DogmaDog

So it sounds like caliber/gun size are of greater concern than the small advantage conferred by moon clips over speed loaders. That's good to know, but I still wonder why no manufacturer has come up with, say, a 9mm revolver that accepts moon clips. Seems you could get the best of both worlds this way. DogmaDog

I suffer from astigmatism, and my left eye is substantially weaker than my right, so aiming with both eyes open is not too much of a problem. However, I still find myself closing the left eye when I go to take long shots (20+yards), and keep both eyes open for shorter range engagements. Given my "ailment" I haven't really had any problem with learning to shoot with both eyes open. Semper Fi, DogmaDog

I talked to a master class shooter at my last match who was shooting a revolver (he doesn't normally), and he agreed with my suspicion that revolvers feedable with moon clips confer a large advantage over those fed with speed loaders. Questions: 1) Do you agree? 2) Since most revolvers don't come this way, and modifying a revolver to accept moon clips isn't allowed, what revolvers (models and calibers) come from the factory ready for moon clips, and which ones are the best shooters using? 3) Why hasn't anyone introduced a revolver designed for IDPA yet??? Thanks, DogmaDog

IDPA only has a minimum power floor for each of its 4 divisions...no "major" or "minor" 125 for all guns except CDP, where it's 165. I also fail to see how using IDPA targets decreases the "need" or utility of power factors in USPSA. I also see very little difference in the targets themselves...same overall shape, scoring areas about the same size (slightly bigger "A" zone on the head of IDPA, circular vs. rectangular "-0" zone on the chest). I'm hard pressed to imagine there would be any difference at all, but USPSA and IDPA would still quibble about it, lol Semper Fi, DogmaDog

Saw this article posted on talk.shooters.com, where they don't like it because they think the anti-gunners will make it mandatory (not too improbable, granted): http://www.kypost.com/2002/jun/21/guns062102.html Basically proposing a coin sized shot timer that would be placed inside the grip of a pistol. I think it would be a pretty neat idea, especially if you could download shot data from your gun to a computer with a scanner. Also would be cool to have a recoil actuated timer instead of sound actuated, so multiple shooters could shoot at once on some courses of fire. What do y'all think? Semper Fi, DogmaDog

My opinion: No DQ for unsafe gun handling. You were shooting a stage. The gun was pointed in a safe direction and you were engaging targets. You racked the slide to clear a malfunction (if you pulled the rear serrations, hard to imagine you covered yourself with the muzzle). Firing a shot when you didn't exactly mean to is something we've all done (oops...those sights were NOT aligned!). If you did it during a stage, it's no problem. Possibly, you could be DQd for using unsafe equipment. And if your gun keeps jamming, whether it's unsafe or not, you should get it looked at. If, however, your finger was on the trigger while you were racking the slide, and it fired because you pulled the trigger while you were still handling the slide with your weak hand, that would be unsafe gun handling...finger on trigger while performing immediate action. Semper Fi, DogmaDog

Well, I blasted my way into Sharpshooter class in IDPA yesterday, shooting my Kimber Gold Match in CDP div. This was my second classifier. Last time I was about 1 second too long, and got a Marksman score. This time, despite some early jitters that led to nice fast times and nice clean misses during the first couple strings of stage 1, I was able to shoot a solid Sharpshooter score. Keeping my targets down fewer than 10 points each on stage 3 (the 20 yard stage) seems to be where I come out ahead of most of the other local shooters (down 35!?). Now it's time to start thinking about getting to some major matches! Semper Fi, DogmaDog

Hey, sorry to revive this thread, but does anyone know how the same situation is handled in IDPA? If I have a no-decocker pistol, and I shoot it in SSP division, or am I stuck shooting ESP? Thanks, DogmaDog

