Just curious what everyone thinks of the new rules? I haven’t read every word yet, but I’m disappointed that stippling the frame isn’t allowed in SSP, and slightly less disappointed that there is no .40 CDP.
I can’t say I saw anything that I thought was going to significantly improve the sport.
Overall, I don’t know why they made such a big deal about changing the rules when the changes appear to be very minor.
Because anything people do long enough becomes a tradition, and then people will fight, whine, or complain about anything that alters that tradition, even if it’s an improvement.
Human beings, as a rule, hate change. It’s hardwired into our species it appears and probably helped us survive.
It’s also an Achilles heel for us in many cases.
“Why do you do it like that?”
“Because that’s how it’s always been done”
Is a common conversation regardless of topic.
Bc its IDPA’s midnight dream to be the other shooting sport, and they succeed quite well at it.
I seen more shooters on FB vowing to never come back to IDPA, and some even let down they’d pay up until 2015.
My issue with with IDPA has always been subjectivness. USPSA is black and white for the most part. IDPA’s SO’s have the whole "because I said so " thing down pat, and it goes from me at local matches up the Turan Butler at nationals.If its not on paper in the rulebook or stage readout, its dosent exist. USPSA gets this, IDPA dosent.
I had a SO’s son tell me “thats the way we are shooting this because the SO’s word is final” on why we wernt shooting a target that was visible before the next. That was the last straw for me. I dont miss it.
If they dealt with that aspect, I could deal with the stupid round dumping as asinine reloading/cover rules.
Competition that accepts being a competition is easier to govern than a competition that pretends to emulate real life in any way.
Too many gray areas in fighting, and they translate pretty poorly to a rulebook. Subjective BS then rules.
If you carry a strongside 1911 under a photographer’s vest and try to execute tac reloads on the clock, then IDPA may have some relevance. Otherwise, I’ll shoot outlaw 3-gun and accept it for what it is.
This is 100% true. I can’t even count how many times I’ve personally seen SOs or MDs make stuff up on the spot. The fact that something isn’t in the rulebook seems not to matter at all in IDPA, and HQ doesn’t seem to have any ability to reign this in nor even any interest in doing so.
I shoot IDPA and USPSA regularly. This past weekend I shot a local IDPA match the way I would shoot any USPSA match. I got penalties, procedurals, dropped mags with ammo in them, ignored tactical priority/sequence, … I still came in 2nd place of 28 shooters in SSP.
My point is the sport is flawed in many ways. The rulebook needs much more revision than they’re willing to give it.
I recently observed an SO at an IDPA match not disqualify a new shooter for dropping a gun. Rationalization was he did not want to discourage the new shooter. Clearly the rule book states a dropped weapon results in a DQ. The SO’s statement was " it was my call".
The safe gun handling rules in IDPA require a DQ for a dropped weapon.
The problem I see is that some method for keeping SOs regulated is not in place. I had a case where an individual removed their pistol from a holster after a match outside the safe area and swept me with the muzzle. When I firmly confronted the individual he said " it was unloaded". I conveyed to the individual that I was an SO and he just broke gun handling rules. This character was also an SO. I brought this to the attention of the Match Director and then washed my hands of it.
The point in this yarn is that IDPA SO standards are loose. My interest in IDPA is waning after participating 11 years.
I was super-excited to hit Master in IDPA, because that meant I didn’t have to shoot it anymore 
That could only be made better if you were wearing this
I’m trying to find it, but someone actually did a chart that showed changing the scoring penalties to what Vickers/Hack sugjested would have had almost zero effect on match placement because the best shooters drop the fewest point and do it faster then the next guy.
I may have some issues with the IDPA rules, but the SO’s my area have always been highly professional, know the rule book inside and out, and very fair. I got DQd myself once for something I didn’t agree with per se, but that was the rule and yes, up to the SO to make the on the spot ruling if it was what he thought it was vs what I thought it was.
Have never shot an IDPA match outside the NE, but when I was shooting IDPA almost every week during the season, I traveled all over the area and can’t say a negative thing about an SO I was exposed to, and never heard an SO complaint of any real merit.
