Reload ?

[lumpygravy]

Just noticed this while doing a little dry fire.

On some occassions, my new mag contacts the empty on its way out and throws off my whole reload. It seems that there is a point of gun tilt that slows the empty (although it does drop free on its own) just enough to interfere with the insertion of the new mag.

I don't EVER recall this happening in live fire though I've blown many reloads for other reasons . Obviously I'd prefer to avoid this from happening at all because if it can happen while dry firing, it can happen during live fire.

Anyone else have this experience? Any tips?

[G-ManBart]

What division, what gun, and are you practicing with mags that have dummy rounds in them? For Limited and Open, I usually leave two or three dummy rounds in the mag that I'm dropping, to simulate what happens most of the time during stages. R,

[Jake Di Vita]

It's happening from one of several reasons:

*The mag is not tuned and is sticking on release

*The gun is tilted too far causing the mag to drag

*The mag release is not being hit soon enough.

[CocoBolo]

Wow now that is very fast. The release is pushed while the gun is still mounted and the support hand is just starting to break contact with the grip, so to make it back with the fresh mag before gravity gets hold of the dropping mag as the gun travels inward towards the chin, well that just sounds way fast.. Relaod is second video down the page http://www.doublealpha.biz/courses-tips/coaching-clips/

[lumpygravy]

What division, what gun, and are you practicing with mags that have dummy rounds in them? For Limited and Open, I usually leave two or three dummy rounds in the mag that I'm dropping, to simulate what happens most of the time during stages. R,

G-ManBart,

Limited, wide body STI, with 7-8 dummies in each mag.

[lumpygravy]

It's happening from one of several reasons:

*The mag is not tuned and is sticking on release

*The gun is tilted too far causing the mag to drag

*The mag release is not being hit soon enough.

Jake,

All 6 mags drop cleanly. I usually hit them with a little car wax just to be sure.

It may be that I might be tilting the gun inconsistently sometimes far enough that it affects the drop of the released mag. I'll have to review the video.

I don't think it it's #3 but I'll be alert to that going forward.

[twikster]

I've had this happen many times, both in live firing and in just "mag swap" practice over my bed. It's not that the new mag is moving real fast, it's that you got rid of the old mag too slowly. :-)

[lumpygravy]

I've had this happen many times, both in live firing and in just "mag swap" practice over my bed. It's not that the new mag is moving real fast, it's that you got rid of the old mag too slowly. :-)

But if the mag drops cleanly from the magwell, what more could be done to clear the area and prevent the collision of the entering new mag to the exiting old mag? I don't tilt the gun excessively which, if I did, I could understand could cause a delay of the old mag dropping clear.

This only seems to happen to me during dry fire standing reloads. I think if I'm moving in addition to the mag exiting, I'm actully moving the position of the gun which reduces the chances of this happening.

[Jake Di Vita]

Video.

[lumpygravy]

Video.

Working on it Jake...

[Singlestack]

Get to the mag release faster.

[oak hill]

Just remember smooth is fast

[benos]

IMO, if the new mag hits the ejected mag, the ejected mag did not clear the gun quickly enough, for whatever reason. Or in other words, it's not possible to be too quick with the new mag.

[twikster]

Normally, when I have this happen, it's because I was a bit slow twisting the gun in my hand, to access the mag release. I don't want the mag catch to be "hittable" while my hand is in the firing position, (as I gather can be arranged with some of the custom mag releases). That strikes me as being too likely to cause a disaster, probably at the worst possible moment.

[Erik S.]

I am a new shooter myself, so take this with a grain of salt, but when I practice reloading, I drop the mag while the gun is still vertical then tilt it as the replacement mag comes up to be inserted at the angle. If you visualize the lines that the old mag "draws" as it falls and the new mag "draws" as you insert it, there should be an angle that would separate the 2 from ever intersecting. Maybe you're releasing your mag while the gun is already tilted too far (as you suggested).

[Corey]

def sounds like the old mag needs to be coming out of the gun sooner. ive had it happen to me a couple of times and its always because i tilted the gun and the mag fell out at an anlge toward where the fresh one was coming. and yes, when all else fails, get a video and let everyone look at it

[lumpygravy]

All,

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I've been trying to catch this on video during my dry fire, but like I said, it only happens intermittently.

I *think* that when it happens, I've been tilting the gun too far as I'm dumping the empty. I've watched the videos of Saul, Travis and others and though they hold the gun high in the line of sight, it seems as though they don't tilt their guns as far (as I sometime do). Of course, since I'm now hyper aware of over tilting, it hasn't happened again during my dry fire although I've blown many reloads for other reasons.

If I ever catch it on video, I'll post it in the Training Tip forum.

[lumpygravy]

I am a new shooter myself, so take this with a grain of salt, but when I practice reloading, I drop the mag while the gun is still vertical then tilt it as the replacement mag comes up to be inserted at the angle. If you visualize the lines that the old mag "draws" as it falls and the new mag "draws" as you insert it, there should be an angle that would separate the 2 from ever intersecting. Maybe you're releasing your mag while the gun is already tilted too far (as you suggested).

Thinking about the reload procedure in tiny steps, I think this is the salt that I needed.

The point at which the empty should exit the grip should be closer to vertical. Even though the empty mag is leaving the opening, the gun should continue to tilt to a slightly higher angle to accept the new mag.

So, as you pointed out, the two angles should never intersect. If they do, that means either I've not hit the button soon enough or that I've tilted too far too fast thus changing the departure angle of the empty enough to cause it to hit the incoming mag.

Thanks!

[Flexmoney]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6477191684809913367#

[lumpygravy]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6477191684809913367#

Flex,

Thank you. This was very helpful.

[Memphis]

My only comment (since all suggestions are covered) is, I hope to be fast enough to hit my mag as it dropping someday.

Practice.....practice......practice.....