# of magazines

[atbarr]

Load 1 round in your barney mag. If you drop it during the stage, it doesn't matter

+1

Stay Safe,

A.T.

[Duane Thomas]

As far as being worried about dropping a barney mag and getting a penalty, my two solutions are

-Load 1 round in your barney mag. If you drop it during the stage, it doesn't matter

-Load 11 rounds in your first mag (if possible with your gun) instead of fiddling with a barney when you start.

Orrrrrr....you could just stick the Barney mag in your front pants pocket where it can't fall out.

[detonics]

I have enough stuff in my pants pockets (usually spare mags for the next stage) as it is.

Ah-hah!! So, can I get a ruling from IDPA HQ on whether or not it's okay for me to start a stage with a bunch of extra loaded mags in my pocket, enough to take me through the match, as long as I don't use them during the stage?

That would be correct. Extra mags in a pocket are ok as long as they are not used in the String of fire. You can only use a maximum of three in any string of fire. Spares in the pocket for use in the next string or stage is legal.

Robert Ray

IDPA HQ

[Duane Thomas]

Thanks, Robert.

[steel1212]

Load 1 round in your barney mag. If you drop it during the stage, it doesn't matter

How would that be any different than doing a reload with one round still in the pipe but none in the mag? Now I'm just being theoretical here but say you have a stage with a lot of walls/cover a guys goes around the corner and when the SO can get to him there is a empty mag on the ground, and he still hasn't shot the 11 rounds. Now your going to know how many mags he has on him when he gets done but.... I'm not trying to be picky just want clarification as we seem to need a lot.

Plus I'm with Duane, put the dang thing in a pants pocket where its not coming out.

[Duane Thomas]

Actually, doesn't the rule state you get the PE if you drop a mag during the stage, period? No mention of whether or not there's ammo in it, you still get the PE, right? Yet another reason not to stick that sucker in an open top shirt pocket.

[steel1212]

Actually, doesn't the rule state you get the PE if you drop a mag during the stage, period? No mention of whether or not there's ammo in it, you still get the PE, right? Yet another reason not to stick that sucker in an open top shirt pocket.

That is kinda what I was getting at just didn't word it well I guess. Only time you don't get the PE is if you drop it doing a reload and pick it up before moving correct?

[Duane Thomas]

Is it before moving, or before firing the next shot?

[steel1212]

Is it before moving, or before firing the next shot?

I would say its before firing your next shot. Say if I come to the last position in a COF and have to do a reload, I just do a speed reload finish the COF and say I didn't have to move so I didn't need to pick it up.

[HSMITH]

WOW, this is incredible. Just make the rules clear and all this goes away. As long as I fire a shot before the dropped mag hits the ground I am good to go, game on.

[SDM]

Here lately I've been "dropping" my barney mag after I load with it. I just toss it over to the side out of the way.

[Joe D]

I can't believe this discussion has gone on for 4 pages. This is starting to sound like USPSA Range Lawyer talk. If you use a Barney mag just put one bullet in it then stick the darn thing in your pocket after you have topped off.

Maybe my simple mind can't understand the IDPA rulle book. If I catch you going to a 4th mag you will get a Procedural. Better yet why not just hand the SO an extra full mag and tell him to keep it ready in case you need it. Make sure you wrap a $20 around it first.

There is no "Oops Rule".

[RePete]

Interesting. I have allowed many shooters to fish their barney mag out of their pocket when they've run out of ammo trying to hit a couple of small plates, swinger, etc. Looks like I'll have to quit doing that.

The Barney mag is allowed only for speeding up the LAMR and isn't brought into play at any other time.

[Duane Thomas]

If you use a Barney mag just put one bullet in it then stick the darn thing in your pocket after you have topped off.

What I do, at the beginning of the match, is to find out how many stages there are, then load the Barney mag with that many rounds. Thus anytime during the match if I find myself wondering how many stages there are left, I just look at the Barney mag. The answer is: however many rounds I have left in the Barney.

[RickB]

Actually, doesn't the rule state you get the PE if you drop a mag during the stage, period? No mention of whether or not there's ammo in it, you still get the PE, right? Yet another reason not to stick that sucker in an open top shirt pocket.

If a loaded mag is dislodged from its "storage area" (don't want to say "pouch") and falls on the ground, you get a PE, and picking it up won't help you; the penalty is for having your mags insufficiently secured. If you "drop" a mag, and pick it up and stow it properly before firing a shot, you don't get a procedural. If you drop a mag during a malfunction clearance, you don't get a PE, and don't have to pick it up.

[Joe D]

You are correct RickB. I don't see why this is so difficult for folks to understand. I guess they don't read the rule book.