T&P3 Loading – The Rules
The loading rules for T&P3 state:
Loading:
All ammunition must be carried on the competitor’s person in a pocket (i.e. belt loops, pouches, etc. cannot be used).
Please note the highlighting above which is mine. The unique point of this particular event is that reloading is done from a standard off the peg jacket or coat pocket. Nothing fancy either required, wanted or necessary. Competitors have five and a half minutes to shoot the course of fire loading appropriate magazines or speedloaders as they go. Five and a half minutes which is plenty of time to do any amount of reloading from loose collections of pocketed ammunition for a 50 round course of fire.
Additionally we have the following loading rule:
Any number of magazines, speedloaders or moon-clips may be used but only one may be pre-loaded (with 5 rounds).
As discussed elsewhere this was to allow some leeway to competitors on that basis that any magazine or speedloader dropped was deemed lost – therefore spares could be carried.
We’ve been shooting the event for about five years now so its time for the rules to be clarified and tidied up. The following is proposed:
Remove this condition:
Any number of magazines, speedloaders or moon-clips may be used but only one may be pre-loaded (with 5 rounds).
Replace with
Only two magazines, speedloaders or moon-clips may be used either or both of which may be pre-loaded (with no more than 5 rounds) at any time.
This rule:
All ammunition must be carried on the competitor’s person in a pocket (i.e. belt loops, pouches, etc. cannot be used).
to be tightened up. People are using very loose definitions of “a pocket”. A pocket is something you can get your hand into and move your fingers around inside, clench your fist within, grab a handful of stuff that is in there – in this case rounds of ammunition!
A pocket can be a pouch attached to a belt – as long as its of loose fabric and you can get your hand in there and your ammunition is loose within the pouch this is OK.
There should be no artificial sleeves or holders or stiffeners or any type of device that holds magazines, moon clips or speed loaders in any particular position or orientation. If you can’t get your hand into your ‘pocket’ and shuffle around whatever is in there – its not a pocket – therefore its not allowed.
