Intro to IDPA Video Series

[Chasbo00]

Recently I came across a series of short videos intended for prospective new IDPA shooters. I think the videos are well done. If you are considering shooting IDPA, then you should find this short video series worthwhile. Unlike most IDPA tutorial videos on the Internet, this series is current and in sync with the current IDPA rule book which has changed significantly in the last few years.

Part 1, IDPA Intro (8:24)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2t1ltx7ofI

Part 2, IDPA Gear (5:16)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z97P2pvumA

Part 3, Shooting a Match (8:20)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7whNd6EXdY

Part 4, Safety (10:26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhA5aQ0cK9o

Part 5, Divisions & Classifications (6:44)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHPatnXNrFY

Part 6, Rules of the Game (12:04)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv6BA83NRVA

Total time: 51:14

 

[hogarth]

Thanks! Will look forward to watching them.

Any word on when you'll be doing another tutorial? I'm on vacation now so it's potentially ideal for me

 

[chevellenut71]

Thanks for the links!

 

[vetogunban]

Thanks for links, good basic information.

 

[Chasbo00]

Any word on when you'll be doing another tutorial?

Unfortunately, likely not until September or October hogarth. Some health issues have sidelined me for over a month. I'm on the mend though and plan to shoot the Frederick IWLA IDPA match at the end of this month.

 

[hogarth]

Unfortunately, likely not until September or October hogarth. Some health issues have sidelined me for over a month. I'm on the mend though and plan to shoot the Frederick IWLA IDPA match at the end of this month.

Sounds good. I might already be "active" in IDPA by then, but we'll see.

Get well soon!

 

[Chasbo00]

Sounds good. I might already be "active" in IDPA by then, but we'll see.

Given your extensive handgun training and experience, you should jump right in.

I recommend before your first match that you, in addition to watching the videos, take a look at the IDPA rule book. In total, it's way more than you need to know as an IDPA shooter, but there are three sections a new IDPA shooter should take a look at. The Safety Rules section - critical knowledge as these rules are both rigid and rigidly enforced. The Shooting Rules section - knowing these will help you avoid penalties. Scan the Equipment Rules section for the rules that apply to the gear you intend to use. See the table of contents in the below link:

http://members.idpa.com/Content/Rules/x2gukat1.wyt.pdf

Hope to see you at a match soon.

 

[James200319]

Love this thread and going to watch in the morning (Currently can't sleep and going to try to get more sleep). My first match is at the end of the month at Frederick IWLA, too!

I'll have to double-check all the equipment I have and stock up on some 9mm. I'm going to use my Ruger SR9 for the course and have 2-10rd Magazines and somehow I have 2-17round magazines that ended up in my collection haha. Also, when I registered I had to select an option for division... not knowing, I selected SSP. Hoping this was correct since it is a stock gun (No upgrades on this one). Hopefully I can find a mentor or someone to help show the ropes when I'm there.

 

[Bikebreath]

Love this thread and going to watch in the morning (Currently can't sleep and going to try to get more sleep). My first match is at the end of the month at Frederick IWLA, too!

I'll have to double-check all the equipment I have and stock up on some 9mm. I'm going to use my Ruger SR9 for the course and have 2-10rd Magazines and somehow I have 2-17round magazines that ended up in my collection haha. Also, when I registered I had to select an option for division... not knowing, I selected SSP. Hoping this was correct since it is a stock gun (No upgrades on this one). Hopefully I can find a mentor or someone to help show the ropes when I'm there.

In my opinion, you are short on mags. You can probably get by with what you have on your first match, but I'm sure you will slow things down. In a major match the 17 rounders won't be allowed for anything but a "Barney" mag, (explained at the bottom, unless I forget by then).

You need at least 3, 10 round mags for a stage, on your person. You should have 11 in the gun on direction from the SO at the start of the stage, and two on your waist.

Local matches often let things like 17 rd mags get by, so you'll likely be ok. I have 6, which I think should be consider minimum. Three for the stage and 3 more loaded in case of reshooting the stage, or it's a stage with a string of runs within the stage. I have used all 6 a few times. Sometimes I shoot my stage and am needed to help paste targets, or run the timer and don't get a chance to reload for the next stage, so then I have to run back and get my 3 loaded mags from bag.

All this maybe covered in the videos from the OP.

Barney Mag: The mag kept in a pocket, or a pouch not part of the ones for the match, as in, all the way at your lower back, with one round it, (like Barney Fife and his one round in the pocket). This is the mag that you load when given the "Load and Make Ready" call, for 11 rounds in the gun for the start.

