Training with your gear is just as important, if not more important, than just practicing shot placement and distance shooting. Gear adds a unique challenge to the mechanics of shooting. Shooting a drill slick at 25 meters in under 2 seconds can be simple.

Now add a ballistic helmet and body armor plates and you’ll find that getting a solid cheek weld and your stock tucked into your shoulder is significantly harder. The worst time to find out your gear doesn’t work is when you need it to.

Emergency Reloads With The Daniel Defense Mk18
Photo courtesy of the Daniel Defense Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/DanielDefense/)

Train with your gear, and train often. We’ve said this before and we’ll say it again; Gear is Life, Life is Gear. Training with your gear could result in you living to see another day.

In the video below, Garand Thumb is practicing emergency reloads using his Daniel Defense MK18. It has a Surefire SOCOM556-RC suppressor. The optic mounted on his Daniel Defense MK18 is the Aimpoint T-1 micro.

Due to the fact that he primarily uses a suppressor, he has a Vltor A5 recoil system installed, which is basically a rifle-length buffer tube and spring. This allows better control of the cycling of a 10.3-inch suppressed carbine. There are other methods of taming the high cyclic rate of the Daniel Defense MK18 such as an adjustable gas block or a BCG that is vented.

We’re huge proponents of practicing all types of reloading drills. For those in the military or law enforcement, the most important types of drills will be of the tactical type, mostly because they involve wearing the gear you’ll have on during an operation or when on duty.

Depending on what you do or the situation you are in you may need to utilize the emergency reload. The emergency reload is a worst-case scenario. In any case, get out there, shoot some guns, and exercise your rights as an American.

Stay Tuned to the RE Factor Tactical Blog and be part of this all VETERAN-run website. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for exclusive content and deals.

Visit our Amazon Influencer Page for more products we recommend: https://www.amazon.com/shop/refactortactical