DancesWithSquirrels

I can understand the mindset that wants to give everyone every opportunity to compete and do so on a level playing field. It just seems that in order to provide everyone with that same opportunity the match director potentially has to have a lot of test guns available. It would not seem fair if someone shooting a shorter barreled .45 ACP in CDP was able to make power factor by virtue of shooting their ammo through a match test gun while someone that came with a shorter barrelled .44 special could not do so because the match director did not have a test gun in .44 special. If everyone had to make power factor in the gun they brought then the match director doesn't have to worry about providing a bunch of test guns. If someone chooses to use a shorter barrelled gun they should be aware of the tradeoffs they are making and work up their loads accordingly. These power factors do not require unmanageable recoil even in shorter barrels. DWS

The IDPA chrono procedure does seem to put an unnecessary burden on the match directors. It seems downright unreasonable for them to expect the match director to provide guns with the maximum barrel length for the division in all possible calibers for that division. That is a lot of guns just to be able to give someone who has a shorter barreled gun a chance to make power factor if they can't do it with their own gun. It seems that the simplest answer would be that if you can't make power factor in your gun then you can't make power factor. Also I am not sure I would want to be the provider of a test gun for someone else's handloads. It is one thing for someone to risk their own gun on their reloads. But who would want to make a gun available for testing reloads by a number of different people? DWS

For those interested in yet another alternative that is a good deal cheaper than the 5.11 vest Cabela's safari vest does a nice job. It sells for $49.95 and is well made with plenty of pockets. I actually prefer the pocket configuration over the 5.11 vest but don't ask me to explain the differences. The safari vest does not have any velcro pads/stiffeners in it. But I haven't had any trouble drawing from under it. DWS

Do you leave primers in the tube between sessions? I don't know why there might be a problem with that but I have always run it dry at the end of a reloading session. I usually only load once a week sometimes twice and don't leave my press with anything combustible in it at the end of a session. DWS

I haven't heard anyone express that opinion locally but it wouldn't surprise me if it came up eventually. It seems as though if you are meeting the power factor requirements of the division why would it matter to someone? Personally I have a .45 ACP load that works well in my gun and would use that same load in all divisions since it meets the minimum for all divisions. The most appropriate division for my gun (Sig P220) is CDP. But sometimes our local matches have very few sometimes no one shooting CDP. It would be nice to be able to switch to SSP as a classified shooter on those days. Your description of a game plan for classifying in multiple divisions with a minimum of hardware and other expense is sensible and complies with what would seem to be the letter and intent of the IDPA rules. My reason for wanting to be able to not have to keep reshooting the classifier with the same gun and ammo is just the difficulty and inconvenience of getting to a qualifier. Our local club is supposedly going to try and get one in before a state match coming up in April. But with a fair number of shooters turning out for a classifier they can't accommodate someone shooting multiple times. So I'd have to find another one somewhere else. There are a couple of other IDPA affiliated clubs within a reasonable drive. But it might take until mid year to get all of the classifiers in. I believe I am think too much in terms of competing with myself to try and improve my shooting and not thinking in terms of the more competitive aspects of larger matches. I've got the distinct impression that there is a fair number of people who make an effort to compete in a lower classification just to get a better shot at a trophy. Not my way of doing things. DWS

I've only got some limited experience with IDPA at our local club. The stages are limited due to the size and capacity of our indoor range. We have a good bunch of shooters and I always enjoy the matches. But this year I want to get out and particpate more in my area in other clubs' matches including maybe some IPSC. But I have one thing I have to be concerned about. I don't have the physical mobility I used to due to age and other factors. Getting down behind low cover and getting back up again is my biggest problem. I had heard that the IPSC courses of fire tend to be more physically demanding than IDPA. So far locally I haven't encountered anything I can't handle other than slightly slowing me down. What does anyone with experience in both areas feel about this? Which of the disciplines makes more physical demands on the shooter? DWS

Our local club purchased some plain paper targets that have the exact dimensions of the standard IDPA cardboard target marked on them. I believe they got them from Speedwell here in New Jersey. Should be a cheaper alternative for practice. DWS

Billski, We all have our reasons for whatever procedure works for us. But it just seems that what you are doing would be best served by a turret rather than a progressive press. wide45, I do that too with my Hornady and it works just fine until the last rounds of the reloading session. The only primer that gives me problems for some reason is the very last primer. Sooner or later you get to that very last primer. The metal rod is working just fine and I put an indicator marker on it so I know extactly when I get to the end. Other than this annoying little quirk I am actually very happy with the Hornady. DWS

