I love how sincere you are about answering the most simple, basic questions. You have no sarcastic nature, and that is so important for people who are new and embarrassed to ask... Great video.
This is so important to answer everyone's questions, no matter how silly or stupid that they might seem to be. It is critical that new shooters get complete and good information that they can use. You are giving very good answers and I hope that this is an ongoing video series.
I work at a gun shop in MA and teach the LTC Safety classes as well. The bad information some Instructors give their students is mind numbing. Some Instructor are just paper factories. I do my best to give as correct info as possible to my students and if I can't I will find the answer. Stav & Mac are the best.
"If you bring the target in and you still can't see where you hit then we might have a different problem" is probably the nicest way that I can imagine anyone phrasing that
I love this "embarrassing gun questions" series, keep it going! Also the advice on noise was spot-on. My first experience was at a crowded indoor range with 9mm. I almost fainted & didn't shoot again for a year! After that, I got a little SR22 with a suppressor & gradually worked my way up with double ear protection, outdoor only. Thank you so much for all you do for women & the 2A community!! ❤💯👍
For the question “does inserting a magazine in my gun load a round?”, you might also want to cover the situation where you load a magazine into a gun when the slide is already locked back. In that case, when the slide comes forward, it does load round. A newbie might need advice to recognize those as two different scenarios.
as well as with a revolver shutting the cylinder also technically the rounds are essentially chambered and with a double action it can work as soon as you close the cylinder
I like that answer as well. But be aware that some states like my state ties my CWP (concealed weapons permit) to my drivers license info. Any officer that checks my DL status will see that I also have a CWP. Alaska requires drivers to tell LE if there is a gun in the car. Follow your states laws on this.
@@bobmacquarrie One grey area that I wonder about: I don't like to advertise that I carry even to people I know, so the scenario might be I'm a passassnger when getting pulled over. I think technically in my state I don't have to say I'm carrying unless they ask for my ID. I feel like being obligated to let everyone in the car know that I carry violates my right to privacy, but at the same time I don't want to annoy the cop who eventually decided to ID me with a surprise "I'm carrying." Which might increase the chance my buddy gets a ticket.
I'm in Texas and I do not have an LTC but we do have Constitutional Carry here. The two times I have been pulled over as I always do my firearm is on my person. I have put my hands on the steering wheel and the verbiage I used is "Officer I have a concealed firearm on my person". I was actually the officers first person that outright said that I have a firearm. He thanked me for NOT saying "I have a gun!!" And being calm. Funny thing was my toddler had dialed 911 and he was the Officer that came to my house LOL This was a couple days after he pulled me over. Thank you Mac for your service and thank you for answering this question. I'm glad I was announcing it the right way. 😊 Thank you Stav for the the QandA's!
@@bobmacquarrie When I was in my teens, I was taught by my grandfather who was a police officer in his younger years, that if I am pulled over to take the keys out of the ignition and roll the driver's window down, hold the keys dangling in my left hand with my arm out of the window, and as the officer gets close to the window place the keys on the dash. He told me this is a signal to police that there is a firearm in the vehicle. He said to tell the police officer where in the car the firearm is, or if it is on your person. I have done this ever since, and have never had to even show the police officer my firearm, and they have always told me thank you for informing me.
Love your enthusiasm, content and advise. To everyone out there I have 35 years of firearm training and no matter what your level of familiarity with firearms is you should never think there are embarrassing questions. So keep asking them.
Stav, thanks. I just found your site and as a CCW instructor really appreciate your efforts and will definitely provide your site as a resource for my female (and male) students. Your ability to cover questions in a straightforward and non-threatening manner are just what students need.
Wearing ear plugs AND muffs is a great idea. Not only does it protect your hearing better, it allows you to remove the muffs if needed to adjust or change glasses, hat etc. while still retaining hearing protection.
I hadn’t considered this… the last time I went shooting, I wanted to adjust my ear muffs, completely forgot someone else was two stalls down (since I couldn’t see them). BANG! Kind of startling. Doubling up would not be a bad idea. 👍
@@finngamesknudson1457 True. I do not wear muffs at all for shotgun sports where the motion of swinging the gun can easily displace muffs. For them I wear only ear plugs. Suppressors are an option. I don't need them, nor do I wish to sign up for government agencies "lists", ask permission and pay fees to be on their radar. My flinch isn't THAT bad.
