[RDKII]

OK, the rules have changed, many seem to think that it sucks. Lets try to be optimistic for a minute and do some brain storming. Without beating on the concept of the rules changing what are some of the holsters out there that ARE NOW IDPA legal and manufactured for the XD's??

I am personally a Blade-tech man, own an IWD and a belt holster for all 3 of my XD .40's EXCEPT my 5" which is my favorite IDPA gun.

What else meets the new requirements??

I know that the new rules suck and all, but I live in a very heavily concentrated IDPA area, none of the similar sports are options, which sucks, but I opened saying lets look on the bright side. The bright side is that I can shoot 4 IDPA matches a month in the summer driving less than an hour to each and can ick up two more if I am willing to drive another 20 minutes!! That is concentrated if their is such a thing. AND I get to watch a good half dozen plus Masters, and just as many Experts (I am NEITHER of those :wink: but I still have fun shooting, and even more when I am shooting one of my XD's, or my SA 1911.

I am hoping to come up with a shopping list for a holster that would be IDPA legal, AND good to use for it, plus maybe expanding my horizons and discovering something I overlooked and a new carry holster in the process!!

After years (Not many of them, but years!) of searching holsters I had finally thought I had hit the jack pot with the blade techs. Sure they were expensive, but they met all my needs. When I bought a new gun, I ordered two blade-techs and was done with it.

Any ideas??

Thanks!

Rick
Ohio

 

[R Dub]

64 dollar question!! You Blade Teck belt holster may be OK if there is no gap in the belt loop areas. If not, you may be able to heat the belt loops and flatten them down some.
I recommend reading the rules and decide if your holsters and mag pouches will make muster. The holster and carrier rules start on page 27. It is on the IDPA web site.
www.IDPA.com
It appears the safest way to go is IWB.

 

[one-eyed-fatman]

I went out and watched IDPA here once. I think they have things down pretty pat. Bring the holster and gun you have and shoot the hell outta things. Their idea of shooting conceal carry is to wear a small (construction workers) orange vest to cover their OWB holster. The only rule they have that I think is disgusting is you have to keep your gun unloaded all times except when shooting. If nobody is going to trust each other with a loaded weapon why bother. They want to play professional games but then they don't trust each other with a loaded weapon. Why should I join up with a group of people who all seem pissed off at the rules.

 

[ajamesp51]

All of the shooting games have the no loaded rule, it is for safety. Becuase you never know who or how much training some one has with their equipment. You also only allowed to hadle your firearm out of the holster in the safe area or wen shooting all other times it is in the holster unloaded.

 

[one-eyed-fatman]

Ya I know. I was on a RANT.

 

[RDKII]

Actually there were some substantial changes to the rules announced last week. I was hoping to hear from some other IDPA/XD interested folks and see if they had any suggestions, input, personal experience with holsters that are now legal, given what I have used for carry AND IDPA to offer. I don't want to start the buy a holster/hate a holster food chain again.

With the new rules the most common holsters are now illegal as they have been deemed non-carry.

Sure I carry with them, sure the changes are a bite in the butt. But, if I want to "play the game" which I do enjoy, I am better off playing by the rules and enjoying it than bltching about it and not!, or just not, which would suck even MORE!

 

[one-eyed-fatman]

I'd like to see someone get real and use an IDPA type format for real time CCW carry. Locked and loaded all the time and use what you carry on the street. If your not shooting, your guns in your holster.

Anybody can make up 10,000 rules. But all that does is ruin the game. Especially when there are so many rules even the one's who make the rules don't understand (without a lawyer present) what they mean. I can just see the IDPA going to court to find out who won the match. :roll: There just comes a time when you gotta make sense not rules.

 

[RDKII]

I'd like to see someone get real and use an IDPA type format for real time CCW carry. Locked and loaded all the time and use what you carry on the street. If your not shooting, your guns in your holster.

You may not believe this but for the first time in maybe your life you are NOT the person who has the most gripes about IDPA. With the new rules there are A LOT of dedicated MEMBERS who are upset, angry, digruntled. And about things far more relavant to the sport than whether IDPA matches are run under hot ranges or cold ranges.

SO you showed up at an IDPA match HOT. SO you were told that you broke the rules. I agree with you, I don't know where you live but I am in Ohio where I have fought for a very long time to get CCW passed and we finally have. When I say I have fought hard I am talking taken days off work to testify before the legislature, put in hours and hours gathering support, working with the media, CCW GOOD, I understand that.

We are all big boys, if you have a CCW license and you show up at a match hot once shame on you, they ask you to not do it again, well not all but the one you went to must have. That somehow was their rule (I did the same today noone cared!)

I was hoping to get some intelligent conversation on folks who enjoy XD's, enjoy IDPA and having seen the new rules were pleasantly surprised that THEIR favorite holster abided by the new rules. They could explain why they liked the holster, how well it works with their XD, I can go out and buy one, and have a great life having gained from their knowledge.

