AR Reload Technique

[EricW]

OK, I pulled the AR out of the safe the other night...and realized that my reloads, well..........  "Blow" would be an appropriate word.  I know that reloads with rifles aren't as big a deal, but I'd like to know what techniques the pros are using.  

20 rounders, I'm so-so about.  I just use my index finger as a guide just like reloading a pistol.  They're  not perfectly smooth, but I can see a path to improvement.  

What about 30's?  What's the best way to index those babies into the magwell?  They just seem really awkward to handle.  Clearly I'm missing something.  Is the RediMag the answer to this?

Not that I'm planning to do this to my AR, but does anyone flare the magwell on their race gun to help out reloads?  (just curious here...)

Thanks!

Eric

[ErikW]

OK, this blew us away at Bennie Cooley's rifle class...

Put the magazines backwards in your belt pouches.

I always thought reloading the rifle was awkward, but I always did it pistol-style, which twists the wrist with the bigger magazines.

The AR15 magazine well already is flared. Suggesting it is imperfect is heresy. Do you really want to see people with Dawson "AR-15 Ice" magwells at 3 gun matches?

[EricW]

---

Quote: from Erik Warren on 5:01 pm on Nov. 26, 2002

Suggesting it is imperfect is heresy. Do you really want to see people with Dawson "AR-15 Ice" magwells at 3 gun matches?

---

So...does this mean decent triggers, turned-down sight posts, heavy, free-floated barrels, optics are equally blasphemous?

Then spank me with my Turner sling, for I have sinned...

[Les Snyder]

don't forget to give the mag a slight tug to see if it really seated, especially if you load it to capacity... for the static speed reloads, a "Ranger" reload ....a section of bicycle inner tube around the mag well, and a 20rounder tucked in is pretty quick, just remember to pull the mag slightly away at the bottom of  the mag to keep the band in place... it will mar the finish

[EricW]

Thanks.

[Clarity Enhancement Mode ON]

What I'm really wanting to know, is how to properly grasp the mag to get a good index on it so that it's trip into the well is slick and snag free.  A solid AR reload seems to take me way longer than it ought to by the time I bash it into the side of the magwell, seat it, and make sure it's locked in.

[George]

I put mags in my holders upside down, with the rounds facing to my rear (holders go on my left hip and around to the rear pocket, straight up). I grasp the mag with my thumb down along forward side, with my fingers wrapped around to the rear (as it sits upside down in the holder). Yank it up a little, then out and swivel to face forward, up, and to the right at about a 45 degree angle as I bring it in front of me. I keep it at just above waist height here. The top half of the mag is above the fist it is now clenched in (mag well clearance, prevents pinched skin syndrome). At the same time I cant the rifle with my right hand to point the mag well at the magazine as I look it into alignment. After seeing that the top of the mag is in the groove (a distinct step of visual verification) I push up firmly. I want to feel a click here as the mag locks in. I have stoned a couple of thousandths off the top of my mag catches to make sure that mags seat (on a closed bolt) with a distinct click when they are full (don't make the fit sloppy with an open bolt, a little dab'l do it here. This also squares up the edge of the mag catch).

I make the whole process as deliberate as possible. It also goes a long way toward locking the mag in properly if the rifle is not jouncing around at the time you seat it. If I am changing on the move, I kinda float the rifle along in a line and try to make my movement a glide as I am doing the deed.

Not looking for speed here, as much as certainty. Any good mag change is way better than a bad one with an AR.

BTW, I have already dumped and verified that the previous mag is gone before getting the new mag out. If I have to use my support hand to clear a sticky mag, I don't want that hand full of fresh mag yet. Yeah, that also says that you should make sure that all mags drop free (with, and without rounds in them, from under an open, or closed bolt, without any shaking, or banging).

I hope this technique is of some help.

Regards,

(Edited by George at 9:43 pm on Nov. 26, 2002)

[jhgtyre]

Arredondo had some pic's of a prototype AR magwell at Area II.  Look different but usefull.

-jhgtyre

[uscbigdawg]

Hi Eric,

For my two cents, I use the Redi-Mag. It's an ease of motion for me. I grasp the second mag as I hit the mag release. I grasp it with my middle finger and thumb with my index finger on the mag body. That becomes my guide. Where we use it in pistol and it bends at the front of the magwell, I do similarly except it bends as I enter the side of the magwell.

Hope that makes sense. You take your eyes off of the target, but I have a fully seated mag.

Reloading from pouches, I do a weird technique too. I have the mags pointing up and to my rear. I come off of the foreend and grab the mag fully with my index finger on the spine and reload as if it were a pistol mag. Where it helps to is to have a mag pouch that allows you to angle the holders and I angle towards the right side of my body (opposite direction of pistol). Basically, think of Burkett's description of mag holder angle on your belt and do the same for rifle, except with the mag facing up and to the rear (I'll show you at Yolo, unless you're going to the Infinity, then I'll show you at Richmond, the week after).

Oh. Almost forgot. I like the Redi-Mag and a piece of junk 30 round mag for short quick stages when you're prone to use as a pivot/swivel in lieu of my bi-pod.

Rich

[George]

Redi-Mags are the fast way, but sometimes they are proscribed so reloading from the belt should be among your fundamental skills. I have since changed my AR re-load technique a bit for speeds sake. In a recent local match we did a two target Mozambique with a flat-footed mandatory "belt" reload, then a re-engagement and my performance here made me decide to look for a better way to reload an AR fast.

Erik Warren won the stage with a Limited rifle in 9.0 something seconds, I was 4th at 11 sumthin' with a lousy reload time (3.waytooslow).

The new mag still comes from my left hip and I present it in the same clenched fist method as I described above in my earlier post.

