By doing this, not only did I ensure that I had something to put in the gun before I released my magazine, I was able to make use of the stability of the locked arm while inserting the spare. I discovered that with a bit of practice, I could coordinate this activity quickly and easily. (A word of warning: Make sure the magazine button is released before the new magazine is slammed home or it will fall out.)

In the beginning, I would look for the orange dot on the inside of the magazine well, but with time I was able to re-create the correct angle by feel, which allowed me to reload while keeping my eyes downrange--even when I was moving.

Though I tried different ways to grip the magazine, I found the tried and true method of placing the index finger along the front of the magazine was best. The best way I have found to achieve the index finger grip is to insert the thumb behind the magazine first and let the rest of the hand fall in place.

The major problem for uniformed personnel is that most duty pouches have a flap over the magazine to help hold it in place. When worn in the upright position, there is little if any room to get the thumb behind the magazine. For this reason, I have found it easier to wear spare magazines on their side, which does offer some space to insert the thumb to the rear once the flap is open.

I would also suggest the use of snaps instead of hook-and-loop fasteners such as Velcro on duty pouches because a snap can be released with one motion while the hook-and-loop style must be pulled or ripped open. I continue to index the back of the magazine against the back of the magazine well, although master shooter and instructor Frank Garcia makes an excellent argument for using the side of the magazine against the side of the well as it offers a longer surface--especially with single-column magazines. I show my students both methods and let them pick the one that works best for them.

After perfecting this method, I was able to get my shot-to-shot reload time to less than one second with my Glock 19. But the government was paying for my ammo at the time, and a lot of bullets went downrange to get there.

These days I find I can do a shot-to-shot reload in 1.5 seconds with considerably less practice, and while half a second may sound like a lot of time, keep in mind that a blink of an eye is .32 seconds. If you have an efficient reload, then don't mess with it. But if you struggle with it as I did (and still do), try the method I have described here and see if it doesn't help you.