Billski, Doing the priming as a separate operation with a hand tool seems to defeat the purpose of using a progressive press I have the new RCBS priming tool with the universal shell holder and I like it a lot. But I really like being able to do everything in one continuous operation. Maybe I'll give Hornady a call and see if they have anything intelligent to say. DWS

It is not a case of not wanting to shoot more. It is simply a matter of wanting to get past the classification without having to find 3 different classifiers. I practice as much as I can. But I can't always attend a match every weekend or get around to other clubs in my area. Again, I realize what the disadvantages of my favorite gun are in the various divisions. But my gun is eligible by the rules to compete in all three: SSP, ESP and CDP. One of the reasons I want the flexibility to compete in either of those divisions is that I'd like to try and see just how high I can get classified in each of them with the same gun and ammunition. I know the minimum requirements for ammunition are different in CDP from SSP and ESP. But the key word is minimum. I can shoot the same ammunition in all three divisions if the ammunition satisfies the CDP requirements. As a matter of fact it would seem to me that it would be an accomplishment worthy of some sort of recognition if someone were to make master in all three divisions with the same gun and ammunition. Unfortunately it would be really difficult to verify the "same ammunition" part of it. I guess I am done ranting. Enjoyed the exchange of opinions. I'd still like to know the official IDPA reasoning behind putting that particular requirement in the rule book. DWS

Let me address a couple of the points made by some of the replies: 1. I am shooting a Sig P220 DA/SA so I am not starting cocked and locked no matter what division I shoot in. I realize this is a disadvantage against the 1911's that dominate the CDP division. But I am OK with that since I participate mainly to compete against myself and try to improve. 2. I am not asking why I can't earn a classification obtained in one division and use it for another. I realize there are differences in the times for the classifications. But if I shoot the classifier and get a time of say 140.00 what is the problem with using that time to assign a CDP Sharpshooter, ESP Marksman and SSP Sharpshooter classification. I am not even remotely suggesting that I shoot the classifer in ESP and then apply that Marksman classification to the other divisions. 3. If I were the type who was inclined to sandbag I could just as easily do it one division classifier at a time as I could when trying to obtain a classification for multiple divisions. 4. Maybe I missed it in the rule book but I did not see anything requiring me to compete in any particular division with the same gun I classified with. So I could classify in SSP using my P220 .45 ACP and then compete with a P226 9MM. Seems like that would be a form of sandbagging as well. As I said in my original message the idea was to obtain a classification for SSP, ESP and CDP without having to find and shoot in 3 separate classifiers. Obviously in order to meet the requirements of all three divisions I would have to shoot at a PF of 165 when I classify. Then when I go to a local match if there is no one shooting in CDP I could participate in SSP and take my chances. Although I am mainly interested in my own progress there is still no fun shooting in a division all by yourself. I surely don't expect that IDPA is about to change this. But none of the reasons I have read in this thread so far really explain how the rule prevents any cheating or sandbagging whatsoever. I realize that a gun which allows me to participate in multiple divisions is probably not the ideal gun for any single division. But if I am willing to accept the disadvantages then that is my problem and I don't see how I am hurting anyone else. And it seems there might be some guns which might do quite well across all 3 divisions. The S&W M&P .45 comes to mind. DWS

Does anyone know the reasoning behind why IDPA requires you to shoot the classifier over again for every division you want to be classified in even if you will be using the same gun? If I shoot a DA/SA .45 ACP I can use it in SSP, ESP and CDP if I am willing to live with the advantages or disadvantages of the gun in each of those divisions and adhere to the division magazine capacity. There is no string in the classifier which requires the loading of more than 6 rounds at a time so division magazine capacity does not even come into play. So why won't they allow someone to shoot the classifier once and use their time to get a classification in each of the pistol divisions? In some areas classifiers don't come around too often and it could take a while to get classified in all 3 divisions. DWS

Thanks. I'll try a piece of cleaning rod and see if that works. Judging from the fact that I got a couple of responses I guess other people have had a similar problem. DWS

I have been having some problems with primer feeding on a new Hornady L-N-L. It seems that for some reason the very last primer in the tube hangs up the primer slide. I can't find any obvious reason for it and it does not occur every time but often enough to be annoying. Sometimes it will pop free with just a little manipulation by me. Other times I have to remove the feed tube to free it up. 99 primers feed just fine with no problems and then that last one hangs. Has anyone else had this problem? Is there a simple solution? DWS