Jim Watson said:
You are REQUIRED to start with the magazine loaded to division capacity AND one in the chamber (except in BUG, where you get 6 rounds total so the autos and 6 shooter revolvers are comparable.)
Yes, there can be 11 rounds in the magazine as you load the gun, but when the buzzer sounds, there are only 10 rounds IN THE MAGAZINE.
If you START (i.e., insert a mag with 10 rounds) and then chamber a round, you have done what the rules require. That's 10 rounds, not 10 plus 1.
(Maybe I've missed something in the rule book and you can clarify it for me. It won't be the first time I missed something obvious.)
The "the shooter will also start with one round in the chamber" doesn't mean you must add another round, it just adds another condition to HOW you start -- with a round chambered -- arguably one of the 10 rounds being discussed.
The following is copied from the 2015 rule book:
8.1.3 Division Capacity
8.1.3.1 SSP – 10 rounds
8.1.3.2 ESP – 10 rounds
8.1.3.3 CDP – 8 rounds
8.1.3.4 CCP – 8 rounds
8.1.3.5 REV – 6 rounds
8.1.3.6 BUG – 6 rounds total
8.1.3.7 NFC – 10 rounds
8.1.3.7 In SSP, ESP, CCP, and CDP, and semi-auto BUG the shooter will also start with one round in the chamber, unless the CoF description requires otherwise.
Earlier, it tells us:
3.11 Firearms and magazines must always be loaded to the shooter’s division capacity, unless otherwise specified by the stage description.
Note: It does not say that a firearm with one in the chamber must also be loaded with mag loaded to division capacity! No. It says
firearm and magazine must be loaded to division capacity.
Where does that 11th round magically come from? A loophole (or, perhaps, a fundamental ambiguity) in the rule book... But one we all seem to like. Perhaps it's a proper interpretation -- but I suspect its not one supported by the language used in the rule book.
It may be time to send off an email to
info@idpa.com for guidance (or see if we can elicit a subtle clarification in an upcoming Tactical Journal, as in, "I know what it says, but what does it really mean?...")