@@solomongrundy9735 - Wish I could also. I limit wearing plugs as advancing years has resulted in excess ear wax - plugs push it in and induce temporary (up to a month) partial deafness. Growing older sometimes carries unexpected and odd costs.
Mag springs get worn out with use, not typically by keeping them loaded. There are examples of Glock magazines loaded for 20+ years and still working. However, I think they could take a “set” if fully loaded & left, so I follow the SOP when I was in the Army (long ago) of under-loading by one or two rounds. Also rotate mags when you go to the range. Finally, if you’re going to drop mags on the ground during a range session, have separate training mags (marked “T”) and carry mags.
I was going to say this... but i'll just add this for clarification for people who do not fully understand. It is the spring being compressed and uncompressed. It doesn't matter if the magazine (or anything with a spring) is loaded or unloaded. What wears out the spring is the constant movement of the spring being compressed/loaded to uncompressed/unloaded that wears it out. I would not recommend unloading your magazines every day if you carry. They should be getting worn out at the range. And even then... they will probably last for years. As far as rotating mags, which to most people means unloading them to "give them a rest", can be as long as like six months if you don't get out much. But if I get in to that situation with no range time... I still do it every two months. Like Ben said above... most of the time it's at range time or every other one.
A friend of mine who is a materials engineer told me springs are designed to last a lifetime and can be left compressed or extended with zero issues. This was an issue way back before some of this metallurgy was really well understood. The only way to wreck a spring is with excessive heat, or taking it beyond its design limits in either direction.
"How to align the sights" - Lucky Gunner, incidentally, just came out with a video describing very precisely what you need to see before you're clear to send it. The short answer is what was said here. The long answer is "it depends on how big your target is. If it's big, you can relax your sight picture requirements quite a bit before you'll miss it." Very much worth a watch.
I'm glad that Mac answered that question how he did. I agree 100%. Concealed means concealed unless you are in a situation where it won't be concealed.
Texas licensed. In my classes, the instructors have always said when you're stopped ALWAYS hand the officer your DL and your CHL. The reasoning is that if the officer has your DL and then goes back to their car to pull you up, and it shows you have a concealed carry license, they may get concerned that you didn't divulge that fact. Agree -never say "I have a gun". But I'd hand over both licenses when you're stopped.
@@EMSG2138 if you went through all the legal channels to become a legal carrier the cop has nothing to worry about. I won’t say anything to a cop unless asked specifically about anything.
@@fr8cture That's fair. I just feel more comfortable doing it up front. Been stopped 2 or 3 times in the 20+ years I've been licensed. So far, all good.
@@EMSG2138 Forget about what your instructor said, learn what the law says!!! Don't give up right, that's how you lose them. In my state (Connecticut) I don't legally have to tell LEO's that I am carrying, though I can't lie if asked. Be smart AND safe!!!
❤ Thank you so much Stav for addressing my question regarding the Mantis Academy. I appreciate you taking the time to explain what I'm doing wrong! I look forward to watching your linked video on how to practice.
Just watch your questions videos (both of them) and you and your husband do a great service. i have carried for 30 years , concealed and duty, and get questions all the time. thank you for what you do.
I really appreciate the decent, wholesome presentations. Also, the way you explain things is easy to newer ears, whether we are talking about younger people or folks who are new to firearms.
A + + + video!!! Great advice on carrying at work (personal choice). Break work policy/rule... risk being fired. Break the law... risk going to jail. YES- to Part 3!!! 🙂
Thank you for incorporating my message in the last question. I'm glad you read my comment and thought it worthy. Proof that you do read them, even though mine was a few days late.
Regarding the noise issue, my advice (even though it wasn't asked for) would be spend more time at a range. Even if you aren't shooting, you become somewhat numb to the noise after being around it for a while. Love the video!
part one of this video is the first one i saw on your channel and subscribed right away because even though i knew those things the fact you take the time to answer for the people that don't know is great and i like how you do that very clearly and simple i have binge watched about 20 or more of your videos randomly since then and really enjoyed them, your home defence tips about light is one of the smartest things i have seen and i really enjoyed a video you and Mac did on can a gun go off if you don't pull the trigger or something like that
I really appreciate these videos because I can share them with new shooters. Regarding the low-left question. Shoot-N-C has a really useful trainer target that has zones around the bullseye that are labeled with common reasons for missing in that direction.