The “'cause I said so” mentality is not the norm for SO’s in my area at least in my experience.
I wish man. There are some clubs upstate that run a proper match but I’m not driving 3 hours for it.
IDPA’s divisions are what keep me away. Keeping guns like PPQ’s and XDm’s out of SSP is retarded.
Adopt USPSA’s production class.
It’s an old argument, I know… :nono:
I don’t know about the PPQ, but the proposed changes removed the SSP restriction which lumped the xD and XDm into ESP. I suspect that the PPQ probably now qualifies as well. Round dumping has no mention in the new rules, either.
I have no problem with frame stippling putting a gun into ESP personally.
There are douchebag SOs/ROs in every sport.
I still shoot IDPA when there is nothing else to shoot. Its starting to be on the bottom of the list of things I like to shoot.
IDPA is starting to become a 1990’s equivilant of SASS. They have stupid rules on equipment they have stupid rules on reloads and they have stupid rules limiting course designers so the stages can not be too difficult. Its like USPSA lite.
Pat
Here’s my positive note
IDPA is the gateway drug to action shooting. It’s biggest divisions are based on 9mm, you can buy one of these, grab a old button down and go race. I usually tell new guys to shoot the match safely, but do as they will, worry about penaltys and junk later.
](http://s310.photobucket.com/user/gadget6819/media/SW_CatList_MPCarryKit.jpg.html)[/IMG]
In addition to what Hutto said, the classification for SSP and ESP are so close now it almost doesn’t make any difference.
I kind of agree with the general consensus. My plan is to make master at the next classifier, and when I do, I’ll need to decide whether or not to go to more USPSA and fewer IDPA matches. Obviously, doing well there requires a lot more practice and commitment.
I was hoping for some of the Vickers/Hackathorn suggestions, like higher PFs. Granted, I load to the current PFs, but the PF system seems to run contrary to what they say the goal is for most of the other rules. If I can’t stipple the frame, why can I use powder puff loads?
More than anything, I wanted .40 165 PF CDP.
HAHA!
Nicely done.
Glad to see this post. I was beginning to think it was just me.
My final moment was when an SO turned fired a shot 2 inches from his front foot, and the SO running him didn’t notice.
I know it is different from club to club and state to state, but my local club is a for profit business and the rules are $ first.
Remember who founded IDPA - OFWGs who wanted to be able to compete with their 1911’s in 45, because they didn’t make a 46.
There is an open comment period to the proposed rules, so hopefully they will listen and create a valid home for the .40 shooters. USPSA has major and minor power factors, but IDPA has no such distinction, putting someone at a disadvantage if they want to seriously compete with their .40 cal. This needs to be rectified somehow. Either they need to let the 40’s compete in CDP, or they are going to have to change the scoring (reduce the .5 multiplier for major PF?)
This is coming from someone who shoots SSP/Production minor in 9mm exclusively.
IDPA is a game, ran in many cases by people whose only exposure to “TACTICS” is IDPA. The folks who first helped form the sport, Vickers, Hackenthone, Cirillo & Rauch had a handle on tactics of the day. Our understanding of tactics is fluid, evolves and definitely not set in stone. Something that a game with rules to establish fairness and competitiveness can’t adequately handle. Much of what was “Solid tactics” when I first was certified as a NRA Police Firearms Instructor in 1979 is considered foolish & dangerous today.
Quite frankly my two biggest complaints about IDPA were not being able to start an emergency reload when moving to cover & tactical sequence. One is now taken care of and one isn’t. Am I going to stop playing the sport because of this, nope. Not like some of the primadonnas I happen to shoot with who are going to stop shooting IDPA because they didn’t allow 40 major in CDP. IDPA is locally available and gives me a time to practice my gun handling skills while under some modicum of pressure. My feeling has always been if I am really against something because I think it is just wrong I’ll take the procedural rather than do it. It’s not like I’m going to compete for a National Championship. Is it training NO; is it better practice than standing in a booth at a public range, in many cases YES.
Frankly I’m more bothered by the safety implications of their new Finger On the Trigger penalty/rule & the almost break the muzzle safe points penalties than any of this tacticool stuff.
