The Dangers Of Bullet Setback

[Astro14]

May be Ruger P90's extractor claw isn't as delicate as on many guns and can withstand this, just a guess.

It’s not just because the claw is “delicate” though that is the case with a 1911 with internal extractor.

The claw may not make the “jump” completely, leaving you out of battery.

The claw may not be the weak point - the spring gets compressed more than it was designed to do.

It may not matter in a Glock, or it may, but some external extractors have the spring right under the extractor arm, and it could be compressed to coil bind and still not allow the extractor to make the “jump”.

Because it was not designed to allow that much extra motion of “jumping” the cartridge rim.

I’ve had a broken extractor spring on a S&W. It made the gun unreliable. But you don’t know it’s broken until you press the extractor pin out of the slide and examine it.

Why abuse a tool?

Why abuse a tool on which your life depends?

Every guy in this forum would be upset if somebody in their household used one of their finely honed chisels to pry open paint cans.

That kind of tool abuse gets widely criticized, and complained about, but somehow, that kind of tool abuse is cool on a gun that not only cost 10 times as much as the chisel, but has to perform perfectly?

I can re-hone the chisel. And while that irritates me, it’s not life or death.

But a gun that goes “click” in a gunfight is unacceptable.

Sorry to take the thread so far off topic, but I read that post and it surprised me.

I see a lot of bad practices at the range, and it’s not my place to say anything there, but here, in a different context, I felt this was important.

 

[dubber09]

^^ agree, you went into details I didn't.

 

[spasm3]

!!!!

What do you mean “chamber a round by hand”?

For nearly every semi-auto I own, this is a huge mistake. The round is designed to be fed FROM THE MAGAZINE so that it slides up the breech face and under the extractor during feeding.

Loading a round by hand forces the extractor to “jump” over the cartridge rim, leading to feed problems, broken extractors (particularly in 1911s) and other malfunctions. It is worse than “riding the slide” to load a semi-auto.

Insert magazine - send slide forward by the recoil spring, either by racking it (slingshot) or releasing a slide that was locked back.
Don’t ride it.

Then remove and top off your magazine, if you want/need the extra round.

Don’t drop a round in the chamber and send the slide forward - because you’re making the extractor do something it wasn’t designed to do.

Thanks Astro for your response and detail of explanation, it makes perfect sense.

The P-90 was my first semi auto pistol, and I loaded it that way. I've loaded my other pistols that way without giving it a thought.

It's a good example of a habit being carried over to other pistols where it shouldn't be. And I'm guilty of glossing over the manual about loading.

I'm going to change my practice immediately, and check with my son to make sure he knows this, as he owns a 1911.

Thanks again. I'm glad to learn this the easy way!

 

[spasm3]

But a gun that goes “click” in a gunfight is unacceptable.



I see a lot of bad practices at the range, and it’s not my place to say anything there, but here, in a different context, I felt this was important.

You are correct on both accounts!

I have to wonder how many people have been shooting awhile , and like me , don't know this practice is unwise.

 

[Astro14]

Thanks Astro for your response and detail of explanation, it makes perfect sense.

The P-90 was my first semi auto pistol, and I loaded it that way. I've loaded my other pistols that way without giving it a thought.

It's a good example of a habit being carried over to other pistols where it shouldn't be. And I'm guilty of glossing over the manual about loading.

I'm going to change my practice immediately, and check with my son to make sure he knows this, as he owns a 1911.

Thanks again. I'm glad to learn this the easy way!

You’re not alone.

I think I used to load my Smith & Wesson 5906 that way, and I suspect that I may have caused the broken extractor spring 30+ years ago.

I changed habits about 20 years ago, when an instructor told us, “don’t ever do that” in loading an H&K USP pistol.

A durable, robust firearm, by the way, but he said “never” and it got me thinking…

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

You shouldn't load a controlled round feed bolt action that way either, (by putting a round in the chamber). They, (controlled round feed bolt action), should be loaded by pressing a round into the magazine, then closing the bolt, allowing the extractor and bolt face to engage the rim of the cartridge, and feed it into the chamber.... Hence the term, "controlled round feed".

How do you tell the difference? Or are they all this way? Just wondering because so many times you can see people hand-loading rounds into the chamber on YT videos and hunting shows.