Jump to content
Brian Enos's Forums... Maku mozo!

Load your mags!


blaster113

Recommended Posts

For the first time in about 12 years I forgot to load up a mag to division capacity.  Shot Production today and went to slide lock on the last target of the stage when there should've been 2 more rounds left.  Painful lesson and a rookie mistake for a 14 year USPSA shooter. :o

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I did that at my second match shooting open...24 round COF and didn't think to look at the witness hole in my big stick (29 rnds) before I chambered a round. Gun went click and I had a paper and a steel left...Thankfully I always keep at least one extra mag on my belt. Talk about a brain fart moment. Now I don't leave mags on my belt after a COF and have separate places in my bag to keep loaded and unloaded/partially loaded mags.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hell - I've done it with moonclips. I dumped a clip after only two shots to show clear at the end of a COF and dropped it back onto one of the posts on my belt. Reloaded the belt, started the second COF, and... tried to reload using a clip with two spent casings. 

If you've never tried it, it don't work so good.

I didn't notice it when I was reloading because the height was correct for a loaded moonclip (the other 4 rounds were holding it up). Now I make sure the brass has a bullet in it too, lol.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At If-Finished-Unload-and-Show-Clear I never put mags back into my belt.  Every magazine that was pulled out ALWAYS goes into my front pocket.  Any mag that is in my belt is properly loaded.  Do everything the same every time and you never have to think.

Just like when my wife asks me, "Did you lock the door?" or "Did you close the garage door?" I almost never remember doing it, but it always turns out I did.

The only time I have to think about my mags is at an unloaded start.  I have to make sure my start mag is not loaded up to 11, but instead only up to 10.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/15/2016 at 2:39 AM, Hi-Power Jack said:

That'll show you - next time don't be awed by the beautiful Hawaiian scenery,

the beautiful dancers and talking to other shooters :)

Not to make excuses, but I shot my PCC at the match also.  Stuffing two sets of mags made me lose concentration I guess.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My last match I forgot to load my magazines from the previous stage. I was busy showing another shooter how to score on the nook. When it came time for me to shoot I stepped up and shot the stage. When I finished and the RO asked me to unload and show clear; I dropped the mag and it was empty. I pulled the slide back and my gun was also empty. I had just enough rounds in the 2 magazines I used to shoot the stage. I made sure that didn't happen again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/18/2016 at 9:35 AM, CHLChris said:

At If-Finished-Unload-and-Show-Clear I never put mags back into my belt.  Every magazine that was pulled out ALWAYS goes into my front pocket.  Any mag that is in my belt is properly loaded.  Do everything the same every time and you never have to think.

Just like when my wife asks me, "Did you lock the door?" or "Did you close the garage door?" I almost never remember doing it, but it always turns out I did.

The only time I have to think about my mags is at an unloaded start.  I have to make sure my start mag is not loaded up to 11, but instead only up to 10.

This, except I never have a starter mag loaded to 11.  I use a Barney mag with a single round.  Ensures there is a round in the pistol when I start and never have to worry about getting bumped to Open for 11 rounds in a mag after the beep.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used a barney mag when I fully loaded my mags in Limited.  But with 11 rounds in a 17rd Glock 17 magazine, I have NEVER had one fail to load.  If the mag is slammed home, the top round ALWAYS goes into the chamber.  I see no reason to carry one more magazine on my belt that is already chock-full of 10-round magazines.  A barney mag just seems superfluous for my division.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i've always felt that a one round barney mag was better.  Rack the slide and remove the magazine.  If its empty you got a round in the chamber.

Loading from an 11 rd magazine, you rack the slide and you may have one in the chamber and ten in the magazine.  If that 1st round did not make it into the chamber, then you started the stage with an 11 rd magazine. Score suffers taking the time to figure out what went wrong and to cure it.  

And if the RO is paying close attention, well then welcome to Open.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I understand this concept in theory.  But when, ever, have people had a mag actually, for real, seated in the gun and the slide, racked correctly fully to the rear, doesn't strip off a round?  It doesn't happen...and if it does, then something is deeply wrong with your gun. 

Problem 1: Mag isn't fully seated.  Then seat it properly and yank on it once or twice before charging the gun.  The only time in my experience mags don't seat correctly is when you are fully loaded and jammed to the very top with rounds.  But I have NEVER had a 17-rounder loaded with only 10-11 rounds fail to seat easily when in load-and-make-ready.

Problem 2: Slide isn't pulled all the way back, so the top round isn't stripped off.  Come on!  This is possible, but then you've got bigger issues with hand strength and technique or something.

When I load an 11-round mag into my Glock 17, hard and with authority, it seats...every time.  Then I rack the slide back, hard and with authority.  I yank on the mag to make sure that it was seated.  And that always works.  I have 4 or 5 more mags with 10 rounds on my belt and I just don't feel the need to carry an empty barney mag during a stage.  I just think a barney mag for Production/Carry Optics is anything but paranoid...or a vote of no-confidence in your pistol.

