Loading Requirements

[BroncoGlenn]

Is it required to top off the magazine at the LAMR command or is it legal to simply slap in a magazine, rack the slide and call it good?

[ChuckS]

Nope, got to be full. Check out page 10, C15 of the rule book

[GRD]

Chuck's got it. Has to be to division capacity - so if you're in SSP or ESP you can use an 11-round mag and be good to go (it's always polite to inform the SO that you have 11 in there so they don't thin you're loading to less than legal).

[dfwmiket]

That brings up an interesting question that I have----

(10 in mag, plus one in gun is the rule for capacity)

I find it easy to just 'barney bullet' one of my mags as I step up to the line, which , in effect, gives me the desired result.... but have been told I shouldn't do it that way, that instead, load from diff mag then switch out. Is there an official ruling on this? Does it really matter, as long as we achieve the desired result? Inquiring minds want to know.....

Mike

[Ted Murphy]

There is no rule on that.

From Sewing (SOing) at the nats , I can think of a couple of Master Class shooters who loads then used a loose cartridge to top off the magazine.

I took a competition class from an instructor who advocated doing just that. Less clutter in the pockets from the extra magazine and you get to practice a tac load/RWR legally during each LAMR. After you holster you just put a live round in the mag you removed from the RWR and place the topped off mag in your pouch.

That works well on single stacks, on high cap guns I just load 11 to start out.

Ted

[BroncoGlenn]

Thanks for the quick replies. Didn't have a rulebook handy and couldn't remember. Shooting single stack and normally using 8 round mags I wind up with 9 loaded and I'd like to start with an even number of rounds instead. Looks like I'll need to pickup a couple of 7 round magazines for the sake of starting the stage with. The even round starting was just something that had been bugging me, and in the past I'd shot mostly in SSP with a doublestack and never gave it much thought.

But I've still got a couple months until I'm back and playing again.

[ChuckS]

Thanks for the quick replies.  Didn't have a rulebook handy and couldn't remember.  Shooting single stack and normally using 8 round mags I wind up with 9 loaded and I'd like to start with an even number of rounds instead.  Looks like I'll need to pickup a couple of 7 round magazines for the sake of starting the stage with.  The even round starting was just something that had been bugging me, and in the past I'd shot mostly in SSP with a doublestack and never gave it much thought. 

But I've still got a couple months until I'm back and playing again.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you are on the 'net, you have a rulebook at:

http://www.idpa.com/Documents/IDPARuleBook2005.pdf

[ChuckS]

Thanks for the quick replies.  Didn't have a rulebook handy and couldn't remember.  Shooting single stack and normally using 8 round mags I wind up with 9 loaded and I'd like to start with an even number of rounds instead.  Looks like I'll need to pickup a couple of 7 round magazines for the sake of starting the stage with.  The even round starting was just something that had been bugging me, and in the past I'd shot mostly in SSP with a doublestack and never gave it much thought. 

But I've still got a couple months until I'm back and playing again.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry, but another nope: Page 23 of the rulebook:

Competitors must use the same capacity magazines through out the

competition (Example: if you start with a 7 round magazine,

you must use that capacity magazine throughout the match).

[p99shooter]

If you shoot single-stack CDP, you can't switch between 7 and 8 round mags during a match. If you bring 7 rounders, you must shoot with 7 rounders the whole match. This also means you can't start a stage with a 7-round magazine in the gun and an 8-round mag on your belt (unless you only put 7 rounds in it ).

You also cannot "download" a magazine so that you run dry at an advantageous point, so you can do a slide-lock reload instead of a reload-with-retention or tactical reload. Have to start at full capacity, unless stated otherwise in the course of fire.

[revchuck]

There is no rule on that.

From Sewing (SOing) at the nats , I can think of a couple of  Master Class shooters who loads then used a loose cartridge to top off the magazine.

I took a competition class from an instructor who advocated doing just that.  Less clutter in the pockets from the extra magazine and you get to practice a tac load/RWR  legally during each LAMR.  After you holster you just put a live round in the mag you removed from the RWR and place the topped off mag in your pouch.

That works well on single stacks, on high cap guns I just load 11 to start out.

Ted

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

For most of my autoloaders, I have at least one magazine that I don't trust. That mag goes in my left rear pocket, and is used to load the first round; then the full (7 or 10 round, depending on class) mag is inserted. I have full capacity mags for my 9x19s, but I don't load 11 rounds because I'm afraid I'll insert the wrong mag at the wrong time.

[kdmoore]

but I don't load 11 rounds because I'm afraid I'll insert the wrong mag at the wrong time.

Been there, done that ... In fact I've done a lot of things

[revchuck]

a slide lock relaod from a revolver

Man, I gotta see that one!

[BroncoGlenn]

Sorry, but another nope: Page 23 of the rulebook:

Competitors must use the same capacity magazines through out the

competition (Example: if you start with a 7 round magazine,

you must use that capacity magazine throughout the match).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ah well, guess it's sticking with a quick makeup shot for luck if its not a limited count.

Guess we couldn't expect the rules comittee to allow some sensibility by allowing a shooter to just drop an empty mag, regardless of slide status.

[Flexmoney]

I split the question and posts about cover into their own thread, found here:

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=27059