The Stoppage That Tap and Rack Will Not Fix
Dry-Fire · At Home
Verified clear, dummy rounds only. Set up a double feed with dummy rounds. Clear it the long way: lock the slide back, strip the magazine out, rack three times, insert a fresh magazine, and rack once more. Ten reps, slowly, with the muzzle in a safe direction the whole time.
Live-Fire · At the Range
Twenty rounds at 7 yards in two-round strings on the cards. Have a partner set up one double feed with dummy rounds every few strings. Clear it and finish the string.
Service Pistol
This stoppage takes several seconds to fix. Move to cover first if cover is available.
Concealed Carry
If you carry a second gun or a spare magazine, this is the stoppage that justifies it.
Carbine
Carbine version: lock the bolt back, strip the magazine, clear the action with your fingers pointed away from the chamber, and reload.
AUX (when ready): double feed cleared and back on target in under eight seconds.
Some problems take longer to solve. Knowing that in advance keeps you working instead of freezing.
Your Daily Callout — By Archetype
You cannot force this one. Follow the steps in order.
Learn what this stoppage feels like so you recognize it without looking.
Several seconds is a long time. Use them to get behind something.
This is a fixed sequence. Memorize it once and it never changes.
Layer: clear one double feed from a kneeling position.
- Treat every firearm as if it is loaded — always, no matter what you think you know.
- Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
- Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target and you have decided to fire.
- Be sure of your target — and everything beyond it.
Dry-fire: no ammunition in the room. Verify the firearm is clear — twice. Use a safe backstop. When you finish, say it out loud: “Dry fire is over.”
The Four Universal Safety Rules
Non-negotiable. Every drill, every rep, every time. This applies to live fire and dry fire.
- Treat every firearm as if it is loaded — always, no matter what you think you know.
- Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
- Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target and you have decided to fire.
- Be sure of your target — and everything beyond it.