My new technique involves keeping the rifle shouldered throughout the reload by pulling the rifle to my shoulder firmly with the pistolgrip and raising the rifle slightly by leaning back just a little for balance. I eject the old mag as I begin the lean & raise. To clear the old mag fast I add a flick of the wrist holding the pistolgrip to power drop it away from the incoming mag. The return motion of the drop flick angles the magwell slightly back toward the left to meet the new incoming mag squarely. The magwell winds up right in front of my chin when I reload this way. I watch the new one in as I lower the rifle back on target and bang!

Dry practice at home with a timer got me consistent 1.8ish times with empy mags. At the range last week I actually got consistent 2.2's with an A hit at 7 yards each side of the re-load. I burned a couple 1.8-1.9's but it was getting real sloppy and the blown reload factor got way up above 50% at those speeds. Some more practice and I am sure I can keep it right near 2 flat.

Now to start practicing this while moving

Regards,

[kurtm]

Kelly:

Are you paying attention?? Reload at the shoulder?? Take notes!

[George]

Hi Kurt,

Yeah, that weakhand thing really rocks when you get it worked out. Less gun manipulation = faster every time. The pistolgrip on the AR is what makes it work for me. If I could put a pistol grip on my 11-87, I'd try that too (Kalifornia thing!).

Congrats on your excellent finish at the ESC.

Regards,

[GordonB]

Hi Kurt,

Yeah, that weakhand thing really rocks when you get it worked out. Less gun manipulation = faster every time. The pistolgrip on the AR is what makes it work for me. If I could put a pistol grip on my 11-87, I'd try that too (Kalifornia thing!).

Congrats on your excellent finish at the ESC.

Regards,

I always thought it was a federal thing (i.e. Crime Bill). I'm shopping around for a pre-ban 1100 so I can pop on a pistola grip. Is there a Kali law saying I can't?

[uscbigdawg]

Gordon,

SB23, definition of a shotgun as an assault weapon. Basically apply similar physical characteristics:

- magazine that holds more than 10 rounds

- protruding pistol grip

- barrel less than 16" (not sure on the exact length)

- etc.

Fortunately, if you have a pre-1994 1100 or 11-87 (???) you're totally fine.

Off the record, DOJ and local PD's/Sheriff's (state wide about 80%) are not enforcing SB-23 except for AR's.

Rich

[George]

SB23, definition of a shotgun as an assault weapon.  Basically apply similar physical characteristics:

- magazine that holds more than 10 rounds

- protruding pistol grip

- barrel less than 16" (not sure on the exact length)

- etc.

Fortunately, if you have a pre-1994 1100 or 11-87 (???) you're totally fine.

I had mistakenly thought that just like centerfire rifles, "one" feature makes it a bad shotgun. But after reading SB23 as listed on the CA DOJ site (link below) I see that it looks like any tube mag shotgun (10 round or less) can have a pistol grip added no matter the vintage of the original purchase. If I am reading this right it seems to take two specific features to re-classify a shotgun or for it to have a detachable or rotary magazine option. If this is so, then pistolgripped 11-87 here I come.

Here is the CA DOJ link to SB-23

http://caag.state.ca.us/firearms/sb23.htm

Regards,

[kurtm]

To bend this back around, I hold mags just like pistol mags, rounds down and forward. when I grab the mag I make sure my finger is up the front as far as I can get it to index....just like a pistol. My brother likes the rounds up and forward, just grabs and puts it right in. We are both about the same in speed so I guess it's one of those things...just practice what seems to work for you. KURT

[GordonB]

If this is so, then pistolgripped 11-87 here I come.

The 11-87 still has to be pre-1994 to be OK under the federal law (Crime Bill). If you take a look at the new pistol grip Benellis none of the guns hold more than 5 (?). You have to change the stock to a rifle grip to be legal if you add a tube that holds 6+ rounds.

Preban 1100's should not cost more than $300. The only problem is finding one.

[TMC]

Hey Eric, lay off my Arredondo magwell!

I like it because the bottom the mag well is now straight rather than angeled so you just jam the mag in perpinduclar to the magwell. It seems easier for me, and it is really quick if you have your second mag attached to the first one in the gun.

[George]

Well, a week later after a lot of dry fire practice at home using the "keep the AR shouldered and lean back a little method", I was plateaued out at 2 seconds flat to be smooth and reliable. I tried it at the range yesterday with live fire. 7 yards, 2 A hits, reload from belt, shot to shot 2.2 to 2.4 seconds to be 100%. 2 seconds was 50% success with out fumble, 1.9 I got only once but had D/Mike. I have recognized that 2.3 avg is what it's gonna be for me without significant additional effort. The range session yesterday after a week of dry practice had me a tad slower than the last range outing, but a lot smoother and able to load this way with ease while moving.

The fact that I shaved almost 1.1 to 1.2 seconds from my previous avg (3.5++) and am now able to reload my AR in under 3 seconds reliably is good enough for me. The effort it would take to shave any more tenths here doesn't seem to be worth it.

I remember a saying from my racing past that goes kinda like this; The first 97 percent of engine performance is relatively easily attainable, the next 2 percent will equal all of the previous efforts (and then some), and the last 1 percent is unattainable. I'm good with the 97% position here.

Regards

[Les Snyder]

if it takes excessive pressure to seat an AR mag.....it's a good idea to download at least to 29 rounds.... a couple of counter clockwise turns on the mag catch can do wonders...depress the mag release button, and rotate the entire catch.... make sure it securely holds the mag when finished... regards

[George]

I actually stoned a few thousandths off the top of my AR mag catches to square them up and provide a little clearance for seating a full mag under a closed bolt. Don't take off so much that a mag rattles around under an open bolt, just enough for a positive catch without having to slam the mag in. This makes a big difference.

Regards,