drop a mag or flip it?

docscoutjr

docscoutjr

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Being old school IPSC I feel I am faster in AR mag changes just dumping the mag and going for a new one rather than flipping a coupled mag. Obviously there are huge spacial advantage to two 10 rounds coupled together, but I don't think it is as fast. Need to put it on the clock, curious as to what top Canadians are doing?
 
I've tried both. Flipping the mag is a good idea in theory but in the heat of competition, you instinctively grab the mag the wrong way and end up fumbling the reload. Unless you train muscle memory to reload with the flip technique, it's always easier and quicker to dump and grab.

Remember the old axiom...
Under pressure, one always defaults to the lowest common denominator. For me, it's drop and grab.
 
I've seen so many firearm malfunctions from those coupled mags in competition. Busted floor plate, rounds flying out the bottom. Prone shooting, top rounds and feed lips full of mud, causing a failure to feed. Watching guys try and do a mag change with them under stress is a fumbly, disjointed, cluster f***. You couldn't pay me to use them.
 
Dropping the mag is faster. The downside is you go through twice as many mags, so you have to carry more mags on your belt/rig. Back in the days of 5 round mags you definitely had to couple them just to be able to carry enough capacity (or use something like vest pouches, which make drop reloads slower than flip). But with higher capacity mags it's made dumping faster.
 
Thanks guys, I figured as much. The muscle memory thing for sure is a huge factor, I have seen some folks do a "quick flip" but overall didn't feel that re-learning something so deeply ingrained in my case would be worth it, even if it does mean going through more mags.
 
Yup, have seen exactly this and thought hmmmm, maybe worth learning, but the 10th/s of a seconded saved, probably not worth it for me and there are a ton of other areas where my practice time could be spent. That is a very tidy reload though!! Thanks for sharing.
 
docscoutjr said:
Being old school IPSC I feel I am faster in AR mag changes just dumping the mag and going for a new one rather than flipping a coupled mag. Obviously there are huge spacial advantage to two 10 rounds coupled together, but I don't think it is as fast. Need to put it on the clock, curious as to what top Canadians are doing?
Click to expand...

Stage round count will dictate which mag change option I use. I usually use a side by side mag coupler, but will also use drop and change or mag flip options in some situations. FOC in Ajax, Ont sells a couple different side by side coupler options. I like the IMI coupler. Have to offset the mags about 1.5"s. System works great in both my ARs. Definitely faster (for me) than other methods. If I have to drop the coupled mag then I'll go to the mag pouch for Lar 15 end to end Caldwell coupled mags ...and flip if necessary.
 
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