The Fastest Reload is...............

[David E]

What's the fastest reload?

To draw a second gun?

To load your primary with a spare mag or speedloader?

To keep shooting because you have a hicap? Of course, but even that runs out of ammo sometime.

Answer the question only as it applies to YOU.
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[MountainBear]

Depends on what you're carrying as a primary and a back-up, how you're carrying them, how you're carrying you spare mags or speedloaders, etc.

 

[David E]

Just talking about what works for YOU, what YOU carry and where, etc.

Answer the question only as it applies to YOU.

 

[esheato]

I don't carry a spare gun...so that only leaves one option for me.

 

[TeamPrecisionIT]

In my case I would reload my primary first.

 

[orionengnr]

I don't carry a spare gun...so that only leaves one option for me.

Yep. What he said.

 

[NMGonzo]

Fastest reload is the one that you don't have to make.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Well if you only ever carry one gun you better believe a reload is going to be faster.

 

[Claude Clay]

well i can be having my spare mag moving up to my gun as i am firing
or i can have my secondary gun coming on target in about the same time
but not both

for cass i was Gunfighter for awhile; so 2 guns is fun!

 

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

It depends on where you carry your backup. Unless you carry the backup on your belt in a place as easily accessible as your primary, I would say reloading the primary is faster. The most common places for backup weapons are ankle holsters, pockets, and some variation on shoulder holsters, sometimes under one's shirt. None of these are as quick as a spare mag worn on the belt, which is the usual location for reloads.

 

[S&Wfan]

Ahhh, in the "gun games" competitions, folks can do it really fast because they have all their "stuff" in the right places and they are ready for the "performance."

In real life we are all not ready at all times to perform like this. Typically, we may just be carrying what would normally be called a "backup gun" (BUG), such as a S&W snubbie, and our reload might be buried in a tight jean pocket. Shtuff happens.

Making it worse, there's no guarantee when you might be attacked, and no guarantee that you might even still have use of both arms/hands after the assailant's initial attack.

Thus, one must practice for all scenarios (strong and weak hand shooting, one-handed reloads, jammed weapons, non-dominant eye shooting, etc.)


ALSO . . . there's no way to know how slow/fast you are with various techniques without lots of recorded practices with a random start electronic timer.

I'm fast from the holster, compared to most I shoot with . . . but the electronic timer tells me that even .70 of a second's draw from the surrender position to an "A" zone hit on an IPSC target at (six feet) is NOT fast enough . . . when the BG has an entire .70 second to squeeze his trigger three times if he's already got the drop on you.

 

[David E]

None of these are as quick as a spare mag worn on the belt, which is the usual location for reloads.

In one of my polls, it appears that quite a few people carry their reload in their pocket, if they carry one at all.

 

[David E]

Ahhh, in the "gun games" competitions, folks can do it really fast because they have all their "stuff" in the right places and they are ready for the "performance."

I'm not talking about the various gungames, as they don't apply at all to this thread.

In real life we are all not ready at all times to perform like this. Typically, we may just be carrying what would normally be called a "backup gun" (BUG), such as a S&W snubbie, and our reload might be buried in a tight jean pocket. Shtuff happens.

In real life, you don't get to plan your emergencies, either. As John Farnam says, "When it's least expected, you're elected." And, "There is no time to get ready, you must be ready." etc, etc. So if you usually carry a snubby or magazine stuffed into your tight jeans pocket, that's how you should practice for the "real life" stuff.

Making it worse, there's no guarantee when you might be attacked, and no guarantee that you might even still have use of both arms/hands after the assailant's initial attack.

Totally irrelevant for the purposes of this thread. We presume you DID survive the initial encounter unscathed and need to reload.

Thus, one must practice for all scenarios (strong and weak hand shooting, one-handed reloads, jammed weapons, non-dominant eye shooting, etc.)

Also totally irrelevant to the purposes of this thread.

ALSO . . . there's no way to know how slow/fast you are with various techniques without lots of recorded practices with a random start electronic timer.

