How fast and easy can you reload your rifle and pistol magazines?

[DougC]

Broke my thumb trying to load a K98-K with 8mm striper clips

I cut my hand up in Marine Corps boot camp rifle training loading M-14 with stripper clips in 1965.

 

[DougC]

That very well could be that one does not have enough magazines on hand to bring to the match and that is not a joke or wise arse answer. While I have only shot competitively a few times, I understood, when I did so, it was good to have as many magazines or speedloaders on hand as I might need. That came from having been trained to be prepared in tactical shooting situations. I often carried as many as 6 spare pistol magazines, and about 4 spare MP-5 mags, if not more of each, while working high risk LE operations. When I flew as an Air Marshal, right after 9/11, I often carried up to 10 spare magazines and a backup pistol that could use the same magazines as my primary weapon (Glock 19 primary & Glock 26 backup). I carried that many while flying as a volunteer Air Marshal because to be quite honest - I was scared just about to tears each time the plane's doors were shut and we started to roll down the runway for at least the first two weeks of a 5.5 month detail. Boarding and remaining on those first 2 weeks of flights were and remain the scariest thing I have ever done in my life. It was scarier than having and fighting stage 4 throat cancer. That's because I, like many other such volunteers and regular Air Marshals, were convinced we would be taken out by terrorists; yet, I wanted to make sure to send as many of them to their maker as was possible if that became the case and to not let them take down the flight I was on. Protect the cockpit was the end all - be all duty of the day, not only to save the flight crew & aircraft but to keep flying and thus save others on the flight and others on the ground.

I have at least 30 AR mags, 30 AK mags (probably quite a few more of each), 20 or more Beretta 92 series mags, several (probably 10-15) 1911 mags, many (at least about 20) Glock 19 mags (that also work in my Glock 26) and about 10 speedloaders for my Ruger Redhawk in 44 MAG. Other gun mags/speedloaders I have are maybe not so many but certainly I try to get a few for each firearm I own that has a box type removable mag or that uses a speedloader.

I also have a few different loading devices but much prefer to have sufficient loaded mags & speedloaders, than hopefully will be needed, on hand instead of having to stop to reload magazines when I need them loaded already. While I do not carry as many as when I was in LE, I often carry at least 4 spare magazines nowadays.

Besides having the spare mag thing hammered into me during my LE training, I have always liked at least one thing about the Boy Scouts of America - that was/is (are they still in existence or have the libs destroyed them yet) their motto: "Be Prepared".

Thanks for the LEO/Air Marshall insight. Having those $80K cockpit doors installed must have been a relief.

 

[kyletxria1911a1]

That very well could be that one does not have enough magazines on hand to bring to the match and that is not a joke or wise arse answer. While I have only shot competitively a few times, I understood, when I did so, it was good to have as many magazines or speedloaders on hand as I might need. That came from having been trained to be prepared in tactical shooting situations. I often carried as many as 6 spare pistol magazines, and about 4 spare MP-5 mags, if not more of each, while working high risk LE operations. When I flew as an Air Marshal, right after 9/11, I often carried up to 10 spare magazines and a backup pistol that could use the same magazines as my primary weapon (Glock 19 primary & Glock 26 backup). I carried that many while flying as a volunteer Air Marshal because to be quite honest - I was scared just about to tears each time the plane's doors were shut and we started to roll down the runway for at least the first two weeks of a 5.5 month detail. Boarding and remaining on those first 2 weeks of flights were and remain the scariest thing I have ever done in my life. It was scarier than having and fighting stage 4 throat cancer. That's because I, like many other such volunteers and regular Air Marshals, were convinced we would be taken out by terrorists; yet, I wanted to make sure to send as many of them to their maker as was possible if that became the case and to not let them take down the flight I was on. Protect the cockpit was the end all - be all duty of the day, not only to save the flight crew & aircraft but to keep flying and thus save others on the flight and others on the ground.

I have at least 30 AR mags, 30 AK mags (probably quite a few more of each), 20 or more Beretta 92 series mags, several (probably 10-15) 1911 mags, many (at least about 20) Glock 19 mags (that also work in my Glock 26) and about 10 speedloaders for my Ruger Redhawk in 44 MAG. Other gun mags/speedloaders I have are maybe not so many but certainly I try to get a few for each firearm I own that has a box type removable mag or that uses a speedloader.

I also have a few different loading devices but much prefer to have sufficient loaded mags & speedloaders, than hopefully will be needed, on hand instead of having to stop to reload magazines when I need them loaded already. While I do not carry as many as when I was in LE, I often carry at least 4 spare magazines nowadays.

Besides having the spare mag thing hammered into me during my LE training, I have always liked at least one thing about the Boy Scouts of America - that was/is (are they still in existence or have the libs destroyed them yet) their motto: "Be Prepared".

AGREED FULLY IT WAS drilled into me spare mags spare mags.
Besides I can't load mags that fast. Hense spare mags ftf free drop mag clear start over. I try to carry at least 4 mags when I edc. As far as rifle mags I only have a ar10. Most of them are 20 rounders. So I've got 30 of them for the same. My 1911 mags 40 mags

 

[V-Tach]

Fortunately I am GTG for all but Sten Mags where a loader is damn near mandatory for anyone......

 

[Glenn B]

Having those $80K cockpit doors installed must have been a relief.

For those in the cockpit, I suppose.