Getting started in competitive shooting

[gringop]

I am not renewing my IDPA membership this year however due to something I recently learned. I was under the understanding that they allowed cops and military to shoot with their duty gear. Appartently if you have a weapon mounted light however you can't shoot under this exemption. So I will not give them any more financial support until they change their policies to allow officers and soldiers to shoot what they carry.
Pat

What if your duty carry is a wide body high cap 1911 that is over the weight limit? Or has a set of CT laser grips? Should it still be allowed because it's a duty gun?

Lights, lasers and other competitive advantage guns aren't allowed to try to keep a level playing field for all competitors. LEO shooters running their duty gear are already given an advantage by not having to shoot from concealment. The line has to be drawn somewhere and IDPA drew it at pistol mounted lights.

Can you shoot your duty rig in USPSA in Production or does it bump you to Open?

I'm just glad we have enough shooting opportunities to be having these discussions.

Gringop

[threeheadeddog]

What if your duty carry is a wide body high cap 1911 that is over the weight limit? Or has a set of CT laser grips? Should it still be allowed because it's a duty gun?

Lights, lasers and other competitive advantage guns aren't allowed to try to keep a level playing field for all competitors. LEO shooters running their duty gear are already given an advantage by not having to shoot from concealment. The line has to be drawn somewhere and IDPA drew it at pistol mounted lights.

Can you shoot your duty rig in USPSA in Production or does it bump you to Open?

Im obviously not Alaskapopo and I wont speak for him but I will say that personally I wouldnt mind shooting my gun with light in open in USPSA if I decided to shoot the lighted gun. I think that in many ways that is what open is for. Some people look at that division as the "equipment war,balls-to-the-walls" division(which it is) but it is also the division that truly allows anyone with any gun to walk in and shoot. The type of people who shoot non-open guns in open dont do it to win. They are smart enough to compare themselves to either themselves in the past or someone with similar gear on the scoresheet. I do however find it laughable that the IDevensivePA doesnt have a division that allows a Defensive handgun(I personally think that a handgun should have a light if put in that role).

[Alaskapopo]

What if your duty carry is a wide body high cap 1911 that is over the weight limit? Or has a set of CT laser grips? Should it still be allowed because it's a duty gun?

Lights, lasers and other competitive advantage guns aren't allowed to try to keep a level playing field for all competitors. LEO shooters running their duty gear are already given an advantage by not having to shoot from concealment. The line has to be drawn somewhere and IDPA drew it at pistol mounted lights.

Can you shoot your duty rig in USPSA in Production or does it bump you to Open?

I'm just glad we have enough shooting opportunities to be having these discussions.

Gringop

Actually in USPSA I can shoot my duty gun in single stack or limited 10 at club matches with my weapon mounted light without being bumped to open. (USPSA allows a little lee way at club matches) And even if I go to a big match where I am bumped to open at least I can still shoot. In IDPA its no dice. I understand the competative edge argument but give us our own class but let us shoot. If IDPA is not going to support the police and the military in their competitions I am not going to support them. Its that simple and they are not getting any more of my money or time or labor. They need to pull their head out of the past and accept new technology. More and more cops and soldiers are using pistols with weapon mounted lights, lasers, even some red dot sights now. IDPA is starting to become a slightly more modern Cowboy Action Shooting. I could live with a ruling from IDPA that said I could only shoot at local matches with my weapon light and duty gear. But they closed the door completely. I wrote them an email stating my position and have not recieved a reply. I guess they don't care if they lose shooters who are LEO's.
Pat

[gtmtnbiker98]

Thanks guys for all the info after looking at both IDPA and USPSA I found out that the local gun club holds matches for both. So since it looks like this clubs has a pretty wide range of completive shooting events, makes my decision to join that much easier. And I will just see what all I can get involved in by starting off watching and helping then learning and competing.

Keep the advice coming if anyone has anything else to offer?

I sent you a PM, I live right down the road from you. I shoot both IDPA/USPSA.

[Supermoto]

I prefer USPSA as I just want to shoot as fast as possible without being told what to do. I just want to hose. this is why I shoot open.

Both games are fun, both will make you a better shooter, pick the one that suits your shooting style or shoot both... its all good

Just get out there and shoot.

[Jesse Tischauser]

Check out Steel Challenge too. It is the best for first time shooters getting into action shooting in my opinion.