Here’s a short vid from a match today. Guns used were 1911 (me), XD .40, Glock .40 (forget model number but I’m sure someone will recognize it), and an S&W Wheel gun. A well rounded crew we had!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bfRMTJpN2A
Just one stage filmed. 
Just curious on the shooting through the window. It seems that everyone has their firearm and hands almost through said window. I was curious since I’ve always been taught that this is very bad technique and I was curious as to there being any warnings or penalty for doing such technique? I’m not trying to flame anyone for I’m just curiously asking a question and maybe anyone’s thoughts?
Looks like a good day of fun Will. Thanks for sharing.
I didn’t see any warning given for shooting through the window. Any IDPA SOs here wanna comment on that?
From what I can find, the rulebook doesn’t say anything about windows or ports.
I’ve seen enough front sights knocked off to have learned not to poke my pistol through a port, but I’ve never really considered windows as something to worry about.
Maybe it’s just considered tactically unsound, or that it’s something that can get you in trouble/slow you down/get you used to going through a window that would typically be covered in glass, or, after the first shot, shards of glass.
Will thanks for the post! This has got me psyched for our monthly shoot next Sunday. Are you using a single or double stack 1911 for the match? I don’t remember seeing you reload during your run.
Good videos. As for the putting the gun through the window. Its not against the rules but it does have some draw backs in real life and in competition. For starters in real life someone could grab your weapon that you can’t see near the outside of the window. In competition it takes more time to get into the port and then back out vs shooting it from just outside the port and moving on when your done shooting at that port.
Pat
Single stack 1911 with 8+1 in the gun which is division capacity. Vid of me ends right where I was doing a reload in fact.
Personally, I do not put my gun through any windows for reasons outlined above. 
Crowding cover and protruding past cover are the two topics not in the rule book the elicit the most tacti-dork discussion behind the line at IDPA matches. A new shooter (or aggressive competitor) pushes a gun past the barricade and the commentary erupts, usually culminated with some fatbody telling the shooter how they did everything wrong.
It’s not against the rules, and there are pros and cons to projecting past cover with pistols and carbines depending on the situation and stage.
As an SO, pushing through a port tends to be less of a safety issue and I tend to ignore it. I have seen malfunctions induced when shooters have the gun half in and half out and during recoil the top of the slide hits the top of the port. Crowding a barricade and pushing past it can be a safety issue when the shooter turns to move to the next station as they often have a tendency to turn the gun 90* and depending on the range setup they can wind up sweeping other shooters. This is not limited to IDPA and I was at a USPSA match where more than half the shooters I watched swept other people.
Right. All gun games can create bad habits. IDPA is probably the least to do it, but it is still there.
C4
If you already have bad habits/training scars, IDPA wont fix them, that’s for sure. It can be to practice your good habits, or your bad, unless some one takes you aside and corrects them, which rarely happens as it’s not a course and most people (unless unsafe) generally mind their own biz.
What ever training scars/bad habits I have had, were addressed at courses and or when shooting with more experienced shooters, but rarely at IDPA.
I’ve always been of the mindset of when you’re engaging a target/perp/etc that it’s never a good idea to stick your barrel/hands/arms etc out of the window or around cover. You stated that there is a pro to doing this. When would that be?
The only thing I can think of is for a long shot where accuracy is very important and maybe bracing a rifle against cover. Usually in the IDPA world this is not an issue and I see nothing but potential problems arising from someone forming the habit of sticking their firearm out of a window or when bending down around a barricade to brace themselves on the object and crowd it. Shrapnel etc will be flying all over the damn place if one is in a real gun fight and taking fire on said barricade. Your thoughts??
I guess most who choose to participate in these types of events tend to “game” it instead of truly making it a defensive situation in as real life of an event as possible without having bullets coming back at oneself. I guess I just feel that my training is not a game and when I do train I try to get into the fighting mindset as much as possible.
Please don’t confuse me for bashing those who participate for recreation as them not caring about themselves with protection etc. They may just look at it another way and I’m okay with that. I’m just curious as to maybe their mindset and thinking when out at these types of events and how they feel it prepares them for the real deal that may hit them at any moment. I guess for me it’s always been the “train as you fight” mentality if you will.
I’m impressed with how complex that stage was. Swinging no-shoot with a popper and a turn and drop. Wow. Our local matches don’t have anything nearly that complex (or nice).
Can’t speak for others when/why they do it, but I can tell you the guys in that particular vid are definitely not doing it to game the stage. They are LEOs trying to get in regular trigger time via IDPA to keep their skills up, and to have a fun day out, etc.
One is using his duty rig, which is only slowed him down, but the benefits to the job obvious.
I think it’s one of those in-the-moment things that on retrospect (which is always easy to do after the stage ) they might have thought best not to, but a guess on my part.
You know how it is, you have a lot going on in your head and it’s easy to make minor mistakes that are not tactically the smartest thing to do.
Took me a while to fight the natural instinct to not crowd cover, and I would tell myself not to do it, then go do exactly that!
That’s a bug I worked out finally, but it vexed me for a time. Not making excuses for them, just thinking out loud.
Gotcha.
That’s what I was thinking with the taller guy who went first whom it appeared had his duty rig on.
Yeah I know what you mean with crowding cover. I’m definately guilty of doing it myself a few years ago. A few ass chewings cured that real quick for me.
Do you guys run IDPA like most clubs once a month?
We have 3-4 clubs regionally running matches, so one can make a match a few times per month during the season within approx hour drive. Prior seasons I was at pretty much all the matches in season, but cost and time, probably once a month this year. The others are being quite consistent so far.