Now, for Single Stack, or Open, or Limited, cool. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, CHLChris said:

I understand this concept in theory.  But when, ever, have people had a mag actually, for real, seated in the gun and the slide, racked correctly fully to the rear, doesn't strip off a round?  It doesn't happen...and if it does, then something is deeply wrong with your gun. 

Problem 1: Mag isn't fully seated.  Then seat it properly and yank on it once or twice before charging the gun.  The only time in my experience mags don't seat correctly is when you are fully loaded and jammed to the very top with rounds.  But I have NEVER had a 17-rounder loaded with only 10-11 rounds fail to seat easily when in load-and-make-ready.

Problem 2: Slide isn't pulled all the way back, so the top round isn't stripped off.  Come on!  This is possible, but then you've got bigger issues with hand strength and technique or something.

When I load an 11-round mag into my Glock 17, hard and with authority, it seats...every time.  Then I rack the slide back, hard and with authority.  I yank on the mag to make sure that it was seated.  And that always works.  I have 4 or 5 more mags with 10 rounds on my belt and I just don't feel the need to carry an empty barney mag during a stage.  I just think a barney mag for Production/Carry Optics is anything but paranoid...or a vote of no-confidence in your pistol.

Now, for Single Stack, or Open, or Limited, cool. 

Again, go back to an unloaded start.  In my scenario my routine never changes.  In your scenario when you loaded your one mag to 11 at the end of the previous stage you have to remember to pull a round prior to the start of the next stage or you are in open.  I prefer to never have to vary my routine when ever possible.  I have established my routine for a reason.  For me, the Barney mag solves a couple of potential problems and is part of my routine.  11 in a mag or a Barney mag... same result in the end, but the 11 rounds carries additional risk.  Plus, I am in California, so an 11 round mag would get confiscated and I would get a ticket written starting next year. :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The routine thing makes a lot of sense, pointer.  I totally see your point in never needing to keep track of the 11th round.

Living in California...now THAT I don't understand.  This is coming from a native Californian who moved at 28yo to get into a more freedom-oriented state.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just did this at local...completely for got to top off big my start mag as I was only planning to shoot 10rds then reload to big stick to finish.  Well...buzzer goes off plan goes with it, left doing a standing reload...like a boss!   Lesson learned...don't be cute with loading to capacity!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/26/2016 at 9:20 PM, JimmyN9 said:

Just did this at local...completely for got to top off big my start mag as I was only planning to shoot 10rds then reload to big stick to finish.  Well...buzzer goes off plan goes with it, left doing a standing reload...like a boss!   Lesson learned...don't be cute with loading to capacity!  

Well, smart people learn from their mistakes and don't repeat them.  Really smart people learn from the other clowns around them and prevent their own. :)  As an FYI, I've started with an empty gun on a classifier stage with a par time so I am in the former group apparently.  That is when I got some advise and started my Barney mag routine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Doesn't really pertain to loading your mags but don't forget to put your loaded mags on your belt. Watched a GM production shooter make ready with his barney mag. Buzzer went off and he merrily shot his first 10 rounds and reached for the next mag. His hand went all the way around his belt.... no mags. He looked at the RO with a "what do I do now" look. RO said "if you are finished, unload and show clear". Zeroed the stage but I think he still won his division. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

i forgot to reload one of my mags after a stage, so the next stage i grabbed my last mag to reload and i noticed that it felt light and i knew i messed up, ran out of ammo with 3 shots left. Lesson learned the hard way!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i forgot to reload one of my mags after a stage, so the next stage i grabbed my last mag to reload and i noticed that it felt light and i knew i messed up, ran out of ammo with 3 shots left. Lesson learned the hard way!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

I'm sure most of you all play with people who will do this, but at the couple of matches I have stopped and watched this year, anyone who was doing scoring or taping was being offered a reload of their magazines. Seeing this is one of the reasons why I am planning on shooting USPSA in 2017 and getting into the game so to speak. Everyone was so friendly, offered great advice, and was offering to help each other get their equipment ready. -to the point of stripping a mag and reloading just to be sure it had the correct number of rounds. I noticed a few newer people on one of the squads I was watching as the people would talk to them about the stage would progress, how to best shoot some plates, etc. So for all you guys who do this, thanks, because it really helps get others involved.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
On 8/14/2016 at 9:57 PM, blaster113 said:

For the first time in about 12 years I forgot to load up a mag to division capacity.  Shot Production today and went to slide lock on the last target of the stage when there should've been 2 more rounds left.  Painful lesson and a rookie mistake for a 14 year USPSA shooter. :o

Thanks for the post as it doesn't make me feel so OCD about confirming all of my magazines are full when I am called as the  shooter in the hole, and once again before walking up to start position.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...