Southpaw Glock Mag Changes

[EricM]

Thanks Eric. I've played with that method in the past but couldn't get my finger that high up to reach the slide stop. I'll play with it again but I'm just not sure I can get that to work without breaking my grip which will probably end up slower.

Yeah, I could see this technique being very dependent on hand size and how exactly you grip the gun. I suspect the knuckle may have to fall at just the right place for it to be effective. The Ghost stop with the nub forward (vs OEM with the nub to the rear) may or may not help. Realizing you're on a Gen 3 in CA, having the mag release on the left side may also complicate matters if you're using your index finger on that too.

Interesting to note he didn't demo the technique I'm using which is reaching under with my index weak hand finger.

I had not heard of that technique myself until a couple weeks ago in a class with Mike Pannone...it is what he teaches for a lefty, though I cannot recall whether he used the index finger or middle finger. You're certainly in good company if it's what Mike recommends.

[Mr_White]

Regarding those videos, could you explain exactly how are you grabbing the shirt and controlling it? I used to lift my shirt pretty high and basically race it back down to the mag, which is a lot of wasted motion while not having positive control over the shirt either. Your motion is so much more efficient but even slowing down the slo-mo version, there's too much motion blur for me to make out exactly what's going on...you're just too damn fast. Specifically, what part of your hand lifts the shirt, and how do you ensure you get a clean grab on the mag, as opposed to getting the mag plus a handful of shirt?

I form a big, four-finger hook with all my fingers, make sure I reach down BELOW the hemline of the shirt, hook it and go up and straight to the magazine. I may end up with less than four fingers actually getting the shirt but it works. Once I hook the hemline I ignore the shirt after that and don't really do anything else with it. It's very, very important that I don't short-stroke clearing the shirt, or else I will definitely end up with a handful of shirt around the magazine. When I screw up a reload, this is one of the main ways I screw it up. To make sure I get the shirt, I feel like I have to reach low enough that it's almost like I start the reload with a crotch grab.

[EricM]

^- Thanks! My trouble seems to be between lifting the shirt and getting to the mag, ending up with shirt between my thumb and the mag. Good to know there's not a magic step I was leaving out or something, just need to work on it more...it's not often there's that "one weird trick" that solves everything, but one always hopes...

[Mr_White]

^- Thanks! My trouble seems to be between lifting the shirt and getting to the mag, ending up with shirt between my thumb and the mag. Good to know there's not a magic step I was leaving out or something, just need to work on it more...it's not often there's that "one weird trick" that solves everything, but one always hopes...

When it comes to super fine points of technique like we are discussing, there are so many little things that affect it, from the clothes to the hand to the hand orientation to the mag pouch to the ride height of the mag to the length of the mag, etc., etc., etc., that I really think practice and introspection are primary methods of discovery and refinement. You will find your way!