need advice on cheap rig for limited class

[spursguy10]

I am just starting out in uspsa. But am not new to shooting, I have been in idpa for a few years shooting esp. I need an economical rig for my sti edge I aquired a few weeks ago. Please give me some advice on where I can get a quality CHEAP rig or a quality used rig (holster, 3 mag holders, and inner/outer belt. I have only heard of cr and ghost, but those are way out of my range of price. I was looking to spend no more than $150-$165 on the whole thing.

Any help or advice would be. Greatly appreciated

[Pro2AInPA]

I am just starting out in uspsa. But am not new to shooting, I have been in idpa for a few years shooting esp. I need an economical rig for my sti edge I aquired a few weeks ago. Please give me some advice on where I can get a quality CHEAP rig or a quality used rig (holster, 3 mag holders, and inner/outer belt. I have only heard of cr and ghost, but those are way out of my range of price. I was looking to spend no more than $150-$165 on the whole thing.

Any help or advice would be. Greatly appreciated

I wouldn't use anything other than a CR Speed or DA belt, personally.

As far as a less expensive holster, try a Bladetech DOH.

Mag pouches for limited - CR Speed are my personal favorite due to their flexibility.

In all seriousness, you're shooting a ~ $2,000 gun. Why cheap out on the rig?

[spursguy10]

I am just starting out in uspsa. But am not new to shooting, I have been in idpa for a few years shooting esp. I need an economical rig for my sti edge I aquired a few weeks ago. Please give me some advice on where I can get a quality CHEAP rig or a quality used rig (holster, 3 mag holders, and inner/outer belt. I have only heard of cr and ghost, but those are way out of my range of price. I was looking to spend no more than $150-$165 on the whole thing.

Any help or advice would be. Greatly appreciated

I wouldn't use anything other than a CR Speed or DA belt, personally.

As far as a less expensive holster, try a Bladetech DOH.

Mag pouches for limited - CR Speed are my personal favorite due to their flexibility.

In all seriousness, you're shooting a ~ $2,000 gun. Why cheap out on the rig?

I do see your point. But would the blade tech doh be just as good as the cr or ghost holster? Is it just personal preference or are the others far better? Also does the blade tech doh scratch the finish on the edge?

[Rolex]

Cr holster is good as well as Ghost,and the Race Master!

Like they say "buy it once and cry once" Don't cut corners

at this point in the game!

[bbbean]

+1 on the notion that if you're spending $2000 on a gun and mags, why cheap out over $50 on the belt and holster? Skip one practice session and dry fire instead and you'll save nearly as much as the difference between an it'll do rig and a great rig.

Re: Bladetech vs race holsters - The Bladetech is a fine holster for SS or Production, but if you're already using a race gun, might as well get a race holster. It'll shave somewhere between a few hundreths to a few tenths off your draw time.

Personally, I prefer the Ghost holster, but I've also had great experience (and great service) with the CR Speed, and shoot with guys who swear by the Limcat and the Guga.

A CR Speed belt with CR Speed Versa mag pouches and either the CR Speed holster or the Ghost holster would be pretty close to the default Limited rig. If you decided you preferred some other holster or mag pouch, you'd easily be able to sell your old one for 75%+ of what you paid for it, so you're not taking much of a risk.

[DWFAN]

Watch the classifieds for a couple weeks and you'll find anything you need except maybe the belt(tuff to find the right size someone is selling). i got a Belt, 4 mag pouches and a CR speed WSM2 for about $200. Not a steal, but way cheaper than buying new.

If you're going to be shooting and using the Edge, I wouldnt worry about sratches. (is the Edge stainless? Stainless cleans up nice anyways if it does get messed up as long as you dont put a deep scratch in it).

[JimmyZip]

Watch the classifieds for a couple weeks and you'll find anything you need except maybe the belt(tuff to find the right size someone is selling). i got a Belt, 4 mag pouches and a CR speed WSM2 for about $200. Not a steal, but way cheaper than buying new.

If you're going to be shooting and using the Edge, I wouldnt worry about sratches. (is the Edge stainless? Stainless cleans up nice anyways if it does get messed up as long as you dont put a deep scratch in it).

That is sound advice. I can tell youthat I have gotten many of the things I shoot with for dimes on the dollar from this forum. Not to mention the numerous times I have gotten great advice that was absolutely free!

[Chris Keen]

You know why the good holsters & the good belts are expensive?

Because they're worth every penny of it! You just can't put the words GOOD and CHEAP in the same sentence. Besides, you will have your belt and holster setup for LTD for a long, long, long time if you continue shooting. You'll be glad you, later, that you bought the best stuff now, because it will serve you best in the long run.

.... OR you could keep an eye on the classifieds here and try to find some bargains, but the good ones go fast. Maybe post what you are looking for in the classifieds as a WANTED ad.

Ghost holster

CR Speed mag pouches (in LTD you can get by with 3 pouches)

CR Speed belt

But like someone else said, the Bladetech DOH holster (or Speedsec holster) would be alot cheaper, and no ..... the majority of shooters in LTD use a race holster, but a few good shooters (Manny, Ted, Travis, Vogel) use a Kydex holster without sacrificing speed. It certainly is more secure, but it will wear on your guns finish a little. If you can live with that, then you can save even more money.

Edited July 7, 2010 by Chris Keen

[Pro2AInPA]

The DOH holster is certainly serviceable in limited. Yes, a race holster will speed up your draw time a bit, but on a lot of stages, you won't be drawing straight to a target anyway. Draw, move, then shoot is very common.

Classifiers are one place where it can make a pretty big difference, though. A competition specific belt and mag pouches are a must for limited, though.

[twodownzero]

I'm starting to think that the Ghost is unnecessary for limited. `I'm actually seriously considering dumping mine and going back to a regular kydex holster.

Vogel won A5 with a Glock out of a normal kydex holster. I love my STI and Ghost but if someone can beat everybody with a $1000 setup, we need to think carefully before we spend all that money on fancy equipment.

[G-ManBart]

A Bladetech DOH is more than good enough for Limited. With a reasonable amount of practice you can be more than fast enough from it that it'll never make a difference in a match. I'm using a race holster for Limited, because it's the same setup I use for Open, but for Production I'm using a DOH and it doesn't hold me back at all. I'm clearly not the greatest shooter, but something like an .80-.85 draw on a 10yd target isn't unreasonable with practice and I've watched really good guys go a tenth or so faster than that (without really pushing it).

For mag pouches, Ready Tacticals work nicely and will save you some bucks. Don't scrimp on the belt....CR Speed or Double Alpha are the way to go, are well worth it, and will last for years. R,

[Sarge]

As much as I love my Ready Tacticals for production I would NEVER consider using them for shooting limited. Absolutely no adjustability. But then again I really like my BT DOH but don't think I would go that route in limited either. Maybe, if I was just trying to throw something together on the cheap like the OP but eventually, like others have said, you will want race gear for a race gun so you might as well get it from the start.

I agree that both are "more than good enough" but they are not the ideal solution.

Edited July 7, 2010 by Sarge

[spursguy10]

Well im in the process of purchasing a cr "a" holster from the classified section of this forum. I assume this is a acceptable limited holster? I will have to keep an eye out for a matching cr belt in 34 or 36. Are the cr mag holsers really any better than other brands or are they all about the same?

[Flexmoney]

...would the blade tech doh be just as good as the cr or ghost holster? Is it just personal preference or are the others far better?

Ted Puente is the current Limited Nationals Champion. I saw him wearing a Kydex rig at the Area 5 match. I assume it was the DOH, but didn't look that closely to be sure.

Manny Bragg has a pile of Area matches wearing one.

[JimmyZip]

I'm no speed demon, but I will say that there is no learning cuve with a bladetech as opposed to a ghost or other race rig if you are coming from SS, or Production. I really love the DOH. If it ever becomes legal in production, I'll go that route too. For limited, with my limited experience, it fills the bill and I can relax about not having to lock it or unlock it.

CR is always sending me 15-20% deals in my email for their gear. You might want to check their sight out. You won't be sorry that you spent the money either route you go though. Whatever feels good to your draw, and your sense of security with your pistol in it's holster is what I would pick at your juction in this game.

Belts too. My CR speed I got on sale. Second best thing I did as far as rig goes.

JZ

[twodownzero]

Uh, Jimmy, the DOH isn't just legal in production...it's basically the standard!

[G-ManBart]

As much as I love my Ready Tacticals for production I would NEVER consider using them for shooting limited. Absolutely no adjustability. But then again I really like my BT DOH but don't think I would go that route in limited either. Maybe, if I was just trying to throw something together on the cheap like the OP but eventually, like others have said, you will want race gear for a race gun so you might as well get it from the start.

I agree that both are "more than good enough" but they are not the ideal solution.

So in Production where you reload a lot more frequently it's not a problem, but suddenly it's a roadblock in Limited?

One school of thought, among at least some of the top guys, is to have the mags and holster in the identical position (or as close as possible) regardless of division so they can go back and forth without thinking about it. Granted, I'm not doing that myself, shooting more Open than anything else, but it does make a lot of sense. I watched Manny nail way fast draws (.75ish) and reloads (1 flat, one step) using a DOH and mag pouches that were completely vertical using none of the range of adjustment from what I could see. It definitely made me think seriously about trying it. I have a DOH for my Limited gun and the time difference between that and a race holster is more conversational than anything else. R,

[aztecdriver]

All good stuff - 100% go with CR speed belt (or DAA) - every person I know that tried the cheaper ways switched after about a month. I, personally, shoot production, single stack and limited so I have the same draw stroke, therefore I don't see the need for the non-kydex based holsters in my game. What I use is:

CR Speed belt: 55.00

3 x CR Speed pouch: 99.00

Ready Tactical DOH Holster: 69.95

Ready Tactical mag pouch (my load mag, which you could use your pocket for) 22.95

246.90 + shipping

When I get to the point of dropping .25 on my draw time I might consider a non-kydex holster - but I have a whole lot more things to worry about until I get to that point.

[sfinney]

Bladetech DOH

CR Speed Belt

Either Safariland 771 or CR Speed mag holders

Should get you pretty close to under $200, if you shop well.

And I also think that the DOH holster gives up very little, if any, in normal match conditions. On some classifiers, or steel shooting, maybe a little, a tenth or so. But not in most real matches, especially bigger ones.

Plus its very secure, I don't have to keep walking around holding my gun all day between stages.

If you just have to use a race holster, you can get a used CR Spoeed ot Ghost for about $100 to $120 in the classifieds pretty frequently.

[ima45dv8]

As much as I love my Ready Tacticals for production I would NEVER consider using them for shooting limited.

That's exactly what I use.

[jkatz44]

Shannon Smith uses a Blade Tech DOH for Limited.

[Maks_H]

Maybe you can buy Chinese copy of CR Speed for 120$ and later replace with the real deal.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Airsoft-IPSC-IDPA-Universal-Speed-Holster-Black-WSM2-BK-/190405965455?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c5514768f

http://cgi.ebay.com/Airsoft-IPSC-Speed-Magazine-Pouch-Black-BD2339-/190402475342?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c54df354e

http://cgi.ebay.com/IPSC-Airsoft-1-5-Inner-Outer-belt-Black-BT-IPSC-BK-/190403167012?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c54e9c324

[spursguy10]

Maybe you can buy Chinese copy of CR Speed for 120$ and later replace with the real deal.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Airsoft-IPSC-IDPA-Universal-Speed-Holster-Black-WSM2-BK-/190405965455?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c5514768f

http://cgi.ebay.com/Airsoft-IPSC-Speed-Magazine-Pouch-Black-BD2339-/190402475342?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c54df354e

http://cgi.ebay.com/IPSC-Airsoft-1-5-Inner-Outer-belt-Black-BT-IPSC-BK-/190403167012?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c54e9c324

I thought those were only for airsoft guns. Do they work the same for full weight sti 2011s?

[Maks_H]

Maybe you can buy Chinese copy of CR Speed for 120$ and later replace with the real deal.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Airsoft-IPSC-IDPA-Universal-Speed-Holster-Black-WSM2-BK-/190405965455?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c5514768f

http://cgi.ebay.com/Airsoft-IPSC-Speed-Magazine-Pouch-Black-BD2339-/190402475342?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c54df354e

http://cgi.ebay.com/IPSC-Airsoft-1-5-Inner-Outer-belt-Black-BT-IPSC-BK-/190403167012?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c54e9c324

I thought those were only for airsoft guns. Do they work the same for full weight sti 2011s?

Yes I do. Airsoft guns are maybe few oz. lighter nothing drastic. They weight as much as fat free 5" gun. Full metal Hi-capa is even heavier than Edge.

[CocoBolo]

I read a post last week about making your own Kydex mag Pouches with a little thinking you could probably make your own holster. You can buy the Kydex sheets for about $12.00. I'm sure you could probably make a good belt out of something as well.

Looking at the big picture the difference between a rocking rig and a so so rig is about $60-$70, so just making your own mag pouches would save more than that.

Get the Ghost its rocks or the LimCat, CR Speed or Double Alpha belt. A certain GM I shoot with uses a DOH, but he cut the front out of it so it works just like a Bikini holster only about 1/2" of lift gets it out.

Edited July 7, 2010 by CocoBolo