Usually it's pretty well explained. "Shooter begins in position A, engages T1 through T3 from around barricade, performs tac reload while behind cover, then moves to position B and engages T4 and T5 from either side of 55 gallon drum" It'll be pretty obvious that there's cover there, and that you're supposed to use it, and it will usually be written in to the walk through. Semper Fi, DogmaDog

SOs at matches I go to usually explain this a bit. Normally, it's "50% or less of your body exposed to the target" In practice, SOs usually make you keep your feet behind cover such that the target couldn't see them, even if it had eyes. You also generally will have to shoot around drums and such, because that allows 1/2 your head to be covered, while over the top exposes your whole grape. Another guideline from the book is that if you don't have to move your body/feet in order to engage successive targets, you probably aren't using enough cover. Also, SOs will usually shout "Cover!" if they think you aren't using it. If you reposition yourself immediately, they won't assess a penalty. To properly use cover, get behind it (you don't have to be really close to it), and lean out until you can see the A zone of the target, and no further. Then blast it, and lean further to get the next target. Finally, you don't have to use cover for ALL shots. You only have to use it when it's available (sorry if that sounds pedantic). Semper Fi, DogmaDog

The 5.25" revolver is too long for IDPA. Local clubs might allow you to shoot it the first time and put you in an unofficial "unauthorized equipment" division or something. If you shoot revolver, you're likely to get no competition whatever, or maybe 1 or 2 other revo shooters, who will be very happy to have you. A 5 shot revolver will be a handicap, as you'll only be able to engage 2 1/2 targets before reloading. So the .44 Spl or the Kimber would work. I would take the Kimber, but that is what I DO take when I go shoot IDPA (I'm a 1911 guy, I guess ) Semper Fi, DogmaDog

Well, CDP is pretty much 1911 only. In SSP, people like Glocks because of the same trigger every shot, and it can be made pretty light. People like Berettas because Ernest Langdon uses one. I've seen HKs and Sigs at my local IDPA matches, with Glocks and 1911s the dominant platform. I don't think there's anything really special about Glocks except for the constant trigger, and their ubiquity. I've been thinking of getting a CZ 75 for SSP, because I don't care for Glock triggers (been a while since I tried one, though...and never have tried a tweaked one). And just to be different. Semper Fi, DogmaDog

Travis, I have only a Kimber Gold Match. I shoot it in IDPA (CDP div) and in USPSA Limited 10 (used 8 round mags in Lim 10, but just got some Wilson Bureaucrats, so ought to get a bit more competetive). I think either would be great to start with, though I don't care for Glock triggers, and the Kimber's is pretty good. My impression is that .40s are a bit faster to shoot because the recoil is sharper or snappier, while the .45 is more "rolling", and takes more time. While it's ultimately best to have 1 gun and really concentrate on mastering it, you might be best served by shooting each in a few matches just to get a feel for which you like best...Maybe even shoot both guns in one IDPA match (they let us do that at one of my local clubs). Mostly, have fun and shoot lots! Semper Fi, DogmaDog

This from SVI's website: "*Magazines with a capacity greater than 10 rounds are for military, law enforcement and export use only." "Magazine replacement parts are for replacement of existing preban components only." http://www.sviguns.com/catalog2001/ Kind of ambiguous. If I claim to have existing preban components, will SVI verify that I do, somehow? Will they ensure that I destroy the parts I am "replacing"? Of course it isn't really more difficult to get high capacity magazines, and it is ridiculously expensive. It's also obvious that the "wondernine" trend of the 80s ended with the high cap ban, and then gun makers started making really concealable guns holding 10 rounds (Glock 26, for e.g., or my Kahr, which only holds 7, but close enough). Also obvious that the anti-gunners didn't anticipate, and certainly don't like that unforseen consequence of their ban. Oh, and none of the magazines I've been issued by the military actually say anything about "military/LE use only" on them. Anyway, even if SVI will sell you new high cap parts, I'm sure the price is still high. That may be a substantial influence for me later, when I consider going from limited 10 to limited (hosing does look fun, afterall). Semper Fi, DogmaDog

