Magazine capacity in IDPA SSP

oboe · February 23, 2011, 07:41 PM

Is it IDPA legal to use a pistol [Beretta 92A1] that comes with three 17 rd capacity magazines if they are only loaded for IDPA SSP competition with the IDPA legal number of rounds? What is that - 10 rds plus 1 in chamber?

Would it be IDPA legal to use Beretta 92 magazines of ten rds if the pistol was purchased with the 17 rd mags?

Waldog · February 23, 2011, 08:28 PM

Max capacity, irregardless of what the gun will hold, is 10 in the magazine and 1 in the chamber. I load my first magazine with 11 the rest with 10. That way you don't have to mess with a "BARNEY MAG". Be sure and clear that with your Range Officer or Match Director first.

I'm pretty sure you can use any high capacity mags as long as they are loaded to 10 rounds.

oboe · February 23, 2011, 08:36 PM

What's a "Barney Mag"?

Jim Watson · February 23, 2011, 09:03 PM

The Barney Magazine is the old clunker you use to load the chamber with so you can insert a 10 round magazine to get the gun fully loaded with the minimum of fumbling. But since you have full capacity magazines, it is easier to do as Waldog says and just load the first one with 11 and the rest with 10. If you have some 10 round magazines, they are fine, just use them on the reload.

oboe · February 23, 2011, 09:26 PM

Can't we just pull the slide open to stop, stick a cartridge into the chamber, hit the slide release and have one in the chamber? THEN insert the mag w/10 rds? Not that starting with 11 in the mag and jacking 1 into the chamber sounds easier.

RickB · February 23, 2011, 09:28 PM

On stages with an unloaded start, make sure you do not load your gun with the mag that contains eleven rounds. While it's OK to have a mag loaded with eleven rounds before the stage starts, when the timer goes off, no mag can contain more than ten.
The origin of "Barney mag" goes back to the 1960's Andy Griffith TV show, in which Sheriff Andy's deputy, Barney Fife, was allowed only one cartridge for his service revolver; the mag that has the one round that's used to top off the gun is thus the "Barney mag".

oboe · February 23, 2011, 09:55 PM

Does an "unloaded start" mean not a round in the chamber? I guess I'll just need to see these events to understand all this.

Jim Watson · February 23, 2011, 10:23 PM

An unloaded start usually means that the gun is completely unloaded when the GO buzzer sounds. You must insert a magazine, rack the slide and shoot the stage. You may NOT have 11 rounds in the magazine as you would for a "load and make ready" stage, 10 is the maximum in the magazine at the start.

oboe · February 23, 2011, 10:31 PM

Thanks, Jim. I am obviously just in kindergarten here - lots to learn!

Steviewonder1 · February 23, 2011, 10:59 PM

Don't open slide drop in a bullet, release slide lock on the bullet in the chamber and then stuff a 10 round mag in the gun unless you like changing out extractors or replacing them. Always load the chamber from a magazine in the gun.

Waldog · February 23, 2011, 11:43 PM

A "Barney Mag" is a reference to the 1960's Andy Griffith show. Andy was a
sheriff in a small town. His deputy was Barney Fife (Don Knotts). Barney was only allowed to have one cartridge. And, he had to keep it in his pocket. Barney had a bad habit of accidental discharges.

So a "Barney Mag" holds one round that you keep in your pocket until you load your gun prior to starting a stage.

Unless you have grey hair OR you watch AMC you really wouldn't know Barney Fife

OOPs! I didn't see RickB's post. Sorry.

oboe · February 24, 2011, 07:06 AM

Stevie, thank you for that advice. By the way, what's ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE?

Waldog, what hair I have has a lotta gray (I'm 69), and I sure do remember Barny Fife.

gunrobot · February 25, 2011, 03:35 AM

@oboe Molon Labe means "Come and get em"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molon_labe

Lifted this right off Wikipedia :

"In America, both the original Greek phrase and its English translation are often heard from pro-gun activists as a defense of the right to keep and bear arms. It began to appear on web sites in the late 1990s and early 2000s. And when the government of New Orleans defied Federal court orders to return weapons that had been seized during Hurricane Katrina, the phrase again gained popularity among the opponents of gun control."

Sport45 · February 25, 2011, 03:52 AM

I remember Andy and Barney from reruns, I swear.

Watched Opie grow up too. He went places, didn't he.

(Sorry for straying off topic.)

RickB · February 25, 2011, 03:29 PM

There's a great scene in The Shootist, where The Duke gives Little Opie Cunningham a shootin' lesson. They discuss whether five or six rounds should be loaded in a Peacemaker, and that's sort of on topic.

oboe · February 25, 2011, 03:48 PM

. . . THE "sort of" part . . . definitely sort of

sirsloop · February 25, 2011, 09:36 PM

unloaded start... mag on the table next to the pistol...

http://www.youtube.com/sirsloop#p/a/u/2/2HrklR78wbM

oboe · February 25, 2011, 10:15 PM

Thank you, gentlemen, for the education. I'm looking forward actually to using it.

February 23, 2011, 07:41 PM	#1
oboe Member Join Date: July 5, 2010 Posts: 83	Magazine capacity in IDPA SSP Is it IDPA legal to use a pistol [Beretta 92A1] that comes with three 17 rd capacity magazines if they are only loaded for IDPA SSP competition with the IDPA legal number of rounds? What is that - 10 rds plus 1 in chamber? Would it be IDPA legal to use Beretta 92 magazines of ten rds if the pistol was purchased with the 17 rd mags? Last edited by oboe; February 23, 2011 at 07:53 PM.

