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Charlie Golf · December 2, 2004, 08:15 PM

My wife and I are considering checking out IDPA. I received my firearms training at FLETC and interact with a few different local and county LE Agencies. All her training has been thru civilian venues.

Checking out the IDPA site we started to do a lot of "huh?" when we started reading about the different reloads.

Our training, experience and nomenclature concerning defensive reloading has been consistent and standard from the Federal, Muni LE, and civilian shooting that we do:

Emergency Reload -- Minimal time. Magazine Empty, slide locked back. Drop magazine to ground while reloading with fresh mag.

Tactical Reload -- Slighty more than minimal time. Lull in fight, weapon charged and in battery. Drop magazine to ground and reload with fresh mag. Picking up partial mag ONLY if time permits.

Magazine Exchange -- More time than minimal. Lull in fight, weapon charged and in battery. Drop magazine into hand and reload with fresh mag. Pocket partial magazine for future use. OR in lieu...Drop and pocket, then reload (for those with smaller hands.)

It seems that IDPA "Tactical Reload" is similar to the Magazine Exchange FLETC, et. al. teach and the IDPA "Magazine Change w/Retention" is similar to the Magazine Exchange variation.

I figure this is just semantics but what got us going "huh" was that the explanation of a Tac-Load discusses "minimum time."

From a practical defensive shooting standpoint I am trying to see how placing a need to retain the partial magazine "minimizes" time. In a tactical shooting situation I am more concerned with having a fully charged weapon to get back in the fight rather than the location of, and potential need for, the partial mag. If I need it, it is secondary to the primary goal of having a fully loaded weapon.

Not to mention the increased liklihood of getting a "weak seat" on the magazine and creating a malfunction in the midst of a fight.

Also curious b/c most of the shooters we know that shoot IDPA concur that the need to retain on a Tac-Load is one of their biggest "realism" heartburns with IDPA as it places an unnecessary step that they would likely not bother with in a true defensive shoot.

The IDPA site also says to "learn" one of the several methods that a Tac-Load is taught so if FLETC or a (Major) Local LE agency both teach "mag goes to the ground" is it really taking into mind all the different methods?

Finally, while we are always open to new techniques to improve our shooting we also want to avoid anything which "clouds" the fundamentals as we have been taught b/c as you know when the stuff hits the fan we tend to fall back on our training and "unlearning" is one of the more difficult things to do.

So I'm not trying to start a huge debate, rather just trying to understand the thinking behind it.

That being said, what Divisions would we "fit" into...not that it matters, just curious really...

Me = LEM HK USP .40 Compact,
She = Sig P239 9mm?

December 2, 2004, 08:15 PM	#1
Charlie Golf Member Join Date: December 2, 2004 Posts: 34	Question about IDPA "reloads" My wife and I are considering checking out IDPA. I received my firearms training at FLETC and interact with a few different local and county LE Agencies. All her training has been thru civilian venues. Checking out the IDPA site we started to do a lot of "huh?" when we started reading about the different reloads. Our training, experience and nomenclature concerning defensive reloading has been consistent and standard from the Federal, Muni LE, and civilian shooting that we do: Emergency Reload -- Minimal time. Magazine Empty, slide locked back. Drop magazine to ground while reloading with fresh mag. Tactical Reload -- Slighty more than minimal time. Lull in fight, weapon charged and in battery. Drop magazine to ground and reload with fresh mag. Picking up partial mag ONLY if time permits. Magazine Exchange -- More time than minimal. Lull in fight, weapon charged and in battery. Drop magazine into hand and reload with fresh mag. Pocket partial magazine for future use. OR in lieu...Drop and pocket, then reload (for those with smaller hands.) It seems that IDPA "Tactical Reload" is similar to the Magazine Exchange FLETC, et. al. teach and the IDPA "Magazine Change w/Retention" is similar to the Magazine Exchange variation. I figure this is just semantics but what got us going "huh" was that the explanation of a Tac-Load discusses "minimum time." From a practical defensive shooting standpoint I am trying to see how placing a need to retain the partial magazine "minimizes" time. In a tactical shooting situation I am more concerned with having a fully charged weapon to get back in the fight rather than the location of, and potential need for, the partial mag. If I need it, it is secondary to the primary goal of having a fully loaded weapon. Not to mention the increased liklihood of getting a "weak seat" on the magazine and creating a malfunction in the midst of a fight. Also curious b/c most of the shooters we know that shoot IDPA concur that the need to retain on a Tac-Load is one of their biggest "realism" heartburns with IDPA as it places an unnecessary step that they would likely not bother with in a true defensive shoot. The IDPA site also says to "learn" one of the several methods that a Tac-Load is taught so if FLETC or a (Major) Local LE agency both teach "mag goes to the ground" is it really taking into mind all the different methods? Finally, while we are always open to new techniques to improve our shooting we also want to avoid anything which "clouds" the fundamentals as we have been taught b/c as you know when the stuff hits the fan we tend to fall back on our training and "unlearning" is one of the more difficult things to do. So I'm not trying to start a huge debate, rather just trying to understand the thinking behind it. That being said, what Divisions would we "fit" into...not that it matters, just curious really... Me = LEM HK USP .40 Compact, She = Sig P239 9mm?