In the past, I’ve generally taught the “twist” method (for lack of a better word) for shooters with small hands to “twist” the gun slightly in their hand to access the mag release with their dominant thumb.
That may be changing after this video. I’m trying to see an appreciable downside to this technique…
H/t to John Richardson at No Lawyers – Only Guns and Money blog for finding this.
Works great assuming you have no need to retain a mag for tactical reasons.
If you have a pistol with a mag safety, there is the potential for the pistol being inoperative for a longer period of time if the support hand engages the mag release and then reaches for the mag to be reloaded. This expert is so slick that the inoperative period is minimized. However, someone who is slower or who drops the replacement mag or cannot find the mag well in the dark, etc, has a longer period the pistol is completely inoperative. That is the only disadvantage I see. Offsetting this disadvantage is a more positive engagement of the mag release by shooters with small hands.
I used to do it this way, but waaaaaaaay slower than this lady. Doing “the twist” sped things up for me a bit, since I could have the support hand already in motion grabbing the mag while the shooting hand did it’s work.
I’m not sure the techniques of this very highly polished, professional shooter in a non-combat situation would map to Joe or Jane Citizen having to use their CCW weapon.
We’re going to be less practiced, in the midst of a fight/flight body alarm reaction, in poor conditions (rain, low light, windy, cover garments in the way, moving, up hill both ways to school, etc.) We’re not going to have our “race gun” belt w/ mags hanging out in the same spot, and the tricked out mag well on the gun itself, when we’re grocery shopping with the family.