In a local match I have a mag with 11 rds. in it for Load and Make Ready, BUT, that is an overloaded mag and you can get a penalty on it at a major match.

ETA: Be safe and have fun

 

[James200319]

In my opinion, you are short on mags. You can probably get by with what you have on your first match, but I'm sure you will slow things down. In a major match the 17 rounders won't be allowed for anything but a "Barney" mag, (explained at the bottom, unless I forget by then).

You need at least 3, 10 round mags for a stage, on your person. You should have 11 in the gun on direction from the SO at the start of the stage, and two on your waist.

Local matches often let things like 17 rd mags get by, so you'll likely be ok. I have 6, which I think should be consider minimum. Three for the stage and 3 more loaded in case of reshooting the stage, or it's a stage with a string of runs within the stage. I have used all 6 a few times. Sometimes I shoot my stage and am needed to help paste targets, or run the timer and don't get a chance to reload for the next stage, so then I have to run back and get my 3 loaded mags from bag.

All this maybe covered in the videos from the OP.

Barney Mag: The mag kept in a pocket, or a pouch not part of the ones for the match, as in, all the way at your lower back, with one round it, (like Barney Fife and his one round in the pocket). This is the mag that you load when given the "Load and Make Ready" call, for 11 rounds in the gun for the start.

In a local match I have a mag with 11 rds. in it for Load and Make Ready, BUT, that is an overloaded mag and you can get a penalty on it at a major match.

ETA: Be safe and have fun

Thanks for the tip! I was planning on picking up at least one or two more. The 17's I can fill to 10 to stay 'legal', but I might check to be sure. I want to take a trip today to get another mag for my AR, so it'll be good to pick these up, too.

The Barney mag made complete sense after you said Barney Fife's name haha. We need more Mayberry and less Hillary, but that's another subject. Thanks again!

 

[hogarth]

In my opinion, you are short on mags. You can probably get by with what you have on your first match, but I'm sure you will slow things down. In a major match the 17 rounders won't be allowed for anything but a "Barney" mag, (explained at the bottom, unless I forget by then).

You need at least 3, 10 round mags for a stage, on your person. You should have 11 in the gun on direction from the SO at the start of the stage, and two on your waist.

Local matches often let things like 17 rd mags get by, so you'll likely be ok. I have 6, which I think should be consider minimum. Three for the stage and 3 more loaded in case of reshooting the stage, or it's a stage with a string of runs within the stage. I have used all 6 a few times. Sometimes I shoot my stage and am needed to help paste targets, or run the timer and don't get a chance to reload for the next stage, so then I have to run back and get my 3 loaded mags from bag.

All this maybe covered in the videos from the OP.

Barney Mag: The mag kept in a pocket, or a pouch not part of the ones for the match, as in, all the way at your lower back, with one round it, (like Barney Fife and his one round in the pocket). This is the mag that you load when given the "Load and Make Ready" call, for 11 rounds in the gun for the start.

In a local match I have a mag with 11 rds. in it for Load and Make Ready, BUT, that is an overloaded mag and you can get a penalty on it at a major match.

ETA: Be safe and have fun

Hey Bikebreath, calling on your experience here (or anyone else who knows):

1. I read the 74 page rule book and didn't see anything that said I must use 10 round magazines, only that my magazines can't be loaded with more than 10 rounds (?) Just making sure. I don't want to buy a bunch of 10 round Glock magazines that, historically, are less reliable than full capacity mags if my downloaded full cap mags are legal.

2. Regarding Barney Fife mag, can't I just load it to capacity and then just use it to load my chamber, strip it out, and replace with magazine with 10 rounds? Maybe that's what you do, but from your description above it sounded like you never have more than one round in it, which seems like a pain to have to constantly load one round in it just to do the +1 thing. If I'm not actually competing with it, it seems like I should be able to max it out.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Chasbo00]

Hey Bikebreath, calling on your experience here (or anyone else who knows):

1. I read the 74 page rule book and didn't see anything that said I must use 10 round magazines, only that my magazines can't be loaded with more than 10 rounds (?) Just making sure. I don't want to buy a bunch of 10 round Glock magazines that, historically, are less reliable than full capacity mags if my downloaded full cap mags are legal.

Do a find (search) of the rule book for: division capacity

Use greater than 10 round capacity mags if you have them for the reasons you have stated, plus this saves time loading the gun to start.

