So just curious how often people practice reloading with a spare magazine? Do you do it just once when you get a new firearm or holster? Or do you practice everytime you go to the range?

I try to shoot my carry gun every time I go to the range and typically try to do a few reload drills. Depends on who's with me and how much time I have.

I practice while dry firing at home. From a mag holder and pockets.

I like to get lots of practice in on such things. I like to download my mags to force more reloads, and for revolvers, I try to always reload from speedloaders or strips. Even bought a few packs of Azoom snap caps for practicing at home.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Plugugly,

My own experience mirrors a lot of what member Plugugly mentions above. I run reload drills often both “dry” and at the range.

I use 2x2x2 pouches for most of my revolver spare ammo carrying, and give those a workout just like I do magazines / pouches for my semi-autos.

I shot ppc for a decade, and got lots of practice on speedloaders and magazine changes. Both in practice and actual competition. After I stopped competing, I continued to incorporate reloads into my shooting sessions, easy enough since I had the range on my farm.

I always practice reloads when I dry fire both with retention and a speed reload. I also shoot 5 matches a month so get lots of practice there.You need to practice the reload enough so you do not even think about it, you just do it. I think I mess up more reloads thinking about what I am doing while dry firing than just doing them while shooting a match.

I practice every chance I get. IMHO, the reload is what will get you every time.

I just got done with reload drills a few minutes ago. I set parameters in regards to what type of reload I’m going to work on. Be it slide lock, tactical, malfunction, etc.

My usual set will go something like this:

Glock 17, 2 magazines (1 in gun with 1 snap cap, 1 in mag carrier, empty).

Draw from concealment, pull trigger, drop mag, reload, reset. I will do this 10-20 times depending on how I’m feeling.

If I miss any step in the reload process, that iteration doesn’t count and it will be repeated.

EDITED: I will also run reload drills where the gun is at slide lock, mag has been dropped, spare mag has a snapcap in it, and in a “ready” position, meaning it’s at the gun but not in it.

I will run these 10-20 times as well. My purpose is focus. Focus on target, mag well, magazine, and its insertion. It’s a lot harder doing this drill than a full reload. At least for me it is.

quote:

Originally posted by magholderusa:
So just curious how often people practice reloading with a spare magazine? Do you do it just once when you get a new firearm or holster? Or do you practice everytime you go to the range?

If you do it enough, it really does become automatic. One of our officers was at the end of shift, picking up uniforms at the cleaners. A kidnapper/armed robbery suspect drove by and he gave chase, calling for backup. The suspect wrecked under an overpass, bailed out, shooting. Officer returned fire with the issued P220, scoring 13 hits out of 15 shots, tracking the subject back thru his car and out the other side, still firing back. Continued

Our officer was struck three times. Once in the center chest, stopped by the vest. Still hurt. Once in the heart, stopped by the vest. A low shot struck the pager on his gunbelt, deflected down and entered and exited his scrotum, taking a testicle with it. The backup arrived to find our officer sitting against his patrol car, covering the unmoving suspect. He had reloaded with his third mag. He never remembered reloading.

I like to do reloads at every match. I am always asked by the RO - "do you have enough ammo in the gun"? Nope. Don't care to look. Just reload on slidelock. 2nd nature.

Hell, I don't even practice shooting as much as I should, and, TBH, in the ways I should, enough.

I've committed to starting to correct that. Don't recall if it's here or on another gun forum, but somebody told of an instructor that told him if he's to the point of grouping well at seven yards, slow-fire, it's time to start working on speed. So that's what I'm going to do.

Once I start making progress on that I'll start adding reloads.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
I've committed to starting to correct that. Don't recall if it's here or on another gun forum, but somebody told of an instructor that told him if he's to the point of grouping well at seven yards, slow-fire, it's time to start working on speed. So that's what I'm going to do.

Exactly the path I decided to take a year or so ago. I'm getting faster all the time and the grouping is still pretty tight.

A reload drill I have used frequently is the following:

Start with a round in the chamber, empty mag in the gun, full mag on the belt.

Draw, fire, the gun will slide lock, dump the mag, reload with the full mag off your belt and fire one more round. When done, pick up the empty mag, exchange with the full mag, and put the full mag back in your belt. Repeat until out of ammo. It's best done on the clock, and with a target small enough (or far enough away) to keep you honest.

The only caveat to this drill is make sure that you're shooting other stuff, too, and not developing training scars...you don't want to be dumping mags after one round in the real world just because you're used to doing that in practice.

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
A reload drill I have used frequently is the following:

Start with a round in the chamber, empty mag in the gun, full mag on the belt.

Draw, fire, the gun will slide lock, dump the mag, reload with the full mag off your belt and fire one more round. When done, pick up the empty mag, exchange with the full mag, and put the full mag back in your belt. Repeat until out of ammo. It's best done on the clock, and with a target small enough (or far enough away) to keep you honest.

The only caveat to this drill is make sure that you're shooting other stuff, too, and not developing training scars...you don't want to be dumping mags after one round in the real world just because you're used to doing that in practice.

I like this for a basic reloading drill, but I’m more likely to use the 1-2-3 drill at the range. Three mags, one mag with one round in it, another mag with two rounds, and a third mag with three rounds in it. Close your eyes, mix them up-put one a mag in the gun and the other two mags on your belt (or wherever you carry your spares). Then, just practice draw and fire one. If the slide locks open-reload, if it doesn’t-holster up and do another draw and fire one. That way, you don’t build the “fire one and reload” habit. Reloads are always based on what the gun does. You can vary the number of rounds in the magazine as well as the number of rounds fired. This drill is also a lot of fun on the range with a buddy. Have them load and mix up your mags to keep you honest.

^^^ I like that, thanks...gonna steal it!

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
^^^ I like that, thanks...gonna steal it!

+1

I don't make a specific point of practicing reloads. I dont do administrative reloads when I'm at the range. When the gun is empty I change magazines and continue the drill.

I have made reloading a part of most of my drills since I started shooting seriously a couple of decades ago. I do it so frequently that I normally do not look at the handgun in the process. I agree that we should mix things up so we’re not always reloading after the same number of shots, plus I believe in reloading immediately whenever my gun is empty. I understand why gun games require all the “unload and show clear” rigamarole, but although it helps prevent accidents by the careless, it doesn’t instill good tactical habits. One of the first things my trainees become accustomed to hearing from me is, “Don’t stand there with an empty gun!”

The difference between someone who is proficient with reloading and those who have little practice is very apparent when watching them.

The likelihood that I will ever need to reload under fire is extremely small, but I just consider it to be one of the essential skills of the competent shooter.

Both empty loads and tac loads are part of my practice routines, in live and dry fire.