As of lately I’ve focused my attention to practicing my reload. As such, my thoughts have been somewhat centered around it. Now I’ve noticed quite a few postings relating to AR mags and their (in)ability to drop-free. I think I’m in the minority here by stating that I couldn’t care less if a mag is drop-free as I prefer stripping the spent mag with my support hand then throwing the spent mag away to the side and from underfoot.
I realize this additional action costs precious time but as a positive, it ensures a weapon ready to take a fresh mag and reduces the chance of inadvertently creating a slip/trip/fall condition for myself at the least opportune moment.
Even before the “drop it & let it hit the ground” thing became popular, drop free mags have been preferred. One thing I don’t like about the HK91 is having to strip mags from the magwell
Don’t care with pistol so much. But it’s nice on the AR. As long as USGI mags don’t bind up… I’m happy. I don’t sweat a gun that sticks with Pmags a little.
I do not understand the whole strip reload thing. How often do good mags get “stuck” in the magwell? And if they dont come out when you come up with the new mag you strip it then. Even in that “worst case scenario” it will be faster than stripping it first. So the slow technique you are using to prevent a issue is actually slower than when/if that issue pops up??
It’s sort of like the opposite of chamber checking before reloading (which i used to do) if you have a double feed and you chamber check and catch it, and treat it. It will be faster than not catching it, reloading and treating. (But how often does your gun double feed?)
I think for me, it’s about control. The idea that I retain as much control over my firearm as possible and not allowing it to control me (or limiting to as great an extent possible). I remove a variable by not allowing it to introduce itself. And where it does cost in slight additional time, I don’t feel that it is slow per se.
It doesn’t matter. It’s about consistency. Do you trust that when the gun and mags are at 120º that everything is going to work like it does at -20º? How about when you add dirt, sand, oil, blood, mud? How about when your life depended on it, eh fuck even going there, how about when your competition score depends on it. (Not one single person that’s even competed in any sort of gun competition hasn’t had a bad mag change or a sticky mag).
It’s like the people that rely on M&P or other handguns to auto-forward when they slam a mag in. Great, do it if works for you… But if you practice that and it doesn’t work for you when you need it to you’re going to waste time fixing something that shouldn’t have been a problem.
Instead, I think it’s way better to look a little less cool at the range and just strip the mag out every time even if it would fall anyway. Because sometimes they won’t. I don’t care how awesome your lower or mags are I’ve seen KAC and BCM guns that don’t drop M3 Pmags freely, I saw the over insertion tab occasionally block up a couple of billet lowers. I’ve seen at least two $3000+ nighthawk 1911s not feed correctly multiple times. I’ve seen my own gun drop every mag I have always, lately when running a 1-5 drill with reloads have to strip the mag out because it stuck.
Shit will happen regardless of how ninja your gear is.
I’m not an expert, so this is pretty much my idea of a common sense answer. Why not strip the mag while holding the fresh one, if needed. I mean, we practice so we can be as effective as possible, why handicap yourself by adding in an unnecessary step? It just doesn’t make sense to me. Does anyone know of any competent instructors that teach stripping every mag?
And it’s not an extra step really. Your weak hand is right there or close, you come from rail to the mag, press the button, strip it out, drop your hand to your leg/belt/chest get a new mag and reverse that last movement (so it should be a here and back again type move), insert, push/pull, and release the bolt.
The difference is beyond negligible, and for that time the mag does stick, it’s faster than pressing the button then needing to correct. It’s all preference though, but as soon as you have mags stick, it starts to make more sense.
I guess I just feel as though the time to remedy a stuck mag vs the time to strip every mag doesn’t pay off for me. I asked someone a lot more intelligent then me this same question. His response was something along the lines of “You reload behind cover or when no threat is presenting, so who cares?” Seemed like a duh moment for me.
I agree, but you’ve got to look at the statistics. I think out of every reload I’ve done, (hundred if not thousands) the mag has not come out 2-3 times. It was very fast to rectify, I just pulled it out with my left hand whilst also gripping the new mag.
Every time your gun stops firing do you tap rack bang and then lock strip rack rack rack and reinsert a new mag because it could be malfunctioning? or do you just reload the gun. Could it stick in the magwell? sure. Could it not even be empty and be a double feed or other malfunction?sure. But statistically it’s rare so why train like it’s probable? Especially when/if it happens it is extremely easy to fix. Like i said earlier it might even be slower to strip it then to knock it out with the reloading hand.
I don’t know about that. We are talking about speed/empty/boltlock/ slidelock (whatever you want to call it) reloads. I do those when my gun is empty. It does not matter where I am, there are a hundred and one scenarios where your gun can run empty when you do not have cover or the threat is present.
A tac reload (done after engagement or behind cover) requires you to strip the old mag out anyway because you are going to retain it.
Obviously when within range you transition. But what we are talking about is speed reloads with a carbine out of pistol range, you don’t have a pistol. Or speed reloads WITH a pistol.
You’re absolutely right, which is why I only speak for what I would do in situations I would be presented. Having never been in or trained for a situation like that it would be pretty nuts for me to offer advice. That said, I still believe stripping the mag every time is giving up a second every time to save two every once in a while.
Yep. If
-your primary carbine always drops them free
AND
-you never stripped a mag with your support hand on your way to get a fresh one from your belt/chest…
…bet your ass that you’ll have a stroke when reloading if you’re shooting with a carbine that doesn’t drop mags free. Or Murphy will show up (as usual) when it counts…and your primary carbine won’t drop that mag free.
I’d practice assuming that they’re never going to drop free. There’s really no wasted movement in doing so.
ETA: wouldn’t this be more a of a ‘training’ question?