IDPA legal sti mags

[Clint U66]

Can someone please clarify which length mags(sv or st) will fit in the idpa box? I am running an sti frame with an sv magwell. Is there any combination of mags and basepads that will stick out of the magwell to help with seating but still fit in the box? Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks, Clint

[MikeyG23]

126mm mags with either SVI or Dawson international base pads, both are wedge profile.

I'm running the SVI magwell on my Eagle as well. I know for a fact the SVI basepads will go in the box as I have seen it, the Dawson's are a question right now as they extend slightly further than the SVI's but I think they will make it as well.

[richardschennberg]

Chuck Bradley at Shooters Connection has both the 126 mm tubes and the wedge-shaped base pads that will allow SV and STI guns to fit in the IPSC or IDPA box with the magazine. I used them without a single jam at the North American Championship and the Modified Category shootoff.

Chuck's prices, selection, and customer service are the best! I have added Shooters Connection to my Favorite Links on Schennberg.com

Richard

Schennberg.com

[Buff87]

Arredondo has wedge pads that work also. The metal pads needs to have their edges rounded as they are very sharp.

[smokshwn]

+1 on the 126mm mags and Dawson International basepads. The SVI magwell is also the correct well to get into the box.

[Anthony Lombardo]

when shooting IDPA with 126mm mags there is no reason to use the aluminum wedge pads

just use the plastic sti carry bases (about $5) and they will work fine at 1/4 the price of the aluminum, also they don't need any deburring or fiting like the wedge pads. I also found the shape of the wedge pads to be unnatural for quick reloads..

[Ted Murphy]

How do the factory plastic pads hold up on concrete floors, etc?

Thanks,

Ted

[sandankenpo]

the plastic pads don't hold up that well on concrete floors

[faustulus]

Anthony,

Do you use carry pads with a mag well?

[srf]

I use the Arredondo flat basepads but I have to sand them slightly to fit my magwell ( which also had to be narrowed and shortened to fit the box). Slight thread drift - The only problem with this setup is occasionally the slide will lock back with a round in the chamber (which is a bad thing in IDPA - dropping mags with ammo in them- and it always occurs in the dark or low light ). The only good thing about the new rules is eliminating the requirement to shoot to slide lock. I'm eliminating this feature from my IDPA pistol ( just like my IPSC pistol).

[Crusher]

The only good thing about the new rules is eliminating the requirement to shoot to slide lock.

As far as I knew there never was a requirement to shoot to slide lock (unless the stage proceedure mandated you to shoot the pistol dry, eg,. some standard stages).

Most stages allow for ANY APPROVED RELOADS (Tac, retention, slide lock) to be preformed

Anyhow, I use 126 mm STI mags with a wolf extra length mag springs cut to 10 coils, STI followers, Arendondo international base pads (plastic) with an STI stainless magwell (trimmed by a machine shop and re-beveled). The mag-well is not necessary unless you are looking to balance the pistol by adding some weight to the frame. For ESP the pistol mag combo weighs in at 40.5 oz. well under the 43 oz. max.

The added power of the Wolf mag-springs makes a positive slide lock opperation.

All the above componenent are available from Brownells

[srf]

I never saw the 'slide lock rule' in the book either, but I had a mightly long 'discussion' with an SO about it after being assessed a procedural. One of the problems with the old rules was lack of specifics. The new rules speak directly to this issue.

[Joe D]

Yoy cannot do a slide down, bullet in the chamber, drop the mag reload in IDPA. Your slide does not have to lock back, but who would want to have to rack the slide at each reload?

As stupid as it seems you have to retain an empty mag if there is a bullet in the chamber.

[Crusher]

Sure you can do it.......... you wind up with a PE evrey time you do..... 3 sec is an eternity

[srf]

I'm refering to slide down reload with an empty chamber. I've always eliminated the slide lock feature on my IPSC pistols for reliability. It seems like the slide always locks back (accidentally) at the worst time. Normally you won't shoot empty in IPSC unless the stage goes bad, but by eliminating the feature reliability is enhanced. You can feel when the pistol is empty because the slide feels different when it falls. It's not stripping a round from the mag. When I started shooting IDPA the main problem I had (ESP/SVI) was the slide locking back in the dark or low light. You drop the mag thinking that your mag is empty because the slide locks back and bang, a 3 second penalty because one round is in mag. And as Crusher said, 3 seconds is a long time in this game. For me it's faster to shoot dry, change the mag, and rack the slide. The trade off is more reliability. I remember reading a book by Dave Lauck of D&L Sports where he recommended that the slide lockback feature be eliminated in a 1911 pattern pistol for enhanced reliability. I'm not trying to change anybodies mind but I agree with him, my pistols are more reliable without it. I like the fact that IDPA rules at least allow a competitor the option now.

[Crusher]

srf, I'm gonna take a stab in the dark here and GUESS you run a shock-buff in your pistola AND the spring tunnel/capture plug has NOT been trimmed to the lenght of the shock buff(s).

In my STI I can run a frame saver GR without the black (forward buff) and have NOT been able to lock the slide with the stop UNLESS I hit it (slide stop) up or the mags run dry. OAL on reloads is 1.155 +/- .002, factory stuff is no problem even Corbon match .40 (really short OAL)

[srf]

No shok buff. But I will start using them with the lockback gone. I also run my reloads 1.150ish.

[Anthony Lombardo]

Do you use carry pads with a mag well?

Nope. I do not use a mag well. The magwell on the stock frame seems huge to me.

I would love someone to make an aluminum flat carry pad in black anodized.

No one does! (To the best of my knowledge) But it seems the plastic holds up fine under normal use.

[Crusher]

CMPI (alluminum) pads (available from Brownell's) can be trimmed (on a milling machine) and used on the 126 mm tubes. Presto no more plastic

[dirtypool40]

I'm not clear;

Will my Dawson "International" pads on 126 mags and magwell fit if they fit in the IPSC Standard box?

I keep hearing reference to an IDPA box. Are they the same? My gear fits that one, but I want to know before I show up and get a "Japanese" Inspection.

[Caspian_45]

DP I believe the IDPA box is just slightly larger than the IPSC box.

From the NEW IDPA rule book: TEst box measures 8 3/4" x 6" x 1 5/8"

Remember there is a height limit there of 1 5/8". Some mag wells are to wide.

All magazines must comply with the test mag. Yes the gun is tested with a mag inserted just as if you had loaded and made ready. Same as IPSC I believe.

Hope this helps

[dirtypool40]

Thanks, it does.

The tiny little Krebs plastic I have on the gun adds zippo in weight and damn little in thickness. The Wedge base pads do extend out from it a bit, but my slides nice and easy into the IPSC Standard box, a lot easier than the guns I saw them trying to CRAM into the box at FL Open.

They were bomar round top guns, I think I saved a couple mm's by going flat top and then Heinie's.

BTW, just hit the www.IPSC.org website and found dimensions for the box.

225mm x 150mm x 45mm

Anyone got a conversion for IDPA inches?

[Caspian_45]

The conversion table I have says to multiply the inches by 2.540 to convert to centimeters. Then multiply by 10 to get it to mm.

I get a reading of 222.25 x 152.4 x 41.275

I made several IDPA boxes (same as SSC boxes). They seem to have more room for my guns than the IPSC boxes. Mine are EXACTLY the numbers listed in the IDPA rule book.

If you fit the IPSC box don't sweat it. You will fit the IDPA box.

[dirtypool40]

Cool, thanks.