best way to change mag

[9mmalpha]

when slide lock reload is not the option / ( due to course of fire requirement etc ), which pocket is the best to use, front pants pocket or back, or vest pocket? and is vest pocket legal to use?

[sigfla]

Really depends on how your pockets are situated. Vest is a no go. I use the pants when I wear my Eotac shorts b/c the pockets are cut almost horizontal to my waist (makes for an easy insertion of the magazine and an upwards grab for the spare). With jeans or my 5.11 pants, they aren't as open (tighter pockets) so I tend to use my vest pocket just to make sure I have an easy stow of the spent mag.

I have seen some guys tuck it into their belt, or back pocket. The back pocket seem slowest to me. The belt has been the fastest but the guy doing it was fast anyway.

[Steve Koski]

You can use a pocket in a vest, but not a CHEST pocket (vest, shirt, or otherwise).

I use a pants front pocket, but have seen it done very fast using the belt line. I've heard (not seen) of very fast storage into a mag pouch.

[sigfla]

Should have been more clear myself. Was trying to say vest chest pocket is a no go but the regular vest hand pocket is ok. Thanks for the clarification Steve.

[Duane Thomas]

I use the waistband. It's a far larger "opening" than trying to stuff the mag into a small pocket mouth. The catch, of course, is that pulling it off requires a fairly flat belly. If your gut is overhanging the waistband, this technique is a total no-go.

[2MoreChains]

Duane, is this your way of saying you have 6-pack abs?

THIS THREAD IS WORTHLESS WITHOUT PICS!

[steel1212]

Duane, is this your way of saying you have 6-pack abs?

THIS THREAD IS WORTHLESS WITHOUT PICS!

You really want to see Duane sticking his hands down his pants

[22 shooter]

I use the front pocket. I have found the key is to SEE the pocket just like you SEE the magwell when inserting a mag. If I see the mag go in the pocket I hit it everytime. If I just try to put it in without seeing it, lots of times I'm fumbling trying to hit the pocket. One of the keys to IDPA/USPSA shooting is to SEE what you're supposed to see!

[Chris Christian]

Being right handed I use the left front pants pocket. My match pants are Relaxed Fit jeans, and the pocket is generous. Once the mag is in the pocket, my left hand is perfectly positioned to come up and strip a new mag from the pouch. I find this the quickest and most positive way. It is two simple non-complex movements. Another factor I like is that the partial mag isn't likely to fall out of the pocket. I have seen them fall out when stuffed into the waistband... and that comes under the rule about dropping a magazine from an ammo carrier during a COF - 3 secs.

Chris Christian

[jmorris]

The simple answer is however you are the fastest. This is the best use of delay start and par time on your timer. The answer for me was front left pocket.

[dbxdm9]

Most people seem to use their front pocket. For me, it is faster to drop it into my waist level vest pocket.

[IdahoShooter]

I prefer the wasit line, I find that even during the classifier, moving with it in the waist line is not a problem.

I have seen them fall out when stuffed into the waistband... and that comes under the rule about dropping a magazine from an ammo carrier during a COF - 3 secs.

Dropping a mag in and of itself, after a RWR or Tac-Reload is not a Procedual... failing to pick it up BEFORE you fire your next shot is, that's when the procedural get's issued.

Brian

[Chris Christian]

If you drop it in the process of reloading and pick it up before your next shot no harm no foul. That, however, is during the reloading process. Penalties: Page 16 n. "Any time a loaded ammunition feeding device (magazine or speedloader)is dropped from the carrier during a course of fire".... A partial magazine from a RWR is a loaded ammunition feeding device, and where ever it is carried becomes "the carrier". Make the reload, secure the loading device, and drop it later during the COF and this SO awards you 3 seconds. I've seen them fall from waistbands, but never from a front pants pocket.

Chris Christian

[salilus]

I always go to my front left bottom vest pocket on my 5.11 vest. It places my hand in the right place to clear the vest and grab the reloading magazine. Watch the magazine come out of the gun and into your hand. Watch the magazine go into the vest. And watch the magwell as you insert the fresh mag. A common tendency is to drop the gun hand as you are stowing and grabbing the next mag. Keep it high and in your line of sight when you are reloading it. If you practice it enough, a RWR will only be about 3-4 tenths slower than a slide lock.

[Steve Koski]

I've found the vest pocket to be slower. When you drop the mag, your hand is way outside of the vest, and you then have a big distinct movement to clear the vest and get a new mag.

With the front pocket, your hand has already cleared the vest, and can move straight to the new mag.

Belt line would be similar, staging your hand to just move around and grab a mag, clearing the vest on the way.

[GmanCdp]

when moving and reloading ,i'll use the vest as much as possible since my fluiadic ballast is in the way to do a waist band reload.most of the time if i have to do a RWR,before moving,i'll use the waistband,only if it's just for a 1 more position to shoot. 2 or more positions i'll use the vest..

Video clip from the Oki state match,wall was about 20 ft long..which i had about 12 ft to do the reload

http://www.youtube.com/user/BXSTIDPACOM#p/u/26/7IAJKb_3WLk

[IdahoShooter]

If you drop it in the process of reloading and pick it up before your next shot no harm no foul. That, however, is during the reloading process. Penalties: Page 16 n. "Any time a loaded ammunition feeding device (magazine or speedloader)is dropped from the carrier during a course of fire"....

Thanks for clarifying that... that would be correct.

[drodriguez]

I like to use my left front pocket(5.11) the important thing i think is to look at the pocket, whichever it may

[sigfla]

I used to always use my vest b4 I found the Eotac pants. I even bought an Eotac vest b/c it has a huge left side vest pocket v/s the individual elongated pockets of my 5.11 vest. The only negative in the Eotac vest is it doesn't have much weight to sweep the vest away whereas my 5.11 swings open like a door.

If I could do the belt stow I would as it is very fast when done correctly. The guy I wantched do it at the Alabama state and SC state match was so quick it was hard to tell if he was loading if you watched from a poor angle. A good loose front pants pocket goes a long way towards a quick RWR. I don't look for it b/c I would rather drop my eyes instead of my head and keep my eye on the magwell. Dropping my head to look for my pants pocket just causes me to drop my gun low. The eotacs pockets are hard to miss anyway as they tend to lay open naturally on me.

Edited May 20, 2010 by sigfla

[Glshooter]

Left side vest pocket for me. As Duane pointed out, I have a little too much belly to stick it in my waistband. Plus i found that I have a hard time putting it in my pants pocket while running. If the left leg is coming forward then the pocket is moving also and it slows down the reload. My vest has a large left pocket that I can just drop it into and then easily sweep back for the fresh mag.

[astephenson]

I use my waistband. I'm pretty lanky, so gut overlap isn't an issue. It's quite a bit faster for me than using a pocket, since I don't always wear the same style of pants. My waistline never moves.

[Duane Thomas]

And it works no matter what sort of pants you're wearing - no special "match pants". I just wear whatever I happen to be wearing that day. Come to think of it, that's what I do with everything: gun, holster, mag pouches, vest. The only difference is the ammo.

[evilduckhunter]

Left front pants pocket for me. Wastband is alittle faster but Iv'e put on a few pounds.

[Duane Thomas]

I'd think that hunting those evil ducks would have burned that off.

[9mmalpha]

thanks guys for the comparative info, I will try the waist stow, Ill see if it works for me., If not Ill get my tactical oversize pants.