer seven round mages over eight.

But this topic is about ALL semi-auto pistols regardless of magazine capacity.

The original topic was to load the magazine, insert it into the gun, rack a round into the chamber and then NOT refill the magazine. :banghead:


My current carry Colt loves 8 round mags. But I carried for years before there even was such a thing as an 8 round 1911 mag.
So I carried 7+1 in the pistol and 14 extra.