Clearance drills

[K_Mac]

I just read another thread where, 'tap, rack, bang' was mentioned. For those of us who carry a pistol, this has to be practiced regularly. The reason for this post is what do we do when tap and rack doesn't work.

I am talking about the dreaded double feed. The first, and only time this happened to me I didn't know the correct way of clearing my weapon, and if I had been in a self-defense situation, I would have been in trouble. Since then I have learned and practice the drill of tap, rack, no bang, lock back the slide, remove the magazine, rack,rack, rack, insert magazine (preferably a new one), tap, rack, bang. It doesn't take long to do this with practice, but it must be practiced.

Just my thought for the day.

[FireForged]

If I get a malfunction during a "real" use of force, I am ditching the mag for my secondary. Its the only reason I even carry a second mag.

ditch the mag, clear clear, insert the new mag, charge.. that's just me

[K_Mac]

I don't disagree with you if you can easily get the mag out with a double feed. I have done it both ways, and find locking the slide open is easier and faster.

[jglsprings]

I found this video very instructive...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILfYGgr4kKg

I don't lock the slide back. I user Clint's Smith's technique from Thunder Ranch...

[pete2]

Can you say revolver?

[K_Mac]

I like the video jglsprings. Thanks for the link. I will have to try not locking the slide again. Last time I tried it, removing the mag was not as easy as Clint made it look.

Yes, pete2 I can say revolver. If carrying a revolver is your thing I'm happy for you. I carry one myself at times. For capacity, reload speed, and ability to quickly put rounds on target I will take a semiautomatic. If semiautomatics are not your thing, why comment?

[Auto5]

Luckily, I have a range (only) Tanfoglio Excam GT .380 which allows me to practice clearing at least one of each kind of stoppage per magazine.

[K_Mac]

Auto5, as much as I advocate practicing clearance drills, that might be a little much!

[HiBC]

Good stuff immediate action drills,to a point.

It has to do with squibs,for one.Shooting at a range I have the luxury to say "Time out! What is happening?"

First issue is to make sure there is no barrel obstruction (someone I know wrecked a Les Baer 1911 over a commercial reload squib)

Next,I'd study the malfunction for root cause. Why does it malfunction? What do I fix?

Goal,zero malfunctions.

No disrespect to the drill or practicing!!

[Tactical Jackalope]

I love this OP. Awesome post. Thanks, a lot of people plink at the range and think that's it.

[str8tshot]

I had a double feed at a local IDPA match. Cleared and on target in less than 3 seconds. I don't lock the slide back, I just rip the mag out, cycle the gun, and load a new mag. I may be the only one here that does not subscribe to TRB.


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[Sharkbite]

I teach weapon stoppages in a two step process.

Gun fails to fire...

1. Tap, rack AGGRESSIVELY, attempt to fire (if needed)

If that doesnt fix the problem

2. Rip the Magazine out (this may or may not require locking the slide open first, depending on firearm type). Aggressively rack the slide a few times (i go for 3, unless i see the obstruction fly out). Reload. Attempt to fire as needed.

Tap, rack will clear most things that can be fixed in a fight.

[Steve in PA]

The first sequence is when you get a click instead of a bang; tap-rack-assess-bang.

Tap the bottom of the magazine to ensure it's seated.
Rack the slide to eject a possible bad round or to chamber a round.
Assess the threat.
Bang if justified.

The second sequence is for a double feed; lock-rip-run-tap-rack-assess-bang.

Lock the slide to the rear.
Rip the magazine out.
Run the slide several times.
Tap
Rack
Assess
Bang

[kozak6]

Can you say revolver?

Sure. In the event of a revolver jam, standard procedure goes something like this:

1. Pull trigger again.
2. Swear loudly.
3. Force the cylinder open. If the cylinder won't open, proceed to steps 7&8.
4. Eject and reload.
5. Close the cylinder. If the cylinder won't close, proceed to steps 7&8.
6. Pull trigger again.
7. Swear twice as loud as before.
8. Bring revolver to gunsmith.

[Wagonman]

Tap Rack, Assess...J/S

[bamaranger]

I'd kinda like this term to fall by the wayside, replaced by simply "failure to feed." It's companion terms are, fail to eject and fail to fire. You might throw failure to extract in there too. If your pistol does not fire, and upon inspection (ideally after seeking cover if possible) you do not see brass (in any fashion), and the pistol is in battery, it has failed to fire. If upon inspection you see brass, it has failed to feed/eject/extract.

