[natedog]

How important is it for a semi-automatic rifle to be able to be reloaded while shouldered and aimed? For example, with an AR-15, you can hit the magazine release, insert another magazine, and press the bolt release, all without taking your firing hand off of the pistol grip and without taking your eyes off the sights (and the target!) and without taking the gun of your shoulder. Is that that important when choosing a rifle, or just a luxury feature? I In your humble opinion, of course :) .

[dakotasin]

the ability to do that is of zero importance to me, and i wouldn't even consider it a luxury feature...

if it is important to be able to do that, you could w/ about any gun you wanted w/ just a little practice.

[benEzra]

To me, that would only be important with a full-auto, assuming you'd be using full-capacity magazines (if you were stuck with 10-rounders, it'd be a much bigger deal to me). And you'd need more than just the rifle; you need speedy-access mag pouches and possibly a dump pouch, or else you'll be holding that rifle one-handed for *much* longer than it takes to change the magazine.

I have a SAR-1 (AK-47 lookalike) and the magazine change is definitely a little more work than with an AR, but not a big deal (and much easier than a mini-14).

How the rifle works for you while you are shooting it is much more important than how easily it reloads, IMO.

[MiniZ]

Not a hard skill to master, especially with a pistol gripped gun.

I haven't given it much thought, but I'm not very "tactical". I probably fall under "low speed, high drag"!

[tire iron]

natedog,

Actually it is benefitial to drop the rifle down when reloading. Of course one should practice reloading drills so one can do them without looking. And that is where the benefit becomes reality. MOST humans - in a high stress - life and death situation tend to "tunnel" in on the front sight or dot. This is OK while engaging a threat - but after that threat has been dealt with - one needs SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. It is EXTREMELY difficult to be 'situationally aware' when the rifle is in the shoulder with the dot or sights in front of the face. The eye is naturally drawn to it. That can be bad - as your vision is now "tunneled" on the sight - you won't see the bad guy coming around your right flank.

So - drop the rifle down - reload without looking at the rifle - and SCAN 360 degrees!! (Not just 180 - as a bad guy may have gotten around behind you!) Also with the rifle down - you won't be sweeping any of your buddies as you are scanning for threats.

Hope this helps,

cheers

tire iron

[natedog]

I've always read that the rifle should be kept shouldered in case you have to bring the rilfe back into action quickly by using a still chambered round.

[Andrew Wyatt]

That's what i was taught, too, natedog.

in any event, heeping the weapon shouldered and whatnot means i can actually get the magazines out of my chest webbing pouches.

[artherd]

One of a thousand reasons the AR is a great weapon.

Whatever lets you hit the target, accurately, quicker. I'm all for it.

[MrMurphy]

If you are using it as a target gun it matters little. For a combat type weapon, yes it matters. I like the AR for this reason. The AK can be reloaded from the shoulder, it's just a little slower. The G-3, FAL, M14, the new G36 and the new XM8 all use the Ak style mag release (I think the XM8 does... all the rest do) so actually that type of mag release is more common.

Some military/police guys can reload an AR so fast they have a new mag in before the old hits the ground. Handy for keeping up continuity of fire in a fight.

[ShaiVong]

That dude who reloaded his pistol in like a mini 20ft rush drill is crazy. Now thats some practice.

You guys know who I'm talking about, right? Some older english dude with a beer gut. MercOp posted a link to his site with videos awhile back.

[tire iron]

Reading some of these posts - which I agree with by the way - it is clear to me that some distinction should be here.

1. If you are in the "thick of it" with a threat still in the fight - reload in whatever manner allows you to get back in the fight the quickest - which probably will be keeping it in the shoulder.

2. If there is no immediate threat - drop the rifle to REGAIN situational awareness (that you lost when you tunneled on the dot/sight). Note that when the rifle is 'dropped' - the buttstock is still pretty much in the shoulder, all you did was drop the muzzle down.

Hope this helps,

cheers

tire iron

[Dave P]

Don't fprget the Rapid Fire portion of Highpower matches: reloading while prone is required. Right hand comes off grip, relaeses mag. Grab new mag with ssame hand, slam home, release bolt. Continue firing with the rifle still in your shoulder, and ideally same cheek weld..

Dave

[Chipperman]

If you run out of ammo and someone is actively shooting at you, the first thing you should do is MOVE.

I don't care how fast you can reload. If you are stationary for 1 second, you are gonna die.

Move and reload, then reengage

[MiniZ]

tire iron makes a good point. You can lower the rifle(if appropriate), and still keep the butt in a position for a quick transition back into firing stance.

[MiniZ]

tire iron makes a good point. You can lower the rifle(if appropriate), and still keep the butt in a position for a quick transition back into firing stance.

[Correia]

However you load, learn to do it fast. :)

Seriously, Tire brings up a good point, don't fixate on your gun when you load. He comes at this from serious military background, I say the same thing coming from a competition back ground. Practice your rifle reloads until you can do them like a pistol reload. You shouldn't need to look at the gun to do it. This comes in really handy if you are reloading while sprinting across a field course so you don't crash into a barricade or fall in a hole. (not that I've done that more than once or twice).

AR reloads can be done in under a second. I've seen it done, though I have not been able to do an AR reload that fast as I'm not primarily an AR shooter. AK or FAL reloads can be done well under 2 seconds, I can usually do mine under the clock in 1.5 or so. (provided you didn't run totally dry and need to rack the bolt).

Practice the feel of the rifle and the index of your body so that you don't have to be standing perfectly still on a square range to reload. Learn to reload walking, running, squating, kneeling, sitting, prone, or hunkered in weird positions. As an added bonus, the better you get with reloading, malfunction clearance drills become easier.

If doing this from the shoulder is easier, good, that is that much less distance you need to cover to bring the weapon back into action. Some folks lack the upper body strength to do this, for them I say tuck the butt into your armpit, that works pretty well.

[MrMurphy]

I annoyed a National Guard friend of mine at the range by reloading my Lee-Enfield with two stripper clips, closing the bolt and reacquiring my sight picture entirely by feel while talking to him (and looking at him) in less time than it took for him to reload his SKS (looking at it)... granted he doesn't shoot his SKS much, he'd be quicker with his M16A2.

Still......... practice, lots and lots of practice!