Been away for about 4 years - Reloads? Round Dumps? A bit confused

[narwhal]

So I shot an IDPA match again recently after about 4 years away and am a bit confused.  I understand that round dumping now is completely OK and there is no risk of an FTDR.

The biggest confusion for me is the reloads now.  When I quit shooting, if I remember correctly it was pretty simple - if you wanted to reload with rounds still in the gun, you needed to do a reload with retention; otherwise you could do a slide lock reload.  Can't remember 100% but I think back then all reloads needed to be behind cover.  I was reading online that for awhile they made it so that you could not reload while moving at all, then changed it back so that you could reload while moving again as long as you were behind cover?

I apologize, I'm pretty dumb, so my rulebook reading comprehension is bad, can somebody explain the reloading rules now in simple terms, and confirm that I'm correct about round dumping?

Planning to try the new BUG division with an M&P 40 compact next weekend, and being limited to 6 to start and for reloads it looks like I'll need to have reloading rules down pretty cold, haha.

 

Quote

 

3.6 Cover And Reloads 3.6.1 All reloads must be performed behind cover; however, if a shooter runs the firearm empty while engaging targets ”in the open,” as required or allowed by the CoF description, the shooter may initiate an Emergency Reload while advancing to the next shooting position specified in the CoF. The shooter may not engage or re-engage any more “in the open” targets until after reaching the next shooting position. 3.6.2 If the shooter did not completely engage all of the "in the open" targets before running the firearm empty, no Procedural Error penalty shall be assessed for a failure to engage targets per the CoF description. 3.6.2.1 If the shooter reloads and continues to engage or re-engage targets while moving to the next shooting position, a Procedural Error penalty will be assessed for each shot fired. 3.6.2.2 If the shooter can safely complete the engagement or re-engagement of any remaining "in the open” targets from the next shooting position, the shooter may do so without incurring additional target scoring or Procedural Error penalties. If the shooter cannot safely complete engagement or reengagement of the remaining targets from the next shooting position, the shooter shall be assessed points down and FTN penalties, as applicable, for any unengaged or partially engaged "in the open” targets. 3.6.2.3 If no "next shooting position" is specified in the CoF, e.g., the "on the move" targets are the final targets to be engaged in the CoF, no reload “in the open” is allowed and the shooter shall be assessed points down and FTN penalties, as applicable, for any unengaged "on the move" targets. 3.6.2.4 The shooter has the option of going back to cover to reload, if available and if going back can be done safely. After a reload behind cover the shooter may engage or re-engage the “in the open” targets. 3.6.3 A shooter can reload behind cover while stationary or moving along a single contiguous piece of cover as long as the shooter is not visible to any un-engaged targets while reloading. That is, if there is contiguous cover from the last shooting position along the path the shooter is traveling, the shooter may move and reload as long as the shooter is not visible to any un-engaged targets while reloading. 3.6.4 A shooter may not leave cover, cross or enter any openings with an empty firearm, even if visible targets have been engaged or there are no visible targets. A shooter may not leave cover, cross or enter any openings while reloading, even if visible targets have been engaged or there are no visible targets. 3.6.4.1 If a shooter starts to cross an opening with an empty firearm, realizes the mistake, moves back behind cover and completes a reload before leaving cover then no penalty is assessed. 3.6.4.2 When crossing a door, window, or port the shooter may not reload until he/she reaches the other side of the doorway, window or port as shown below between P2 and P3. For the purposes of this rule a doorway or door is less than or equal to 48” (1.22 meters) across. 3.6.4.3 When crossing an open area (as shown below between P7 and P8) the shooter may not reload until he/she reaches the next shooting position (the position from which he/she intends to engage the next target.) 3.6.4.4 Hallways, corridors and rooms are a unique situation. When a contiguous wall from the last shooting position and one or more other wall(s) form a hallway or room, and the combination of walls provide cover for the shooter on two sides or more, the shooter can do any kind of approved IDPA - 14 - reload while moving through a hallway or room after all visible targets within have been engaged. Note: hallways and rooms may not be imaginary. They must consist of physical props.

I take this to mean that you can shoot on the move and in the open until you run dry and may continue moving while performing your reload, however you cannot fire after the reload until you're at the next shooting position and behind cover if the COF dictates cover must be used.  There are a lot of conditional statement in the above rules section so I just want to be sure I'm interpreting it correctly.

 

 I guess my main question stems from the hallway scenario -  you are advancing down a hallway, engaging targets at the other end because the COF mandates shooting while advancing, the gun goes to slidelock before you've engaged all the targets.  Do you have to retreat to cover to perform a reload to avoid a procedural?  I interpret the rules as saying yes.

Edited October 7, 2016 by narwhal
added bug comments

[v1911]

That is correct. You must be in cover before reloading.

 

Generally, you want to be sure you have enough rounds to fully engage all targets before leaving cover. Sometimes that requires round dumping, others it's a tac reload. 

[narwhal]

 

16 hours ago, v1911 said:

That is correct. You must be in cover before reloading.

 

Generally, you want to be sure you have enough rounds to fully engage all targets before leaving cover. Sometimes that requires round dumping, others it's a tac reload. 

Thanks, I appreciate the answers.

[narwhal]

Question, I got a procedural for reloading at a recent match. The C.O.F. was as follows, (I was shooting BUG division with 6 rounds in the gun at start)

Gun on table, at start pick up gun and engage T1-T2-T3 from the end of the table with 2 shots each, then move to P2 (10 yards away) and engage a seperate set of targets from behind cover....

So I shot the first 3 targets from the open as dictated in the COF, the gun ran dry since I had fired 6 rounds, and I reloaded while I moved to the cover for the next targets.  I got a procedural for reloading while I was moving.  Was this correct?  

[racknrider]

Unless the table was defined as cover, no PE. 

[Jim Watson]

I have seen it specified in the CoF that reloads must be made before leaving the starting position.  But if it does not specifically say so, you are ok to reload on the way to cover, you just may not resume shooting on the way to cover.

[narwhal]

15 minutes ago, Jim Watson said:

I have seen it specified in the CoF that reloads must be made before leaving the starting position.  But if it does not specifically say so, you are ok to reload on the way to cover, you just may not resume shooting on the way to cover.

Nah, the reload wasn't specified in the COF since the SSP/ESP guys were shooting the first 3 targets and the next 3 targets from the second position before they reloaded.  Looks like I got a bogus PE, oh well, just a local match.