Cover question

[robport]

Last night, during a small informal IDPA event, I had a question about cover. I saw it differently than the RSO, but did what he said to do, stopped and came back to reload.

I had a barrier, you move along the barrier and engage two targets, one at about 10 yards, then one close about 3 yards. You then move up to another barrier, in a manner that is hidden from the last two targets.

Since we were downloaded to 6, I was at slide lock after both of the visible threats were engaged. I began to slip up to the new position of engagement while starting to reload. Cover was called. I stepped back to reload before I stepped up to my new firing position.

I was told it was because I couldn't move without completing my reload.

I thought that being at slide lock and behind cover from any targets, I could advance to the next place to engage the new targets while reloading. The way I viewed it, I was not stepping out from behind cover, since no targets were visible until the next position that I could engage them.

Reading the rules, I can't really see where I was wrong. What have I missed in the rules?

I understand about the tactical reload pivot foot issue, even though I think it is a little silly. In this case though, I can't see where a flat-footed reload applies, since I'm at slide lock, unless the definitiion of cover is more complicated than having a barrier between you and the targets.

It was something like this with X being the targets already engaged. P1 and P2 weren't positions listed in the course of fire, just where I was shooting from. The periods are just because the editor kept moving everything all the way to the left.

...O..O..........X

__________

.....X.........P2

__________

...............P1

Edited September 18, 2014 by robport

[v1911]

Take a look at the rulebook and you'll find your answer under section 3.9.

[robport]

Take a look at the rulebook and you'll find your answer under section 3.9.

"The boundary marking the “position of cover” is the line of cover defined by the last target to be engaged from that position."

"last target to be engaged from that position" That's the part I was missing. Thanks

[Steve Koski]

Even if you were behind a solid wall, you could only do a pivot reload under the current rules.