A shot timer would be best, yes. Someone with a fast finger on a stopwatch will give you a good guess, which is better than nothing. I recommend a shot timer to develop and track gun skills in general.

I'm fast from the holster, compared to most I shoot with . . . but the electronic timer tells me that even .70 of a second's draw from the surrender position to an "A" zone hit on an IPSC target at (six feet) is NOT fast enough . . . when the BG has an entire .70 second to squeeze his trigger three times if he's already got the drop on you.

Funny, your draw was only .78 in the other thread........

But how fast is it when you start with your hand already on the gun? In another thread, someone is sharing the experience where an armed robber was herding he and several friends (about 5?) into a building. I bet he could've drawn in 1/2 second or so and put an end to it while the badguy was distracted for only a second.

 

[possum]

generally speaking it is to draw a second handgun. but there is alot that has to happen for that to be true. for one you must be carrying a second handgun, and you must have trained with it, to instinctivly go to it when you reach slide lock. instead of going straight for a reactive reload. to keep things consistant i train to reload with spare mag and then transition to my bug when i am totally out for my primary. this maintains consistancy with or without me carrying a bug, if for some reason i am not at the time.

 

[NG VI]

I used to carry my second gun behind the spare magazine I had for both it and the primary pistol, it worked very well actually. Wooden chairs I was seriously concerned about, since I became a percussion instrument when coupled with one. Otherwise pretty good fit.

 

[David E]

i train to reload with spare mag and then transition to my bug when i am totally out for my primary. this maintains consistancy with or without me carrying a bug,

Have you timed which is faster?

I'll be doing that soon to see if my speculation matches up to reality.

 

[Rexster]

I went with the "reload" option in the poll, because it is true more often than not. I have a spare mag on the belt when I carry a P229, which is most of the time. My second gun is not carried, presently, on the belt most of the time, so access is not as expedient.

My previous carry ensemble was two revolvers, usually both on the belt, and with those, going for the second gun was Plan A.

 

[scoutsabout]

I carry my reloads in a quality, adjustable tension, open-top leather mag carrier. Faster than digging for my backup, when I carry one.

Practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice........... practice.

 

[possum]

Have you timed which is faster?

I'll be doing that soon to see if my speculation matches up to reality.

i have not yet, however i will in the future, but the fact still remains the same that i want to maintain consistancy in all aspects not just in one context. therefore i am gonna use my primary until empty, and then transition to a secondary(the bug). however it would be interesting to see how the times work out.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

We've timed some methods. Ankle carry NY reloads tended to take longer, especially since the person could not even start to make the reload until after getting to cover if not already there. It is very difficult to get to your ankle gun when you are on the move.

Pocket carry tended to be very quick unless the gun hung up on the clothing somehow. Belt carry was the fastest, but few carry two guns on their belts.

What it came down to was whether or not the NY reload could be done quicker than about 3 seconds which was the amount of time it took to reload via a magazine carried on the belt (we did not test reloading revolvers and have no idea how quick moon clips or speed loaders are for the average shooter).

 

[usmc1371]

I voted reload. This is why. I am a thin ish guy, 5'11'' and 155# so my waist line just doesn't have the room to wear 2 guns on my right side where I am used to and practice my draw form. So if I were to carry a back up it would have to be on my weak side or some other location on my body that would be way slower to reach than my primary strong side rig. On my weak side is a single spare mag and surefire the mag is in the same place as my spare mags are when I shoot IPSC so it is very natural to reach for that spare mag when the slide locks open. In compitition I am a pretty good reloader about 1.5 seconds, not fast by IPSC standards but lightning compared to most folks I know who don't shot any comps. With my carry gun and rig I am a little slower but still faster than locating, drawing, and bringing to bear a second gun form a location that I don't practice form on a regular basis.


Edit, If I didn't have 100% faith in my primary gun it wouldn't be my primary gun.

 

[Erik]

My fastest reload is to reload my primary semi-automatic pistol with a magazine. In my experience that holds true for most carriers of semi-automatic pistols.