Magazine capacity -- 3 questions...

[boo radley]

Hi folks -- I'd like to be 100% clear on a couple issues with IDPA and magazine capacity, and have a couple specific questions.

In this example, let's take CDP. A shooter arrives with n number of 1911 magazines; the shooter declares some are 7-round magazines, and some are 8-round magazines. My understanding is, in this case, the shooter will be shooting 7+1; at least this is always how I've seen this treated.

Question 1: does the value of 'n' make a material difference? If a shooter arrives with ten Wilson Combat 8-round magazines, and a single Metalform 7-round magazine, is he or she still limited to 7+1? What if the shooter only has 2 8-round magazine and 1 7-round mag? What about one 8-round magazine, and two 7-round magazines? What is the rationale, if one (or more) magazines DO make division capacity, for not using the higher capacity magazine? (Hmmm... more than 1 question -- sorry).

Question 2: What constitutes 'mechanical capacity?' Clearly a magazine labled '7.' But suppose the shooter says, "This magazine doesn't function in my pistol reliably when loaded to 8 rounds?" Or says, "I can't jam 8 in here, even though it says '8'"?

Question 3: If the shooter has a mixed bag of 7 and 8-round mags, as per the example, and is limited to 7+1....Can he or she start with an 8-round magazine, to avoid the hassle of a barney mag, or topping off? If not, why?

Many thanks in advance; I'm confused in this area, with the Rule Book.

[Duane Thomas]

In this example, let's take CDP. A shooter arrives with n number of 1911 magazines; the shooter declares some are 7-round magazines, and some are 8-round magazines. My understanding is, in this case, the shooter will be shooting 7+1; at least this is always how I've seen this treated.

Yes.

Question 1: does the value of 'n' make a material difference? If a shooter arrives with ten Wilson Combat 8-round magazines, and a single Metalform 7-round magazine, is he or she still limited to 7+1?

No offense - and I mean that sincerely - but that's kind of a nonsensical question. If you have 10 Wilson 8-round mags, why would you ever need to use the 7-rounder during a stage?

What if the shooter only has 2 8-round magazine and 1 7-round mag?

Then, at the beginning of the stage, they can't have more than seven rounds in any of these three mags.

What about one 8-round magazine, and two 7-round magazines?

Same thing. Though in this case they could use the 8-rounder as the mag they load into the gun since, once they rack a round into the chamber, there will only be seven rounds in-mag at the start of the stage.

What is the rationale, if one (or more) magazines DO make division capacity, for not using the higher capacity magazine? (Hmmm... more than 1 question -- sorry).

IDPA HQ doesn't want competitors choosing a particular capacity magazine on a stage-by-stage basis to have their gun run to slidelock at the "right" time.

Question 2: What constitutes 'mechanical capacity?' Clearly a magazine labled '7.' But suppose the shooter says, "This magazine doesn't function in my pistol reliably when loaded to 8 rounds?" Or says, "I can't jam 8 in here, even though it says '8'"?

Get magazines that work.

Question 3: If the shooter has a mixed bag of 7 and 8-round mags, as per the example, and is limited to 7+1....Can he or she start with an 8-round magazine, to avoid the hassle of a barney mag, or topping off? If not, why?

They may.

[Steve J]

Q1: If you use a 7-rd magazine in the match, then all your magazines can only be loaded to 7 rounds, unless you specifically use that as a barney mag and only load one round for top off.

Q2: See #1. All your magazines in a match must be loaded with the same number of rounds after the start signal.

Q3: Yes. Just like an ESP/SSP shooter with all 15-round magazines. He can load with one that has 11 round in it to achieve 10+1 after the start signal.

[boo radley]

Thx guys! I understand this better.

[Duane Thomas]

Yer welcome. All part of our fast, friendly service.

[boo radley]

But still - here's the thing. Two things. I understand IDPA not wanting folks to mix magazine capacities - it would be like downloading selectively. But why not simply say, IF you have magazine of differing capacities, you must ALWAYS start with the highest capacity magazine(s)?

It's just a weird way to approach the issue, IMO. If I'm going out into the wild, and worried about bears or goblins or whatever, and I have a 7-round Wilson mag and an 8-round Wilson mag, you can bet I'll keep the pistol at 8+1 and not 'download' the 8-rounder.

Thing 2:

Now, that said, in my experience only, starting with an even number of rounds is a minor edge in MANY IDPA stages. Not in every match, and there's always the piece of steel, or necessary make-up you can't execute, but a slight advantage nonetheless, day in, day out. What would your ruling be if I disassembled one Glock 17 magazine, and inserted a small block of wood so the magazine only held 9 rounds when reassembled? At the match all my mags will hold 9 rounds. Grounds for an FTDR? I'm thinking thin-ice, despite the apparent legality.

Thx

[Jane]

IMO. If I'm going out into the wild, and worried about bears or goblins or whatever,

Rules?

There ain't no rules in a bear-fight, Butch.

But there is rules in an IDPA match, and they is what they is.

Thing 2:

What would your ruling be if I disassembled one Glock 17 magazine, and inserted a small block of wood so the magazine only held 9 rounds when reassembled?

Lessee... taking a magazine and reducing its capacity beneath what the manufacturer manufactured so as to be able to have an even number of rounds so you could reload at slidelock assuming a boring match with each-gets-2...

I'm thinkin' that would look to me like "competition only" equipment. Which isn't an FTDR, it's simply "not permitted".

(Not to mention how that bear's gonna laugh in your face when you could have stopped him with just one more bullet.....)

[shooterready]

Now that was funny!