Drum Reload Question

[bradhe]

Sorry if this has been covered, but a search didn't find anything on point.

 

Scenario: Fully load a drum, shoot 35 rounds (say at a match). What is the correct procedure to reload the drum to full capacity?

 

thanks

 

Brad

[emmagee1917]

I would strip out the 15 by hand and reload as normal . When the last round comes out the spring will unwind , don't let yourself get bit.

Chris

[DINK]

I agree. There's nothing you can do until the spring tension is gone and the only way to release it is removing the leftover rounds.

[full auto 45]

And when you take out the leftover rounds, do not let the rotor spin wild. Use your hand and let the final bit of tension off easy. Letting it spin loosely could damage the spring.

[ppgcowboy]

When I shoot a drum once the last cartridge is extracted, I seem to feel as if the rotor is kind of freespooling. Is it just me.

[emmagee1917]

No , it's normal functioning . That's why it's important not to over wind the drum .

Chris

[johnsonlmg41]

Fully load a drum and only shoot 35 rounds? How do you do that? Must be one of those "hypothetical" things?

 

I'd probably leave the drum sit with 15 in it until I could empty it the quick way, that is not much tension left to let it sit that way.

[Motorcar]

You can take the cover off with it laying flat then use a dowel rod to hold one of the fingers while you empty the remaining rounds then slowly allow the drum to unwind completely, then reload as normal.

Edited April 6, 2021 by Motorcar

[Colt Chopper]

I always wear leather palmed gloves while performing this procedure to avoid getting cut.

[bradhe]

thanks all

[JimFromFL]

I find that if you pull the trigger once, what ever rounds remain in the drum get removed. This is the quickest way I know.

[TD.]

Brad,

The scenario you envision should rarely be a problem. What few times I have used a drum in a match, the course of fire is such that the drum is empty or nearly empty at the end of the course. Normally, the time is recorded and the referee will allow you to empty the remaining rounds downrange and remove the drum from the gun before calling the line safe.

 

For casual shooting, shoot until the drum is empty. As stated by Colt Chopper, unloading a drum can cause injury.

[DINK]

All you have to do is leave the drum closed up and push the leftover rounds forward one at a time, just like the bolt does when the gun is firing. When the last one is removed, the spring tension will be released, just like it does when the gun is firing. You can't hurt the drum and you would have to work very hard at it to hurt yourself.

[TSMG28]

Dink,

 

I respectfully disagree with your last statement. If the rotor spins excessively when the drum empties, it puts stress fatigue on the internal spring attachments. Too much of this stress causes the spring to break. This is probably the most common cause of spring breakage in drum magazines.

 

If you use the method of emptying the drum by removing the cover while the rotor is under spring tension, as mentioned ahead of Colt Choppers warning, and your hand slips or you lose control of the rotor, there are edges inside that can cut you. I have seen it happen. I do agree that using your method to empty a drum is much safer, but believe it or not, some drums have sharper feed lip edges, and you can still cut your thumb or finger if not careful. Not common, but possible.

[DINK]

Pushing the last round out with your thumb duplicates what the bolt does as you are firing. If that puts "stress fatigue" on the spring, I suggest you cease using your drums and pack them away where they will be safe. The only way the rotor spins excessively is if you wound the drum up too much before using it. Otherwise, it acts exactly the same way it would if you fired the last round so if you fire until the drum is empty or remove the last few rounds manually, the strain on the spring is exactly the same.

 

I don't know about your guns and magazines, but any of mine that have edges sharp enough to cut me get stoned down a bit until they don't. You do it once and then operate in complete safety.

 

FWIW, YMMV, etc.