The IDPA rule book is now 74 pages, if a rule were only one word I doubt that there are 10,000 of them. Not that that matters because you seem concerned with ONE, you don't show up with a loaded gun. Wherever you did that, I doubt it has changed. Right or wrong, is not the issue of this subject, I am looking for info on HOLSTERS!!!

Sorry you had a bad experience. I feel for you and see your point. But that is not what I am trying to encourage folk to discuss. Now please don't interject "But I am a law abiding responsible adult! And they didn't like that the gun was loaded!" unless you follow up with "And I had it in A "X" holster, which I have really liked for Y amount of time, and with the new rules IDPA put in effect last week it is STILL legal!! Give it a try, you love it because of Z"

I am looking for info on holsters! I am starting to wonder just how many times you showed up with the gum loaded and exactly when they started getting woried! :wink:

 

[ajamesp51]

If they really wanted to be practicing a "situation" then you would reload the fastest way possible. And Not that many people carry 3-4 mags at one time if you fire 20- 30 rounds you will most likely be considered the bad guy. From statistics I have read most "gunfights last only several secods sec and only 2-3 shots are fired. There is a lot more that I have against IDPA the way I see it is that its a game that keeps trying to put on the face of being seroius. I use it as practice for USPSA since it is trigger time.

 

[RDKII]

OK, BUT . . . . HAVE YOU A HOLSTER YOU LOVE THAT IS LAGAL UNDER THE NEW RULES!!

Sure it is not perfect, it never was! Neither are my wife. my kids, my car or my dog. I want to keep them all but live the best I can with them!!

I care not that IDPA allowes you to have (No more than 2 magazines on your belt and absolutly no more than one in your gun :shock: ) I am sauying, have you read the new rules, and based on that found a fantastic holster that you love STILL abides by them!!!

SURE we all hate IDPA, for Goodness sake noone has even mentioned the obvious, so I WILL!! There is no reason on this earth XD's should be thrown into the most dificult S Auto division SEPERATE from Glocks. Sure there is an engineering argument but in a sport that is about shooters and level playing feeld it ought to be about shooters playing fields and the benifit the shooter enjoys of a feature, not what the engeneer ought to be able to measure. There ya go, an IDPA Bltch related to this forum.

Now will someone tell me about a great IDPA legal holster to buy? I have 3 XD's in .40, 3",4" and 5" and I need someplace to put them on sunday mornings. I used to put them in blade techs but father Bills say I aint allowed to do that no more, what do I do!

Love you guys, but you are makin me nuts . . . er.

 

[C.H.Luke]

"The only rule they have that I think is disgusting is you have to keep your gun unloaded all times except when shooting."

All the Matches/Events at the Gun Clubs around here are run as "Cold" ranges.
These Clubs encourage new shooters and shooters new to IDPA, USPSA, etc.
If there was an accident because this type of rule was ignored or not enforced {It is the individual Club's rule also} they'd very probably loose their insurance.

Have already had one club go under from a bullet "leaving the property".

Being "forced" to have an unloaded pistol in one's holster is a small price to pay, IMO!

 

[one-eyed-fatman]

You seem to be so worried about holsters and rules you really didn't listen to a word I said. At no time did I say I had a bad experience. You should go to the silhouette forum where they will (hopefully) pat your head and sooth your worried mind. I practice CCW, my rules, my way, within the limits of the law. Remember this. There's a real street out there and they don't follow IDPA rules. Stay safe an quit worrying so much.

P.S. Nobody at the range new I was hot.

 

[socal xd'er]

A "cold range" is a great idea, especially if we weant to attract more new blood to the sport. New shooters means less-experienced shooters, and a "cold range" (and a friendly attitude) is the best way to make these people feel welcome, and ensure that they stick around to become experienced shooters.

With less-experienced shooters, a cold range is a necessity. Frankly, I live in a state that makes it almost impossible to get the kind of experience that *I* think is necessary to be able to draw and re-holster safely, quickly, consistently, and "under pressure". Take a look at the statistics for ADs while re-holstering. Based on anecdotal evidence from LE friends (state and Fed), the most common AD is re-holstering with the finger on the trigger, followed immediately by firing while drawing. ADs where no holster is involved are far, far behind.

Unless everyone in sight is a CCW permit holder, practices more than 10 hours a week, and is dead-on focused, then a cold range is the best way to ensure that the sport (and the ranges) stay open.

 

[LeMat]

Now will someone tell me about a great IDPA legal holster to buy?

Love you guys, but you are makin me nuts . . . er.

I've been rantin' and ravin' down in the silhouette and will leave it there (at least I'm gonna try to :lol: ).

Unfortunately, I think it's going to be somewhat difficult to decide what is the perfect holster at this point. Without looking at it, trying it on, etc.. It's hard to determine how a holster is going to fit by looking at a picture on the internet. I'm hoping that some of the major manufacturers will be noting whether their holsters are IDPA legal or not (some do, but that is fairly far and few between). I'm sure with some time, folks will be chiming in with what people are wearing and there will be many more answers to your question. At the moment, it's as though we're having to start all over. And seeing as how they have done away with the list, also telling us that those that were included on the list may not be legal at this time only makes it that more confusing.

