The Tactical Reload

[ToddG]

Right, it was a bit of silliness in response to the equal silliness (to me) of worrying about getting the mag out of your pocket, given the above statement.

My thought process is that if I'm going to the trouble of saving the ammo, I should put it where I keep extra ammo rather than in a different, unpracticed location. Put another way, if you're just going to throw it in a pocket you might as well throw it on the ground.

[David Armstrong]

My thought process is that if I'm going to the trouble of saving the ammo, I should put it where I keep extra ammo rather than in a different, unpracticed location. Put another way, if you're just going to throw it in a pocket you might as well throw it on the ground.

I understand. Mine is since you aren't going to use it anyway you might as well put it in your pocket or on the ground instead of fumbling around trying to get it into a pouch...unless of course you have that "lull" that you don't know is a lull until it is over.

[ToddG]

Mine is since you aren't going to use it anyway you might as well put it in your pocket

That I don't understand.

or on the ground

That I do understand.

If you don't feel a need to keep the mag, dropping it on the ground makes perfect sense. If you're going to keep the mag, why not put it somewhere useful? Like I said, if you're dropping it in a pocket you might as well save time & effort... just drop it on the ground.

[David Armstrong]

That I don't understand.

If you are not going to use the ammo it doesn't matter where you put it. You can put it in a pocket, stick it in your mouth, balance it on your hat, whatever. It only matters if what you do causes you to lose some time or other valued resource in the fight...in which case you should just do the speed load and be done.

That I do understand.

If you don't feel a need to keep the mag, dropping it on the ground makes perfect sense. If you're going to keep the mag, why not put it somewhere useful? Like I said, if you're dropping it in a pocket you might as well save time & effort... just drop it on the ground.

But then you have to pick it up off the ground, which takes additional time and effort. You are simply moving time and effort from Point A to Point B, so you don't save it you just shift it.

[LSP972]

This- WHERE to put that "saved" magazine- is an interesting side issue to the greater one.

We taught to put it anywhere BUT the magazine pouch. The logic was that you are expecting a full magazine from that location, aside from the potential fumble factor. Most of our guys put the magazine/s in their off-side trouser pocket during training evolutions. The one time I KNOW that one of my guys did a 'tactical reload' immediately following his winning the gun fight (there were two reliable witnesses within 50 feet of the scene), he put the nearly-spent mag in his off-side trouser pocket; big surprise there, he reverted to his training .

Well... okay. Time and retrospect tells me that logic can be questioned, although the fumble factor is real; particularly on a flapped pouch such as is used for open unform wear. I too have generally used the off-side pants pocket... and still do. I think this is a personal thing, and saying that the pocket or pouch is better than the other is a bit presumptous.

To my mind, the whole question devolves into a personal thing. I do "know" one thing... dumping magazines with ammo in them on the ground, willy-nilly as one leaps about, is not in MY personal "tool bag"...

I do, however, generally shoot to slide lock. So I suppose I fail that one, eh?

.

[41magfan]

This- WHERE to put that "saved" magazine- is an interesting side issue to the greater one.

We taught to put it anywhere BUT the magazine pouch. The logic was that you are expecting a full magazine from that location, aside from the potential fumble factor. Most of our guys put the magazine/s in their off-side trouser pocket during training evolutions.

That is exactly the way we taught it, and in my mind it's clearly the best method for leveraging any benefit offered by a tactical reload.

[Dagga Boy]

This- WHERE to put that "saved" magazine- is an interesting side issue to the greater one.

We taught to put it anywhere BUT the magazine pouch. The logic was that you are expecting a full magazine from that location, aside from the potential fumble factor. Most of our guys put the magazine/s in their off-side trouser pocket during training evolutions. The one time I KNOW that one of my guys did a 'tactical reload' immediately following his winning the gun fight (there were two reliable witnesses within 50 feet of the scene), he put the nearly-spent mag in his off-side trouser pocket; big surprise there, he reverted to his training .

Well... okay. Time and retrospect tells me that logic can be questioned, although the fumble factor is real; particularly on a flapped pouch such as is used for open unform wear. I too have generally used the off-side pants pocket... and still do. I think this is a personal thing, and saying that the pocket or pouch is better than the other is a bit presumptous.

To my mind, the whole question devolves into a personal thing. I do "know" one thing... dumping magazines with ammo in them on the ground, willy-nilly as one leaps about, is not in MY personal "tool bag"...

I do, however, generally shoot to slide lock. So I suppose I fail that one, eh?

.

Ditto on most of this. Of course we are old and antiquated and the new hot ticket will be "unload and show clear" catch the round in the air, and speed holster.........cause you'll never need anymore rounds (history proves it and Israeli's have been killed).


Note: Not one, but two smilies to show humor.

[jetfire]

Speaking of stowing your ammo, there once was a stage at an IDPA match where you had to do a tac reload after three rounds, which meant that even the revo guys had to do one. Having never done a tac-load with a wheelgun before, the dudes on my squad had to get creative and put our heads together on how to do it.

Needless to say, our final conclusion was "this is stupid".

This thread has inspired me to start carrying a spare speedloader in my pocket so that after I shoot the five charging zombies I'll be able to defend myself against five more zombies.

[Chuck Haggard]

We were taught a number of ways to tac reload a revolver back in the day. When all you had was 18 rounds on your person you made plans to not lose any of them to the dirt. Wasn't a great system. Revolvers are awesome, until they are out of ammo......


DB and I disagree on the "where does the magazine go?" question to some extent. The mixing up the full and partial mags seems to have popped up mostly from folks running multiple stages at matches, from the articles and such that I have read, and translated to the street as a "that will get you killed" lesson.

I teach my folks that the magazine pouch is viable, but you have to be a thinking shooter.

Almost all of our detectives use a single mag pouch. If all of the ammo they have is that one extra mag, then how are they supposed to mix up their full and partial magazines?

The uniform guys are taught to use the pouch closet to the gun for speed/emergency reloads, the second pouch for tac reloads.

I have noted, depending on how pockets are set up, that folks fumble far, far less going back to the pouch over using a pocket.

If you are an operator operating operationally, and have a dump pouch to work with, then this changes things.

[LSP972]

Of course we are old and antiquated ...

Yup... I've come to grips with that sad fact.

However... I don't quite feel helpless just yet...

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