February 23, 2011, 08:28 PM	#2
Waldog Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 2007 Location: SOCAL Posts: 359	Max capacity, irregardless of what the gun will hold, is 10 in the magazine and 1 in the chamber. I load my first magazine with 11 the rest with 10. That way you don't have to mess with a "BARNEY MAG". Be sure and clear that with your Range Officer or Match Director first. I'm pretty sure you can use any high capacity mags as long as they are loaded to 10 rounds. __________________ I am the Christian Conservative that CNN warned you about!! “Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance and the gospel of envy.” Winston Churchill

February 23, 2011, 11:43 PM	#11
Waldog Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 2007 Location: SOCAL Posts: 359	A "Barney Mag" is a reference to the 1960's Andy Griffith show. Andy was a sheriff in a small town. His deputy was Barney Fife (Don Knotts). Barney was only allowed to have one cartridge. And, he had to keep it in his pocket. Barney had a bad habit of accidental discharges. So a "Barney Mag" holds one round that you keep in your pocket until you load your gun prior to starting a stage. Unless you have grey hair OR you watch AMC you really wouldn't know Barney Fife OOPs! I didn't see RickB's post. Sorry. __________________ I am the Christian Conservative that CNN warned you about!! “Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance and the gospel of envy.” Winston Churchill

February 25, 2011, 03:35 AM	#13
gunrobot Senior Member Join Date: August 29, 2009 Posts: 442	@oboe Molon Labe means "Come and get em" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molon_labe Lifted this right off Wikipedia : "In America, both the original Greek phrase and its English translation are often heard from pro-gun activists as a defense of the right to keep and bear arms. It began to appear on web sites in the late 1990s and early 2000s. And when the government of New Orleans defied Federal court orders to return weapons that had been seized during Hurricane Katrina, the phrase again gained popularity among the opponents of gun control." __________________ [ http://gunbot.org \| http://www.youtube.com/user/gunrobot ]

February 25, 2011, 03:52 AM	#14
Sport45 Senior Member Join Date: May 25, 1999 Location: Too close to Houston Posts: 4,196	I remember Andy and Barney from reruns, I swear. Watched Opie grow up too. He went places, didn't he. (Sorry for straying off topic.) __________________ Proud member of the NRA and Texas State Rifle Association. Registered and active voter.

February 23, 2011, 08:36 PM	#3
oboe Member Join Date: July 5, 2010 Posts: 83	What's a "Barney Mag"?

February 23, 2011, 09:03 PM	#4
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,535	The Barney Magazine is the old clunker you use to load the chamber with so you can insert a 10 round magazine to get the gun fully loaded with the minimum of fumbling. But since you have full capacity magazines, it is easier to do as Waldog says and just load the first one with 11 and the rest with 10. If you have some 10 round magazines, they are fine, just use them on the reload.

February 23, 2011, 09:26 PM	#5
oboe Member Join Date: July 5, 2010 Posts: 83	Can't we just pull the slide open to stop, stick a cartridge into the chamber, hit the slide release and have one in the chamber? THEN insert the mag w/10 rds? Not that starting with 11 in the mag and jacking 1 into the chamber sounds easier.

February 23, 2011, 09:28 PM	#6
RickB Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2000 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 8,518	On stages with an unloaded start, make sure you do not load your gun with the mag that contains eleven rounds. While it's OK to have a mag loaded with eleven rounds before the stage starts, when the timer goes off, no mag can contain more than ten. The origin of "Barney mag" goes back to the 1960's Andy Griffith TV show, in which Sheriff Andy's deputy, Barney Fife, was allowed only one cartridge for his service revolver; the mag that has the one round that's used to top off the gun is thus the "Barney mag".

February 23, 2011, 09:55 PM	#7
oboe Member Join Date: July 5, 2010 Posts: 83	Does an "unloaded start" mean not a round in the chamber? I guess I'll just need to see these events to understand all this.

February 23, 2011, 10:23 PM	#8
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,535	An unloaded start usually means that the gun is completely unloaded when the GO buzzer sounds. You must insert a magazine, rack the slide and shoot the stage. You may NOT have 11 rounds in the magazine as you would for a "load and make ready" stage, 10 is the maximum in the magazine at the start.

February 23, 2011, 10:31 PM	#9
oboe Member Join Date: July 5, 2010 Posts: 83	Thanks, Jim. I am obviously just in kindergarten here - lots to learn!

February 23, 2011, 10:59 PM	#10
Steviewonder1 Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2009 Location: John's Creek, Georgia Posts: 328	Don't open slide drop in a bullet, release slide lock on the bullet in the chamber and then stuff a 10 round mag in the gun unless you like changing out extractors or replacing them. Always load the chamber from a magazine in the gun.

February 24, 2011, 07:06 AM	#12
oboe Member Join Date: July 5, 2010 Posts: 83	Stevie, thank you for that advice. By the way, what's ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE? Waldog, what hair I have has a lotta gray (I'm 69), and I sure do remember Barny Fife.

February 25, 2011, 03:29 PM	#15
RickB Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2000 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 8,518	There's a great scene in The Shootist, where The Duke gives Little Opie Cunningham a shootin' lesson. They discuss whether five or six rounds should be loaded in a Peacemaker, and that's sort of on topic.

February 25, 2011, 03:48 PM	#16
oboe Member Join Date: July 5, 2010 Posts: 83	. . . THE "sort of" part . . . definitely sort of

February 25, 2011, 09:36 PM	#17
sirsloop Junior member Join Date: January 13, 2011 Posts: 376	unloaded start... mag on the table next to the pistol... http://www.youtube.com/sirsloop#p/a/u/2/2HrklR78wbM

February 25, 2011, 10:15 PM	#18
oboe Member Join Date: July 5, 2010 Posts: 83	Thank you, gentlemen, for the education. I'm looking forward actually to using it.

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