On the ear protection I've seen a lot of people who put plugs in improperly and wonder why the ears are hurting. Have a few rifles that you need doubled up hearing protection for regardless.
Absolutely watch the ball and dummy video! It’s an excellent training video, where your husband shows off his instructor skills, which are evidenced by your own outstanding accuracy! Accuracy which I have yet to come close to, but I’m working on it. Speaking of which, I’m looking forward to your husbands training videos. Thanks for all you do and keep up the great work.
OMG !!! I just discovered your channel and I am hooked. New subscriber. I am a 72 year old man and have been shooting for over 60 years. ( thanks Dad ). I love your presentations and the way you describe things. I WILL find the time to go back and watch them all. Haven;t heard anything I have an issue with. ( yet :) )
so for the spring question. Springs (not just in mags but all springs) take wear from compression and extension cycles (when the metal is moving). Storage no matter if compressed or extended has almost no effect on them aside from rust and such. hope this helps.
For the question about keeping mags loaded - the mag itself isn’t the issue, the spring is. If the mag spring wears out, it can effect how it feeds the gun and cause malfunctions. Good news is, keeping a mag loaded won’t wear the spring out - loading and unloading them constantly will.
That was the only answer that I did not agree fully on. I can be due to anticipating recoil, but I have found it much more frequent that it is due to jerking the trigger or by putting your finger a bit too far into the trigger so you are not pulling the trigger straight back.
Excellent... Excellent. video as always. Especially on the topic of work place carry and Mac's answers on notification on a traffic stop. I tend to follow that analysis. 😊
Re: the noise of shooting -> One of the few "fears" that is hard-wired into the human body is the fear of loud noises. Your autonomic nervous system WILL perform some sort of startle response when it encounters a loud noise, especially a sudden loud noise ... like a gunshot. It's one of the big reasons why we develop flinch when shooting - it's more the noise than the actual recoil. It takes a LOT of practice to get good at minimizing that automatic startle response, and as with all other things shooting, it is a perishable skill.
have not watched in a while, miss you! "If you bring the target back and still can't see where you hit, you may have a different problem..." - lol - classic Stav! 🤣😃😍
Interesting point there at the end. The wife and I went with a couple that we were good friends with to the range. My wife is a very good shot, but the other woman had never fires a weapon before. Her husband had gone out and bought her her very first handgun--a .40 cal. After her first 2 shots she was literaly in tears. I told her husband to go back up to the front counter and rent her a .22. It took about a half hour before she tried to shoot again, and the change was remarkable. Since then she has taken some training classes, and is now licensed to carry in the state or Texas. New shooters should work up slowly to eliminate any fear of the firearm.
Storing magazines loaded - keeping them loaded does not hurt most magazines. (repeatedly loading and unloading them is what wears out the springs) One possible exception is if your magazines are all polymer/plastic without metal reinforcing the feed lips. Some of them are not made very well and the spring tension from a full mag can potentially crack the plastic feed lips.
I'm going to touch base really quick on the "Will my gun load a round when inserting the magazine or do I have to manually do it?" What she said IS correct if you load with a closed slide. When loading with an open slide it is a different story. There is an action that is called "inertial loading" this is what happens on some pistols like Glock, S&W, and SIG Sauer to name a few. When you insert a magazine into a pistol that has its slide open the magazine will disengage the slide stop or slide release and allow the slide to feed a round into the chamber. This is not a flaw in your pistol, but a unspoken feature. Practice loading and unloading your pistol and see if your model will release the slide when you insert a magazine into the grip. This may require some force or to "Slam it home" but if you are hurting yourself then you are going to rough. Think like you are bouncing a balloon around the room with people nice medium weight hits get the balloon to travel the farthest. Whereas is you smack the balloon really hard it travels up and not far. Similar with the magazine.
