I historically load my mags to the full thirty rounds. I thought I had remedied the reload choke, by using Sprinco Red springs. In doing some shooting yesterday, my gun would not chamber that top round unless I ran the charging handle. The gun was pretty dirty, but not dirty enough that there were any other problems.

So now I am considering either loading to 28 rounds, or training to run the charging handle as the default technique.

I have seen (years ago) at least one trainer advocating the use of the charging handle on a reload.

I suppose it's worth noting that my rifle is typically at the "high port" position, in my "work space", during a reload. So the BCG is fighting the magazine spring tension on that top round, filth, and gravity. I don't know that I'd care to experiment with orienting the rifle differently.

I have never had a problem chambering the first round on a fully loaded mag but have gone to loading down to 28 just for easier seating when changing mags on a closed bolt.

I've never had a problem seating on a closed bolt. I have to smack it, of course, and then I pull on it to make sure it's properly latched. Though I suppose no one likely "has a problem" putting a 30rd mag in on a closed bolt; they just prefer the less resistance of a downloaded mag, which I get.

I'll continue the smack/tug, even if I download to 28.

quote:

Originally posted by Ryanp225:
I have never had a problem chambering the first round on a fully loaded mag but have gone to loading down to 28 just for easier seating when changing mags on a closed bolt.

Same here.

No issues with first round feeding. Just intended to help with tactical reloads (replacing a partially expended mag with a full mag, with the bolt closed and a round chambered).

quote:

Originally posted by KSGM:
Though I suppose no one likely "has a problem" putting a 30rd mag in on a closed bolt; they just prefer the less resistance of a downloaded mag

On one of my ARs, a fully loaded 30 round USGI mag won't seat at all on a closed bolt, regardless of the amount of force used during insertion.

Likely just due to tolerance stacking.

Not an issue with PMAGs though. They have a bit of extra give, even when loaded with 30.

My mags are the same way; they've got about one round's worth of give, when loaded with thirty. I use aluminum mags with Magpul followers.

I am part-way through cleaning the rifle in question. I suspect it'll chamber fine, using the paddle, once it's cleaned and oiled. It still sucks that some fouling will make that difference, especially considering I use a silencer, and fouling is therefore accelerated.

My PSA rifle will work with anything. Our work M400s will close the bolt on a mag filled with 30, but they are a bugger to seat under a closed bolt. Pmags are a little more forgiving than metal ones. Some of our guys inadvertently discovered that you can force 31 rounds into a pmag , and that will cause all kinds of problems.

I don't believe in wives tales. lol

27-28 rounds per mag.

They were designed to hold 30, they get 30. I've never had issues. The only variation is that I won't keep Pmags loaded without a dust cover installed.

I’m a big fan of Larry Vickers and his 3 golden rules are a visibly lubed BCG, mags downloaded by 1-2rds and slapping and pulling the mag to assure it’s seated properly. Those 3 things eliminate lots of potential problems.

-Jeff

I buy 30rd magazines and put 30rds in them. The times I don’t load 30rds are when I load 20rds in a 20rd magazine. Never been a problem for me.

Most of my mags are 20s
All loaded to 20 with no issues in function

I wrapped up a carbine class yesterday where I ran +/-900 rounds over the weekend. The gun was NOT cleaned or lubed before this class and probably had 500 rounds of suppressed shooting under it's belt since the last cleaning. Late in the day on Sunday, I had a situation with empty chamber/bolt closed, inserted a fully loaded 30rd mag then racked the charging handle. I pulled the handle back and then when I let it go, it stopped part of the way home where I could still see in the ejection port. I could see the first round had partially unseated from the mag. Not wanting to be a goober on the line by trying to force the round in the chamber and causing a problem, I ripped the mag out of the gun, locked the bolt back, and inserted another mag, depressed bolt release with no issue.

I dont know if this was a magazine issue, a dirty gun issue, a lazily loaded final round in the magazine issue or maybe a combination.

yes and yes. But ok. worry about it. 28.

Gents,

I load 28 rounds in my AR's regardless of mag type...

M-14 I load 18 Rounds...

Much prefer the mag-pul mags in 30 round configuration, but like the USGI 20 rounders

Lula loaders are your friends...

Wes

quote:

But ok. worry about it. 28.

Oh hush.

I am a little worried about it. If the accumulation of filth is going to effect a change in the reloading process, I feel like I ought to consider the best approach. Always run the charging handle? Load the mags to 28 and count on the paddle? Understand the problem and make the adjustment in technique only when it becomes necessary, while continuing 30rd loads?

Am I overthinking it? Maybe. I can't shoot all the time, so I try to make progress in discussing things with y'all in the meantime.

I load my serious-use mags to 28.

I’ve always loaded 30 in my MagPul mags but stick to 28 in my USGI mags. I use USGI mags in my HD rifle.

When we got patrol rifles authorized at Dallas PD, we got the “load to 28” mantra early and often from our instructors during the week-long class.

The instructor certification class they took was even longer than ours, and they said while there had been very few reported full-magazine stoppages, one of their lead instructors told them: “If an officer is in a shitstorm, I’d rather see him have to reload after 28 and be back in the fight instead of getting off 30, putting another 30-rounder in, get a jam, and be dead in the water.”

Reliability > quantity. Downloading a few has always worked well for me.