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why do US soldiers (at least in movies) tap the magazines to their helmet or some similar thing before inserting the mags?

When you load the mag with bullets they are not perfectly oriented inside the mag.

taping the mag orients the bullets inside the mag and reduces the possibility for jamming.

Atleast that's why I learnt to tap the mag against a rock or sumthing but then again I did use a K-Pist 45b 36 rounds of 9mm in one mag.

Faram is right. It reduces the possibility of jamming, because it seat all tthe rounds against the mag of the magazine, allowing the bolt to "Get a better grip" so to speak, on the next round and chamber it properly. Does it really help? Maybe, maybe not. But when you're going into combat, the way I see it, any little tip or trick you can do which may or may not better your chance of survival is a good one. after all, can't hurt anything.

I figured either that or some weird soldier ritual.

I always thought the soldiers where hitting themselves for signing on that dotted line.

Chardok wrote:Faram is right. It reduces the possibility of jamming, because it seat all tthe rounds against the mag of the magazine, allowing the bolt to "Get a better grip" so to speak, on the next round and chamber it properly. Does it really help? Maybe, maybe not. But when you're going into combat, the way I see it, any little tip or trick you can do which may or may not better your chance of survival is a good one. after all, can't hurt anything.

Its also often a good luck ritual. Like how some soldiers blow on their mags before inserting them; it doesn't really clear away enough dust to do much, but its a psychological thing.

Faram wrote:When you load the mag with bullets they are not perfectly oriented inside the mag.

taping the mag orients the bullets inside the mag and reduces the possibility for jamming.

Atleast that's why I learnt to tap the mag against a rock or sumthing but then again I did use a K-Pist 45b 36 rounds of 9mm in one mag.

It seems to me that this is more likely to dislodge one of the top rounds on the Mag. I was taught to look at the top of the mag before fitting it to the weapon, to make sure the top round is seated correctly.

Dirty Harry wrote:

Faram wrote:When you load the mag with bullets they are not perfectly oriented inside the mag.

taping the mag orients the bullets inside the mag and reduces the possibility for jamming.

Atleast that's why I learnt to tap the mag against a rock or sumthing but then again I did use a K-Pist 45b 36 rounds of 9mm in one mag.

It seems to me that this is more likely to dislodge one of the top rounds on the Mag.

Unless you were sticking your fingers inside, you'd need to whack the magazine pretty hard to do that.

Tapping the mag is to make sure the rounds are seated right, but if you are trained right, and assuming you have an M16, you'll also tap the forward assist after cocking the weapon.


Hey, Chardok, remember "Rap, Tap, Bang"?

It can also potentially remove some dirt from the mag.
As worthless anecdotal evidence, I don't think I've done this the last several times I've been to the range, and I haven't jammed yet. This may have more to do with the Fascist bastard who runs our arms room though.

Knife wrote:Tapping the mag is to make sure the rounds are seated right, but if you are trained right, and assuming you have an M16, you'll also tap the forward assist after cocking the weapon.

Hey, Chardok, remember "Rap, Tap, Bang"?

Its "Tap, Rack, Bang" nowadays. Oh yes and everyone else has already nailed it, its done to seat all the rounds as best as can be.

CmdrWilkens wrote:
Its "Tap, Rack, Bang" nowadays. Oh yes and everyone else has already nailed it, its done to seat all the rounds as best as can be.

How does that work?

Rack, tap, bang; refered to cocking the weapon (in this case, cycling the weapon to remove the misfire and inserting a new cartrage into the chamber), tapping the forward assist, and shooting. If you switch the tap with the rack, how does that work?

Guessing here, are they dissmissing the initial cocking of the cocking lever, and just going straight to the missfire itself, thinking that you would automaticaly re-cock the mechinism, and go straigh for the tap?

why do US soldiers (at least in movies) tap the magazines to their helmet or some similar thing before inserting the mags

Probably because they are using shit standard weapons (or overly complicated weapons). Here in the UK we have the embarrassing SA-80 . You never see any Russian soldiers doing that. I saw some demo movie clips a while back that were advertising some Russian guns and it just blew me away. They were throwing the guns in mud, sand, water, they even ran the guns over with big trucks. Immediately after doing each of these things a soldier would pick the gun up and fire away.
Anyone got any good sites that show similar things? Spetznaz training, US or UK spec forces training and other such like?

Admiral_Handsome wrote:Probably because they are using shit standard weapons (or overly complicated weapons). Here in the UK we have the embarrassing SA-80 . You never see any Russian soldiers doing that. I saw some demo movie clips a while back that were advertising some Russian guns and it just blew me away. They were throwing the guns in mud, sand, water, they even ran the guns over with big trucks. Immediately after doing each of these things a soldier would pick the gun up and fire away.

Is it this ad?

Appalling visual quality, I remember a much better version

You can barely make anything out in that tiny version. This one's cut too.

Is it this ad?