R Dub pretty much summed it up in his post. I would venture to guess that most Kydex rigs are going to be a bit sketchy (especially paddles). If they have standard belt loops (and are not adjustable), it seems that you will be ok. It seems that the closer the holster rides to your body, the better off you will be. I'm thinking that most all of the IWB's out there are going to be perfectly legal. Just last week I mentioned how great the Galco UCH would be for IDPA. Unfortunately, I am not so sure now. The gun can have a fairly nice outward cant with some firearms.

The jist I'm getting with this is that leather is good - kydex is bad. That's a pretty broad generalization, but that's what it seems like to me. I use a Bladetech for a Tac40 for USPSA and was going to use it for IDPA as well. Now I have to find something else as well.

As far as manufacturers, well, that's pretty much open, as long as it falls under the new guidelines.

R Dub also made a good point in another thread. It really is up to your MD's and SO's to determine what is allowed and what is not. At the local club level, they can tend to be a bit relaxed and not so stringent on the rules (YMMV of course). I can tell you that at our local matches, FTDR's are not going to be handed out simply because you can see light through someone's holster. Now when it comes to Regionals and Nationals, that may be a whole 'nuther animal. :wink:

Anyway, sorry that I couldn't give you an answer of "this will be the best one", but I think that after reading the new rulebook, you may have to either do some experimenting or perhaps wait a while until someone can give you the answers you want.

There's a whole lot of us who are wondering the same exact thing as you.

 

[ampleworks]

Something overlooked by IDPA is new shooters.

Last year, they went to the local rip-off gunshop, grab a Fobus or UM Kydex and a mag holder, out the door $40 including tax and they're able to shoot both USPSA (most likely Production) and IDPA (SSP or ESP) easily without much of a change.

Now what happens when the average Joe who likes to have a good time, has already dropped $400-500 for a pistol, $50 for extra mags, $40 more for rig equipment, and maybe even more for a pair of cargo pants and a lightweight jacket to use for concealment...only to have the IDPA rules ganked from underneath them?

I see IDPA going even further downhill than it already was. Thankfully, as LeMat said, most local clubs aren't going to fuss about equipment. If anything they'll most likely stick to the 2004 equipment rules, just disallowing unsafe rigs and speed type ones.

More people for USPSA...and that's fine by me. The only thing I really ever did like about IDPA is the targets, the entire head is an "A" zone, rather than a small "A" and a larger "B". Lets me be a bit sloppier! :wink:

I feel if you've got the $ and skill to go compete in national matches, you've got the $ to go buy a new rig.

 

[manygunner]

I think IDPA is stacked to favor 1911 types. The not more then 10 rounds per magazine rule is BS. Why penalize us with 9mm just because someone is shooting a gun that only holds 7+!? I figure if my shot placement is accurate a 9mm will also ruin your day. Why would I want to carry a gun with limited ammo supply? My answer and equalizer is my CZ-97B, 10+1 rounds of .45 ACP to their 7+1 and it is also very accurate. Still, for daily carry I prefer hi cap 15 round mags. My father-in-law says you can never have too much ammunition. Credits his surviving WWII by not carrying anything but ammo, you can always borrow food or cigarettes, most won't lend you ammo. This way I get to carry 46 rounds (50 rounds if I use my converted Beretta mags ) to their 22 rounds. I think they should change the rule to just being allowed 3 fully loaded mags, no matter what capacity.

 

[NExd]

The only rule they have that I think is disgusting is you have to keep your gun unloaded all times except when shooting. If nobody is going to trust each other with a loaded weapon why bother. They want to play professional games but then they don't trust each other with a loaded weapon.

50? people with guns in one room/area, making sure things are unloaded prevents a problem. If one knucklehead has a AD, the consequences clearly outweigh the "inconvenience" of loading your pistol when you shoot.

 

[therooster]

The only rule they have that I think is disgusting is you have to keep your gun unloaded all times except when shooting. If nobody is going to trust each other with a loaded weapon why bother.

i think it had more to do with what range they were shooting at, ASC has very strict rules.

 

[snertley]

My G-Code paddle IS still legal to the best of my knowledge. :lol: I use it for my XDs and I have one for my 1911s. And yes I do use it for CCW.

 

[JimLongley]

All of my XD holsters are now illegal, but I will continue to use them for concealed carry and will still use tham at my club level IDPA matches, not because they provide me with some tactical advantage, but because I run what I brung. If I get penalized, so be it, I will use some excellent software written by one of our club members to track my own scores so that I can compare myself to myslef, which is my objective in participating anyway.

Fatman, you need to go out and shoot some IDPA, even with cold ranges, the fellowship is worth it.

RDK, my kids and a variety of other things are admittedly less than perfect, but my wife and my dog are (her dogs are WAY not!)