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SRVA wrote:NcongruNt,
The Hi-power and clones compete in ESP division for IDPA. This division is comperable to CDP for the 9mm/40 S&W guns. I have shot a Hi-power in competiton and the magazine safety really isn't a problem. If you carry an empty magazine with you you can insert it after the "slide down" command and drop the hammer. Then take the empty magazine out before you holster. This procedure is used on any gun with a magazine safety and it works just fine.

Regarding the "Hammer Down" command and having to drop the hammer on an empty chamber, the same process is used in IDPA, USPSA and IPSC. It is my final insurance as an SO that the gun is clear. Like TxD, I have seen it done, and done it on some very high dollar guns without any complaint from the competitor.

Thanks for the clarification. I'm going to be ordering several magazines for the Hi-Power, so I'd like to know what would be a good number (not just the recommended 3 that I've read) to have. As I'll need to carry an empty mag for the clearinig procedure, how many additional mags would be a practical number to have on hand? As for the dry firing, I'm confident that the Hi-Power will be just fine. :)

And to answer my own question, I found an explanation here:

http://home.earthlink.net/~murph864/idpa/tridpa.html

Unload and Show Clear

This first exercise is called "Unload and show clear". At the end of a stage, or if some problem develops, the RO will want you to empty your gun. This is how you do it.

Keep the muzzle pointed down range. When the RO says "unload and show clear". Eject the magazine and pocket it. Pull the slide back and allow the loaded round to fall to the ground. Allow the RO to see into the chamber. (He'll look over your shoulder) When he tells you to, release the slide, aim the pistol at a safe backstop, and press the trigger. He will then tell you to holster the arm. This is a stressful time for RO's so be sure to do it slowly, and on command.

Some people like to catch the loaded round instead of allowing it to hit the ground. Many RO's do not like this as some accidents involving lost fingers and such have occured. It is best to let the cartridge to fall to the ground. I segregate that cartridge from my match ammo and it gets fired in a practice session.

There's only one problem: the Hi-Power has a magazine disconnect, and it's not possible to dry fire with the magazine removed. Surely this has come up. What does one do in this case?

I've been looking into IDPA for a few weeks, and was looking into matches nearby.

Being the good researcher that I am, I went and grabbed the rulebook and read through it... and found that my pistol doesn't quite qualify. 9x18 is not quite big enough a caliber to shoot in IDPA. Besides, shooting 95gr bullets at 1050fps doesn't meet the power requirements anyway. The barrel on the FEG PA-63 barrel is also 0.1" too long for the BUG competitions. No worries though, I'll be purchasing a new Hi-Power come the 1st of May, and that should qualify. I'm a little confused on the classifications, though. My Hi-Power will be an Argentine FM90 (based on the MkII), which works in SA like a 1911. When reading the requirements for Stock Service Pistol, it specifies Double Action, Double Action Only, or something called Safe Action. What is Safe Action? I'm guessing this means that I will have to compete in Enhanced Service Pistol instead. Is this right? This makes me a little more apprehensive, as I'll be competing against all the fancy 1911 guys, using a stock Hi-Power, with 5 months of shooting experience under my belt. I've never been in any kind of shooting competition, and am already prepared to join the "you suck" category - I think I may create a "you suck even worse" category while I'm at it.

Also, I looked for the procedure of showing clear in the rulebook and didn't see anything specifying actions, other than simply "showing clear". What was the procedure required in this instance that y'all are discussing, and where does dry-firing come into the equation?