this post was submitted on 26 Nov 2025
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What if one jams
"Tap rack bang" (below copied from wikipedia, and I'm just as surprised as you are that they have an article on this.)
And of course
A second mag wouldn't fix any of that, either, so adding one wouldn't be a solution.
Finally if the problem is the mag (feed lips or worn spring), a tactical reload (removing the mag, retaining it, and swapping to a full one) would be the move if you can, or just lose the mag and insert a new one if you can't.
The real solution to OP's question though is "train reloads," before you get into a gun fight. In a situation with high stress you want to have practiced it enough that it becomes muscle memory and you can do it without really thinking about it. You can train it in your bedroom without ammo no less, no excuse not to train reloads. If you're really bad you can add an aftermarket magwell to many guns that make it easier to reload (at the cost of concealability).
Stovepipes are pretty common if you limp-wrist your pistol. Similarly, some pistols don't go back into battery if you don't keep a rock-solid grip on the gun (I know for certain that this is an issue with the Walther PDP-F). Hang fires are something I wouldn't worry about in a gun fight; if it doesn't go bang, immediately cycle the slide and drop the round. Squibs on the other hand... If you get one of those, well, you aren't shooting with that gun any more, not until you can clear it. If it goes pop instead of BANG, then you definitely should not try a second time.
Honestly, if you, as a non-cop/non-military person are in a gunfight, the odds that you will need to reload are incredibly low. The biggest reason to carry a spare magazine along with your carry gun is so that you can drop your mag and swap out if you have some kind of failure. But even that is highly unlikely, assuming that you have bought a reputable firearm in the first place (e.g., not KelTec, Taurus, or a Sig P320), and have kept it maintained. Keep in mind that gun fights outside of police standoffs and military engagements are almost always very, very fast; like, less than five seconds most of the time.
Oof on that Walther lol, go Glock or CZ! But yeah a new mag ain't the fix for any of those.
Avg civilian encounter is 3s no reloads, but yeah it never hurts to be prepared!
It's not my Walther; it's my partner's, and they got the F version specifically because the reduced spring power on the slide makes cycling it easier. But the reduced spring power also makes it less likely to go fully into battery without a very firm grip. In general, the Walther PDPs are very nice guns, but the F versions have to make some trade-offs to work for smaller/weaker hands.
Me, I've got a CZ Shadow II Compact (I would have gotten the Carry, but that came out a month or two after I got the Compact). Love it. I went from using an inexpensive steel boat-anchor of a double-stack .40S&W/10mm 1911 in matches to the CZ.
For anyone that reads this, with the time for a gunfight that ArcaneSlime notes, .8 seconds for a draw from concealment and a single shot on target in the A zone is 'competitive'. You should practice to get to that point. I'm not there, and I need to practice to get there myself.
...'Cuz carrying a gun isn't like a magic talisman. It doesn't make you safer to carry a gun unless you practice, and practice a lot. No one wants to get in a gun fight unless they're either psychotic, suicidally stupid, or both.
I'm not there yet either lmao, also working on it!
I've just personally never been able to get used to the newer Walther's grips. The ppk is fun for the neat factor at the range (also I'm a nerd) but as far as a carry pistol goes none of their "duty" lineup does it for me (or, I can't do it with them lol. Either way.) CZ all day for me, trustworthy, good grip, can shoot well.
But that's all just personal preference anyway, fully agree on the rest though! Second to last thing I want is a gunfight, the last thing would be what the fighting is intended to prevent lmao.