Failure times

[38supPat]

We all see the threads about typical skill times like draws and reloads, but to get some of you thinking what are your times to correct failures? Whether it's malfunctions (double feeds, stovepipes, failure to feed) or errors (blown mag changes, gun fired empty to slide lock or slide forward)

So post your times and what was being corrected and how it was corrected. Shot to shot from last round fired to first round after corrective action.

[Chris Keen]

We all see the threads about typical skill times like draws and reloads, but to get some of you thinking what are your times to correct failures? Whether it's malfunctions (double feeds, stovepipes, failure to feed) or errors (blown mag changes, gun fired empty to slide lock or slide forward)

So post your times and what was being corrected and how it was corrected. Shot to shot from last round fired to first round after corrective action.

Malfunctions??? What's that? I havent had a gun malfunction in a looooooong time. Years maybe.

Now ERRORS are a different kind of animal. Everybody makes mistakes. I've been know to shoot too many makeup shots, and run the gun dry, but I have no idea what my reaction times are. I'll keep an eye on that in the coming months and be sure to ask the RO if I can review the timer, and then write it down when it happens.

Last Monday I was running a stage where I shot a few extra makeup shots (due to called Deltas) and only needed 16 rounds prior to the reload (shooting Limited) and while performing the reload, I could not remember if I had started with 19 rounds in the gun or 20, so I finished the reload & immediately racked the slide to ensure I would still be hot (since my LTD gun does not lock back on it's own). So out of the corner of my eye I see the chambered round go flying off to my right ...... better safe than sorry I always say!

[Flexmoney]

I used to try to check the time of that type of stuff. I found, for most, running the gun dry unexpectedly turned into a 3-5 second reload. Often the same for a no-bang situation.

Half that time is often the WTF! moment of realization that something isn't working. That eats up lots of time.

I've got a supply of hard primers that don't go off in my gun very well. I've been using them up in local matches. Normally, I'll have 2-4 duds in a match. I've come to expect them, so I probably clear them in less time than it takes to do a planned reload.

[mike4045]

Never really put them on a clock, but it has gotten faster. Mainly due to hard primers.

[jacks2028]

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, who strives valiantly,who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; and who, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly. Great job man. You are really encourage a person who feel bad for his failure.

[Cold Absolute Zero]

Not sure if this is what you are looking for but here is a new dry fire drill that I've started doing a couple of times a week that is pretty fun and malfunction related. It's from Red Back One available on Jason Falla's youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/falzey#p/u/5/I-mJngnFFBY

From his channel: "the drill involves 3 shots, 2 malfunction drills and 2 combat reloads. For more information on combat shooting please visit us on the web at www.redbackone.com"

Basically to paraphrase (5 sec par time):

Draw, sight picture, press trigger

Identify malfunction, tap, rack, identify empty pistol

reload, sight picture, press trigger

Identify malfunction, tap, rack, identify empty pistol

reload, sight picture, press trigger

It is fun and for me its a challenge to make it under the par time. I'm usually successful on 1/2 my attempts, and changes things up a bit so I enjoy it.

CAZ

[Field]

eh running the gun dry usually isnt too big a woof with my slide actually locking back at least half the time, most of the time i can just throw another mag in there and click the slide forward with the button.

[Field]

i hada double feed a while ago because my magazines are junky i guess the more that stuff happens to you the faster you will be with that stuff. i guess so once in a while you need to throw your gun in the mud and poof some dust into your magazines and work on clearing malfunctions really fast. har har.

[CC712400]

I would think that recognizing the problem is the hardest part. If you've got a partner with you during practice, ask them to throw a couple curve balls by letting them load your magazines. While doing other drills, your partner has license to plant a dummy round or snap cap in a magazine. Building the muscle memory for tap-rack-bang will shave a good couple tenths of seconds. Cutting out the "WTF is going on?" reaction may save complete seconds. You won't practice eliminating the WTF factor if you're anticipating the failure.

Also, you can load different numbers of rounds in the magazines.

[redbird1976]

I noticed at the Alabama State Match this year that each mistake cost me an average of one second per mistake on each stage. I went back through my video of the match frame by frame.