Former Gunners Mate for the Navy. I worked in the armory for 2 years and can unequivocally that storing magazines loaded does not harm the follower spring in a bit. What damages the spring is working the spring. The constant loading and unloading of the magazines causes the springs to weaken slowly over time. Every armory that stores firearms for use whether it be military, law enforcement, or contractors will store magazines loaded. In my armory we always had 100 loaded magazines loaded in storage for use in a security alert situation. Military magazines are constantly being shot and reloaded multiple times a month. My division tracked how many reloads each magazine had before we had to replace parts. Some times the follower would fail, some times the baseplate would fail, most times it was the spring. Upon the end of my enlistment, we had magazines that had 25,000 rounds and the magazine was still fully functional, we also had magazines that failed with only 10,000 rounds gone through it. What matters most is the quality of the steel the spring is made from. And on a final note...Mil Spec doesnt mean what you think it means. Those of us in the military know that mil spec just means that item was made by the lowest bidder according to the govt standards.
What I read about the magazine's being kept loaded is this; Compressing and uncompressing springs is what wears them out. Compressing a spring and leaving it compressed does not affect the strength of the spring. Therefore, if you leave a magazine loaded, it is fine and will not "set" into a compressed state. If you shoot a lot, then the spring will compress/uncompress due to use over time, so at some point you'd have to replace the springs...this is for people who shoot a lot, like in competitions. However, you can load up a magazine and leave it in your closet for many years and it will still function.
Hi there I only recently subscribed to your channel (along with a few others that provide similar content) which I think is excellent and you are an excellent presenter. I've only recently entered the world of firearms having participated in some local trainings along with doing a ton of reading and research on my own all of which I am choosing to do before ever purchasing a firearm as I first want to be as well informed and trained up as a person can be as I understand fully the tremendous responsibility involved with all of it. Next on the list is going to be to connect with a "try before you buy" type local training outlet because one message that seems to be coming through very clearly to me is the importance of finding something that feels right for you that you can shoot comfortably and become proficient with. Anyway thank you for the content that you provide and God bless 🤙🏼
That’s probably the best answer I’ve ever heard about being pulled over. He’s one of the only people I’ve seen on this topic who acknowledges that some cops are anti-gun and are either going to hassle you or get jumpy if you tell them you have a gun. The way I think about it is I will tell the police what they need to know.
I had the same question about leaving mags loaded so i asked a tech guy at Wolff springs when I was ordering a recoil spring set. He said leaving a quality mag fully loaded for years would do less damage to the springs than constant use or exercising the springs. After that I quit changing my carry mags out & just keep extra mags for practice. I do shoot my carry ammo every few months & brush out the mags before I reload them. NEVER put oil inside your mags.
I’ve always kept a different set of magazines for training as the classes have a tendency to be hard on them. Even though they’ve never been a problem when it came to shooting, I just didn’t want to use the magazine I’ve been abusing in class as my concealed carry magazines. Also I label my training magazines T1, T2, T3 ect. So if I have trouble with a particular magazine during class I will know which one to check out when I get home
@Long Gone I number mine as well. Most of my classes have been on an indoor range & empty mags sometimes land on concrete so I know what you mean. Glock mags take that kind of abuse better than most but they eventually die too so I keep plenty of extras.
Mac’s answer was spot on and I agree with what he said. I would also emphasize that, regardless of whether your state has a “duty to inform” law, if an officer asks if you have a firearm, you must tell the truth. Never lie to an officer about if you’re carrying.
Retired police officer here. His answer to question 3 is very good. "Never let a police officer find a gun on you". As for me...I rarely have encounters with police, but when I do I present my Driver's license AND my concealed carry license (which I will keep even though my state is now permitless carry) and let them ask questions, if any, from there. The last time I did this was when I was in a minor fender bender a couple years ago. I presented my license and carry permit to the officer making the report and he never asked a question. When he finished the report, he handed back my documents.
It's good you still have an active CCW even with "permitless carry". Note the federal law for school 1000' exclusion zones (known as the Constitutional Trap) where you must be PERMITTED to CCW to be in that zone with a firearm. Depending on how your legislature wrote the "permitless" law, you may not be covered against federal crime of "carrying within 1000 feet" unless you have a PERMIT. It's a big topic currently.
