Guy didn't like having an empty gun

[FalconLair]

did a little range shooting last night and i noticed the guy next to me reloading before his magazine was empty, at least his slide wasn't staying back when he decided to reload

at first i thought maybe he had some bad magazines or something else was the cause of his slide not locking back after the last round - THEN, he started mag dumping a few times and his slide would stay back after the last round

i decided to ask him about it

he said he also liked to train himself to count his rounds and leave one in the chamber during a reload - he felt in some types of defensive scenarios having a round in the chamber during a reload could come in handy versus having an empty gun while reloading

i could see some of the plausibility of that - dropping your mag and reloading while still having one in the chamber just in case - im just not too sure about the pro part of that justifies the con part of it IMHO - fumbling around in a life or death situation with a firearm in condition 0, hammer back in SA mode while reloading

i guess you can develop some proficiency practicing it, but is it really that feasible for the most part - i can buy into the counting rounds, not too sure about reloading a firearm with one hot in the chamber

what do some of you guys think?

good to train both ways or a waste of time on a bad method

[Bert Gamble]

This is called a "Tactical Reload", which means reloading during a lull in a fight, preferably when you have cover. You use that time to top off your weapon and be able to avoid an "Emergency Reload" when you go to slide lock.

Anytime you can reload without absolutely needing to is good for your long term survivability.

[unusedusername]

Look into a technique called a "tactical reload".

1) Round counting won't work in a "social" suituation, so you are unsure when you need to reload
2) You will have a general idea that you have fired some rounds downrange that gives you the idea that you should replace your magazine
3) When you have time, you swap a partially empty mag to a full mag then retain the partially full mag in a pocket so that you are not dumping a magazine with good rounds in it on the ground.

I would recommend you find a local instructor that can show you the procedure. Many of the Youtube videos do not do it correctly.

Your finger should be indexed along the slide, and you need to have the safety engaged or the double-action gun de-cocked before messing with the magazine.

[tradecraft]

Pretty normal

[heidad01]

That is regular practice in USPSA shooting. You drop mags and reload with one in the chamber, usually while running between stages. Saves time and No need to worry about dropping slide into battery.

Inserting a mag into a gun with a round in chamber is not unsafe, barring the unforseen.

[Preston-CLB]

It seems to me that if one counting shots in a defense scenario, attention/awareness of the situation would be compromised. One would be basically trying to multi-task.

Also, there is the safety aspect. A moment's inattention would be really dangerous, not only for the good guy, but also anyone else near by.

I have not been in a defensive situation, but I train for consistent shot placement. When the mag is empty and the slide locks to the rear I change mags, rack, attain the target, and fire.
-P

[ToOTHroTT]

Do it in competition all the time. Like heidad01 said its faster and I think safer because there is less to worry about not racking slide or hitting slide release.

[Daze]

Situation dependent

I have learned the tactical reload in many/most of the classes I have taken. I have also spoken with each of my instructors about this ( in fact the topic came up Saturday in my most recent class.) If you are in a two way gunfight and have a lull in the fighting (pretty unusual from what I have read and been told,) by all means top off your weapon with fresh ammo / magazine.

Having said that, every single person I asked who had actually been in a gunfight and drew their sidearm during the fight told me they shot until slide lock and reloaded at that time not before. To quote one " If someone is shooting at me I am gonna be shooting back, not causally but with intention and intent to kill that mother@#$%@# as quickly and efficiently as possible.) Crap like counting rounds and tactical reloads go right out the window and you hammer the trigger until the threat is down. "

Competing is a different story however. Plenty of times when shooting a course I will tactical reload knowing that I require X amount of rounds to complete a stage if my magazine is already light.

[FalconLair]

Look into a technique called a "tactical reload".

1) Round counting won't work in a "social" suituation, so you are unsure when you need to reload
2) You will have a general idea that you have fired some rounds downrange that gives you the idea that you should replace your magazine
3) When you have time, you swap a partially empty mag to a full mag then retain the partially full mag in a pocket so that you are not dumping a magazine with good rounds in it on the ground.

I would recommend you find a local instructor that can show you the procedure. Many of the Youtube videos do not do it correctly.

Your finger should be indexed along the slide, and you need to have the safety engaged or the double-action gun de-cocked before messing with the magazine.

that makes plenty of sense, i never have my finger in the trigger well until im ready to shoot anyway, but, neither of my carry guns have a safety - that would leave me with having to do the reload with the hammer back and in SA - still advisable to do? Im guessing it would be safer with my FN9c, it's a DAO pull all the time

im sure practicing that would be easy enough at the range, i can always keep pointing down range even while dropping the magazine - that might not be so easy to do while taking cover somewhere

[TMB 1]

Can't Dirty Harry a semi auto if the slide is locked back it's plain to see.

[broadside]

It's only a tactical reload if you retain the partially full magazine, otherwise you are throwing away good ammo.

The comment about the safety or decocking before reloading is not always an option or smart tactics. Training, training and more training will make it muscle memory and safer.

[unusedusername]

that makes plenty of sense, i never have my finger in the trigger well until im ready to shoot anyway, but, neither of my carry guns have a safety - that would leave me with having to do the reload with the hammer back and in SA - still advisable to do? Im guessing it would be safer with my FN9c, it's a DAO pull all the time

im sure practicing that would be easy enough at the range, i can always keep pointing down range even while dropping the magazine - that might not be so easy to do while taking cover somewhere

I'm not aware of any factory single action guns that do not have a safety, other then single action revolvers.

What firearm are you using?

[walmart_ar15]

For what ever its worth. I was told in a training class that certain country's go fast forces train to count rounds fired and reload always with one round left in the chamber.

Idea is that an unloaded gun put you out of a fight, so never let your firearm go empty. Reload on the move, shoot from concealment, and never shoot to slide lock.

[FeuerFrei]

I've had a habit of counting from the time I first learned to shoot. It helps me find my cadence/focus on any particular day. Long/hand guns all.
I carry and I think the counting will go out the window as I soon as I hear the popcorn popping sound.
I can see the value in topping off if the opportunity presents itself tho.

Sent using a long string and 2 used soup cans

[trackcage]

Unless something goes terribly wrong on a stage, I'd never wait until slide lock to reload