Typo error. Should read virtually as STIFF as a solid bar.

This sounds like a point made by some instructors I’ve heard. On some pistol mags, not all, getting that very last round into the mag totally compresses the spring. There is virtually no more spring left. The stack of rounds in the mag is virtually as still as a solid bar. When putting such a “stiff” mag into a pistol with its slide forward, there is a LOT of extra pressure upward on the slide. This can be enough to 1. Prevent the mag from seating properly or 2. impede the movement of the slide, leading to a malfunction. This always seemed like solid information. Now I never “force” that last round into pistol mags where the spring is 100% compressed and there is not even an extra millimeter to spare. BTW, this has nothing to do with putting 29 into an AR mag. I have always loaded 30, and there is still a little “play” downward on the AR mag spring.

Red Dots, Lasers other useful tools can help keep us in the fight. Barrel compensators all can contribute to elderly folk remaining “ dangerous” and “ Safe”.

Admittedly I no longer practice my pistol skills like I did as a young man. I no longer carry a 1911 I’ve gone to a Glock 19, or a 42 or the Sig 365 with the built on comp. A game changer for the elderly wishing to remain relevant, and self sufficient.

End of the day for us all, practice is critical, be it combat mag changes, or holster Re holster, muscle memory is key!

While I have a large selection of carry weapons, I generally carry a Glock 19 with a red dot sight, and suppressor height backup sights. A Glock 17 mag and a 20 round back up is what works for me. A very good holster in what my friend Bill Buppert calls “ Dick Carry” crotch carry, for that consistency required.

I read above that “ Some” are training no mag change? I’m amused, around here we don’t follow that nonsense, in fact my closest friends are Master Instructor’s at Thunder Ranch, over in Lakeview Oregon, we were police officers who worked closely many years ago. Mag changes pistol and rifle are worked and worked some more to gain the skills sets to achieve both a clean mag change and a clear mind to push thru in a gun fight.

Dirk

“Some trainers even advocate dispensing with the spare magazine.”

Yeah…uhhh… don’t do that… carry spares and practice reloads.

Years ago I used to think that way…until that one incident over several in my lifetime. And that told me that although you might not ever need it, there just might be that one time you do need a spare mag or more than just one spare.

If I had not had three 15 round magazines that day my wife and I would have died that day. And even then, when it was over and I had fired my last shot I had just 3 rounds left in my last magazine.

So, ya can carry what you want…but if by chance you run into that one time where it could happen… its going to be really stressing to think “Damn it! I need another mag.”

The answer is simple…its because it can happen.

I know from personal experience. I related the tale over at TTAG so won’t go into it here.

One private instructor I had to take to renew my CA CCW forcefully told the handful of students in that day’s course (including me with them) he never wanted to see anyone struggling with a reload, and that mags should always slide in easily and smoothly “if you know what you’re doing”. Well, he carried a 1911 Government that is a cinch to reload, while most of us were carrying true compact EDCs such as Shields, G43s, etc that can show some resistance when the round at the top of the mag touches the inside of the slide upon insertion, and require some pressure to close the remaining 1/8″ inch before locking shut. When I trained in former professional courses, I would always use my full size G17 which was always easy to reload. But for my EDC, it’s a bit different, and I quickly found that live fire reloads under time stress required me to think a little differently and adjust my hands to achieve a proper reload.

Whatever gat you choose to carry, whatever stance, whatever ammo, whatever holster, whatever conceal position…train for it.

I did that once during a live fire drill in a course with conceal/cover tactics. Made my way across a course to a station offering cover, leaned out to place rounds on the required steel targets, then ducked back to safety while I dumped the mag and reloaded. I knew there was still a single round left in the mag, but the instructor assigned to me (there were four for our class of 30+ students) was watching and I was under a time deadline to complete the exercise. After I finished, he pointed to the mag on the ground and asked, “why did you leave good ammo behind?” I told him it was only a single round, and he shook his head and said “every round might be the one that stops the threat and saves your life…next time keep that in a pocket for retrieval, not cast aside and wasted.”