Once categorized in this manner, the "failure drills" ( see the connection) appropriate to resolution are as follows:
-fail to fire: tap/rack/bang. That was not simple enough for some folks, so it was amended to tap rack assess......maybe bang, for those more technical minded. I suppose that last bit could be written, bang asses, and not be incorrect, depending on circumstances)
-fail to feed, eject: lock (the slide to the rear), rip (mag out) rack, tap, rack bang.

My observation has been that "tap/rack" is often usually applied universally across the board, irregardless of the type of failure. That often leads to the "dreaded double feed". Maybe because the lingo is so simple. Lock, rip, rack is largely not practiced nor employed, and I suspect, unknown.

[James K]

Pete2 said: "Can you say revolver?"

I'll add: "And/or carry a gun and ammo that works."

'Nuff sed, either way.

Jim

[K_Mac]

I'm not sure what you mean James K. How does "carry a gun and ammo that works" and "Can you say revolver?" have anything to do with this thread? Evidently it ain't 'Nuff sed.

It is the premise of this thread that failures can happen with semiautomatic handguns. This is not a discussion of guns or ammo, since it is understood that failures can happen with any gun or ammo. We are discussing what to do if that happens. If your point is you can eliminate the possibility of failure by carrying a revolver with the right ammo, please explain how you have come to this unlikely conclusion.

Edit: It occurs to me that maybe you mean failures can be eliminated with the right pistol and ammo. I am not buying that either.

[bamaranger]

One of the training tools we used was force on force Simunitions. Sims ammo, and the conversions used in the host firearms, are notoriously unreliable. Our stance was "deal with it".

What we saw, upon a failure, 75% of the time with handgun or rifle, was "tap /rack....." (with the carbine, it also involved dorking with the "jam fixer" the forward assist) when action called for was acutally "lock/rip.......".
The result was always a worse condition. This was with staff who had at least initially, been correctly trained in the resolution of a failure, ie, clearance drills.

Practice these things. Know what failure has occurred,and what to do about it!

[raimius]

Situation dependent...

If you look at a lot of civilian use of force situations, " tap, rack, no bang, lock back the slide, remove the magazine, rack,rack, rack, insert magazine (preferably a new one), tap, rack, bang" is going to be a VERY risky process to perform with an attacker at 10ft or less.
If a trained response of less than a second or two can't fix it, going to secondary weapons is probably smarter.

[Joshua Seymour]

I was thinking of ways I could help train to better clear malfunctions.

I have decided to use dummy rounds to imitate failure to fires.
Empty brass for fail to feeds.
And 102 grain handloads for failures to eject and stovepipes.

My plan is to start at the minimum load for this bullet and load down until I get stove pipes. I'll load about 50 at that charge, then work down further until I get FTEs.

What do yall think?

I could sneak dummy rounds, empty casings, FTE loads, and stove pipe loads into a magazine to practice clearing.

[HiBC]

What if your light (failure to cycle light) loads leave a bullet stuck in the bore?

Have a pencil or something similar to check the bore has a hole all the way through.

While you CAN clear and inspect the chamber from the breech,

Everyone will get real exited if you look through the bore from the muzzle.

Its just the wrong thing to do on the firing line.

[K_Mac]

Joshua you can easily practice tap, rack, bang while doing your normal drills. Double feeds, the same way. I would not load rounds for the purpose of causing a failure. Just get comfortable with the mechanics of clearing the weapon...

[Joshua Seymour]

I'm not going to load a squib. I have complete confidence in my reloading abilities. However I also have complete confidence in my weapon where I've never had a malfunction of any kind other that a light primer strike.

Using the method I mentioned above is the only way for me to expose myself to such malfunctions.

[44 AMP]

"double feed"

I'd kinda like this term to fall by the wayside, replaced by simply "failure to feed."

You might like it, but it wouldn't be correct. A "double feed" is a specific malfunction, feeding two live rounds from the magazine at once. It is also a failure to feed, because two rounds cannot be chambered, but it is different from other failure to feed stoppages.

Many people misidentify a failure to feed AS a "double feed" when they describe it though.

I'm not going to load a squib. I have complete confidence in my reloading abilities.

I once thought that way, as well. For 43 YEARS I thought that way. Never handloaded a squib. Until I did.

Keep the faith, but remember, Murphy doesn't believe like we do....