Ever lose a mag while carrying?

[Detective_Special]

Just wondering, have you ever lost, or disengaged a mag while carrying concealed or exposed carry. I'm a lefty, and quite a few guns have the mag release on the left side, which may be more prone to this occurring. I'm assuming in a good holster it probably doesn't happen more often . What are your experiences. Thanks

edited to add exposed carry. ( Thanks Rimrod )

 

[Rimrod]

Concealed? No. But it happened quite a bit while on duty. I couldn't get used to checking the mag every time I got out of the cruiser so I went back to revolvers. I liked them better anyway.

 

[Slugthrower]

Never lost a magazine before. I did lose a speed loader once. I felt so irresponsible for losing live ammunition, that could possibly be found by either a young child or a potential criminal.

Familiarity breeds contempt, it definitely made me "tighten up", never want to do that again.

 

[Rangefinder]

Lost the mag from my Colt Woodsman once while out bird hunting. Figured out real quick to make sure I hear that distinct 'click' before I assume it's locked in. Pricey little bugger to replace for such a stupid "oops".

 

[RecoveringGT'er]

Yep. Glock 22 or 23 mag from a Fobus Roto Shoulder holster setup. Will only use Fobus if its a belt holster or mag pouch now.

Edited addition: The mag was in the Roto double pouch on my left side, and the friction wasn't enough to hold it in place , even at a 45 degree angle versus straight up and down. I had taken my dog for a walk and was trying out the shoulder holster for comfort while actually moving. Neither the dog nor I saw anything.

 

[Dfariswheel]

This is a danger with CCW, especially in left-hand carry.
I once used a S&W 3913 in a fanny pack, and the magazine would move out enough to activate the magazine safety.

Needless to say, I quickly installed a holster that would protect the magazine catch.

In any holster, this is a matter of good holster design, taking into effect possible depression of the magazine catch.
You have to fully "road test" a holster to be SURE that under NO possible situation can the catch or any external safeties be operated.

With the fanny pack, it only happened with ONE vehicle which was lower to the ground and caused me to bend over a Little more when getting out.
The gun got squashed in the fanny pack during this, and it was just enough to depress the mag catch.

 

[AK103K]

My HK P7M13 used to leave the mag on the front seat of my truck on a regular basis. The seat belt used to hit the ambi release. It was more a holster issue than the gun, but at the time, the selection was was pretty slim.

 

[RSublime4Life]

I don't have a CCW so I can't relate much. I also know that could be a quite serious problem. But from a comedic stand point can you imagine the look on someones face if they pulled out their gun and fired the one in the pipe only to realize that the mag was gone?

 

[RsqVet]

Have had unseated mags while pocket carrying a G26, no problems with any platform on the hip, bid have a 1911 off-safein a belt holster with a thumb strap after extended carry... and it's a good brand holster.. still not sure how that one happened.

 

[michael t]

Iam a lefty also In pocket carry it was a problem Ive started to carry R/front and trouble went a way.
IWB or OWB has never been a problem

 

[Friiguy]

I have had my mag disengage before, luckily it didnt get far.

 

[Willy T]

Hell...dont feel bad. I have lost them in my sock drawer. It goes to show that anything involving socks are subject to loss. Loose socks in the dryer, Loose mags in the sock drawer. Between you and me, I believe my wife is throwing away mags she finds in my sock drawer. She should be stopped.

 

[chris in va]

Not exactly, but the first time out with my new (to me) Sig 220, it went CLICK. Hmm. No rounds feeding.

Found out it takes a really good shove for the mag to seat all the way in. If I had been carrying it, the mag might've slipped out eventually.

 

[IEDmagnet]

Never happend to me while carrying my glock 36 or bersa 380 but I have seen it before. While in Iraq we would often get in and out of our HMMWV's to get out and talk with Iraqi citizens or conduct a quick patrol of a neigborhood. An Iraqi interuped a conversation on the street between one of our squad leaders and our interpreter. The Iraqi had a big grin on his face and said "thank you mister" and handed the squad leader back his 30 round m-4 magazine which had apparently fallen out of the weapon.

 

[9x19]

I'm right-handed, and my daily CCW is most always a semi-auto pistol.

I've never lost a mag while carrying, hope to keep it that way, but as someone once remarked: Stuff happens!

 

[Dfariswheel]

This is not a new problem.

Loose and lost magazines due to accidental magazine catch activation is why the US military Model 1912 and M1916 hip holsters for the .45 have a leather covered wooden block sewn inside the holster.

The block prevents the magazine catch from being depressed if the soldier squashes the holster in use.

 

[JohnKSa]

Loose and lost magazines due to accidental magazine catch activation is why the US military Model 1912 and M1916 hip holsters for the .45 have a leather covered wooden block sewn inside the holster.

And also why many European designs don't allow the magazine to drop free.

 

[fivepaknh]

I’ve been meaning to start a thread about this very subject. It’s good to see I’m not the only one this has happened to. I’m left handed and carry IWB in Don Hume holsters. I have 3 carry guns and it’s happened on 2 of them. With Glock 29 and the Taurus PT945 the mag has disengaged a few times, but the mag always stayed in the well. I’ve never had this happen on my 3rd carry gun, a Kahr K9.

 

[AirForceShooter]

I'm a lefty.
I once had a Taurus PT-945 that dropped the mag all the time.
I tried to keep my trigger finger off the release but couldn't.
I got annoying and very embarassing.
Sold the gun.

AFS

 

[44 AMP]

Nope, never

But my carry gun (on those increasingly rare occasions that I do carry) is a Browning BDA .45 (early model Sig P220 with the heel type mag release).

The biggest drawback to ambidextrous mag releases, safeties, extended slide stops, etc. is that the bells and whistles made popular in competition can snag, hang up, get accidentally activated, etc. in the real world when you take them off the range. Good holster design minimizes the problem, but it is hard to eliminate completely.

I got away from playing games against the guys with Colts back when all I had was the Browning, because reloads were slower, and part of the scoring was time. I particularly disliked the matches where you would shoot 2 or 4, and then a mandatory reload. To each his own, I'm not knocking the competition shooters, just that everything they do (and have guns tricked out for) doesn't appeal to me.

I used to dislike the heel type mag release, but as I got older I realized, I'm not a LEO, I'm too old, fat and lazy to play the games, and the design does have some real world advantages, at least to someone with my lifestyle. I still prefer the Colt style pushbutton mag catch, but I carry the BDA and don't feel disadvantaged. If I actually ever have to use it, I think it will serve quite well if I do my part.