PCC Essentials

[Nightops]

Don't confuse "essential" with "convenient"

It is convenient to have 40 round mags, so you never sweat a makeup shot, but not essential.

LRBHO is probably essential for IDPA, since they will stipulate downloaded mags to force an empty reload.  For USPSA and 3gun not so much, and unloaded starts would most likely be bolt forward.  It would be convenient since there is a different feel when you run dry, but at that point, things have already gone sideways.

The optics could be debated too as a convenience or an essential

[Odessa Straight]

Maybe it would have been better to add after "essential": ."if you want to shoot at anything above C class".   I almost typed D, but heck, you can shoot a slingshot and shoot D 

If you have age challenged or other issues related to eyesight chalk an optic up as essential.  To shoot some stages (if they are designed without a mandatory reload) without a reload 40 rounds comes pretty close.  Sure you could use a 20 round mag and do a reload, but again..if it's essential for you to score your best you'll go faster without the reload.  Same for LRBHO.  It's essential to save time if you ever run dry.  If you never run dry maybe it's not so essential although I don't know of anyone who has never run dry.  A loaded chamber reload is certainly quicker and preferred, but a slide/bolt lock reload is a good skill to learn for USPSA and (like you wrote) there will be many of them in IDPA.  I guess you could take the "essential" or "convenient" to the extreme and think a trigger return spring is merely convenient and not essential because you can always put forward pressure on the trigger with your finger, or wrap a rubber band around the trigger to keep the forward pressure.  I do think there are some PCC convenient only items and some tacticool items that are actually a detriment for PCC.

[mreed911]

Along those lines I had an optic failure at a recent match.  Thanks to a QD latch I finished the stage with iron sights (no co-witness mount on this platform/optic combo).  Definitely not essential other than for times...

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: If you are setting up a PCC for IDPA, I think a side charging upper would be the way to go. I even think it would be great for USPSA as well. Having not to reshoulder after a jam would be a plus. Empty table starts would be quicker also. Thanks, Eric