Reloading From a Pocket

People online talk about handgun reloading from a pocket – how slow and cumbersome it is and how they don’t practice it a lot because it’s not as cool looking as loading from a belt or a carrier, plus it’s not as fast and certainly not as smooth. But if you carry your magazines in your pocket, that’s where you should practice your reloads from. Rob Pincus explains why.

WHAT KIND OF POCKET?

Going all the way down into a cargo pocket that is specifically designed to hold things like a flashlight or a magazine is slower than loading from the belt, from a plate carrier, or from any kind of open carry. Going into a pocket that’s a little higher might be a bit faster, or if the pocket is tighter, it might actually be slower. It might be harder for you to get your hand on the magazine.

A back pocket can be faster for a lot of people, but you probably don’t want a magazine in your back pocket if you sit at a desk or in a vehicle all day, because it won’t be comfortable.

TRAIN AND PRACTICE REALISTICALLY

When it comes to handgun reloading and pocket carry, whether in a front pocket, cargo pocket, back pocket, or even a jacket pocket, the most important thing is that you’re out on the range training and practicing. That goes for handgun training classes and your regular follow-up practice sessions. It’s important that you have a realistic idea of how long it will take you to get that magazine out.

In the vast majority of shooting situations using self-defense weapons, a reload isn’t going to be necessary. Handgun reloading and re-engaging are hardly ever necessary in an active defensive use of a firearm. But you carry a spare magazine to deal with that situation and/or any kind of malfunction that requires you to strip a magazine, or if the magazine itself is a problem.

Always practice realistically. If you carry in a pocket, train from your pocket.