@@cycleboy8028 Well, it's a valid point, but not one of my reasons for keeping my CCW. I do, however, travel for fishing and hunting and some of the states I travel to (LA, NC and SC) are not permitless carry but allow reciprocity for my FL CCW. It also exempts me me from waiting periods when buying guns.
@@garyK.45ACP Noted, but it may become one of your reasons if this doesn't get straightened out soon. There are news stories of people being pulled over for stop sign, turn signal, what-have-you, one block off from a school. They are carrying, and no permit needed, and getting hemmed up on "carrying within 1000' of a school". Many cities, there is only 5%-10% of the city area NOT within 1000' of a prohibited area.
I've seen other videos where a police officer recommends presenting license and concealed carry permit up front. If the officer doesn't care, he can give it back. I'd prefer to start the conversation about what I might be carrying while he's standing there looking at my hands. If he goes back to his cruiser, calls in my license and discovers I might be armed, then he's coming back to me wondering if I might draw on him.
Your presentation and presence are continually improving. Thanks and keep up the great work. I always highly recommend your channel especially to new shooters.
From a combat veteran, I load 28 rounds per 30 rounds mag for prolonged storage it saves the spring life, but more important the magazine lips ( the curved in top of the magazine) because over time on an aluminum mag may spread open and cause double feeds (2 rounds try to load at once) or other malfunctions
A bingo marker makes a cheap fast way to mark hits, instead of circling with a marker. Also, most carpet stores sell last year's sample mats for a buck. Put a brightly colored high pile or looped pile one behind the target, and the fibers pop up through the bullet holes, making each hit easier to see. They don't wear out for a long time, and the carpet pad is useful if you have a flat tire and want a clean spot to kneel on.
Point on the question of carrying a smaller gun for concealed carry. If going smaller means "smaller caliber", this is a tricky issue. I have found that anything less than a 9mm or 38+P will not be effective at stopping someone high on drugs. Sure, multiple hits may terminate the danger, eventually, but it may also not stop them from reaching you and doing bodily harm. Just a thought... Love your videos. You put a great deal of thought 8nto you subjects rather than just spewing your opinions, unlike some gun related youtube channels. Thank you.
I'd like to add to your answer of if a round goes into the gun when you load your magazine. If your pistol is locked back, you insert the magazine, then release the slide, then you've loaded a round. I have a Shield also. I lock it back, slap the mag in and the slide drops, loading a round. Then I place it into its holster, drop the mag, top off then reinsert the mag. 7+1 all day every day. And I carry my short mag, so I have 14 rounds at any given time. Occasionally I'll use the short mag if I'm printing in a tighter shirt, and have the longe mag in a neomag.
Good tip on keeping mags loaded. I have mags that ive kept loaded for years. My buddy inloaded his mags after years, the loaded mag springs were compressed 2 inches from original length So the bedt thing to do is get a couple , or more, mags and losd them. Unlosd the original mags l. My buddy changed the mag springs.
It will not damage the magazine to keep it loaded and sitting. The spring breaks in by being compressed and decompressed, just sitting compressed doesn't break in or damage the spring. Exception is if the spring is bad/damaged in the first place. 😁 I enjoy your channel. I refer many of my female students to your content.
Best way to getting over recoil anticipation is to just slowly squeeze the trigger while telling yourself that it isn't going to break until it does. Found that this really helped me with my 44mag accuracy!
My wife and I were at our range several years ago when a new gun owner couldn't chamber a round. He asked me if I could help. He had two rounds loaded backwards in the mag. Clearly a first time shooter who needed much much training. Oh, and let your fur babies in the picture...lol
Yes. I TOTALLY agree with your husband, thankfully I live in Kansas and most police here know, many are packing. They never ask to see it, just to keep it away. Above all, don't reach. You can't blame a cop for getting nervous about that.
I work alone at night for the family business. My brother encourages me to carry. I always have multiple guns and plenty of ammunition on me at all times. Very good video.
Some of these questions seem goofy, but that is how you learn. I say the best way to learn is get out their and practice each step, =remember safety first always, never point barrel at anything you don't wanna destroy, i always try and imagine the gun is constantly shooting non stop, if you wave your hand in front of the barrel, you shot your hand. anyway, practice practice, look it over and learn how it works. be safe everyone. And great videos.
