Ballistic Magazine
  • Guns
    • Handguns
    • Rifles
    • Class III & More
  • Gear
    • Accessories
    • Ammo
    • Knives
    • Suppressors
  • News
  • Lifestyle
    • Culture
    • People
    • Podcasts
    • Rides
    • Survival
    • Tactics & Training
  • VIDEOS
  • Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
Ballistic Magazine
  • Guns
    • Handguns
    • Rifles
    • Class III & More
  • Gear
    • Accessories
    • Ammo
    • Knives
    • Suppressors
  • News
  • Lifestyle
    • Culture
    • People
    • Podcasts
    • Rides
    • Survival
    • Tactics & Training
  • VIDEOS
  • Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
Ballistic Magazine
No Result
View All Result
 
FREE GUN FRIDAY > Enter to WIN the Ruger PC Charger & PC Carbine, Ammo from Black Hills and the Caldwell Portable Range Kit!

VIDEO: Why Your Carbine Should Be on ‘Safe’ During a Mag Change

Pat McNamara by Pat McNamara
December 28, 2021
in Lifestyle, Tactics & Training, Videos
0
0
SHARES
71
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

When do we perform a magazine change with our carbines? I think the answer should be when we want to, or when we have to. But if we’re doing it when we have to, we are probably not very “switched on.” It shows a lack of situational awareness.

Pat McNamara, Ballistic Magazine Fall 2018, Ballistic Magazine Cover
RELATED STORY

VIDEO: 13 Cover Shoot Questions with Pat McNamara For Ballistic Fall 2018

Many people believe that it is OK to allow a loaded carbine to remain on “fire” when it is not in action, such as when it’s just being held or slung. I am not one of those people. I’ve received pushback from Internet weenies on my opinion that the carbine’s safety should be intuitively switched to “safe,” or that it should be a subconsciously driven task. I explain during my courses that almost all gunfighting tasks should be performed intuitively—all the mechanics, for example. That’s because in a gunfight, consciously driven tasks include planning, predicting and forecasting. We must perform certain tasks intuitively because we as human beings are not multitaskers! But we can “task switch,” “task stack” and perform certain tasks intuitively.

Mag Change Drill Time

I run a drill where I instruct my students to load their rifle magazines with just three rounds each. I explain mag change techniques and express my opinion that speed reloads on an empty gun are a little gimmicky but necessary in terms of learning the mechanics. This drill is shot up close at 7 yards. The drill requires that the shooters dictate their speed and fire all of their shots into the A-zone of an IPSC target. They may go as fast as they want so long as all shots are in the “A.” The drill also requires that the shooter fire three of these three-round magazines. They then reload and do it again. And again.

Prior to the drill, I explain that five things should happen simultaneously when you swap out an AR’s magazine. The shooter should throw the gun on “safe,” break his grip, drop his mag, perform a centerline sweep and do a focal shift from the sights to the fight.

“Should we throw it on ‘safe’?” I ask. Some say “yes,” some say “no.” When I hear “no,” I hear the shooter saying: “I am freaking lazy. I do not want to perform the appropriate number of meaningful repetitions until throwing it on ‘safe’ becomes an intuitive or subconsciously driven task.”

Then I’ll have one of these naysayers come forward and put them in a hypothetical situation. I say, “Suppose you and I are in a midrange fight behind your vehicle. I have to go behind cover, perform a mag change and then move behind you. Do you want my rifle to be on ‘safe’?” Every time the answer comes back as “yes.”

“Then let’s practice it up close.” Because we should learn to engage the safety automatically. If we perform the appropriate number of meaningful repetitions, engaging the safety during a mag change will never be a disabler. We can only be an enabler.

The “Scrambler”

I allow my students to do what they think is best. I run a timed exercise toward the end of my course called the “Scrambler.” It’s vague by design and riddled with ambiguity. The shooter has nine rounds distributed among three magazines. One mag holds two rounds, a second holds three rounds, and the last holds four rounds. I tell the students that they’ll come to the line and make their rifle “hot” with one of those magazines, and that at the beep, they must approach one of two barricades that are 5 feet apart and engage an array of steel targets downrange from 50 to 75 yards.

The array has three targets close together and another that is separate. Two are painted black and two are painted white. I explain that the three that are close together must be engaged one time each, and the one off by itself must be engaged four times. This equals seven total hits. Each shooter has nine rounds to complete this. The rules of engagement state that the white-painted targets must be engaged from one barricade, while the black-painted targets are shot from the other barricade.

Keyboard Warrior, Keyboard Commando, Internet Trolls, Pat McNamara
RELATED STORY

Keyboard Warrior: Pat Mac on How To Handle the Modern Troll

It is an interesting course of fire to watch. I’ve run and scored it thousands of times and have seen it run well and have also seen soup sandwiches, football bats, chicken wire canoes and hockey cleats.

I explain that the shooters are a “no go” if they don’t get their hits, breaks the rules of engagement, do not maximize their use of available cover or put their gun on “safe” while reloading or moving.