Yes Vympel thats the one I saw, only the version I saw had a larger image of higher quality. I will have look for the ads I saw if you like, but its been a while since I saw them so no promises.

Knife wrote:

CmdrWilkens wrote:
Its "Tap, Rack, Bang" nowadays. Oh yes and everyone else has already nailed it, its done to seat all the rounds as best as can be.

How does that work?

Rack, tap, bang; refered to cocking the weapon (in this case, cycling the weapon to remove the misfire and inserting a new cartrage into the chamber), tapping the forward assist, and shooting. If you switch the tap with the rack, how does that work?

Guessing here, are they dissmissing the initial cocking of the cocking lever, and just going straight to the missfire itself, thinking that you would automaticaly re-cock the mechinism, and go straigh for the tap?

the reason it is "Tap, Rack, Bang"
Tap- tap the bottom of the magazine to ensure it is inserted and locked into position.
Rack- Pull the charging handle to rear and release to chamber a new round
Bang- start shooting

the reason you tap the bottom of the magazine to make sure it is fully inserted is because alot of people do not fully insert the mag properly or sometimes the mag release button is pressed and the mag does not drop out but is no longer fully inserted. And if the mag is not fully inserted then the weapon can not chamber rounds properly

I think it was SPORTS when they explained it to us:
Slap the magazine
Pull the charging handle
Observe the chamber(to make sure the round actually comes out)
Release the Charging handle
Tap the forward assist
Shoot something

consequences wrote:I think it was SPORTS when they explained it to us:
Slap the magazine
Pull the charging handle
Observe the chamber(to make sure the round actually comes out)
Release the Charging handle
Tap the forward assist
Shoot something

I remember that one too.

Okay let me do the whole thing. We might all remember there are two different levels of response to a stop-fire. There is Immediate Action and Remedial Actio.

Immediate Action is "Tap, Rack, Bang":
Tap the magazine, Rack the charging handle (and tap forward assist), sight in and attempt to fire (Bang).

if Imediate Action fails go to Remedial Action, which is SPORTS:
Slap magazine
Pull charging handle
Observe chamber
Release charging handle (observe bolt moving forward)
Tap forward assist (observe if bolt seats)
Sight in and fire (or Shoot depending on who teaches)

There ladies and gents is the totality of Imediate and Remedial Action, if the weapon still doesn't work at this point you're already dead so don't worry your buddy will retrieve your weapon latter and determine the malfunction.

thanks for the info and BTW is it just my or does anybody else get weird(sexual) ideas about title?

Lord Revan wrote:thanks for the info and BTW is it just my or does anybody else get weird(sexual) ideas about title?

Oh, the ideas that SD.netters can come up with in a totally different thread.

GoldenFalcon wrote:

Lord Revan wrote:thanks for the info and BTW is it just my or does anybody else get weird(sexual) ideas about title?

Oh, the ideas that SD.netters can come up with in a totally different thread.

Well this is a weird place

Actually, SPORTS isn't automatically a fully effective remedial action. When you get a double feed, you usually have to remove the magazine, as the rifle tends to only eject one of the rounds in the chamber, before feeding another one onto the one still in there, leaving you in the same situation as previously.
Properly in that situation it would be
Slap magazine
Pull charging handle(and lock back)
Observe chamber
Remove magazine
Shake loose second round
Reinsert magazine
Release charging handle (observe bolt moving forward)
Tap forward assist (observe if bolt seats)
Sight in and fire (or Shoot depending on who teaches)
or SPORSRRTS.

Of course, none of this will help you in the slightest if you get a Bolt Override, in which case the proper procedure I was taught was to very carefully put the rifle down, scream for help, and huddle helplessly behind something solid until the armorer truck arrives on the Range.

consequences wrote:Actually, SPORTS isn't automatically a fully effective remedial action. When you get a double feed, you usually have to remove the magazine, as the rifle tends to only eject one of the rounds in the chamber, before feeding another one onto the one still in there, leaving you in the same situation as previously.
Properly in that situation it would be
Slap magazine
Pull charging handle(and lock back)
Observe chamber
Remove magazine
Shake loose second round
Reinsert magazine
Release charging handle (observe bolt moving forward)
Tap forward assist (observe if bolt seats)
Sight in and fire (or Shoot depending on who teaches)
or SPORSRRTS.

Of course, none of this will help you in the slightest if you get a Bolt Override, in which case the proper procedure I was taught was to very carefully put the rifle down, scream for help, and huddle helplessly behind something solid until the armorer truck arrives on the Range.

Thanks for the added info, but if you actually read Wilkens post, he stated that this was the IA for a "stop-fire".

Not for double feeding and chamber explosion

to address the problem of preventing the double feed, (as the topic the thread orginally started on)tapping the magazine on your helmet or something of the like to seat the rounds fully in to the magazine pretty much fixes that probelm unless the magazine itself is faulty, cause if that is the case you are screwed. bent magazine lips and weak springs are two causes for a magazine to misfeed.