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CleverNickname wrote:

Soccerdad1995 wrote:And don't get me started on the PCC division . I can see someone having a small carbine available at home or in their vehicle, but I am at a loss to understand why that same person would want to limit their options to only "pistol" calibers (and let's just ignore the fact that a lot of "pistols" fire .223 and 7.62 rounds when we define the term "pistol caliber").

Rifle rounds don't work very well against steel at the short-ish distances generally encountered in pistol matches.

Thanks. I didn't know that it was a safety issue driving the limitation, but that makes sense. Maybe they could change the name to something other than "pistol caliber" for anal folks like me

How about "limited caliber carbine"?

I like the idea of IDPA being "shoot what you carry". But unfortunately this directly conflicts with the notion of a level playing field. A person who has $5,000 to spend on a CC gun and set-up will be at an advantage over the person who has $500 to spend. If both of them compete with what they carry, then they will not be on a level playing field. This is no different than any other sport like golf, skiing, fishing, cycling, etc. When I shot my first IDPA match with my Glock 19 I was amazed at the speed with which other guys were completing double taps, etc. Then I switched guns and was no longer as amazed. This led to me also changing my EDC gun.

As far as BUG's I think the revised rules are a move in the right direction. Personally, I don't consider a Glock 26 to be a BUG. For me a BUG is something like a Kel-Tec P3AT or maybe a Kahr PM9. Anything much bigger than that might be the only gun I am carrying at the time, which might make it a "small / light carry" gun, but by definition it would not be a BUG. If IDPA wanted to make this even more realistic, they could reduce the size of this category even more and require that you need to carry your BUG in either a pocket or ankle holster while also carrying an unloaded full size gun on your hip. But whatever they do, they need to stop changing the rules. Decide what you want to do and stick with it. Don't make competitors constantly invest in new guns and holsters for a sport that is supposed to be fair to those who do not have unlimited funds.

And don't get me started on the PCC division . I can see someone having a small carbine available at home or in their vehicle, but I am at a loss to understand why that same person would want to limit their options to only "pistol" calibers (and let's just ignore the fact that a lot of "pistols" fire .223 and 7.62 rounds when we define the term "pistol caliber").

Others may disagree of course.

TEX wrote:The BUG I was using, a Taurus G2, will now only fit if I modify and use KelTec P11 flat bottom mags and trim about 1/8 off the butt of the grip at the rear. I do have a 380 KelTec that I could use, but I seriously doubt it would make the power factor. IDPA keeps screwing be on guns. I started out shooting a Glock 23 (40 cal) with a stippled grip that I had done myself and cost me nothing but time. The 40 cartridge already put me at a slight disadvantage to those shooting 9mm in SSP, then IDPA changed the rules so that my stippled grip was now ESP. So a Glock 23 would have to compete with a 9mm 1911 or similar pistol just because I had improved the grip, but I could have put viciously rugged grip tape on it and been fine. I think Cotton is right - to change the rule book you need to start with lighter fluid and a match.

Perhaps they should make it so that all holsters had to be IWB and spare mags stuffed in a pocket, while they are at it.

I am expecting next they will limit all barrels except CDP to 4.5 inches, so all of those 5.25s become safe queens - after all, who do you know that carries a 5.25 inch gun.

A devil's advocate might point out that if no one is carrying a gun with a 5.25 inch barrel, then it shouldn't be a part of IDPA based on the underlying principles at play.

Having just recently gotten into IDPA, I was surprised by the equipment rules in a number of ways. Most of the guns that I actually use for self defense are not "legal" for their logical divisions, for one reason or another, and at least one is not legal in any category. The SSP division in particular is very restrictive, but that is by design, I believe.

I actually had the opposite reaction when looking at the BUG category. To me, a BUG is a second, much smaller gun that is carried in addition to my primary carry weapon. It is something like a J frame revolver, or a very small semi-auto (Kahr PM9, Kel-Tec P3AT). I was surprised to see guns like a Glock 26 as a "BUG", for example.

I understand that certain trade-offs need to be made, and yes, I can always just shoot in the NFC division if I really want to get practice with my actual carry gun that might not be legal for whatever reason. Considering everything, IDPA is still a great training resource, and is a lot of fun.

The main problem, IMHO, is when they insist on constantly changing the equipment rules. Not everyone can afford to constantly buy different guns just so they can stay legal and competitive. Make a decision and stick with it, unless there is some clear and extremely compelling evidence that the original decision was wrong and needs to be changed. This applies to more than just equipment rules.