Too often, the ones who don’t engaging their rifles’ safety during the three-mag drill will finish the course of fire with a loaded rifle hanging on their body with the selector switch on “fire.” If you think that this is acceptable, you are a danger to yourself and to others, and you should not be on a range with loaded firearms.

Everyone’s a Critic

There are those who will say, “You don’t put your Glock on ‘safe’ during a mag change.” Hey Einstein, first off, a Glock doesn’t have a manual safety, and second, such a gun will never hang free on your body, nor will you ever have to sling it!

Speed reloads up close at 10 yards and closer are gimmicky. I still do them because they reinforce good mechanics, and because shit happens and we may have to. We should be performing magazine changes when we want to and from behind cover. If you are one of those who believe that engaging the safety during a mag change is ridiculous, you are also the same person who finds it acceptable to have a “hot” rifle hanging off your body while the safety is on “fire.” If this is you, stay the hell off of my range, rookie!

This article is from the spring 2019 issue of Ballistic Magazine, on sale Jan. 1, 2019. Grab your physical copy at OutdoorGroupStore.com. For digital version, head over to Amazon.

Didn't find what you were looking for?

CLICK HERE FOR COMMENTS

RELATED POSTS

Priced under $1,000, the Anderson Manufacturing Precision Series brings serious value.

Anderson Manufacturing Precision Series: 4 Models Go Long for Under $1K

Working the lever on the Marlin 1895 SBL.

REVIEW: Putting Rounds Through the New Marlin 1895 SBL Lever-Action

MSR numbers now top 24 million.

REPORT: Modern Sporting Rifles, Namely AR-15s, Top 24 Million in U.S.

Florida QB Anthony Richardson dropped the AR-15 nickname.

Florida QB Anthony Richardson Drops ‘AR-15’ Nickname Over Shootings

Load More

CHECK OUT RELOADING ZONE SEASON 2

Discussion about this post

FEATURED POST

Rendezvous Roundup Gun Magazine promo

FREE DOWNLOAD!! Rendezvous Roundup Gun Magazine

Welcome to the Rendezvous Roundup Free Gun Magazine...

Read more

TRENDING

We tested 12 compact and micro compact pistols to determine the best carry gun.

Best Concealed Carry Pistols 2022: Compacts & Micros Dominate

YouTube channel The Collector features $1M gun collection.

The Collector: New YouTube Channel Shows Off $1M Gun Collection

Glock 20 Gen 4 10mm Pistol review, G20, left

Glock 20: Why the 10mm Pistol Is the One You Want in the Backcountry

Best Glock Pistols of All-Time, Glock 19, Glock 17, Glock 43, Glock 18, Glock 26

Best Glock Pistols of All-Time | Ranked by Ballistic Magazine

PICK A CATEGORY

SPOTLIGHT

The Terminator Rifle build pays homage to a classic.

This ’40w Plasma’ Terminator Rifle Build is Ready to Take on Skynet!

James Cameron’s Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) had a huge impact on me growing up. I credit...

SHOWCASE: TRAINING AND TACTICS

Cross-Eye Dominant Shooting, pistol

The Guide to Cross-Eye Dominant Shooting

Follow this guide to better shooting on the move.

SHOOTING 101: 3 Keys to Getting Hits While Shooting on the Move

Understanding eye dominance and both eyes open shooting will help you get on target.

VIDEO: Understanding Eye Dominance for Better Accuracy & Speed

Molotov Cocktail defense, antifa

Molotov Cocktail 101: How They’re Made & How to Defend Against Them

How to Survive Waterboarding Torture

Waterboarding 101: What Is Waterboarding and How to Prepare Yourself

The Mantis Blackbeard.

VIDEO: The Mantis Blackbeard AR-15 Trigger Reset System for Dry Fire

What to do during a negligent discharge on the range.

Mister Manners: You’re Downrange Pasting Targets When Shots Are Fired

Riot Survival, Survival Tips, Riot Gear

Mister Manners: How to Avoid Trouble During a Violent Protest

site logo
The Premier Firearms & Survival Magazine
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Terms Of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • California Privacy Notice
  • Cookie Policy
© Athlon Outdoors, All Rights Reserved.
You use of this website constitutes and manifests your acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, and awareness of the California Privacy Rights. Pursuant to U.S. Copyright law, as well as other applicable federal and state laws, the content on this website may not be reproduced, distributed, displayed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, without the prior, express, and written permission of Athlon Outdoors.

Manage your GDPR consents by clicking here. Manage your CCPA consents by clicking here.
No Result
View All Result
  • Guns
    • View All Guns
    • Handguns
    • Rifles
    • Class III & More
    • Sponsored
      • SIG Sauer
  • Gear
    • View All Gear
    • Accessories
    • Ammo
    • Knives
    • Suppressors
  • Videos
  • More
    • Free Gun Friday Sweeps
    • Sweepstakes
    • Subscribe
    • Contact Us
  • News
  • Lifestyle
    • View All Lifestyle
    • Tactics & Training
    • Survival
    • People
    • Podcasts
    • Rides

© 2022 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.