[utahcybercowboy]

I have an XD 9. I took a 4 day firearm class last week and I realized that the magazine release is no good for me to do a tactical reload. I have to change from my firing grip in order to hit the magazine release. Since this has an ambidextrous mag release I could use my finger on the other side to hit the button but my instructor recommended against that.

I think I have seen a couple of aftermarket magazine releases. How far out do these extend the magazine release? Do they help much with reaching the release?

Thanks!

Steve

 

[jpsac2003]

There's a few out there, but the only one that works the best is canyon-creeks extended mag release. Bar-sto just extends out way to far. On how far they come out canyon is about .195 to.200 IDPA legal. Where the bar-sto is not.

 

[Sir_William]

Steve:

You instructor can "recommed" anythign he wants, but does it work for you???

You need to do what you feel works best for you. I use my right middle finger to hit the mag release. This does two things for me...

1. allows me to keep my grip

2. keeps my trigger finger off the trigger while the middle one presses the mag release...

the gun does not have to rotate in my hand and it works for me..

try it out... what works best for you is what you should go with...not necessarily what the instructor says you should do...

 

[ajamesp51]

John why is canyons the best?.....Actually Canyon creeks was made to be idpa legal Barsto and novaks were not they were just meant to be freaken big.

I use my trigger finger and I never have to twist. A good instructor would have told you to train with your equipment. The xd has the advantage of an ambi release so why not use it.

 

[crofrog]

I'd only be worried about it if you carry multple styles of autoloaders on a regular bases. You could end up programing muscle memory that won't work on whatever gun you are carrying that day. Otherwise why worry about it as long as you can 100% reliably engauge it. I personally find rotating the pistol in my hand a little to be acceptable because I'm not sure what my body would do trying to locate the mag release understress. Also imho rotaing the gun why nice to avoid shouldn't be a huge deal on a tactical reload. These shouldn't need to be done with any real sence of urgency.

My .02

Chris

 

[Grail Knight]

John why is canyons the best?.....Actually Canyon creeks was made to be idpa legal Barsto and novaks were not they were just meant to be freaken big.

I use my trigger finger and I never have to twist. A good instructor would have told you to train with your equipment. The xd has the advantage of an ambi release so why not use it.

I prefer this method myself and never have a "memory" issue when switching between the diff. auto-loaders I own.


It all comes done to practice, practice, and more practice.

 

[jpsac2003]

James, my fault I meant the canyon-creek works best for me. The other ones were just way to long.

 

[ajamesp51]

I was just messing with you anyway.

 

[baa]

Use whatever method works for you. I am a lefty and have been hitting mag releases with my left index finger since I first picked up an autoloader. The fact I am slightly shifting my grip to do so has never effected my accuracy post reload.

As long as your smooth and fast with a reload, the exact mechanics are fairly flexible.

 

[ranburr]

I am always leary of instructors that have a mindset of there is only one way to do something. I had one guy trying to change my grip. He just couldn't understand that someone with a completly reconstructed wrist might have a slightly different grip than the average person. Hey, fused bones don't bend. It didn't register to him that I had been qualifying expert for years with my "improper" grip and was excelling in his class. Use whatever method works best for you. Most instructors and schools that have been around are good. But, sometimes they think their way is the only way. When I attend a course, I take away what works for me and I scrap the rest. Out of curiosity, why did your instructor reccomend against using the ambi-mag release? My guess would be that his pistol was not equipped with one and he has no experience with it himself. Thus, it must be bad. Just like using the XD is bad when your instructor is using a Glock.

ranburr

 

[Mac's]

I have to qualify twice a year with my duty weapon for the department that I work for. Ever so often over the past twenty years, we get a new instructor who insists that everyone shoot the way he/she does. One tried to tell me that my technique for dropping mags was "wrong, wrong, all wrong" and was having a very bad effect on my accuracy. I had to point out a couple of things to her. First, half of my thumb was cut off some years back so I can't reach the release button normally. So, I have to use the middle finger. And second: I always score 100% and have since day one on both, the line range and the tactical range. The score keeper is unable to count the holes since the middle of the target is gone.
I also teach (Unofficial) shooting to new shooters. I tell them that I will teach them the "Correct Way" and then "My Way". They should learn both and then adjust as required to suit them to make it "Their Way". No two shooters are the same and will never shoot the same way. My rule is that it must be safe and they must consistantly hit the target in the correct spot. If they abide by those two requirements, they are automatically doing it right!
Keep yer powder dry, Mac.
Tuff-Gun Finishes. The Name Says It All.
http://www.shootiniron.com
Mac's Shootin' Irons[/url]

 

[utahcybercowboy]

Out of curiosity, why did your instructor reccomend against using the ambi-mag release? My guess would be that his pistol was not equipped with one and he has no experience with it himself. Thus, it must be bad. Just like using the XD is bad when your instructor is using a Glock.

ranburr

The instructor was not familar with ambi safeties and expressed concern that if I used a finger on my trigger hand that I might under adrenaline conditions hit the trigger.

I think before I look at adding any mag release extenders I am going to go back to the range and try it using a finger on my strong hand. I used to hit the mag relesae with my trigger finger. I may see if I can punch the button with my middel finger.

 

[JesterXD40]

I always just use my left thumb, being right handed, I just hit the release before I know I'll need a reload.