matteekay

That's me before every major, lol. I'm pretty much always dealing with being tired or caffeinated to some degree (who isn't?) but this particular match was especially bad for some reason. Still fun though; I love getting out to majors and shooting with people from around the country.

I actually managed to over-caffeinate for the first time ever at a match today. I was trying to compensate for a week of next-to-no sleep with chemicals and about halfway in I was perplexed as to why my heart wouldn't stop racing, lol. I don't recommend it as a winning strategy.

Look at some bigger matches for a better gauge? 2022 Nats were: - 86 CO - 58 ESP - 47 SSP My locals tend to be about 50% CO and 50% everything else but I bet it varies by region.

Same here. I still question if these changes are going to be what kills it.

I'm not in love with the rule changes (I see very few that are a step forward), but I do have to wonder how many times this has been said. I feel like IDPA has been "dying" for at least ten years. I guess we'll see.

The new rules allow for two-handed retention shooting. Dunno if that's better (probably slower?) but I guess there's no harm in giving shooters the option.

It's always been allowed. A.2.3 is not an inclusive list, unlike other divisions' "Permitted Modifications".

...challenge accepted.

Gotcha. Yeah, that covers 99.8% of what you see at an IDPA match. Ironically, the Santa hoodie I wear at matches around the holidays is probably okay, lol.

What's a "gamer" vest?

I assume that's fine? I don't make the rules, only try to understand them.

Worth noting: As BUG, CCP, and CO all adhere to the ESP ruleset, they can all have ported barrels now.

I'll +1 this. As a match director, I've seen a steady increase in new shooters with factory guns (particularly in CO) that are compensated in some way. Frankly, I wish they didn't preclude screw-on comps; they basically made Sig's guns legal and outlawed everything else (Shadow Systems, Hellcat, etc). It's sorta like the X5's "heavy" barrel all over again. Having said that, I'm deciding what gun I want to port strictly out of spite.

Good call. Here are the changelogs: Rulebook (CL) Equipment Appendices (CL) MAR (CL) Here are the final docs: Rulebook Equipment Appendices MAR

Actually, I might be wrong. "8.1.7.5 – removed text “any”, and “grip safeties" So 8.1.7.4* now reads: "Disconnecting or disabling of safety devices including (but not limited to): manual safeties, firing pin, striker, and hammer blocking safeties." I guess they may still be covered under the "but not limited to". *Really, IDPA? You gave the wrong rule number in your own changelog? It's hard enough to keep up.

Agreed, it feels like an unneeded clarification. Oh well.

I think it's meant to mean "from behind a vision barrier", so still in the open. The way I read that, it just means that you can move to a position of cover if one is available and continue engaging the same array. If I'm right, I think you could always do that, but maybe there was some confusion?

The most relevant highlights (IMHO) Ported barrels, or comps that are integral to the gun are allowed in ESP. Comps cannot be removable or threaded, so something integral like the P365 XL Comp is legal but anything on the end of the barrel is not. Revolver is now a specialty division like BUG and PCC All specialty divisions are optional at Level 2 - 5 matches (Gee... thanks.) Grip safeties can be defeated (on a re-read, they removed the language but this is probably still forbidden) Two hands can be used for retention shots Holsters cannot hold the gun further away from the belt than the width of one loading device There's a lot of other misc language cleanup and the like but these are the big points. Let me know if there's something I missed.

Super-weird, right?

So... have you tried it? I think it'd fit but confirmation would be great.

This thing is obviously a thumb rest masquerading as a slide stop: Equivalent offerings for the CZ and P320, etc, are approved for use because they're still functional slide stops and/or takedown levers. I'm guessing this would be legal since it still works as a slide stop? Has anyone checked?

True story! I took MWP's advice and threw several cylinders downrange while just watching the sights. It turns out, my "new" grip (with my left thumb flagged high behind the recoil shield) feels better, but is actually way less consistent and controllable than my old grip (traditional thumbs-over). After a while, I moved over to paper and the groups were a noticeable improvement. I've got two matches to burn this grip back into my brain before a big match in Florida at the end of the week so here's hoping. Thanks for the help, Michael!

Oh great, so it's only a matter of time before I smash my finger in a RevUp too? Thanks, Warren.

Right? Weirdly satisfies part of my brain.

Hey all, Looking for ideas on how you organize your shooting gear. I have a workbench out in the garage, so tools and stuff are covered, but I'm at a bit of a loss on how to store all the ancillary stuff that goes with our sport (gear bags, ammo, mags, etc). I typically have two or three setups between IDPA and USPSA and I'd like to figure out a way to keep the gear associated with each platform together. Thanks!