Training Tip of the Week: Tactical Reload Pistol

The tactical reload comes from the defensive side of pistol shooting. The idea is if you are in a defensive encounter and there is a lull in the action then you perform a magazine exchange and retain the partial magazine on your body in case you need the ammo later. There are several different ways to do this. We are going to illustrate one way today. 

After firing several shots, you access new ammo by retrieving your spare magazine. Normally we have our index finger run down the front of the magazine. In this case,we are going to hold the magazine in between our index finger and our middle finger much like a cigar. As we bring our hand to the gun, we release the partial magazine into our hand pinching the magazine with the index finger and thumb. We then insert the fresh magazine while retaining the partial. 

Here is the drill: Draw and fire three shots at your target, perform a tactical reload and fire another three shots. You can retain the magazine anywhere on your body. It may be quicker to stow it in a pocket rather than trying to re-insert it in a mag pouch. As far as an accuracy goal, try to keep all of your shots in a six inch circle at seven yards. As for the time on the reload, try to get it done as quickly as you can without dropping the magazine.