Hi everyone,

I recently purchased a M&P 9C. I like it a lot. Shoots great. I'm having a issue though with the 12 round magazine seating into the gun when the slide is closed? I really have to force it hard to get it to click. Is that normal? The mag slides just fine with the slide is open. I can see the top round hitting the top of the slide through the space by the slide release buttons when I try and load the mag in without the slide being back. I also noticed too that if I only put 5 or 6 rounds in the mag, it seats fine, no issue with the slide closed. I'm new to handguns, always been a rifle shooter but bought this for my CCW permit and to teach my wife to shoot. I keep the gun with the slide closed and a mag next to it in my night stand but now I'm bothered by the fact that if I tried to quick load the mag, it won't go all the way in. Should I keep the gun with the slide locked open all the time? Does that hurt the spring? Thanks for any advice!

-AC

You've really answered your own question.
The standard manual of arms is to load any semi-auto pistol on an open slide. It does not harm the gun to load on a closed slide, but you're going to need to seat the mag firmly with the heel of your hand, pushing in until it locks.
When someone on the range loads on a closed slide and does not lock it, the mag falls free on the first shot, which is very funny to everyone but the shooter.

You should get over the idea that you are going to hurt the springs in your pistol and use it how it is most convenient to you. You wear out springs by using the gun--after more than 5,000 shots or 5 years.

__________________
Science plus Art

Thank you OKFCO5. I appreciate the info. Still learning the tricks of pistols. I'm going to start going to some pistol training classes outside of the CCW training to be more rounded in my firearms. I think I'll always be a rifle shooter though.