Mechanics of the "perfect" Glock 17 slide lock reload from concealment

[Cowtown44]

I need help with my reloads. They are consistently inconsistent. My goal? A near perfect slide lock reload at least 85% of the time. Let me set the stage. Right side Blade Tech drop offset set just behind point of hip, left side Comptac mag pouch (bullets forward) just behind point of hip, Woolrich vest, Gen 3 G17 with yellow paint on bevel of right inside magwell, Glock oversized mag release button, regular slide release. I use the slide release to send the slide forward. I have to break my grip to consistently hit the mag release.

I'd like you thoughts about the specific steps of the "perfect" slide lock reload with and emphasis on various "index points" I could use to be in repeatable anatomic positions. What parts of the process can be fast and which parts should be more deliberate? Thanks for the responses.

[Dropkick]

You could try running the mag release with your off hand thumb as mentioned in this video (around 0:33):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08zhWgW2ttY

As you break your grip to go for your spare, you hit the mag release with your off hand thumb. Which keeps you from having to break your main grip. Something to try...

RIP Paul

[Smaug]

Another way to get to the mag release is by turning the gun towards the strong hand thumb using the support hand as it goes to the magazine carrier, as shown at 2:10 of the video below. The video has a couple of other interesting tips and is worth watching all the way through.



Something to think about regarding how to hit the mag release on a slide-lock reload is what style of in-battery reload you use; if you use the reload with retention, (striping the partial magazine out and stowing it before inserting the fresh magazine), using the support hand thumb works well because the magazine is released while the hands are still together; if you use the tactical reload, (bringing the fresh magazine to the gun and swapping it with the partial magazine without dropping the partial mag), you cannot use the support hand thumb to hit the release unless you have a very long support hand thumb; if you use the speed reload, (a slidelock reload with the gun in-battery), it's probably not a good idea to use the support hand thumb because ideally you don't want to drop the partial magazine until the full magazine is in your support hand since a) you may have lost your spare magazine and b) you want to minimise the amount of time spent with a one shot gun.

If you decide to operate the mag release one way for slide-lock reloads and another way for in-battery bear in mind that this means learning two manipulations instead of one and creates the risk of using the wrong one at the wrong time.

It's also worth thinking about which thumb you use to actuate the slide release; using the support hand thumb avoids breaking the strong hand grip or allows the strong hand grip to be reestablished sooner but increases the ammount of time taken to reestablish a two-handed grip.

Regarding when to go fast and when to be deliberate; moving the support hand to and from the magazine carrier and seating the magazine once it has been indexed into the mag well can be done at pretty much maximum speed. Operating the mag and slide releases, establishing a grip on the fresh magazine and indexing it into the mag well require more precision.

Hope this helps; in my experience pretty much every instructor/school seems to have a different take on exactly what the mechanics of the "perfect" slide-lock reload are, I'm just throwing out what I've picked up on the offchance that it might give someone food for thought.

[Leroy]

What's a "perfect" reload? If you do them all real slow you could probably do the 85% real easy. Maybe you should think of picking a measurable goal such as a time. Say 1.5 sec, with perfect getting in around 1.3-1.4 and a not so good one at 1.5 on a 7 yard target, just an example. Nobody does perfect reloads all the time. Some key points that I have found for reloads;
1. Weak hand needs to get off the gun and to the magazine as fast as possible, you actually have some time to dump the existing mag, but do that right away with the strong hand as soon as possible while moving the weak hand to the magazine. With a Glock you will want to keep the gun as straight up and down as possible during the mag release.
2. Consistent position of the mag in the hand, for most that is the location of the index finger on the front (bullet end) of the mag, although for me my thumb position on the side matters more.
3. Before the mag gets to the gun the gun needs to be a consistent location of your choosing ideally with the mag well point in the general direction of the incoming mag. The majority of people will be more consistent by bringing the visual focus back to the magwell, stare a hole through it until the mag enters. You will be more consistent in bringing the gun back to somewhere close to your chest or face, this is important especially if your reloading on the move to keep your arm from bouncing
around.
4. Slow the mag down just before insertion to get it in there, do enough reloads and you will eventually throw one across the room because you just tried to throw it in there.
5. Once the mag is partially in, take visual focus back to target finish seating mag, hit slide release, and .........shoot something.
6. Lots and lots of dry fire, lots of dry fire.

[JeffJ]

The exact technique will end up being unique to you, you just have to rep it out.

I'm a big fan of Burkett reloads with a timer in dry fire. You should be able to get in under 1 pretty quickly. Be sure to mix in plenty of complete reloads too.

[Surf]

Like everyone else I have my own preferred method. Here are a couple not so quick video's.

This is my preferred method to perform a reload.



This second video looks a few different methods and has a live fire comparison.