Malfunctions seen at IDPA matches

[synergy]

Originally Posted by ted murphy

Monday night I also saw a particularly nasty failure to feed with a glock 17 and a factory 9mm round. The round fed funny and caught on the factory barrel and locked the gun up good. I had to grab the slide tightly and smack the grip to dislodge the round for the shooter. Not sure what caused that one.

Ted, did you get a chance to examine the round you ripped out?

I've seen this from time to time, and it's usually a round with a deformed or burred case. I've had to do the "frame smack" a fair number of times....

Just reminds you of how important it is to visually inspect your carry ammo.

[luckyned7]

S! All

Sorta 'guilty as charged' here. I am very slowly beginning to shoot IDPA and during my first official practice session I had a backasward primer-malfunction. So many people screamed "STOP!" that they scared me. Twas my fault, as my Dillon is getting old and tired and was in need of a tune-up. There's no way I can afford to shoot all factory ammo during practice.

I'm also guilty of owning and shooting way too many pistols so I've settled in on only 2 for defensive work and carry. On my salary it makes no sense to even attempt different holsters and calibers. My IDPA gun costs half as much as I would prefer but it IS the gun I carry so being the "gamer" is out. I plan on selling off my collection of tomatoe stakes just so I can concentrate on my defensive work...err..maybe I'll keep the peerdy Kimber just to look at.

[luckyned7]

Just a side note. I've become so worried about magazine- retention training becoming 'drilled' in that I practice on my own..a night before the scheduled IDPA training night. I'm betting my life that the extra second or 2 it might take me to retain that mag would get me killed when my life is threatened and my thought process turns to jelly. I just don't see the real-life scenerio where I'm going to need that empty mag..later in a gunfight. I should be done or running! Correct me if you totally disagree..remembering it is MY life. :P

[synergy]

Originally Posted by luckyned7

I'm betting my life that the extra second or 2 it might take me to retain that mag would get me killed when my life is threatened and my thought process turns to jelly. I just don't see the real-life scenerio where I'm going to need that empty mag..later in a gunfight. I should be done or running! Correct me if you totally disagree..remembering it is MY life. :P

IIRC, you don't have to retain empty mags, just ones with rounds left in them.

This is something I personally don't agree with either.

How I top-off (for keeps) is to keep the muzzle towards the threat, and access a magazine with my weak hand. Bring it up just below the gun, scan the scene, drop the old mag free, load the new mag, scan again...then pickup the old mag if the situation permits.

This keeps the gun loaded with only 1 round for the shortest time possible, and prioritizes being able to fight with the gun now, over retaining a partially empty magazine that you may (or may not) need later.

For IDPA, I rip the magazine, pocket it (in the closest pocket to my fresh mags) then reload from there. My hand goes from gun to belt to gun.


The "break grip and grab new mag, move it over in your hand, drop the old mag, insert new mag, place old mag in pocket, then re-establish grip"...just seems pointless to me. This way you have hand from gun to belt, to gun, to belt, to gun....It is neither the fastest way to do it, nor the way I choose to do it for keeps.

[jack76590]

Originally Posted by luckyned7

Just a side note. I've become so worried about magazine- retention training becoming 'drilled' in that I practice on my own..a night before the scheduled IDPA training night. I'm betting my life that the extra second or 2 it might take me to retain that mag would get me killed when my life is threatened and my thought process turns to jelly. I just don't see the real-life scenerio where I'm going to need that empty mag..later in a gunfight. I should be done or running! Correct me if you totally disagree..remembering it is MY life. :P

I have tried the "tactical reload" a few times. About a quarter of the time I either drop one or both mags or I get confused and reinsert the mag I just removed. My answer to the "tactical reload" is to carry two rather than one spare mag.

[JoeWilliams]

Originally Posted by luckyned7

Just a side note. I've become so worried about magazine- retention training becoming 'drilled' in that I practice on my own..a night before the scheduled IDPA training night. I'm betting my life that the extra second or 2 it might take me to retain that mag would get me killed when my life is threatened and my thought process turns to jelly. I just don't see the real-life scenerio where I'm going to need that empty mag..later in a gunfight. I should be done or running! Correct me if you totally disagree..remembering it is MY life. :P

I think it's tactically unsound training for most all situations an average person will find themselves in. I think you are much better off to train yourself to shoot to mag lock and reload than you are to think you could deal with all that fumbling around trying to retain a magazine while someone is shooting at you.

[wryekid]

Originally Posted by luckyned7

Just a side note. I've become so worried about magazine- retention training becoming 'drilled' in that I practice on my own..a night before the scheduled IDPA training night. I'm betting my life that the extra second or 2 it might take me to retain that mag would get me killed when my life is threatened and my thought process turns to jelly. I just don't see the real-life scenerio where I'm going to need that empty mag..later in a gunfight. I should be done or running! Correct me if you totally disagree..remembering it is MY life. :P

Let me first start off by saying that I've had dreams of being outshot by burglars because I had a terrible match. That being said. I believe if you practice enough it won't matter how you decide to reload. Also, I am pretty sure that IDPA doesn't really encourage the TAC-Load, but on the other hand, it really is a game in a sense and not designed to teach you right from wrong. I am not saying that it doesn't help hone your skills, I am merely saying training should be taught by an instructer, not your friends at the club once a month.

[Robert Desrosiers]

Originally Posted by JoeWilliams

I think it's tactically unsound training for most all situations an average person will find themselves in. I think you are much better off to train yourself to shoot to mag lock and reload than you are to think you could deal with all that fumbling around trying to retain a magazine while someone is shooting at you.

What exactly is IDPA advocating in regards to magazine retention? I'm reading this thread but there seems to be mention about retaining empty mags as well as partially depleted ones.

The former(retaining empties) would always be a bad idea during any situation. The latter(tac load) is a viable TTP if preformed correctly and at the tactically correct moment and location. Preferably from a tactically advantageous location.(think cover)

The problem I typically see is that many have never been show or trained in reliable and consistent tactical reloading procedures that work well under stress. There are some techniques that do work well under stress but must still be practiced just like an emergency reload.

[synergy]

Originally Posted by Robert Desrosiers

What exactly is IDPA advocating in regards to magazine retention? I'm reading this thread but there seems to be mention about retaining empty mags as well as partially depleted ones.

The former(retaining empties) would always be a bad idea during any situation. The latter(tac load) is a viable TTP if preformed correctly and at the tactically correct moment and location. Preferably from a tactically advantageous location.(think cover)

The problem I typically see is that many have never been show or trained in reliable and consistent tactical reloading procedures that work well under stress. There are some techniques that do work well under stress but must still be practiced just like an emergency reload.

You don't have to retain an empty magazine.

I like the method I described above, but that's just me.

[marinakorp]

Originally Posted by synergy

IIRC, you don't have to retain empty mags, just ones with rounds left in them.

Not EXACTLY... if there is a round in the chamber, then you have to retain the magazine... even if it the magazine is empty, the gun is NOT.

If the weapon does not go EMPTY (slidelock... or empty and does not lock back for whatever reason) and you wish to re-load... this is considered a tactical reload.


There are 2 reasons you would do a tactical re-load during an IDPA match

1 - It is part of the Course of Fire (required)
2 - You are running low on rounds and there is a "disappeariing" target coming up that you need to neutralize. (optional)

Most other times for a tactical reload does not save time during a match.

Hope this helps