I'll offer an outside of IPSC perspective. In the Marine Corps, most Marines get to go to the rifle range for one week per year. They zero and practice on Mon, Tues, Wed, and then qualify on Thurs. Under this scheme, I have no trouble maintaining my "Expert" proficiency with a rifle, but I don't improve, and I don't think many Marines do, either. I also don't think "Expert" is really all that great, compared to, NRA's highpower rifle classifications. I complain about this scheme of things, and I'm often told that shooting a rifle is like riding a bicycle. It is. And the guys who win bicycle races are the ones who are out there every day training their asses off. Anyway, I would think that frequent, short dry fire sessions would be best for sustainment, and that some harder, longer training would be needed for improvement. You could easily get away with a 10:1 dry:live fire ratio, and still do well, I think. Also, the Marines dry fire the hell out of every weapon in the inventory. While the triggers ARE disgusting, I don't think it's because of dryfiring. I wouldn't worry about dryfiring most centerfire guns. In rimfire weapons, though, the firing pin may impact against the edge of the breech, and deform as a result. Semper Fi, DogmaDog

Duane said: "Let's say a shooter fires a -3 on target (aka 2 points), recognizes his mistake and puts a follow-up shot right outside the 5-circle for a -1 (4 points). That's 6 points on target, so his score would be 5, not -4. Otherwise you've got a situation where a shooter fires a non-dynamic peripheral hit, follows up with a solid center mass shot...and when he does that his score gets WORSE, which makes no sense at all." I don't think this is correct. Vickers count stages must specify the number of hits that will be scored on target (usually best 2, but I have shot stages where 5 or 6 hits were scored). If 1 hit were specified in the scenario above, then the -1 shot would count, and the -3 would not. The shooter would get whatever time it took him to make the 2 shots, + 1/2 second. In situations where 1 hit is specified, and a shooter took 2 shots and scored two -3 hits, I think he'd get -3, but would not get a failure to neutralize because there are 4 points total on the target. But that could be wrong. What do y'all think? Semper Fi, DogmaDog

In line with this thread, Do USPSA shooters (some, most, nearly all) obey the 10 rnd mag law? I mean, do you buy grandfathered hi cap magazines and replace the worn parts? Is there anyone out there who just buys the hi cap replacement parts, and lies about having something they're supposed to replace? I certainly would harbor no moral or ethical feelings against it...but I have no idea what the legal penalty would be if you got caught (how would you get caught?). Anyway, is simple non-compliance a strategy that has been used? Semper Fi, DogmaDog

For IDPA, the mags don't have to have a 10 round max capacity. You CAN use high cap mags, so long as you don't put more than 10 rounds in them. Semper Fi, DogmaDog

Snokid, I've shot mostly IDPA, but shoot some USPSA when I can get to a match. For me, it's more trigger time. Both kinds of matches are equally fun, and equally challenging, and I avoid all the trash talking between them. A single action 1911 won't work for production...that's a limited gun. A DA, DAO, or Glock will work in production (which is most closely related to IDPA's SSP division, then). I shoot my Kimber 1911 in CDP and Limited 10, and I feel that shooting just 1 gun probably helps (though I do shoot my Kahr P-9 carry gun in IDPA, too). I do believe that USPSA places greater emphasis on speed, while IDPA rewards accuracy. But in both sports, the two are complementary. I usually try to go a bit faster when I shoot USPSA, and I work more on accuracy at IDPA, trying to consciously shoot differently depending on the sport...but some of what I do and learn in one carries over to the other, and I'm better at both sports for it. As far as neutralizing the target, I don't think USPSA has such a rule. For a miss you just get 0 points (right?). Anyway, as a newbie, I didn't worry about rules too much. I just showed up with my gun, ammo, and magazines, asked what to do when the buzzer went off, and had a good time. I remember much better when I learn from experience. (I'm referring to technical rules of course, and not safety rules, which you should know absolutely before you start). Good luck, have fun, DogmaDog

