# The Tactical Reload



## Old Padawan (Mar 16, 2007)

Do you practice it? Do you feel te need or will you shoot to black (empty) and then reload. Keep in mind this is suposed to be done durin a "lull" in combat.

The reason I ask. Mike and I tested a couple of different methods of doing this and I was suprised by the quickest.
Frontsight and Gunsight both train a method of indexing a mag, ejecting the partialy depleted (or used) mag into your hand and seating the fresh mag. The used mag is then shoved into your pocket.
Have you ever tried to eject the used mag into your hand , shove it into your pocket and then index a fresh mag and seat it into the gun.
We found this method to faster, and less prone to the fumbling of the mags.


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## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

I have practiced reloading a mag a lot and fine it better and quicker for me to let the spent mag fall free. I can hit the mag release with my shooting hand while I am reaching for a freash one with my left. It seems to work good for me.


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

Old Padawan said:


> Do you practice it? Do you feel te need or will you shoot to black (empty) and then reload. Keep in mind this is suposed to be done durin a "lull" in combat.
> 
> The reason I ask. Mike and I tested a couple of different methods of doing this and I was suprised by the quickest.
> Frontsight and Gunsight both train a method of indexing a mag, ejecting the partialy depleted (or used) mag into your hand and seating the fresh mag. The used mag is then shoved into your pocket.
> ...


I'm the "Mike" to whom he is referring. We did indeed find this method quicker - I believe we copied it from Dave Spaulding (who is excellent and VERY knowledgeable), who wrote it up in SWAT.

The downside of the Spaulding technique - versus the Front Sight/Gunsite technique - is that it leaves the gun with only one round available for a considerably longer period than the FS/Gunsite method. I think this is a fair trade for the overall increase in speed and the decreased likelihood of a fumble, but YMMV. It is especially good for people like me, who have small hands but use double-stack mags.

Of course, speed loads are probably far more useful than tac loads, since you are likely to run out of time much sooner than you run out of ammo (at least if you shoot an auto).


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## Old Padawan (Mar 16, 2007)

Baldy said:


> I have practiced reloading a mag a lot and fine it better and quicker for me to let the spent mag fall free. I can hit the mag release with my shooting hand while I am reaching for a freash one with my left. It seems to work good for me.


Thats exactly what I did in the shoot house. The "lull" came and my mag made a clunk noise as it hit the ground quickly followed by a click as the new mag seated. I think its the fastest method.


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

Old Padawan said:


> Thats exactly what I did in the shoot house. The "lull" came and my mag made a clunk noise as it hit the ground quickly followed by a click as the new mag seated. I think its the fastest method.


Yes, my apprentice. That is why we call it a "speed load."


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## propellerhead (May 19, 2006)

I've seen guys at IDPA matches save time by grabbing the fresh magazine with their support hand, then bring that up near the pistol, then ejecting the not-so-empty magazine into their support hand, then inserting the fresh magazine into the pistol, then as they stow the used magazine, the strong hand already aims and in some cases fire before the support hand is done stowing the used magazine. 

I don't know if that's completely legal in IDPA but in a real situation, it seems like a viable option.


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

propellerhead said:


> I've seen guys at IDPA matches save time by grabbing the fresh magazine with their support hand, then bring that up near the pistol, then ejecting the not-so-empty magazine into their support hand, then inserting the fresh magazine into the pistol, then as they stow the used magazine, the strong hand already aims and in some cases fire before the support hand is done stowing the used magazine.
> 
> I don't know if that's completely legal in IDPA but in a real situation, it seems like a viable option.


Shooting with one hand is certainly a viable option if you come under attack while executing the tac load. The idea of the tac load is based on the shaky premise that there is a "lull" in the action, as Old Padawan mentions in the first post. Unfortunately, since we are on the defensive, our opponent will generally control how long the "lull" lasts. We as defenders will often have no idea when (or even if) the action will recommence.

I'd like to think that if I came under renewed attack while stowing the depleted mag, I'd have the presence of mind to just drop the mag and shoot with two hands. However, heavily stressed humans seem to want to complete tasks, so it may be that I would continue shoving the magazine in my pocket while (I hope) shooting. That might be an angle to train on.


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## Revolver (Aug 26, 2006)

The "old" magazine becomes "dead" to me. I basically disown it until after all is said and done. The same as I would if I had any spares left in the cylinder.


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## OMSBH44 (Jul 7, 2006)

*Ppk/s*

Since the PPK and PPK/S don't have an external slide stop,
you probably should practice some form tactical reload if you
are carrying one of these guns.


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

OMSBH44 said:


> Since the PPK and PPK/S don't have an external slide stop,
> you probably should practice some form tactical reload if you
> are carrying one of these guns.


And malfunction clearances, too. :mrgreen:


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