Tactical reload
Tactical reload is the action of reloading a weapon that has only fired a few rounds out of its magazine, and retaining the rounds in the original magazine. The best example is an infantryman reloading before entering a hostile building, but is concerned about ammo.[1] Tactical doctrine states that you should always have a full magazine before entering the building or hostile situation,[2] but it's also a bad practice to throw away ammunition in case it's needed.[3][4]
A tactical reload is executed by ejecting the magazine with the hand holding the weapon while drawing a new magazine from its place on the shooter's body (pockets, tactical belt system or load carrying system.).[5] Before the used magazine drops out, the shooter catches it with his other hand (the one with the fresh magazine) using his fourth and fifth finger, and inserts the fresh magazine with his thumb and index finger. This preserves the partially expended magazine for use later if necessary.[6]
Advantages and Disadvantages
As stated in the previous paragraphs, the main advantage of performing a tactical relaod as opposed to a speed reload is the retaining of the rounds left in the partially spent magazine for future use.
The main disadvantage is that tactical reloads take longer then speed reloads if you are not experienced with them, and leave you with no defence if the weapon is open bolt. The reason for this is that open bolt weapons do not leave any rounds in the chamber with the magazine detached from the weapon. Therefore, tactical reloads are generally performed behind cover so as not to expose the shooter to hostile attack.[2]
References
- ^ "Tactical Reload: Trick or Reality?". Handguns Magazine. Guns&Ammo. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
- ^ a b Lawrence, Erik (2005). Tactical Pistol Shooting: Your Guide to Tactics That Work. Krause Publications. pp. 93–97. ISBN 978-0896891753.
- ^ Ayoob, Massad (2004). Gun Digest Book of SIG-Sauer: A Complete Look at SIG-Sauer Pistols. Gun Digest Books. pp. 136–140. ISBN 978-0873497558.
- ^ Johnson, Brian (2007). Crucial Elements of Police Firearms Training: Refine Your Firearms Skills, Training and Effectiveness. Looseleaf Law Publications. p. 230. ISBN 978-1932777307.
- ^ Ayoob, Massad (2007). The Gun Digest Book of Combat Handgunnery. Gun Digest Books. p. 129. ISBN 978-0896895256.
- ^ Fessenden, Dave (2010). Defensive Handgun Skills: Your Guide to Fundamentals for Self-Protection. Gun Digest Books. pp. 104–106. ISBN 978-1440213816.
 | This article related to weaponry is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |