mjkten

I've done some IDPA shooting, but beginners are beginners. Yes, identify yourself as a new shooter, it should get you a safety briefing, and they'll let you shoot last, or at least not first in your stages. You can practice draw, dryfire and target transition at home, empty gun. My first time out I decided to go slow, be safe, and not worry about time. It really takes the excitement out of the moment, but lets you focus on learning the ropes. Enjoy yourself!

I was just in the market for a classic design 9mm, looking at a Browning Hi Power, but then got a CZ-75B in my hands. The CZ went home with me... Later on, I decided to give IDPA a try, and bought a belt, Comp-Tac holster and mag pouches...I knew that trigger could be better and did some searching. Found CGW. Replaced hammer and firing pin springs. Then I bought a SP-01 just because, and sent it to them for some sights, action work and new trigger and hammer. Kept it SSP legal. Sweet! I know people are talking about TSO and Shadow models, but for my limited exposure to the brand, I'm pretty happy with my two CZ's.

That's true for probably 80-90% of the stages. There are some where you have some latitude, but you still have to approach and engage targets as they become visible or exposed to you. So you wouldn't jump out in the open and start hosing down 4 targets in IDPA, just have to start with the ones that come visible as you work your way around the edge of whatever "cover" there is. I watched a few stages of a USPSA match here locally and it looked pretty entertaining. Lots of rounds downrange. I should have probably gotten closer to the scoring/target pasting to see that part of it. I recognized a few shooters from the IDPA ranks, but lots of new and different faces.

There are broad similarities. Targets are similar but with different scoring areas. Each stage limited to 18 rounds. Gun and mags must be hidden by a cover garment of some type. A YouTube search would be an effective way to see the differences in the shooting. If you had IDPA near you I'd check it out, but if you're an established USPSA shooter you might not want to travel too far to shoot less.

Wouldn't carrying the SP-01 cocked and locked put you in ESP?

I am of course embarassed to admit I figured it out. It wasn't exactly a limp wrist malfunction, but a high grip malfunction. I was riding the slide release with my strong hand. Now I have to use a different grip on that gun. I shoot it well enough, but basic manipulation is different than a full size pistol.

Before I also shot winchester 124 gr NATO load... I suppose I can try a few more different types of ammo. Maybe something +P. And let someone else shoot it.

I shot some FM 147 gr, bunny farts almost, and some 115 gr Hornady critical defense.

I have a 9mm SA XDS that won't lock back with my two hand hold...I know that's a "limp wrist" type malfunction, and it doesn't usually happen holding the pistol at arms length one handed. The kicker is I've never had a problem like that with any of my other handguns. I sent it back to SA one time and they replaced the slide release. That seemed to fix it, but I don't shoot this one too much. I decided to take it out today and put a couple hundred rounds through it. About the fourth magazine it started up again, shoot the mag empty, slide stayed down. Is there something I can do or check or clean? I hate the process of sending a gun off... Thanks, Mike.

Yeah, that vest is pretty authentic garb!

That's been my approach to IDPA as well, go slow enough to make good hits, keep my wits about me, move safely. That's the point, isn't it? Having fun safely. I know enough not to try to push speed beyond my abilities, and not to worry about my times, especially as a beginner. The expert shooters are fun to watch. I can usually pick up important info just by watching!

Thanks to all who gave advice. I think shooting Limited minor looks like the way to start out. Then i can see what others are doing and whether I want to dive in a little deeper.

Gotcha! Thanks for the advice. It didn't occur to me.

I have shot about 6 IDPA matches, and several of the shooters tell me that IDPA is good preparation for USPSA, sort of a sly way of saying "come shoot this other match, it's more fun!" So naturally I'm curious about the differences. I've read a bit, and feel pretty sure I can show up with my SP-01 and play with some additional guidance. But I will probably need at least another mag carrier, or one that holds 4 mags. I have mags from a CZ75 and SP-01, that should be enough (12) I think. How many mags do I need to have on my belt? If I shoot production, I'll still have 10 round mag capacity... How many rounds should I bring to a match? I'm sure I'll have more questions if I jump into this new pool... Thanks, Mike.

Just one IDPA match a month, if I'm off work.

Thanks guys, great advice. My DA pull is pretty nice (CGW) and the weight won't be too much of an issue. I've never thought of taping my hammer back to allow the SA movement like that. I'll definitely try that one! And the 90% thing sounds like something I was edging my way towards, thanks again for the tip.

I guess my choice is a bit down budget from most of the suggestions but here goes. I have the Top Focal kit from SSP eyewear. I have a 1.0 correction in my dominant eye that takes away the double front sight I see due to astigmatism. They do have a Z87.1 +2015 impact rating. I feel protected and can see my front sight clearly. Haven't had them a long time but hoping they hold up.

I use the push toward target technique, don't think too much about pre-loading the trigger. But I practiced a quicker DA trigger pull that was not a jerk, but a firm smooth faster pull. Shot in an IDPA match this morning and didn't really notice the transition.

I guess I'm too picky about that first shot, letting perfection (such as it is on my level!) be the enemy of good enough.

Looking for suggestions on learning to make that DA to SA transition better. First shot is usually a good one, but slow. Anything to focus on would be appreciated. Shooting a CZ SP-01.

I've had pretty good luck with Freedom Munitions new. I shoot 147 gr 9mm. I tried their 124 grain hollow point but had a couple failures to feed so I didn't buy any more of that. Unless I have a good reason to change, I'm satisfied with FM.

Thanks rowdyb, going to work on the draw and the Bill drill soon.

I received my part from Brownell's the other day and put it all together. The trigger pull is lighter, of course. I don't see too much change in quality from the factory, or in over-travel or reset length. I have always been a believer in good focused practice as the primary means of improvement. But part of me wants to know what everyone is talking about with the cool aftermarket parts and stuff. In this case, I could have bought a few more boxes of ammo and been ahead of the game. The M&P 9 pro had a pretty good trigger from the outset, I could have left well enough alone. (Of course these parts were selected to stay in SSP (IDPA) and not swim with the sharks in ESP...but what if I install the trigger too?) Oh well, back to the range!

Thanks. I need to start getting serious with phase 1 and 2 of the transition drill benos gave out. I know that if I put my time in with focused practice I should improve. My club has had classifiers twice a year and I thought that the latest match might have been one. Shooting the abbreviated stage made me wonder.

It seems Practicscore gets updated rather quickly but the IDPA site more slowly.