...what about ARs? Could I drop a round into the AR and send the bolt back without damaging something or potentially setting it off like a handgun?
Maybe all bolt actions? As long as there isn't a round in the magazine such that it tries to load one if there's already a round dropped in.
Ah - well, there you go.No. Bolt actions with controlled-feed extractors ("claw") should NEVER be fed singly except from the box mag. Mauser, M70, Springfield, Arisaka, Swede, Swiss, Carcano, etc..
-Nate
[h=2]What guns can you load a round in the breach?[/h]
Wasn't that part of the design of the Beretta 92fs? The barrel is exposed and doesn't tilt with the slide back. It is made to be able to load single rounds in case of a magazine failure. (was doing some reading about it this week)
I personally would not load ANY removable magazine semi auto firearm by dropping a round into the chamber. Doing so in some of the "controlled feed" firearms like the old version Remington 700 could be asking for a broken ejector. These firearms pick up the cartridge from the magazine and the ejector closes on the rim thus controlling the feed even if the rifle is held upside down. Thus dropping a cartridge into the chamber would result in the ejector ramming into the rim with an ejector "locked" closed.
Yes, you sure can. But NO, you should NEVER trust a firearm when dropping the bolt or slide, that it is perfectly safe.
Particularly with the AR, M1, M1A, etc. with floating firing pins (no firing pin retention spring), slam-fires are a real possibility. I have loaded thousands of rounds of AR-15 ammo single-feed, and not had a slam-fire yet, but I've seen 2, and heard another one.
With the AR, it's better if you want to load just one round and LEAVE it there (such as for carry, or in the woods), to drop it in the chamber, LOWER the bolt by hand, then manually clip the bolt shut with the forward assist. Then you just load you mag as usual, making VERY sure to PUSH the mag in until it clicks, compressing the top round against the bottom of the bolt carrier. PULL on the mag to make sure it seated fully.
Yeah, despite what the internet will say, occasionally the F/A is handy.
-Nate
And this is different from a round being stripped from the mag how? The bolt and floating firing pin fly home with the same force.
No. Bolt actions with controlled-feed extractors ("claw") should NEVER be fed singly except from the box mag. Mauser, M70, Springfield, Arisaka, Swede, Swiss, Carcano, etc..
-Nate
Then how do you explain the magazine cutoff in the Springfield?
Read what I said in the 3rd paragraph of the post you quoted again, and think about your response.