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My wife and I are interested in IDPA when the weather cools down.

We both have Glock 19's with one spare mag each.

Can anyone explain how it works and gear required?

(and how one gets over the embarrassment of not having a clue how it works and looking hopelessly inept at something new with an audience looking on?)

From http://www.ctidpa.com/faq.htm

What do I need to bring?

The best thing to do is go to http://www.idpa.com and use the information provided, but in a nutshell you will need:

1. Handgun: revolver .38 or larger, pistol 9mm or larger
2. Holster: IDPA uses real world, practical equipment for concealed carry so you would need a strong side holster, either inside the waistband or outside the waistband. LEO / Military may use full duty gear. Shoulder, small of back and cross draw holsters are not permitted for safety reasons.
3. Magazines: A total of 3 magazines or speed loaders is enough and belt carriers for 2 magazines or 3 speed loaders are good. You can put these in your pockets, but it does not work well.
4. Ammunition: about 100 rounds should be enough.
5. Cover Garment: Your weapon and extra rounds will need to be concealed by a vest, jacket, or untucked shirt.

Edit: Don't worry about being new. There will be some good guys who will walk you through your first few stages. Baby steps. No one expects you to be a Master shooter on your first day.

These videos will give you an idea of what it looks like. Add one second between shots for newbies.

http://www.ctidpa.com/video.htm

A pistol...Decent holster...

Ammo...

A few spare magazines (3 will probably do just fine)...

And the most important thing...Have fun!!!

nuff said...

Safety is priority number one. Don't even think about shooting as fast as you see some of the competitors shoot. That'll try to get in your head becasue you'll want to be at least somewhat competitive, but that's not what will earn you everyone's respect.

Read the IDPA manual pages 6 through 10. Ingrain the "four universal laws of gun safety," and read and understand the nine safety rules. Know what range commands you may hear from the Safety Officer (only 12 of 'em).

If you show up as brand new shooter and exhibit good safety habits, you will be heartily welcomed and folks will be asking you to come back next month. And you'll want to be back because it's great fun and good practice.

This looks like a lot of fun, as well as having practical applications. By the way, would a 9x18mm Makarov count as a "9mm" handgun?

Abraham wrote:My wife and I are interested in IDPA when the weather cools down.

We both have Glock 19's with one spare mag each.

Can anyone explain how it works and gear required?

(and how one gets over the embarrassment of not having a clue how it works and looking hopelessly inept at something new with an audience looking on?)

Suggest you go as an observer a time or two, then go to shoot. That's what I did, in fact, shot for the first time tonight. Had a great experience and met a great bunch of guys. I've got a lot to learn and practice on at home.

As Arnold was heard to say "I'll be back!"

Thank you everyone.

The #1 thing to do is - be safe, listen to range commands, and if you're not sure about something - ask.

Concentrate on NOT doing anything unsafe, NOT dropping your gun, NOT having an ND, and NOT pointing your gun in an unsafe direction; these are the kinds of things that get you disqualified. Don't worry too much about score or time on your first outing.

T3hK1w1 wrote:This looks like a lot of fun, as well as having practical applications. By the way, would a 9x18mm Makarov count as a "9mm" handgun?

Nope! Previous opinion edited (read: retracted). Explanation farther along...

...

What time? I would love to go but as I have work tommorrow I may not be able to.

T3hK1w1 wrote:What time? I would love to go but as I have work tommorrow I may not be able to.

Fourth Saturday of each month; sign-in at 8:30, hammer-down at 9:30. http://www.pscidpa.com

'Course, I ended up having to work today, myself...

I participated in my very first match today, and it was a blast. The RO's did a great job of ensuring that I understood what was going on, and the other competitors were fun to be around. It was a bit hot, but everyone kept their cool and appeared to have a good time.

Lots of good suggestions posted.

I'd say get a couple of extra mags and use your carry gear. Don't worry about speed, just try to shoot it accurately & safely. Work on your drawstroke, with emphasis on safety & smooth movement.

Skiprr wrote:

T3hK1w1 wrote:This looks like a lot of fun, as well as having practical applications. By the way, would a 9x18mm Makarov count as a "9mm" handgun?

Yeppers! The 9mm Parabellum is the minimum caliber allowable in IDPA, and the 9x18 is technically 9.22mm...so a tiny bit larger than the 9.017 9x19.

What I don't know about is power floor. But you really only have to worry about that except in sanctioned matches. The power floor (bullet weight x muzzle velocity) minimum for Stock Service Pistol and Enhanced Service Pistol is 125,000.

The monthly match at PSC is tomorrow. (Hint)

Sorry, but this is not correct. I had the same question when I got my Mak. Previously I had not paid much attention to the finer points. The rules specifically state that 9X19 is the minimum ammunition for IDPA pistols.

To confirm you may read it in the rule book at the IDPA website here:

http://idpa.com/Documents/IDPARuleBook2005.pdf

It is in the forth paragraph of the rulebook.

Now this does not mean that for a local match or a BackUp Gun match it cannot be used. But it does apply to all sanctioned matches. As for power factor, that is rarely checked except in sanctioned matches. BTW, sanctioned matches are Regional, State or higher matches were results are provided to the IDPA home office. Lots different and much more strict

For a local match, just ask your local match director. I would be willing to bet that they would permit it locally. At my group, I asked and the answer was "SURE".

Have fun.

CWOOD wrote:

Skiprr wrote:

T3hK1w1 wrote:This looks like a lot of fun, as well as having practical applications. By the way, would a 9x18mm Makarov count as a "9mm" handgun?

Yeppers! The 9mm Parabellum is the minimum caliber allowable in IDPA, and the 9x18 is technically 9.22mm...so a tiny bit larger than the 9.017 9x19.

What I don't know about is power floor. But you really only have to worry about that except in sanctioned matches. The power floor (bullet weight x muzzle velocity) minimum for Stock Service Pistol and Enhanced Service Pistol is 125,000.

The monthly match at PSC is tomorrow. (Hint)

Sorry, but this is not correct. I had the same question when I got my Mak. Previously I had not paid much attention to the finer points. The rules specifically state that 9X19 is the minimum ammunition for IDPA pistols.

To confirm you may read it in the rule book at the IDPA website here:

http://idpa.com/Documents/IDPARuleBook2005.pdf

It is in the forth paragraph of the rulebook.

I'll get us a definitive ruling in a day or so. You may be correct, but "caliber" is, by definition, a unit used to express the bore diameter of a gun. The 9mm Parabellum (9x19) is 9.017mm in diameter; the 9mm Makarov (9x18) is 9.22mm in diameter. Thus my assumption. As I said, the power floor may be the issue, since the Makarov round has less muzzle velocity than the 9x19.