RU-vid showed me this video after I watched a Donut Operator video, and I had never seen your channel before. Right now I’m paused at the part where your husband explains his views on whether to tell a police officer if you’re carrying a gun. YOUR HUSBAND IS AWESOME! HE ANSWERED THIS QUESTION IN THE EXACT WAY THAT I AGREE WITH, HAVING CONTEMPLATED THIS QUESTION FOR YEARS. (And also having been pulled over numerous times while legally armed-as a civilian-myself.) Now I’m gonna subscribe to your channel and watch more of your stuff and eat my heart out that you’re already married. At least you’re married to a straight-up great guy.
Magazine question: from an engineer's answer a while back it goes something like this: Loaded or unloaded does not really matter, what matters is how many transitions (compressed spring to expanded and v/v) does it take to reduce/lose the ability to function? I know my range mags for my EDC wore out eventually, but EDC mags work fine.
My state is not required to notify law enforcement but as soon as they run a drivers license they will see the permit to carry, so the rule of thumb here is to give the officer your drivers license AND weapons permit. Now they're not surprised, and if they care they'll ask you about it.
I enjoyed your video. I have some experience with many rifles and handguns. Even black powder ones. You answered the questions very well. Keep this series going. I liked your husband’s answer and rationale.
I like your husband’s answer to the question about notifying LEOs if you’re stopped while carrying. I had one event in which I got pulled over by an officer for speeding in rural VA while I had my revolver legally on my right hip, concealed. Knowing he wouldn’t be able to see it, when the officer came to my window, I handed him my license, registration, and CC permit. He saw that, asked if I had a gun in the vehicle or on me? I told him I did, told him what and where it was and that unless he needed me to do otherwise, I’d make sure to keep both hands in-view on the wheel. I’m convinced that it was this level of safety and consideration that day that got me out of the stop with a warning instead of a speeding ticket.
Very good and informative video. On the sight alignment, I would add a couple things that are beyond the scope of the question, but still related. One is to focus your eyes on the front site post. Secondly, not all gun manufacturers align their point of impact the same. Sig Saurers, for example are typically set up for a “center hold”, also known as combat sighting. That means your point of impact is directly behind the dot on the front site post. Many others are set for a “6 oclock” hold. That means your point of impact is just above the front site dot, so you can view your target’s point of impact above the front site post.
In many states you have to state that you have a firearm as soon as you make contact with the police if you are pulled over. It will not damage your magazine to store them loaded. A great resource on all the questions is Brownells with their Smythbusters segments.
These videos are so great! If I can make a request, one of these videos would be great for rifles and shotguns, too! Many new owners of AR's, AK's and shotguns out there, and I'm sure plenty of questions!
loaded magazine/damage question: i have heard people say it fine and i have personally seen it mess up the slide catch ability on my xdm. the springs weakness doesn't let the follower push to the top of the mag well and the last shot hold open my not work. as a side note I used to make jewelry and learned when working with wire that while manufacturers churn out good product, they are not perfect. there are imperfections like hard and soft spots. some stainless steel may have magnetic spots. so if s&w for example is making 30000 magazines, they will have a spool of wire a mile long and most of those mags will never see an issue being loaded all the time. but when a spring is made with even a small amount of inconsistency or bad wire it will lead to some people being successful and others having failed mags. hope this helps, its only 1 mans xp
For older mags or cheap mags the springs can and will become weak from being compressed for long periods of time. But due to modern manufacturing and tempering most quality modern springs won't weaken from being compressed for long stretches. In fact they'll really only wear from use so loading and unloading them all the time will cause them to wear faster. I've seen guys pull AR mags that were loaded in storage for like 30 years and run them at the range flawlessly. Just be sure when it comes to your self defense firearms that you use high quality and or factory mags and save the cheapos and "cool clear plastic extendo" aftermarkets for the range. Also it's good to have some crappy unreliable magazines for malfunction training at the range
Temperature extremes from cold to hot and hot to cold can cause your pepper spray to lose it effectiveness sooner. I recommend people who carry under these conditions change them out at least once a year regardless of what the date on the container says
7:35 On the subject of damaging magazines by storing them while loaded, you really don’t have to worry about it. Even if you were storing loaded magazines for a few years, it should be fine. Nonetheless, it is ideal to rotate your magazines into and out of use every few trips to the range for the sake of evening out wear and tear and catching problems before the problem surprises you.
