The technique is as follows: when the slide locks back, you want to grab another magazine (likely from a magazine pouch). As you move the fresh magazine toward the gun, eject the empty magazine letting it hit the ground (they should essentially pass each other during the drill). Place the rear of the magazine against the rear of the magazine well of the gun, align the two, and with some force (though there should be little resistance) seat the magazine using the heel of your palm; then depress the slide release.

This drill can be done at the ready, since it should be done from behind cover and the other shooter (target) may be visible, but not an immediate threat. Reach to your magazine pouch (or other magazine holder — a pocket perhaps — and grab a magazine with your thumb, index finger, and middle finger. Move back to the gun and eject the partially depleted magazine into your hand, grabbing the ejected magazine with your ring finger, pinkie, and the palm of your hand. Insert the fresh magazine into the gun and tug on it slightly to make sure that it is seated in the magazine well correctly. (This is especially important when loading a magazine that is topped off. ) This reload doesn’t require manipulation of the slide release. This reload should be executed before you re-holster your pistol so if you need to draw again you are fully prepared.

The slide has two separate actions every time a round is fired; after the last round is fired you will only feel the first action, ultimately there is less muzzle flip. The quicker you are able to reload the magazine, the better. After this, you execute an emergency reload.

While the brain is an obvious target, there are still some considerations in shot placement. The front of the cranium (above the eyebrows) is one of the hardest bones in the body, it is also not a flat target (it is angled back slightly, or on the sides: angled to the side). There have been instances where bullets have ricocheted off a person’s forehead. Luckily, just below this bone (below the eyebrows), down to the top of the upper-jaw is a very soft area with cartilage and holes which lead directly to the lower brain, the medulla oblongata, and the upper spine. The brain is the largest target, and a bullet in there will mean lights out, but flinching and minor movements have been known to occur when a brain shot is incurred. The medulla oblongata and the upper spine is how those flinching signals are sent to the body. A bullet through either one of those, and there is no way the body might accidentally pull a trigger or move in some other potentially detrimental way. In a situation which requires the immediate and unquestioned incapacitation of a person, a shot through an approximately 3-inch (above the upper-jaw to eyebrows) by 5-inch (the outside edges of the eyes) window in the head is essential. This 3x5-inch area is about the same no matter what angle the person is facing you at (from the rear and the sides it is about the same size and about the same level on the head).

You can also increase the cycle speed of gun in your hands by getting a tighter/firmer grip on the gun (too firm for accurate single-shot shooting). If you do this, timing is more important, but it allows you to shoot faster. Note that each gun, and each caliber will have totally different cycle times, so being practiced with few handguns is best. If you get the timing wrong, you will find hitting a target consistently even at 5 yards (4. 6 m) can become difficult. If your bullets are hitting high after the first one, try shooting a bit slower. You can alternatively try tightening your grip on the gun. If you are shooting low, either shoot faster or loosen your grip on the gun.

Add different things while running: have a friend tell you when to start shooting (at random times). Or start running at the same time a friend starts reloading. Have the friend yell when he is done to let you know to start shooting. It can become a reloading vs. sprinting contest (it will also give you an idea of how long a reload feels like if you need to rush someone). If your location allows, stand 15–20 yards (13. 7–18. 3 m) away from your target. Have another person stand well off to the side pointing at a different target. The person standing to the side will have one round in the chamber and an empty magazine, with a loaded magazine in easy access (i. e. magazine pouch). You should have your gun out at and the ready. The other person will fire; you start running at your target. When you are close enough to get good hits, you shoot; if the other person is able to reload and fire at his target before you shoot, he wins. It is best (for safety reasons) for the other person to be aimed and shooting at a target which is different direction than yours, so at no time will one person be in front of someone else’s muzzle. Additionally, you can try reloading while running at the target, then shoot the target when you are done (this is the most advanced version of this drill).