This Primer will focus on IDPA, as it's the game with which I'm most familiar. SOME of what's posted here will translate to USPSA, mostly in their Production division. Wulf50guy came up with the questions, trying to ask what would be important for a new shooter to know, and I've answered them to the best of my ability. While my username is in the Starter box, it was fully Wulfy's idea and he deserves that credit before we go any farther.

What do i need?
>>Compared to some games, not much. You'll see what I mean below. More important than ANY piece of gear is a good attitude, an open mind, a willingness to do new things and a want to better yourself.


What type of handgun?
>>The best gun is the gun you carry every day. If that's not suitable, a larger version of the gun you carry every day. If that's not suitable, get a different everyday carry gun. Most people's EDC's put them into Stock Service Pistol or Production (Glock, Sig, Beretta). XD's find themselves in Enhanced Service Pistol. .45ACP 1911's have their own class (Custom Defensive Pistol), as do double action revolvers (Stock Service or Enhanced Service Revolver). Personally, I compete with a clone of the gun I carry (Glock 19). You MAY be at a competitive disadvantage using your EDC, but as a beginner trying to break into the sport inexpensively, that's okay.


Caliber?
>>.38 Special or 9mm and larger. I always suggest 9mm's to new shooters. They're available in a wide variety of platforms and configurations to fit almost every budget. Be aware that MOST factory-loaded .38 Special ammunition does NOT make minimum Power Factor and is illegal for competition. This is extremely important once you get beyond the club-level match. Is your .40, .357 or .45 okay? You bet, but in Stock or Enhanced Service Pistol, there is no competitive advantage to the larger caliber.


Type of ammo?
>>FMJ from a reputable company. I like Winchester, Federal or CCI. Wolf is also popular with those who do not reload. No tracer or armor piercing allowed, per IDPA rules.


Necessary holsters? Belts?
>>You need a strong side belt holster. That's it. A good belt is VERY helpful. Magazines/speed loaders can be loaded from your pockets. You won't win and speed contests that way, but it's legal and keeps the cost down. That said, belt-mounted magazine carriers are STRONGLY encouraged. You are allowed two magazines on your belt and a third in the gun, so a double mag carrier works just fine. I'm going to interject an opinion as a Match Director here. Floppy, soft, nylon holsters; especially inside the waistband holsters, should not be allowed. They are dangerous. If you are carrying a gun on the street in one of these, you are insane. I do not allow them at my matches.


How many Mags should I have?
>>At MINIMUM, three. Four to six is best. Number them, mark them, or identify them in some way so you know they're yours. You will likely NOT be the only one shooting a gun like yours at a match.


Things I can do prior to attending? (personal training, range exercises )
>>Review your gun safety rules. Review them again. Have a knowledge of how your gun works (what're those levers for?). Attend a match as a spectator/guest. Take a buddy if you can, but don't be afraid to go solo. Check with the club you plan on shooting at to see if they have a "new shooter" class. If so, take it, even if they do not mandate the class. Review your gun safety rules again. Read the IDPA rulebook. Read it again, it can be confusing at times. Now, go review your gun safety rules again, you'll need them.


Costs involved?
>>As much or as little as you want to spend, depending upon the game. IDPA is CHEAP when compared to cowboy action shooting, USPSA Open, or bullseye. A $20 Fobus (ack, barf) holster and a used Glock 9mm will get you in the game. Remember to have extra money for a few mags and a holster. Clubs themselves set match fees. Every club I've ever shot charges $10. As a side note, some clubs allow women and Dependant minors to shoot for a reduced fee (or free). Take two hundred rounds of ammunition (or three) to every match. You will likely not shoot that much, but if you need to reshoot a stage, you don't want to run short. It's better to have a little extra than not enough.


Where can I find a place to participate?
>>Check with your local gunshops, ranges, clubs and look on the web on the various game's websites. Regional sections of your favorite bulletin boards would be another place to find matches.


What should I expect?
>>Rather than answer this in a sentence, I've made a do/don't list.

Do's:
-Expect to be baby-sat and coddled over your first couple matches.
-Expect to be reminded of the safety rules at least twice (you DID read them before you went, right?).
-Expect to be humbled.
-Expect to walk away with the realization that you're NOT the fantastic pistol shooter you thought you were when you got to the range that day.
-Expect your brain to turn to jelly the first time the timer buzzes behind you.
-Expect to get some good advice (and likely some bad).
-Expect to have procedurals on every stage you shoot....but expect to have someone explain them to you and how NOT to get them next time.
-Also, expect to go home if you screw up and violate a safety rule.
-Expect to make new friends and possibly reacquaint yourself with some old ones.
-Expect to work the entire day. Help paste targets and pick up brass. Those are the two best things you can do to help your squad move smoothly. This will also make you popular with your Safety Officer.