2. Regarding Barney Fife mag, can't I just load it to capacity and then just use it to load my chamber, strip it out, and replace with magazine with 10 rounds? Maybe that's what you do, but from your description above it sounded like you never have more than one round in it, which seems like a pain to have to constantly load one round in it just to do the +1 thing. If I'm not actually competing with it, it seems like I should be able to max it out.

Thanks in advance!

The Barney mag is used by those who have magazines physically limited to 10 rounds. If your mag holds more than 10, then load it to 11 to start at "load and make ready." This saves time. In IDPA you can't have more than 10 rounds in a magazine (including the one in the gun) when the start buzzer sounds.

Division capacity (or rounds in magazine to start with) is not an option - it's a must. This prevents a gamer from deciding to start with 10 rounds in his gun rather than 11 to advantage a reload point in the course of fire.

 

[Bikebreath]

Hey Bikebreath, calling on your experience here (or anyone else who knows):

1. I read the 74 page rule book and didn't see anything that said I must use 10 round magazines, only that my magazines can't be loaded with more than 10 rounds (?) Just making sure. I don't want to buy a bunch of 10 round Glock magazines that, historically, are less reliable than full capacity mags if my downloaded full cap mags are legal.

2. Regarding Barney Fife mag, can't I just load it to capacity and then just use it to load my chamber, strip it out, and replace with magazine with 10 rounds? Maybe that's what you do, but from your description above it sounded like you never have more than one round in it, which seems like a pain to have to constantly load one round in it just to do the +1 thing. If I'm not actually competing with it, it seems like I should be able to max it out.

Yes, that is what is done when you have mags that only hold max for the division. Yeah, I did say the Barney mag gets one round...my bad.

Thanks in advance!

1- Any capacity is fine, but all mags, Barney too, can only be loaded to division max, (EPS, SSP 10 max., CDP 8 and so on). All are division max plus one in the pipe at the start of the stage.

2- I have heard of people getting a penalty for having a Barney mag with more than divisional capacity. It's BS and who would bother taking out all the rounds and counting them? Maybe it was a made up story.

 

[Chasbo00]

My first match is at the end of the month at Frederick IWLA, too!...

Hopefully I can find a mentor or someone to help show the ropes when I'm there.

I'll look forward to meeting you if you are shooting in the afternoon group, and don't worry, the match officials and your squad will welcome you and an experienced shooter in your squad will mentor you.

 

[Chasbo00]

1- Any capacity is fine, but all mags, Barney too, can only be loaded to division max, (EPS, SSP 10 max., CDP 8 and so on). All are division max plus one in the pipe at the start of the stage.

This is true when the start buzzer goes off, but having a mag loaded with 11 (9 if CDP or CCP divisions) rounds for the "load and make ready" command prior to the start buzzer is fine including sanctioned matches.

 

[hogarth]

Thanks all. Very helpful!

 

[lx1x]

Thanks for the tip! I was planning on picking up at least one or two more. The 17's I can fill to 10 to stay 'legal', but I might check to be sure. I want to take a trip today to get another mag for my AR, so it'll be good to pick these up, too.

The Barney mag made complete sense after you said Barney Fife's name haha. We need more Mayberry and less Hillary, but that's another subject. Thanks again!

One thing .. I don't know the sr9 mags..

If the mag and gun can fit the test "box" dimension.. it's gtg

Some extend mag may or may not fit.


Worst.. you can shoot "not for score" to just test out the stages.

 

[James200319]

One thing .. I don't know the sr9 mags..

If the mag and gun can fit the test "box" dimension.. it's gtg

Some extend mag may or may not fit.


Worst.. you can shoot "not for score" to just test out the stages.

Hmm - The only other options I have is to use my 23 Gen 4, but didn't count on running .40 cal at the event. Haven't considered buying a "race gun" yet.

 

[James200319]

I'll look forward to meeting you if you are shooting in the afternoon group, and don't worry, the match officials and your squad will welcome you and an experienced shooter in your squad will mentor you.

Look forward to meeting you, too!

 

[Bikebreath]

Hmm - The only other options I have is to use my 23 Gen 4, but didn't count on running .40 cal at the event. Haven't considered buying a "race gun" yet.

Local matches might let you slide on the 17'er. If it's a stage that used the box as part of the stage, then load one in the pipe and put in a 10'er. First time out is even more reason to give you room to adapt.

Talk to the match director when you get there or email them.

Race gun yet? Now that isn't IDPA at all. Who knows, you may grow to want to move on to USPSA/IPSC where the race guns live. It's a fun game, too.