R9 mag change.

[R9SCarry]

Hadn't tried this much but -- speed mag change?  It is not half as bad as may be thought.  For many - the position of a 1911 mag release is instinctive to use but - the R9 is actually, IMO - pretty slick if practiced.

There is a certain hold ... hard to describe .. which facilitates a very speedy empty mag removal ... and reinsertion of fresh mag.  Like many I suspect - I do not anticipate a mag change too much .. if 6+1 don't cut it then ... like as not we are in some heavy do-do!!

That aside ... I do suggest some practice .... empty mag removal IMO is an active process ... it won't drop .. it needs a weak hand thumb on release and forefinger weak hand to start empty mag out .... then it's quick to withdraw.  It WON'T drop .. not for me.

Insertion of  fresh mag ..... there is a need to push rear of mag back, against release, to allow alignment with mag well .. once that is mastered, the rest is easy.

As with all things - practice .. it is worth it IMO.

[FJC]

I'm a firm believer in carrying a spare magazine and being able to make that mag change quickly.  Not so much because I think I'll ever need the extra ammo, but because most malfunction clearing drills require another magazine.

And of course the extra ammo *could* be needed.  I can imagine a scenario where (God forbid!) I have to use my pistol.  Maybe I'm jumped by some guy in a dark parking lot.  After stopping the threat and having an empty gun (or nearly empty...who knows if I'll even know for sure what's left in it in such a situation), who's to say the bad guy's two buddies, who were acting as lookouts, might not now show up a little upset over their friend's fate...

[shooterjb]

Hi R9SCarry,

I use a Ruger MKII with the European style magazine release a heck of a lot and I think that will help me with the Rohrbaugh. To be honest though, when I get my Rohrbaugh, hopefully today or next week sometime, I will probably play with it constantly until all of it's functions, including a magazine change, are second nature. When I am carrying a gun, especially a brand new favorite, I tend to play with it and shoot it a lot so that using it there is no hesitation, fumbling or conscious thought involved.

Frank

[musician]

I agree: mag changes are easy with practice.  But as naive as it may sound (or be), I usually don't carry an extra one. What I do carry at night with the gun is a Surefire 6P or Centurion (120 and 200 lumens, respectively).  These lights are so bright that they do blind a target at night.  I even stopped two rottweilers in their tracks with the 6P not long ago while walking my dogs--they simply could no longer see me with that light in their eyes!  Fortunately the dogs' owner was close behind and collared them, so the situation didn't require more than the light.  The owner's irresponsibility at letting his aggressive dogs out without leashes ticked me off, however, so I gave him a 120 lumen shot in the eyes just before I flicked the light off.  Surefire lights are not cheap, but they're worth every penny.

[DDGator]

Musician,

I gotta agree on the Surefire.  I have a G2, a E2e and an E1e.  I just got my dad a G2 for his birthday -- told him it would be the last flashlight he would ever need.

[Richard S]

I carry an extra magaziine in my weak-side front pocket.  To prevent it from becoming clogged with pocket lint (a problem which has been discussed here in a thread started by R9SCarry, as I recall), I always have the spare in one of R. J.'s magazine cases.  Removing the mag from the case, of course, adds an additional second to the reloading process, but I feel it is worth it to insure reliabiltiy.  And I agree that repetitive practice is the key.  When the adrenaline is pumping, muscle memory acquired through practice is invaluable.

RS