IDPA

[mmx1]

I'm less bothered by the cold range (I got caught flatfooted on that one as well) than by decocking with the trigger. I understand why they do it but I think it ingrains a really bad habit.

[rob_s]

If you're not responsible enough to walk through the front gate with a loaded gun in your holster, you're not responsible enough to run around on the range while shooting multiple targets at weird angles and snaking past various obstacles.

I agree.

Which is why for our carbine matches we have an orientation and qualification before anyone can shoot with us. Because not only do I agree with you, I personally fully believe that far too many gun owners shouldn't be trusted with live ammunition.

Which also brings up my main "problem" with IDPA. It's ease of accessibility. Because it's advertised as "run whatcha brung", and essentially requires just a holster, two magazine pouches, a pistol, and three magazines, IDPA attracts a LOT of mouth-breathers. Right or wrong, the perception most people have of IPSC is that you need 15 magazines, a $3k laser gun, and a holster that holds the pistol in place by mag-lev. This is a good thing for the established shooters because it keeps the lowest common denominator shooters away to a large extent. At IDPA, however, we get people that just bought the gun at the gunshow the previous weekend and aren't even aware that their fancy new Sig even has a decock lever. (no, I'm not kidding)

Our club is in the process of implementing new "New Shooter" policies and procedures. Among them is a New Shooter stage that they must shoot before they can move on and join a squad. We have had shooters that have spent the whole day on the New Shooter stage, which to me is a good thing as it saved a squad of regular shooters from having to spend all day dealing with someone that isn't up to snuff. We typically have 50-60 shooters +/- at our 4th Saturday matches, and one idiot in a squad gumming up the works on every stage can have a huge impact in how efficiently the match runs and has the potential to create a lot of safety issues.

[Telecomtodd]

It depends on your viewpoint. If you have 150 shooters and all but 10 of them are club members that you KNOW they know the range's safety rules, how the hell do you know that the rest aren't idiots? You make everyone carry cold. There's too many people in near proximity. If it was a concealed carry situation, everyone would have their pistols safely tucked away, but it's not - there's constantly someone popping a mag out to clean it, etc.

Even with cold rules in place, there's still a potential for 'accidents'. A few months back, a 1911 shooter (and non-club member) with a modified ramp feed and extractor decided he would do the old hand-over-the-chamber-move-the-slide-and-catch-the-round trick. Instead he managed to ignite a round with the chamber half-exposed (ramp feed hit the primer) and he ripped up his hand fairly well.

We've even had guys stupidly chase the shooter down the stage while the range was hot, paster strips streaming behind them.

[mmx1]

OTOH, because of the ease of accessibility, our club gets a lot of new shooters from our CCW class showing up at the IDPA match. They struggle at first and usually require a bit of hand-holding but they learn a lot and I think the challenge shows them they need to practice and not just put the gun in a drawer and forget about it. A lot of these folks keep coming back. They may not be better shooters as a result, but at a minimum they get coached on safe gun handling and are safer shooters. I'd rather they come out and get their kinks worked out than stay away and practice in ignorance or not at all.

We're a small enough club (10-30 shooters) that the newbies don't gum things up too badly. I can see how it'd be undesirable at a large match, though.

[Heavy Metal]

Instead he managed to ignite a round with the chamber half-exposed (ramp feed hit the primer) and he ripped up his hand fairly well.

Sounds like it hit a extended ejector.

[rob_s]

IDPA also opens doors to a lot of people that would never otherwise seek out good training. I know that was the case in my own situation, as well as many of the people I shoot with at our matches.

[WillBrink]

I searched and came up with alot of threads but they were either about targets or random posts.

Just wondering how many people are involved, what calibers and mag capacities you use, what holsters you use?

I shoot IDPA regularly to semi regularly, depending on how busy I am, etc. I shoot CDP, which is 1911 in 45ACP using a Comptac belt slide holster.

Here's my vid from last years state championships:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zndot...e=channel_page

[Alpha Sierra]

Just wondering how many people are involved, what calibers and mag capacities you use, what holsters you use?

I am involved since about a year ago.

I mostly shoot a S&W Model 64 (.38 Special) in Stock Service Revolver. I switch between a O'Rourke revolver pancacke OWB or a Lobo Gunleather IWB holster. IWB conceals better and is more comfortable. OWB is easier to draw from.

I use Safariland Comp II speedloaders and leather speedloader pouches from Simply Rugged Holsters that hold the loader straddling the belt. With my wheelgun I always wear a dual layer bullhide belt from The Beltman.

I am beginning to dabble more with my M&P9. I also have an O'Rourke OWB pancake for it and a Hidden Defense IWB from Kirkpatrick Gunleather. I carry two magazines in whatever mag pouches I can find. One is a kydex pouch from Comp-Tac, the other is a leather pouch from Don Hume.

If I wear my M&P IWB, I wear my leather belt. If I wear it in an OWB pancake, I hang it from a Wilderness five-stitch Instructor belt.

You don't need high speed/low drag gear for this. In fact, I compete with the exact same gear and guns I use to carry on the street.

[perna]

Thanks for the responses.

The reason I ask is because I do not own a handgun, I was shopping for one and heard some guys talking about IDPA, so I googled it when I got home. It looks like it would be fun, and I dont want to buy anything I cant use. The gun I was originally looking at doesnt seem like it will work for IDPA.

[M4Fundi]

One of the important things about IDPA is that there are no monetary prizes or prestigious trophies. State Champions get a simple framable certificate and any monetary prizes or awards must be from a raffle. This is to create an environment of mutual encouragement, so that everyone is friendly and helpful and shares information freely to make everyone as good as they can be while under the simulated stress of competition. If you shoot IDPA you will meet many friendly and very helpful people

I use a P-35 or 1911 in Milt Sparks VM II or an XD Sub Compact in Uncle Mike's Paddle (while I decide on this gun for my wife) and a Custom Center 629 Mountain Gun 44Mag in a Milt Sparks 200AW which is my bear country gun. IDPA makes me better with all of these guns all of which I carry from time to time.