I know this ultimately boils down to personal preference but I’d like to see what the prevailing opinion is in here. When doing defensive training with semi auto pistols, and drilling on emergency reloads, do you recommend stripping the empty mag, or simply letting it fall free and hit the floor/ground?
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Let it fall free… that’s why it is emergency reload.
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Just try not to stand over the sandbox, or mud hole, when practicing…
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Each type of reload comes with different situations. An emergency reload is when you may have multiple threats and an immediate reload is required. Then a tactical reload is when you have shot rounds and you have obtained cover, your not sure how many rounds you have shot and you want to get a full load in without having your slide getting locked up with an empty chamber. As for the best for training I do emergency reloads. It is quick and efficient for being back on a target. The tactical reload you will need to place the mag in your pocket, best idea there, and move on.
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Don’t step on it either while sidestepping tends to ruin them.
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Agree with everything that’s been said 
I drop mine on carpet or a bed when at home training with snap caps.
I try to drop them on the shooting table when at the range, but a couple of times they have unfortunately bounced off and hit the concrete at the outdoor range. No damage done, but I do prefer having them fall on the carpet at the indoor range.
Strangely I have never seen anyone else doing them at the outdoor nor indoor range 
Maybe most people only do their reload training at home?
BTW, Welcome to the Community!
Welcome to the family
In the USCCA Defensive Shooting Fundamentals we train to let the drop as we’re getting the next magazine out and inserting it into the newly emptied magazine well.
Remember, most guns are designed to take a beating and dropping a magazine isn’t much when you compare it to handling the recoil/impact of shooting.
I personally try to avoid dropping magazines into any type of animal excrement on the out door range 
Everything else is easy enough to dusty off and use again during the same range time.
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Our range has concrete shooting lanes so you would not want to drop your mags. Find somewhere else to practice.
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Just drop it on the concrete. Drop it on the grass. Drop it on the sand. Drop it everywhere where it can happen in bad situation. Get used to it. Don’t make your brain thinking “Oh, s***, my mag is gonna be dirty”.
Practice in real, not in sterile and ideal environment.
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Let it drop
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Looks like I got beat to the punch on helping to answer, but welcome to the family! @Scott145 glad you’re here!
I have to disagree with you on that one. As a retiree living on a fixed income that is worth less every year due to inflation, I want to continue using those magazines after reload training. In a real situation that requires a reload, those magazines are most likely going to be collected for evidence and you will never see nor use them again.
With that said, my biggest concern dropping on concrete is damaging the feed lips or breaking the baseplate and it fails in a real situation …
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You can lay down a mat or folded towel underneath where you are going to drop your magazine. I think that trying to outthink the situation to save magazines is going to lead to difficulties if/when the situation is real.
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I shoot mostly at an indoor range, so I drop it onto the bench. I must confess that I generally do not drop it, otherwise, because I am old and fat, and bending down to pick it (them) up is a pain.
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Love this idea! Creates a good training rep while saving your equipment form possible damage on concrete.
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Perhaps it’s just me. But real life is not always nice and easy .
I just cannot imagine myself during bad situation thinking about everything you just said - evidence? mag cost? dirt? broken parts? I don’t really care. Once I see slide locked back and still need to shoot - I want fresh ammo in my handgun in 1 second.
If I have a time and do not need shoot right away - I do admin reload, so this way I do care about mag condition, mag cost, dirt and evidence… but this is not the case we are discussing.
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You and I are in agreement - in a tactical/real situation I could care less if I ever see my magazines again.
At $50+ per magazine, I want to be able to confidently reuse them after a training drill.
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I’ve been just answering the topic:
Practicing the way it may happen in real - is the best practice.
Thinking about damages that may happen to magazines… that is less expensive practice, not the best.
Anyway… we are on the same page here - let them fly.… but where… that’s up to the situation.
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I agree, nobody likes to see things dung the wrong way.
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