Only Beretta that I know of...

[Tangle]

Did you realize that Beretta is the only gun manufacturer that supports loading a round directly into the chamber? They include this loading method in the owner's manual, well at least for the 92 series.

I think that is advantageous in a couple of ways. One can load a round into the chamber, close the slide, decock, and insert a full mag and the gun is fully topped off. Otherwise we have to insert a mag, rack the slide, decock, remove the mag, add a round to the mag and reinsert the mag.

Another advantage would be in the rare event that we had bullets and no mag or a damaged mag, we could load the bullets one at a time. This may be faster and easier than you would think because of the Beretta's open slide. I've tried it; it's easy!

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Zach S]

Interesting...

Does the manual specify riding the slide closed, or letting it slam shut?

[P95Carry]

I learn something every day

[gunthorp]

IMO riding the slide would be OK. At Waterworld! All right, how many of you have slamed shut on a rd in the pipe, raise your hands. Not the best policy for a number of reasons, but it will not hurt a thing if done out of necessity. Solution, don't unload. Well, when you clean, of course. Get one of those finger touch quick access safes if there are kids in the house.

[Tangle]

Interesting...

Does the manual specify riding the slide closed, or letting it slam shut?

Man, I dropped the ball on this, I don't know what the manual says, but you can ride the slide and it is clear that it is designed to load this way. There is only a very slight "bump" when the slide closes.

I have experimented with it for my own curiousity and I can let the slide close very gently and it still closes. I'll have to check the manual.

[QKShooter]

Yes. I think the Beretta extractors are designed so that bumping it over a chambered round is no problem at all.
Actually, there is no reason why all pistol extractors should not be able to ride over a chambered round without doing damage to the extractor.
A good polished machined spring steel properly hardened & tempered extractor should be able to do it hundreds & hundreds of times without any problems.
I don't know why anybody would need to do it but, a properly configured extractor should be able to handle it without any damage or chipping or breaking.

[Euclidean]

Actually the Ruger P series supports this as well. I'd like to say my XD does in the manual but I can't swear to it and I don't have the manual handy. Might be wrong about that. I'll probably remember at about 4:30 PM today.

I see no reason not to let the slide snap forward on a round in the chamber so long as the pistol allows for this kind of single shot directly in the chamber loading. Besides, the slide going forward is not the action that strikes the primer in any pistol I know of. That would be the firing pin striking the case as opposed to the slide going forward.

As a matter of fact, every time you cock any semiautomatic, you are snapping the slide on a chambered round. It matters not if you scoop one out of the magazine first, the end result is the same.

I suppose you could possibly however damage the extractor this way on pistols whose construction doesn't support this kind of loading.

I personally value this feature as I'm paranoid of magazines failing or being lost. A single shot is better than no shot.

[Tangle]

Well, most of the buzz I hear says that unless the manufacturer designed the extractor to support that loading method, you stand a chance of chipping/breaking/springing the extractor.

Euc,
I think the difference is the extractor is designed for the rim of the round to slide into the extractor hook as the slide strips the round. If the round is already in the chamber, the front of the extractor has to be designed with sufficient bevel to ride over the rim and then seat. It would also require more range of motion of the extractor.

Euc: "I personally value this feature as I'm paranoid of magazines failing or being lost. A single shot is better than no shot." I agree, Euc - never quit - never give up - maximize your tool.