[Rick McC.]

That was shooter4 and myself during the "wall of bullets" drill sir.

The decade or a little more of shooting matches where a dozen or more reloads were demanded in the courses of fire for the various stages every weekend afforded me ample opportunities to refine the reload on a stock gun [ NO magwell scoop the mag up but stock mag wells ]. Figure 10 a shoot, two shoots a weekend for 10 years would seem to suggest 10,000 reloads under pressure of the timer.

I never practiced reloads all that much outside competitions under the clock. But it got me where I am today with reloads as my mag carrier/s all sit in the same location [ 9 Oclock ].

Same for me Sir.
When IDPA took reload times “off the clock” I couldn’t believe it!
That said; several of the rule and procedural changes they’ve made in the last couple of years (to make the “sport” more gamer-friendly, I suppose) have left me talking to myself… 👎👎

 

[Rick McC.]

At six assailants, I'd better be able to pick out the leader quick, and hope the rest scatter.
To be clear: I am definitely NOT saying extra mags are pointeless.
I'm saying: That at nearly age 60, I know myself fairly well -- and I'm just not the kind of guy to carry spare mags.

Granted, scary encounters / events could definitely change that.
But, I've made the decision that being armed (period. 100% in all allowed locations / situations) is about the best I'm going to personally pull off.

Come on Bro; I was 72 last week, and carry multiple spare mags every day. I hope I don’t need that many, but if I do; I’ll be damn glad I have them. Plus, the quickest way to remedy a malfunction with a bottom feeder is with a mag change.
Now, like you; my carry and range guns never malfunction. BUT, if they ever do (at the worst possible time in my entire life); I’ll be prepared…

 

[Rick McC.]

Surviving a meat grinder through hope and a prayer just isn't something I'd ever rely on. Training, more training, lots of practice using those trained skills till the gun in hand is just an extension of the hand, not something you're just holding.

Or one could rely on luck almost exclusively if one chose to as well. Not in my world of course, but everyone has to live in their own world.

I've made the decision that being armed (period. 100% in all allowed locations / situations) is about the best I'm going to personally pull off.

So what you seem to be suggesting is, you're not a "gun guy", just someone who carries a gun with a false sense of security. I'm not surprised, many here are of the same flavor.

I was always taught that “The Lord helps those who help themselves”…. 👍

 

[Rick McC.]

As a matter of fact, I was timing (sort of) mag changes in my EDC 1911 from underneath cover garment earlier today as a result of this thread reminder. Don't have a timer or Mantis but using mags loaded with dummy rounds, several mag changes from simulated slide lock were right at 2 sec to trigger squeeze. My plan is to make this part of a weekly practice routine and will add a timer when able for recording my progress and building more confidence in that skill.

I have a timer BH, but there’re free timer apps available for your smart phone.
Andy posted one a few years back, and I’ve had it ever since. (I think; I never use it anymore.)

 

[Rick McC.]

Yeah, I just didn't try to use a phone app during dry-fire practice. Wasn't even sure those apps would work with just the sound of hammer drop.

Well; go “bang” real loud! 🤣
(You never know until you try…)

 

[Rick McC.]

Oh, I see... so because my priorities aren't the same as yours... well, I guess I will just have to go through life sucking at my firearms skills, according to the "Tao of Brownie."

Wow. Just wow.

How many of my local contemporaries - there are PLENTY of them here - are FREQUENTLY practicing LIVE FIRE holster draws and reloads, locally or elsewhere?

Right here; weekly.
I’ve spelled it out more than once before; pretty recently, too.
Today was drawing and shooting; around doors, through windows, on the move, and lying prone facing gownrange behind a culvert (standing on end) for cover, two shots on the IDPA sillouette target (which is WAY smaller then the targets used that the TFP classes) from each side of the culvert while prone. I shot the two from the right side right-handed, the two from the left side left handed. Zero down. The last stage was shot lying on one side, weak side down; sideways to the range. Shoot two BGs with two to the body and one to the head; with a non-threat centered and blocking about half of both BGs.

Find a range that hosts IDPA matches (and hopefully practices; but I’d bet not too many of those), and anyone can learn and shoot in many different ways, using cover, in and out of vehicles, clearing the shoot house, and on and on.

I’ve been doing it since 2007, and it’s the only way that I’ve found to learn and practice valuable shooting skills, and to be able to draw and use the threat focused skills.

There’s also USPSA, which I won’t shoot; because I don’t want to fall into any of the ”run and gun” habits that might just get me killed if I reverted to them in a real-life situation.

IDPA folks are very helpful to newbies, and are some of the nicest people you’ll likely meet. 👍

 

[Rick McC.]

What is your estimate of the time it takes you to reload Rick. All the years of competition, making hundreds of reloads if not thousands of them over that time, you've likely become pretty quick about it having highly developed proprioceptors to accomplish that action.

I’ve never timed it, but under two seconds, certainly.
You may remember how fast Paula executes her mag changes; both Rick W. and Andy noticed it during Rick’s last class. Well; guess who taught her?
My M&P9s have always auto-forwarded the slides with a forceful reload, and my Canik Rival does too.
I sure hope that the new Canik does; as that really helps with the reload time.

 

[Rick McC.]

So, I'm the only one that's actually timed it and posted the time.

Well; the shot timers don’t pick up the draw.

Yesterday I was the first shooter on the first stage (so not warmed up at all).
The scenario was two BGs with a non-threat in the middle covering each BG @ half way, from bottom to top. The course of fire was, at the beep; draw standing in the doorway, move to cover and shoot each BG with two to the body and one to the head (six shots total on two different targets).
My time from the beep to last shot fired was 4.07 seconds; zero down, all shots taken shot threat focused. (The draw was of course within that time, as was moving from exposed to cover.) 🤷🏻‍♂️

Brownie’ll know if the draw time within all that was fast enough or not.

 

[Rick McC.]

The OP doesn't ask about the time to draw. It's about a mag change, right?

Timing a reload is easy....

Gun out in front of you with slide locked back (like when mag is empty), both hands gripping pistol.

BEEP!

Drop mag, insert new mag, send slide home (by either method) and fire.

Timer starts at beep and ends at shot.

Oops!
Brain fart here for sure…🫣