Do Not's:
-Do not tolerate being degraded for being a new shooter.
-Do not tolerate being yelled at unless you do something unsafe.
-Do not expect to be a Master by the end of the day.
-Do not be afraid to ask for help or clarifications on rules or stages.
-Do NOT be discouraged if things don't go perfectly for you at your first match, or your second, or even your third.
-Do not let the Insufferable Prick (every range has one) keep you from having a good time.


What If I feel intimidated?
>>Relax and take a deep breath. EVERYONE had to be the new guy at some point. It takes a measure of courage to begin a new something. You are going to feel somewhat intimidated. That's normal. Now, see, you're already over it. GO HAVE FUN!!


What kinds of people can I expect to meet?
>>People from all walks of life. Some are great, others are raging pricks (remember, every range has one). Ignore the jerks and make friends with the good people. 99% of the people at any given match will bend over backward to help you. One tip is to identify yourself to the Match Director as soon as you get to the range. Find him and do whatever he tells you to do. Remember, you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. Be open and friendly toward others, and they will be open and friendly toward you.

Links to important stuff:

Games:

IDPA
USPSA

Guns:

GLOCK
Sig Sauer
Beretta
Ruger
FN
HK
Smith & Wesson
Springfield Armory

Gear:

Comp-Tac
Blade Tech
Safariland
Wilderness Tactical (belts)
5.11 Tactical (vests)
Woolrich Elite (more vests)
PACT (Timers)

Ammunition:

Winchester
CCI
Federal
Remington
Wolf

We are going to open this thread up to the public for discussion and additional information.
Before that happens, I'm going to lay some ground rules.

1. NO bashing of the competitive sports. If you think gun games suck and are a waste of time, great. Keep your opinion to yourself. I honestly don't care that your CCW instructor is a top secret government ninja and said that USPSA will get you killed on the street. It's bullshit and you know it.

2. NO bashing of other games. If you shoot one game, and think that the other games suck, great. Keep your opinion to yourself. I honestly don't care that your buddies think that "IDPA" stands for I Don't Practice Anymore. It's bullshit and you know it.

3. Contribute useful, pertinent information or don't post at all. As always, I'm more than happy to abuse my staff powers by editing your garbage post out and telling everyone that I edited your garbage post out. This thread is supposed to be helpful, informative and fun. Keep it that way or else.

4. Know of a local club that hosts matches? Cool. Link to their website. Please give a link, type of match, and where they're located.

Good job on answering all the questions I posed.
Awesome group of links too.

Hopefully you guys will find this helpful. We do want it to be informative and hopefully generate some good discussion about this.
We seriously DO NOT want this to try to turn into a Mud slinging match either, it will be watched.

Please feel free to add info you have, experiences, tips or tricks, links... what ever.
I had seen a few questions come up in the past about this and personally I had wondered about the matches myself. So I enlisted BC to answer the question I had as I'm sure they were the same questions a lot of other people had.

Enjoy, discuss, and promote the sport/hobby we have.

Cool beans!!! I would be interested in what (if anything) is going on in my area in relation to this subject. I have never been involved in gun games, but I would love to try it. Increasing your guns skills is just that, increasing your gun skills. I'm all about that.

Thanks for taking the time to generate this thread, Wulfy and BC!!!!

Good thread guys, very accurate information and wisdom

I have shot in a couple of IDPA matches at my gun club. They are well worth the investment caus eit shows you your strong points as well as your weak points.

My biggest problem is finding time...

Texas IDPA clubs

bc

Cool! There is one in Lubbock. That's only 1.5 hours away (that's close in Texas). Thanks, BC!

Good job BC. Definitely would clear up brand new shooter questions.

Also everyone who is interested and leery of trying it out for the first time. If they are any more human than pond scum, they will welcome you with open arms and be extremely helpful. They are there to keep the sport going and not kill it off with bad attitudes, everyone I have met so far are extremely nice people and very helpful to new folks. Most of all it is a blast and as mentioned of above after one match you will realize how bad you suck at defensive pistol shooting.

Despite the rules being kinda sorta lengthy they aren't confusing. They are all there for safety and it's things we all do every time we shoot anyway. The biggest one is finger out of the trigger guard until you shoot, which means during the draw stroke, while reloading and everything. I know most everyone shoot with burns that into muscle memory first. If you keep the finger out of the trigger guard it would keep you from violating damn near all of the violations that can get you tossed from a match. The rest are very easy and as long as you are a safe shooter you would probably never violate one anyway.

If you should decide to shoot a match I'll pass along advice BC told me and it's true....DONT FORGET TO BREATH!

One last bit of advice BC passed to me and I found out was very true. Slow down at first. The biggest thing with IDPA I've found so far and in only shooting one match is there is a fine balance between maintaining a good speed and accuracy. Everytime you miss it's time added to your overall score. So if you cannot hit accurately while hauling ass you aren't doing yourself any favors.

This post has been edited by Etho: November 14th 2007 6:35 PM