[45Gunner]

This is the start of what should be an excellent thread. We all read the this caliber vs that caliber stuff and how many rounds do you carry for your CCW gun threads. While it all makes for interesting reading, the truth of the matter is that we all carry whatever caliber works for us. Further, we all carry the number of rounds, magazines, speedloaders, that are within our comfort level.

I would venture to say that it is a pretty fair statement that most of us CCW to defend ourselves, loved ones, etc. Given: we are of a defensive and not offensive nature as civilian CCW permit holders. We all hope that we can go thru our lives without ever having to take our gun out because we need to. Yet, we go to the range on a regular basis to maintain/improve our shooting skills, and, because it is a fun thing to do. (If you do not, then you really should. Because you were pretty good with a pistol 20 years ago doesn't mean you have maintained a level of competency today.) What I recommend a student do, once the shooting skills are competent enough to go on, is to practice speed reloading for the revolver fans and emergency and tactical reloads for the semi-auto fans.

At the range, we all try to put the bullet into the bullseye. Once you've proven you can do that, take a silhouette target and practice double taps and if you get good at that, take it to the next level; triple taps. It becomes a bit more challenging that way and what better way is there to practice your speed loading, emergency or tactical reloading? You are shooting rapid fire, as if in a gun fight, and you suddenly realize you are out of ammo...reload and fire again. Or, another scenario, there is a sudden break in the action. You must maintain your guard but see the opportunity to insert a full magazine or reload the revolver so it is full. When the heat is on, you are not going to be counting the number of shots you fired. That is what a tactical reload is all about.

It's fun to do this type of stuff to make your self-training more challenging and enjoyable.

Time is critical, especially when something like a gun fight is in progress. There is nothing like saying, "time out, I need to reload." You have got to be able to do it by rote memory. Take the time when you are practicing your trigger management, for example, to train yourself how to reload your gun quickly. It could be just as important as pulling the trigger when it comes to defending yourself.