Don't know whether this has been mentioned further down in the comments, but you can buy rolls of little adhesive dots and apply them over bullet holes in your targets.
As a gunsmith, yes you can leave magazines loaded. There have been Military Issue magazines found that were still loaded and functional. Is it a good idea for them to be loaded for years without swapping the rounds out, no, but mostly because of the rounds corroding. Keep them clean and renew your ammo periodically if you are not a regular shooter. If your magazine is not feeding well and you have left it loaded for extended periods of time, unload it and disassemble the magazine and give the spring a little tug to lengthen it. Reassemble and try it again, if it still malfunctions, test with another mag to be sure of operation and discard if defective. I'm partial to Wilson combat! DON'T buy "cheap" mags, they can cause malfunctions!
Your husband nailed it. Sometimes I want to see my hits better than I can see from the firing line. I take a picture with my cell phone, then can enlarge/zoom in on the pic for more detail. Works great. Leaving a mag loaded will not hurt it. Loading and unloading is what wears out the mag spring. I had some mags fully loaded for 10+ years, put them in the gun at the range, no issues. Message to new shooters, take a handgun safety class.
When I inform an officer during a traffic stop, I do so by simply by giving both my CCL & Drivers License with the CCL on top. The officer usually says, “I stopped you because Xxxxx. I need to see your drivers license & insurance. “, so I just give my CCL at the same time with the CCL on top. I carry my licenses in an easily accessible location while driving so I’m not “reaching & searching” for them, and have them in-hand before he gets up to the car. This has worked very well for me, and sometimes he asks where it is, and it has never been a big deal.
I purchased a M&P9 Shield Plus last year. The magazines that came with it (10 and 13 rounds) were incredibly hard to load the last couple of rounds. I kept working at them and working them. I finally got them loaded fully and have left the rounds in each time I store them to keep the spring compressed. This seems to help with subsequent loading. I also found that when those magazines (which I believe are not made by Smith & Wesson but, a third party) are fully loaded that you really need to slam the magazine into the gun to get them to engage. Don't get me started on the slide lock lever. Very difficult to use to release the magazine. Still working on that one. Love your videos!
Doug....The mags will break in but S&W mags are really not high quality....I'm not sure who makes them but they should stop....I can tell you that the slide stop should break in much faster than the mags if the gun is used. Our slide stop is fast and east now.....Mac...
@@bobmacquarrie Thanks for the response! Soon after watching this video I heard that S&W might have a 15 round magazine for the Shield Plus. When looking for one at one of the many retailers I use there was a comment from someone who provided a video link to what is most likely THE fix for the mag issue! This is the video. I have not tried this yet but, will let you know how it works! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0I6gB_U6loM.html Thanks again for your prompt response! Fan of all your videos. You two are a great team and provide a lot of real world content that is so useful!
You can use round stickers over the holes you just put in the target. Use a sharpie to number the holes after so you can see where your numbers are hitting. Your doing a great job teaching
One small comment you made I really liked. I have been handgun shooting since 1968 so I've shot a variety of guns with a variety of recoil. The nastiest gun I have ever shot in felt recoil was a small frame (J frame) 38 special Smith and Wesson. To me it was just quite unpleasant.
I’m a retired LEO of 35 years. Last year one of my neighbors who is a recent widow of a Vietnam veteran called me to ask if I could help her clear a round (bullet) from her pistol. I told her sure I’ll come right over. I wasn’t quit clear on how the round was stuck in the pistol from her description over the phone. When I got to her house it was very clear what had happened. She had put the round in the magazine backwards and then got the round stuck in the chamber facing the wrong direction. I tried to get the round out carefully but when I realized how stuck the round was I had to take it to my house and clear the weapon by very carefully tapping the round with some specific tools until it came out. I returned the pistol to my neighbor and we had a great discussion on how to properly handle her firearm. Problem solved and now she is a safer gun owner. Point to the story don’t be afraid to ask for help and remember it’s your responsibility as a gun owner to train and educate yourself on proper safe firearms handling. Just like learning to drive a car. I never tell an officer that I am armed unless I believe the officer needs to know for his/her safety and mine.
