pistols, semi-automaticFollowing up on a comment from Is there any real danger in chambering the same round multiple times without firing it?, I want to know more about the potential risks of placing a round directly in the chamber and inserting a full magazine rather than chambering a round from the magazine and then topping off the magazine. Can anyone verify and elaborate?
It depends on the type of extractor used. In the original 1911 design, the extractor is meant for controlled feed - that means the rim should slide up under the extractor in normal use. As such it doesn’t have the range of travel desired for regularly snapping over the rim of a cartridge. The 1911 with an external extractor (like the Dan Wesson models that never worked and the Kimber models that almost worked a little) could snap over a round without risking damage. Glock extractors are unlikely to be damaged by closing on a chambered round. You really need to examine the travel of your particular extractor type to make a determination.
As I understand it, the way a round slides up from the magazine is more gentle on your extractor than slamming it over the rim of the cartridge. So, manually chambering a round and then dropping the slide can wear your extractor unduly.
It can also chew up the rim of the case. Combined with, as Chris said, wearing your extractor, you can be setting yourself up for some failures to eject.
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