Bridging Preparedness and Performance: Your Comprehensive 'Load and Make Ready' Procedure Guide

Whether it's a routine patrol, a simple grocery run, or a high-stakes mission, the bridge between us and the world of uncertainties is our preparedness. The ability to face the unexpected with composure isn't merely a function of our courage or mental tenacity, but it also significantly hinges on the readiness of our tools. Our equipment and our mindset are interconnected, one influencing and being influenced by the other. The Defense Mechanisms 'Load and Make Ready' procedure is designed to reinforce this relationship and to ensure our tools meet our capabilities.

This procedure is a methodical process that instills confidence, ensures our gear is primed for use, and sets us in a mental state of readiness for any encounter. Remember, if anything halts you in this process, take a pause, and begin again.

Step-By-Step Load and Make Ready Procedure

Gearing Up

1. Safety First: Begin with a comprehensive check of your Eyes, Ears, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Tertiary, and Team Equipment.

Handgun Preparation

1. On Target: With your handgun, perform a solid draw stroke and present your gun on target.
2. Verify Your Equipment: Check your Sights, Light, and Lasers. Remember to adjust your Red Dot to Daylight/White Light Bright for optimal visibility. For checking the weapon light, ensure to counteract sunlight photons without compromising safety - don't put your hand in front of the muzzle.
3. Load Your Handgun: Lock your slide to the rear, index your magazine from your speed reload pouch, verify the correct orientation of the top round, insert the magazine and send the slide home under full power.
4. Inspection and Holstering: Perform a press check by feeling for brass in the ejection port, tap the back of the slide to ensure it is in battery, and holster your now-ready handgun.
5. Reload Pouch Refill: Backfill your speed reload pouch.

Rifle Preparation

1. On Target: Present your rifle on target.
2. Equipment Check: Review your sight, lights, and laser. Adjust your laser for the environment you'll be operating in.
3. Load Your Rifle: Lock the bolt to the rear, index your magazine from your speed reload pouch, feel for the correct orientation of the rounds, and insert the magazine using a strong push-pull.
4. Round Verification: Detach the magazine from the weapon and feel the top round, confirm it has switched sides, then reinsert the magazine.
5. Bolt and Dust Cover Check: With your support hand, feel for any gap between the bolt and receiver. If you find none, try to close your dust cover (except when training with UTM).
6. Refill and Ready:Position your rifle into a front sling and backfill your speed reload pouch.

Congratulations! You are now mission-ready.

Conclusion

The 'Load and Make Ready' procedure is more than just a series of steps—it's an affirmation of readiness, a symbiosis of our mindset and our gear, and a fortress of preparedness built with each repetition. Remember, "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." This procedure ensures you are not merely preparing to face what lies ahead, but to master it. Stay ready, stay vigilant, and remember — your mission-readiness begins with you.

"Written by Jesse Gullikson, a dedicated firearm instructor drawing on the teachings of Joe Weyer of Alliance PD, the expert who introduced this thorough 'Load and Make Ready' procedure. Their shared dedication to safety, readiness, and a thorough understanding of tactical preparation shines through in this guide."