The last couple of months’ shooting skill builder exercises were based on the War HOGG Self Eval, helping you build on your performance from that evaluation. This month, we’re shifting focus to gun handling skills, specifically the tactical magazine change.
This will be either a pistol, a carbine or possibly both depending on what platform you used. Our intent at War HOGG Tactical is to supplement your firearms training program and help you become more efficient and effective with your firearms. Remember out montra is Be 1% Better Everyday!
How The Skill Builder Works
At the beginning of the month, shoot the designated skill builder exercise and record your results in The Firearms Training Notebook. Use this data to develop your dry-fire training plan and work on it throughout the month. Toward the end of the month, reshoot the skill builder and see your shooting performance improvement.
Equipment Needed
- Your normal range and firearms equipment
- Live fire range
- Dry fire training area
- Shot timer (we recommend the PACT Club Timer III). Click here to learn how to use a timer effectively in your marksmanship training.
- The Firearms Training Notebook – available on Amazon
- Recording device and tripod or holder
- 3×5 and 4×6 index cards (your targets)
Tactical Magazine Change
This month’s skill builder focuses on the tactical magazine change. I break magazine changes into two categories:
- When I want to: the tactical magazine change.
- When I have to: the emergency reload.
The tactical magazine change is about gun handling efficiency. You can use your timer to help judge your proficiency but there are some variables to consider. First, where is the used mag going?
- Concealed carriers: Back into a mag pouch or pocket.
- Military & law enforcement: Do you need to reset magazines in a different position or pouch?
The Drill
Head to the range and conduct 10 tactical magazine changes — no warmup, just run the drill.
Start on target, finger on the trigger. On the tone, fire one shot, execute a tactical magazine change, and fire one more shot. Starting with your finger on the trigger helps assess reaction time — something we worked on a couple of months ago. Each time we train, we aim to build on past skills.
Record your time, marksmanship data, target used, and distance in The Firearms Training Notebook. Use the notes section to capture any observations. For example, if you fumbled the mag because your support hand was too far away, document it for improvement.
Understanding The Why
The tactical magazine change is conducted after a deadly force engagement, and is done in a safe or secured area or behind cover. The goal is to top off your firearm before another potential engagement.
For example, a military or law enforcement officer clearing a house may engage a threat in one room. Before moving into the unknown, he might perform a tactical reload to ensure he has a full magazine ready for the next engagement.
Dry Fire Training Set Up
I like to start by dry-firing my techniques. This allows me to refine the specific skill I’m working on before heading to the range. I’ll walk you through the dry-fire process for a tactical magazine change with both a pistol and a carbine.
Safety First: Ensure your magazines are empty and that there is no live ammo in your dry-fire area.
When placing magazines in your mag pouch, orient them with the bullets facing forward for an efficient tactical magazine change. Some shooters prefer to orient their carbine magazines with the bullets facing to the rear, using a “beer can” grip. However, this grip reduces how much of your hand is able to control the magazine as it comes out of the pouch. Personally, I prefer to keep all my reloads as universal as possible for consistency across platforms. The technique for both pistol and carbine is similar, with a slight adjustment for the carbine due to magazine size.
Pistol Tactical Magazine Change Mechanics
- Start with your pistol pointed at the target, slide forward, with an empty magazine in the pistol.
- When it’s time to conduct the tactical magazine change, don’t release the magazine immediately. Instead, perform the same rearward movement with the pistol as you would during a speed reload.
- The support hand moves to the magazine pouch, but instead of pointing the index finger down, secure the magazine using your index and middle fingers near the base pad.
With the pistol to the rear and the new magazine secured between the index and middle fingers, bring the pistol magwell as close as possible to the web of the thumb and index finger. Release the old magazine and capture it with the thumb and index finger.
As you insert the new magazine, roll the old magazine forward to maximize palm contact to press on the base of the new magazine. Listen for the positive click of the magazine catch, then stow the old magazine in a pouch or pocket, always with bullets facing forward.
Carbine Tactical Magazine Change
Start with your carbine pointed at the target, bolt forward, and an empty magazine in the carbine. When it’s time to conduct the carbine tactical magazine change, place the carbine on safe, break your support hand grip, and start moving to the magazine pouch just as you would in a Carbine speed magazine change.
As the support hand moves to the magazine pouch, the firing hand rotates the carbine while maintaining shoulder contact. This positions the mag well at an angle where your eyes can clearly see it.
The support hand performs a “center-line sweep” — with the hand open and the index finger pointing to the ground. Start by indexing your belt buckle, then sweep back until you locate the next loaded magazine. Your index finger should be along the side of the magazine, with your palm on the base pad.
Bring the new magazine up, capture the old magazine in your palm using the index and middle fingers, and insert the new magazine. As you do this, roll the old magazine forward to maximize palm contact on the base of the new magazine, ensuring a firm seat. Listen for the positive click of the magazine catch, then give the new magazine a firm pull to confirm it’s locked in place. Finally, stow the old magazine in a pouch or pocket.
Making Your Dry Fire Plan
Take your 10 magazine changes and determine your average time. Open a new page in The Firearms Training Notebook and title this section Tactical Magazine Change – Pistol / Carbine.
Using your average time, add 0.25 to 0.50 seconds as a starting buffer. As you consistently make clean dry trigger presses with sights on target at or below the par time, begin reducing your par time in 0.05- to 0.10-second increments. The idea is to keep reducing the time until you are at the best time for your performance.
Remember, don’t get wrapped around what others are doing for time, this is your firearms journey. You will get there if you put the time into your dry fire training.
Check Your Progress
Toward the end of the month, head back to the range and reshoot the 10-round drill with your pistol and/or carbine magazine changes. Evaluate your performance—if you’ve put in the dry fire work, you should see measurable improvement.
Have Accountability
It’s important to have accountability with your shooting performance. Yes, you can do it on your own, however having a shooting partner, tribe, or group will keep you in check.
If you don’t have any accountability, you can always join us in sharing your marksmanship growth. Go to our On The Range (OTR) Patreon “CREW” member’s page or our On The Range Podcast “CREW’ Facebook group page and let us know how you are doing.
My co-host/co-author, Mark Kelley of Kelley Defense, and I host a bi-monthly interactive Zoom call with our Patreon “CREW” members. During these calls, we break down each shooter’s skill builder performance, review videos from members, and provide immediate feedback on how to improve their shooting skills.
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instructional videos on the tactical magazine change
Conclusion: Put In The Work
To see improvement in your marksmanship skills you must put in the work. A solid dry fire training plan and a way to track your progress, like The Firearms Training Notebook, are essential. Use additional tools like a shot timer and video analysis to take your dry fire training to the next level and see the increased performance during your live training.
Train Hard, Stay Safe and see you “On The Range” — Rick
