Radical Precision Designs Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 It is certainly going to happen to all of us at some time, unless you have a strict routine or a "mag caddy/person". You just finished shooting a stage. The adrenalin rush is at its peak. The RO states/asks to show a clear gun. You dutifully remove the mag from the gun before the slide is racked to remove the last chambered round. Hammer down. Holster your gun. Very seldom, if ever do you see the shooter "drop" that last magazine into the ground. Usually the magazine is pulled out with the weak hand and deposited in a pocket. But very often a pants pocket is not readily available or convenient, so the mag is put "back on your belt mag-holder". Where it stays put untill... ????? You get ready for the next stage, and with the hustle and bustle of doing the pasting and checking the "dropped" magazines for debris and "re-filling"... you forget all about the mostly empty mag in your belt... untill you are shooting a stage where you grab that mag for a re-load and continue shooting ... 'CLICK'... Malfunction? You rack the slide again. 'CLICK'. You finally remove/drop that "empty mag", put in a fresh/fully loaded replacement and continue shooting. You lost several seconds ( and very often your concentration and round count) figuring out what the hell happened as you go through the paces and finish that stage. Obviously, you are not a happy "camper". Cures for this malady?????????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 I used to have a 'never stick an empty back on your belt' policy. But the problem with that is as you say-- a lack of pockets, time or whatever and you stick one there, only to not-find it until the worst time. Now I stick 'em back on the belt, but once I get back to my bag, I remove all the mags from my belt and immediately reload the ones that need it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 You rack the slide again. 'CLICK'. Deactivated your slide stop, eh? Otherwise, the locked back slide would've clued you in right away.... Cures for this malady?????????? Very simple. A religious post-stage routine. The mag goes back on my belt so that I can differentiate it from mags that hit the ground (which need cleaning). My routine: Go back to my back, and deposit brass and score sheet. Unload dropped mags and wipe rounds clean. Place dropped mags aside for cleaning. Visually confirm state of mags left on belt via witness holes, and unload any partially loaded mags, placing them back in the bag. Clean dropped mags, placing them back in the bag. Now I have two kinds of mags - clean empty ones in the bag, and full clean ones on the belt. Reload those I need for the next stage at some point and put them back on the belt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPatterson Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 At the end of each stage, take every mag off your belt and empty all ammo. Put undropped mags back in your gun bag, clean all dropped mags. When you get to the next stage, load your mags as required for the next stage. If you are shooting a 6 reload 6 stage there is no reason to start with a 20 round mag, download some. Remember to clean the cartridges in the dropped mag as well as the mag its-self. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcb Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 Hey, I did this at this weekends match. I usually check my magazines between stages. Got busy pasting and and jawboning and somehow had ended up with completely empty magazine in my first mag holder. Went for my first reloads inside a room clearing type stage and slapped a empty magazine in. Luckily I had made up a bad shot on an earlier target and so my reload came after the 11th round not the 10th round so I could see the empty magazine before i shut the slide and I went click on an empty chamber. Still cost me over 4 second before my brain kicked in to solve the problem. Got to be religious about post stage routines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clay1 Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 I have put used mags back in the mag pouch and have messed up the next stage. I personally will never put a partial back in a mag holder. For me the partial belongs anywhere except a mag holder. I would rather drop it on the ground than put it back in my holder and increase the probability of screwing up the next stage. I wear jeans often, not the best choice for match attaire, but still I wear them. The mags don't fit in a tight front pocket very well. My weak hand rear pocket carries my wallet so the mag isn't going there either. I prefer not to drop it in the sandy soil so I have started taking it and putting it in my underarm on my strong side. This allows me to ULSC with no problems. I then just carry the empty mags back to the range bag. The empty mags go back in one section of the bag that is seperate from the loaded mags, the partial mags all get unloaded and reloaded to capacity (I shoot production so 10 rounds). Of the four mag pouches on me the very back mag gets 11 rounds so at LAMR I have a 10 round mag and one in the barrel. This has been working well for me. The point is to have a sequence that is consistant and repeatable. Good luck developing one that works for you. Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 When I think of putting a mag back on my belt that is not properly topped off...my mind immediately goes to the basic training portion of the movie Full Metal Jacket. "CHOKE YOURSELF!!!!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdfcapt Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 Our range is all dirt and I hate to drop a mag if I don't have to. I put a extra mag pouch behind my right hip (compleatly away from the match mags) and I put the last mag in that pouch only. Then I go check my targets, sign my score, return to my bag and empty and clean all dropped mags and rounds. Reload all cleaned mags and return them to their pouches. Then I remove the mag from the extra pouch inspect and reload as neccsary. This procedure causes the mag to end up as the #4 mag so it will be the last to be used in the next stage, this alows for the mags to be rotated also. Works for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sturmruger Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 This has been a reacurring problem for me. My fix has been to wear carpenter pants. I always deposit the partial mag in my side pocker. I also religiosly check all my mags as soon as I get up to the line and I am waiting for the RO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 I just back pocket it, but anyone that knows me realizes I wear baggy pants. But hell I never clean my mags either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildman Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 If it can't go in the back pocket, I put them in the front pouch upside down. I can still see over my belly, and the upside down mag sticks out pretty well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSeevers Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 Don't do it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dream Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 never put a mag on your belt that is not fully loaded....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamAW Posted November 23, 2005 Share Posted November 23, 2005 Mickey Fowler did it one year at the Bianchi Cup when he was still shooting a .45. Shooting the Falling Plate event, he reloaded with a partially loaded mag ,fired, went to slide lock.Cost him the championship that year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n2ipsc Posted November 23, 2005 Share Posted November 23, 2005 At the end of each stage, take every mag off your belt and empty all ammo. Put undropped mags back in your gun bag, clean all dropped mags. When you get to the next stage, load your mags as required for the next stage. If you are shooting a 6 reload 6 stage there is no reason to start with a 20 round mag, download some. Remember to clean the cartridges in the dropped mag as well as the mag its-self. Second that. Years ago, I took a course from Matt McLearn, who taught this at the time - lesson has "stuck" for a lot of years... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rising Sight Posted November 24, 2005 Share Posted November 24, 2005 I learned this lesson the hard way. Shooting L10 I had two mags in a row with one round in each. If I'm not wearing pants with pockets then I keep them in my hand until I get to my bag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viper 7 Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 I got caught with this once. From then on I vowed I would never put an empty mag in a mag pouch ever again. Even when I dry fire with empty mags it crosses my mind that they don't belong in there empty. I generally download all my mags after I shoot a stage, clean those that need it and put them all in my bag. Why hump the extra weight around while ROing, etc? V7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38superman Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 (edited) Two layers of defense here. First, when I finish shooting a stage I immediately go back to my bag and clean / reload all mags. Nothing interferes with this. I will go back to pasting and setting steel when my mags are topped off and on my belt. Second, the last thing I do before I come to the line to shoot is to take each mag out and check it. My mags were tuned by Beven Grams and have holes that make the rounds visible for 10 rounds and for a full mag. That makes it easy to tell at a glance the load status of the mag. Tls Edited May 22, 2006 by tlshores Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ima45dv8 Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 Saturday before last I asked a friend off mine where his mags were. He said he has started leaving them in his bag between runs because at the end of the day he's not as tired from carrying all that extra weight around on his belt all day. I thought it sounded plausible, so my mags went into my range bag. Care to guess what happened the next time I was called to the line to shoot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Moneypenny Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 Care to guess what happened the next time I was called to the line to shoot? Bang bang Click? were there any there at all? Personally i put the mats in a pants pocket untill all are checked for clean. unload them then reload them. NEVER EVER NEVER no matter what put them back in the pouch if you can't put them in a pocket inside your belt carry them IN your hand. Shooting production i carry my mags most of the day. If not i have a place in my range bag for them you could use a mag caddy too. and besore each run when you are about to be the on deck shooter.. pull each mag and make sure it's loaded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38superman Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 There is one other scenario that can create problems. On stages where there are multiple strings. You shoot the first string and get "Reload if Necessary" command. The temptation is to put the used mag back on your belt. Now you shoot string number two with a fresh mag, again you "Reload if necessary" but this time there is a mag on your belt that isn't full. If you load the partial mag for the next string you will be sorry. On this type of stage I simply refuse to put the used mags back on my belt. I just toss them on the ground and pick them up when I'm done. Just another little lesson learned the hard way Tls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ima45dv8 Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 Bang bang Click? were there any there at all? Hell, no! I reached for my load-'er-up mag and my hand came back empty! I started feeling around for a mag, ANY mag, (too scared to look down at that point) and had this feeling of complete stupidity wash over me. Since I figured my squad mates wouldn't give me a very good score if I just pointed at the targets and yelled BANG, I meekly apologized to the RO and asked permission to go grab my mags out of my bag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SA Friday Posted June 2, 2006 Share Posted June 2, 2006 Every pair of pants and shorts I use to shoot have a cargo pocket on the left leg. Most of them have cargo pockets on both legs. 5.11 tactical, Dickies, Carhart. All hail the cargo pocket for used mags! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brazos SC Shooter Posted June 17, 2006 Share Posted June 17, 2006 There is one other scenario that can create problems.On stages where there are multiple strings. You shoot the first string and get "Reload if Necessary" command. The temptation is to put the used mag back on your belt. Now you shoot string number two with a fresh mag, again you "Reload if necessary" but this time there is a mag on your belt that isn't full. If you load the partial mag for the next string you will be sorry. On this type of stage I simply refuse to put the used mags back on my belt. I just toss them on the ground and pick them up when I'm done. Just another little lesson learned the hard way Tls I had something very similar happen at this month's IDPA match and it cost me 1st place in my division and likely first place overall. Stage required minimum 18 rounds. I brain cramped and went to the line with 21 bullets. Not a big deal really unless you take 4 extra shots some point during the string. The last target was a sm pepper popper. I squeeze off two rounds on the last paper target, eyes tracking to the pepper popper, and when the sites line up I am in slide lock. Just as I have practiced I reach for my 3rd magazine and what do you know? It aint there. I felt so dumb as I am frantically checking all front, back and cargo pockets for a magazine of any kind. The popper was scored as a "mike" down 5 points, and then a 5 second FTN = 7.5 seconds in penalty time. In the final ranking I was .60 sec behind the winner of the division and 7.35 seconds from the overall winner. I have no idea why I went with only two mags to the line, but I can assure you it won't happen again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyin40 Posted June 18, 2006 Share Posted June 18, 2006 I usually put them in my pocket and immediately go load the mags back up after shooting. If you have a good squad the guy who just shot should be able to go and load mags and everyone else will paste and set steel for the next shooter. Flyin40 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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