Sheriff's Tips: Reload High

by
posted on September 27, 2020
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
sheriffs-tips-1.jpg

The first formal handgun training that I had was as a young police officer shooting the PPC with double-action revolvers. That was a pretty good course of fire and it taught us the importance of trigger control and obtaining a good sight picture. However, it had several drawbacks in terms of teaching us to fight with a handgun.

The biggest drawback was in the way we reloaded our guns. The commonly accepted method was to bring the gun down to waist level to reload either from belt loops or with a speed loader. At the point that the shooting line went to the reload, it looked like everyone was contemplating his navel. With a little practice, a fellow could get pretty fast using this method to reload.


The problem was in the tactics of it. By bending over to reload, one loses a good bit of his peripheral vision. Now this is not much of a problem in a pistol match, but it can be an issue in a more serious situation. You simply have a much more difficult time keeping up with what is going on around you when looking down to reload. One thing is for certain: a threat is not going to stand there, facing you like that old B27 target does at 15 yds. The threat is going to be moving and, with your head down, you probably don’t know where he has gone.

It is the same problem that the hunter has when he lowers his rifle to chamber another round, and does so while looking down at the rifle. He will lose sight of the game animal. Maybe the animal is down, or maybe it has escaped. Turning attention away from the target opens the situation to these chances.   


The best way to reload a defensive handgun, revolver or semi-automatic, is to do so with the gun high enough so that the user can keep his head erect. That would generally be at shirt pocket level or higher. In this manner, he can glance at the gun during the reloading process, of which I have to do so more with a revolver than a semi-automatic, and still have a pretty good view of what is going on around him. 

Frankly, that did not seem to be as secure of a method and I had to practice it a lot before it felt right.  However, it does a much better job of keeping you aware and in the know of what is actually going on. At the same time we always want to make use of cover, during a reload, whenever possible. Keep your head up, stay alert and get high to reload. That’s the way to stay aware of what going on in a situation.

Latest

Gotw Wilson Combat Divison 77 Project 1 Web
Gotw Wilson Combat Divison 77 Project 1 Web

Gun Of The Week: Wilson Combat Division 77 Project 1

Join American Rifleman staff on the range in this video to get a closer look at Wilson Combat’s somewhat cryptically named “Division 77 Project 1.” 

The Armed Citizen® July 18, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Review: POF-USA LMR BASE Rifle

The Patriot Ordnance Factory LMR Base offers a .308 Win. chambering in a lightweight, AR-15-size package, which makes it a capable platform for today's new gun owner. And it comes at a fair price.

2025 Accessory Of The Year: Wyoming Sight Drifter

For each of the past 23 years, the editors of American Rifleman have convened to select our top picks for the past year’s best and most innovative products. Here are the most recent winners.

Henry Donates Rifles To Support Young Leukemia Victim

Henry Repeating Arms has donated a limited run of 50 “Team Keane” Golden Boy .22 lever-action rifles to support 13-year-old Keane Rhodes of Universal City, Texas, who is currently undergoing aggressive treatment for ALL T-cell leukemia.

Rifleman Review: Springfield Armory Echelon

Springfield Armory introduced its Echelon in 2023, bringing a modernized, chassis-style, striker-fired handgun to the market that has since seen several notable line extensions.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.