How many mags for USPSA production competition?

[rhett45acp]

IMHO, don't play with fire. Skip the "11 round mag". Be consistent and put 10 rounds in ALL mags except one, your barney mag. It only has one round to use at the "make ready". Barney mag and one loaded with ten in your back pocket. 4 mags on belt.

Barney mag is not just to top the gun off to 11 at start, but a simple verification that you have a round in the chamber. When you remove the barney mag and it is empty, where is the bullet? In the chamber.

Like Nick said, stay consistent. Do the same thing every time possible. Nothing to think about. I don't care if it is a simple classifier. Always barney, rinse and repeat.

[PKT1106]

When I shoot Production, I have 5 on the belt and one in the gun.

[Supranatural]

I've noticed that people seem to carry 4 or 5 mag pouches...and I've seen no rules in the book that limit the number of magazine pouches. I assume there is no limit and everyone is basing the number of magazines on how much they expect to use on a stage, correct (along with that I assume carrying more doesn't make sense since you are just lugging around more weight).

[johnsons1480]

I've noticed that people seem to carry 4 or 5 mag pouches...and I've seen no rules in the book that limit the number of magazine pouches. I assume there is no limit and everyone is basing the number of magazines on how much they expect to use on a stage, correct (along with that I assume carrying more doesn't make sense since you are just lugging around more weight).

You can have 12 if you want. The only limiter is that all equipment must be behind the point of your hip.

In USPSA, the max round count is 32 rounds. If you figure 8 shot arrays, 4 arrays would be 32 rounds. 5 mags (1 in the gun, 4 on the belt) gives you a one mag buffer. 6 mags gives you a 2 mag buffer.

[alma]

I've noticed that people seem to carry 4 or 5 mag pouches...and I've seen no rules in the book that limit the number of magazine pouches. I assume there is no limit and everyone is basing the number of magazines on how much they expect to use on a stage, correct (along with that I assume carrying more doesn't make sense since you are just lugging around more weight).

The further around your body they go the slower/harder it is to reach the magazines too. Diminishing returns hits hard after #4

[kingmedicine]

So such thing as too many, but there is such thing as never enough...

[BeerBaron]

I've noticed that people seem to carry 4 or 5 mag pouches...and I've seen no rules in the book that limit the number of magazine pouches. I assume there is no limit and everyone is basing the number of magazines on how much they expect to use on a stage, correct (along with that I assume carrying more doesn't make sense since you are just lugging around more weight).

You can have 12 if you want. The only limiter is that all equipment must be behind the point of your hip.

In USPSA, the max round count is 32 rounds. If you figure 8 shot arrays, 4 arrays would be 32 rounds. 5 mags (1 in the gun, 4 on the belt) gives you a one mag buffer. 6 mags gives you a 2 mag buffer.

yep, but through in a few 6 shot arrays and suddenly it becomes hard. even starting with 11 in the gun you cannot shoot 2 six shot arrays without reloading so you have to burn a mag for each one (if they are 4 shot arrays obviously you can shoot 2 then reload).

so worst case would be 5 X 6 shot positions and a 2 shot = 32 rounds. throw in a few missed shots on steel etc and I think 6 mags is the number for me.

I usually keep a single round in my button hole or pocket handy and 10 rounds in all mags. I run 5 mag pouches and 1 magnet off the front of the first pouch. the LAMR mag comes off the magnet, goes into gun, rack, mag out, extra round back in, mag back in, gun in holster.

Guys with larger mags are obviously tempted to just load 11 in one mag but be careful if you get caught out or get an unloaded start.

the idea of using an extra mag as a barney bag is a good idea. just put 1 round in it. stick it in your pocket, gas up the gun and then just toss that empty mag on the ground.

I also always bring all 6 mags to every stage regardless of length.

at the end of a stage ALL mags get unloaded, checked/wiped over then reloaded with 10 rounds and put in my bag. I don't need to carry around 60 rounds and 6 mags while pasting/scoring targets... A few shooters before I'm on deck and go and gear up.

Sure, 60 rounds seems like a lot but it's easy to drop one, or go for a load and then have the mag fall out due to not being inserted properly, or have a jam in a mag, or just waste lots of rounds going to war with steel (which is always a bad idea but sometimes we can't help ourselves).

I feel like 6 is the happy medium but I can see why 7 is possibly even better! at a certain point though the extra weight would have a negative impact.