I'm not a terribly fast shooter, but I'll throw two things out that may be a little more tangible (but not necessarily more helpful) than what's been said so far. 1) Trigger control. Learn to release the trigger just far enough to reset it, and to put pressure on it to "pre-load" it to the point where it's just about to break. That way, when your sights do come back on to the target, your trigger doesn't have to move much, and your finger doesn't have to apply much more pressure to get the shot to break. 2) Rapid or "flash" sight picture. Learn to break the shot the instant the sights have an acceptable relationship, and stop waiting to get that perfect sight picture. You have to kinda shoot by the seat of your pants on this one, and you're likely to lose accuracy when you first start to try it. Finally, as Miyamoto said, don't focus exclusively on speed or accuracy. Varied training is the only way to cover all the bases and to insure that you don't improve in one area at the expense of another. When I practice, I do lots of speed work at 7 yards, but I also always shoot a couple strings of slow fire at 25 yards, really going for the bullseye (like the A zone in the head of an ipsc target, or the center of an NRA rapid fire target). Good luck! DogmaDog

Eharte, If ErikW's procedure would make you feel more comfortable, meaning, if you pulled the trigger and got a click, then you wouldn't have a problem on consecutive dry fired shots, then what you need is a CLEARING BARREL. These can be bought premanufactured, but really all it is is a barrel about 2/3 full of sand with a lid on it, and a small hole in the lid to put the muzzle of the gun through. If the gun IS loaded, the round discharges into a couple feet of sand, and stops pretty quickly that way. Usually these barrels are placed on a stand, or otherwise inclined at a 45 degree angle, just so it's easier to point into, and away from yourself. Other methods suffer in that even if you have something to stop a bullet when you intended to dryfire, there is not protection against an accidental dry fire that goes through the ceiling or floor, or happens on the draw, or whatever (two unlikely accidents, happening at once, but still a potential concern). So, yeah...get a clearing barrel, and start and end all your dry fire sessions by clearing your weapon, then dropping the hammer with the muzzle in the barrel. Semper Fi, DogmaDog

I shoot. I fight through it. Of course, that happened most often when I was on the Marine Corps Rifle Team, and YOUR tax dollars were paying me to shoot, so I figured it was my duty to give you your money's worth in terms of 10 rings punctured. Semper Fi, DogmaDog

"You guys need to remember that CDP is designed so you have a chance to show up all the money you spent on a gun that is still going to be beaten by a Glock." Actually, Bob, I've never competed against a Glock. I've heard they make .45s, but I just haven't ever seen an IDPA shooter using one. Maybe they can't handle power factors as high as 165. "CDP shooters compete ONLY against other CDP shooters" It's in the rule book. Semper Fi, DogmaDog (Edited by DogmaDog at 9:02 pm on June 3, 2002)

No. I place my right foot about 3 or 4 inches behind my left, because that's where my natural point of aim dictates. Possibly you could adjust your grip such that your feet and shoulders would be exactly square, but I don't see any good reason to believe that this would necessarily lead to an improvement in your shooting. And those guys that started kicking butt using the isosceles were being heretical when they adopted that stance. The lesson isn't that isosceles is the best, it's that dogma doesn't always work. Semper Fi, DogmaDog

Jeez.... If just triple-checking your gun and mags to ensure they're unloaded isn't enough, Let's see. You could pile sand bags against a wall, or put a thick steel plate on the wall. Alternately, get a crappy barrel and plug it up with epoxy or something, so that it couldn't possibly fire, or maybe just a barrel in a caliber that you don't actually shoot/have. Or you could get a .22 upper and a steel bullet trap, or plug IT up with epoxy. Of course, you still need to triple check the gun to make sure you've installed the non-shooting mods before you get to dry firing. Or get an airsoft pistol that closely mimics your real gun. Semper Fi, DogmaDog