I do it the same every stage so it becomes automatic. Sure you look a bit silly coming to the line on a 9 round short stage with 6 mags but it makes the whole gear up process become so programmed that you can focus on the important stuff instead.

Edited February 5, 2015 by BeerBaron

[JWard79]

If you plan on dry firing a lot you may want to get additional mags for that as well. I run 5 on the belt, 1 in my pocket, and 4 dedicated dry fire mags at the house (with dummy rounds loaded). Saves wear and tear on your match mags, saves time in prepping for dry fire, and with 6 at the start position doesn't limit your stage strategy.

[tbarker13]

I carry 6 mag pouches because: Why not?

I just switched from Limited a few months back - and I carried 3 mags in pouches, for 60 rounds. So it just feels right to do the same thing with production.

Any mag in a pouch gets 10 rounds. I'll put one with 11 rounds in my pocket - and that is always my make-ready mag.

I don't expect to use the 5th or 6th mag. But even before I moved to production, I'd watch shooters lose a mag while running. Or deal with with a malfunction. Or fumble reload into the ground. I don't ever want to get to a point in the stage where I run out of bullets. So I'm willing to carry that slight bit of extra weight to make sure it doesn't happen.

And as I said - I just switched from limited. So my rig is still lighter than it use to be.

[Fuelie777]

4 on the belt. 1 in my pocket. Never have needed more.

[kevin c]

IMHO, don't play with fire. Skip the "11 round mag". Be consistent and put 10 rounds in ALL mags except one, your barney mag. It only has one round to use at the "make ready". Barney mag and one loaded with ten in your back pocket. 4 mags on belt.

Barney mag is not just to top the gun off to 11 at start, but a simple verification that you have a round in the chamber. When you remove the barney mag and it is empty, where is the bullet? In the chamber.

Like Nick said, stay consistent. Do the same thing every time possible. Nothing to think about. I don't care if it is a simple classifier. Always barney, rinse and repeat.

^^^

As far as rounds in the mags, this is what I do.

At the Make Ready command with a loaded holstered start. I will have seven magazines. A barney mag to chamber a round from that will be empty and can be put anywhere on my person without fear that if I grab it in the heat of the moment, I won't get moved to Open; a mag with ten rounds to complete loading to Division capacity; five magazines on the belt.

Works for me. Other ways noted above work for others. Your call.

[PKT1106]

A barney mag to chamber a round from that will be empty and can be put anywhere on my person without fear that if I grab it in the heat of the moment, I won't get moved to Open;

I know this is for the rules section, but doesn't 5.2.4 say that if you retrieve a magazine from a place forbidden by the division rules, during the COF, you will be placed in open?

Should the division restrict the location of the magazines or speed

loading devices, carrying them in apparel pocket(s) forward of the

restriction point will be allowed providing they are not removed from

the apparel pocket(s) between the “standby” command and the

command “ if clear, hammer down and holster”. (e.g. – a magazine may

be retrieved from a front pocket to facilitate loading before the start

signal or while unloading at the end of a COF without penalty).

And this points to 6.2.5.1, which says to place the competitor in Open if they fail to satisfy the requirements of the division.

You pull a mag from a pocket in front of your hip bone during the COF, loaded or not, you get moved to Open from Production.

Edited February 13, 2015 by PKT1106

[ClangClang]

I really like the suggestion above by rhett45acp for using a single-bullet barney mag for making ready. I have a crappy ProMag that refuses to lock back on empty that will make a perfect single bullet barney mag.

[kevin c]

A barney mag to chamber a round from that will be empty and can be put anywhere on my person without fear that if I grab it in the heat of the moment, I won't get moved to Open;

I know this is for the rules section, but doesn't 5.2.4 say that if you retrieve a magazine from a place forbidden by the division rules, during the COF, you will be placed in open?

Should the division restrict the location of the magazines or speed

loading devices, carrying them in apparel pocket(s) forward of the

restriction point will be allowed providing they are not removed from

the apparel pocket(s) between the “standby” command and the

command “ if clear, hammer down and holster”. (e.g. – a magazine may

be retrieved from a front pocket to facilitate loading before the start

signal or while unloading at the end of a COF without penalty).

Thought there was a further ruling that an empty mag was not an issue. Thanks for the clarification.

And this points to 6.2.5.1, which says to place the competitor in Open if they fail to satisfy the requirements of the division.

You pull a mag from a pocket in front of your hip bone during the COF, loaded or not, you get moved to Open from Production.

[wjm1776]

It looks to me that 6 mags is the common answer for the most needed..... Good inf, Thanks