In another thread we talked about classification systems for shooting sports. I mentioned that Master Class IDPA wasn’t that hard to accomplish, but looking at the updated classification times it may be a little sportier than I expected.

For the record, I’ve only shot the IDPA classifier once for official score and shot Expert. I got my Master class ranking based on match finish at the Gulf Coast Championship match several years ago.

The IDPA 5x5 classifier is easy to set up and easy to score. At the minimum you can get by with a printed 8” circle, printed 4” circle, a timer, and 25 rounds of ammo.

If you don’t have an actual IDPA target just staple the printed circles in roughly the right place on a piece of cardboard and honestly score your misses.

The classification breakdown is available here, along with the score sheet and instructions. Remember to look for the “abbreviated method” link. https://www.idpa.com/idpa-matches/idpa-match-rules/

Let the games begin.

Post up a pic of your target and score sheet when you’re done. Describe your pistol so we’ll all know what division you’re in.

Concealment is not mandatory on the classifier.

I thought you were a bit flippant with the ‘master class is easy’ deal. It’s been several years, but I’ve shot expert with a stock 1911, stock Glock 17, and stock Shield. Match bumps in category make it look like there are more folks in the upper classes than can actually qualify there. I know I shot a fair bit ‘above’ my qualification in matches. My recollection is the classifier rewarded accuracy more than speed, with a fair number of ‘far’ shots and not a lot of movement. I view it as a good skills test and baseline.

I was pretty much done with USPSA when IDPA even got started around here, a regret. But it seems there are enough divisions to suit a lot of folks.

If any handgun shooter has a interest, there's likely a class for you.

What if I can't draw circles?

Shot it 4 times today…
18.31
18.02
21.Something because I tried to see how fast I could go and got a lot of penalties.
Got things under control and shot it clean in 17.89

Duty pistol-unmolested 4.25” M&P with an Acro.

Anything under 18.39 is M class for carry optics.

Forgive my simpleness, what’s the distance to target? I didn’t see it in the instructions

Also how do you score it?

Course of fire was easy enough to understand though.

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The shooter didn’t use an 8” circle for the center of the target body. He scored himself better than what he would have shot, if he used an IDPA target, or put an 8” circle on the target.

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Thanks beav.


How big are the other zones or for campfire rules are everything outside the circles a +10 second penalty?

Looks like +1 second for each miss in the C zone & +2 for a miss in the D.
In my IPSC days I could smoke those times, but my liking for C's might hurt things a rite smart.



All getting clearer now, thanks for the link, Blue & the vid, Beav.

I went out and shot a couple of the pistols just now. I’m trying to decide which one I want to focus my training time with.

The Glock 45 with Vicker sights is easier for me to shoot weak and one handed, and the sight picture for me is better with its taller sights than the G34. I ordered up new sights for the Glock 34. Looking for incremental improvements on the gun.

Both pistols shot good. The G45 trigger is incredible. The Glock 34 trigger ain’t bad either, but not as sweet as the G45.

I have a PACT Club 3 timer coming next week. So, I shot this 5x5 qualifier going ‘Controlled Balls Out’ and ‘Ass on Fire’ speeds....I realize both mean nothing without a timer. I will toss a guess and say my controlled shooting would be in the Expert rating, speed wise, with the latter run in the Master class. Spoiler Alert, I didn’t make the Master Class with my misses.

Here’s some good and not so good pictures of today’s try. I did run a warm up with each gun of 10 rounds to verify my sight picture.

Target



10 yard line




G45



Balls Out Target with G45



Ass on Fire with G45




G34



Balls Out Target G34



Going for Master Class Speed



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8” center circle.

4” head circle.

Any ‘misses’ are ‘seconds added’ to your time based on where you hit on the target.

-3 hit equals +3 seconds, -1 hit equals +1 second, -0 means no time is added to your base run time.


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Clearly.

Was curious as to the dimensions of the various zones that aren’t 8” and 4” circles

Edit to add I quit being lazy and found a site with a pic.

https://www.shootingstrategies.com/rants/training-on-a-budget/258-how-to-make-cheap-idpa-targets

Target dimensions…. https://www.scribd.com/doc/249880065/Official-IDPA-Target-Dimensions

Laffin....I wasn’t sure if you, or me, had too many Claws. Guess it’s me.

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Oh schit, I stated a D was a minus 2. A D is -3. Sorry for the mis info Gruff.

I’ll probably be so high it won’t matter anyways. But hell I’ll give it a whirl tomorrow.

Thanks Mav.

Looks like another fun drill, i'll have to wait till i get back, been happily getting the chit kicked out of myself over the last month shooting a Model 70 458 Win Mag and my Nitro Express Holland Royal double rifle getting ready for Cape Buffalo and plains game in Africa.

Trying to round up a timer. Told wife about an app, got lip.

Have a shooting bud with an I phone that might help me. Haven't shot a match in 20 years but this classifier looks like something to have fun with. And no running or squatting for a semi old fart like me.

Good luck over there, gunner.

How’d it go, Gruff?

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Awful lol. I’ll post a pic later. I gots to practice

Found a used target and repurposed it. Had a buddy man the timer, shot it twice. Lost my paper with the times, but with deductions was 31 and change for first try, 29 and change second try. Hadn't shot that gun in 4-5 months and shot it cold (and sober), so I had a baseline. Can only go up from here!

M&P .40. All stock, from a safariland paddle holster.

Was fun, will shoot it again with a 9, and more with the M&P for the fûck of it. If it doesn't rain Im going to try and hit it again tomorrow.

Found my scoresheet

That’s not awful.

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Shot this this morning with my G19 with a Holosun 507C on it. The taped holes are the G19, shot it once cold and switched out gear and shot it again with my Dan Wesson Lightweight Commander in 9mm. I’m slow but this morning I was really slow and just couldn’t speed up.

Again the taped holes are the G19, the others are the DW 1911.

The sun dial said 26.21 on the G19 with one second down and the DW was 28.92 with 2 seconds added.

I marked the circles cause this was my first time shooting the IDPA target and I couldn’t see the perforations at 10 yards. Also shot the DW in a leather Rhodesian holster, I’ll shoot it again on a better day with a kydex holster.

Good job, TWR.

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Part of the game is you are not supposed to see the perf…

Part of the problem is it’s just a game.

I can delete my post if that’ll make you feel better…

TWR
Well said. I learned a lot just reading the IDPA rules. Had never done that.
Looking forward to a range day to try this out. My expectations are low. But it looks like a good way to send some rounds down range and have some learning in the process.

18.12 seconds with a 4.25" M&P with a KKM barrel--APEX FSS--SRO


Does this link work to the video?

https://imgur.com/ynV0OcA

Yep, the video works.

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Here’s a couple belts approved for IDPA comp that I’ve tried.






The first belt I bought was the Black Scorpion 1.5” hook and loop outer web belt. Absolutely, nothing wrong with this belt, except for me, it would need to be married with a inner belt ‘system’ set up. Even with it going thru my pants belt loops, I still couldn’t get the belt snugged up enough to prevent ‘slop and movement’ on both the draw and mag changes.

Unfortunately, a dual belt system isn’t allowed in IDPA.

The second belt is all leather, with a steel core sewn inside for maintaining stiffness, and buckled. Made in USA by BullhideBelts.com. Amazon has them. They’re spendy compared to the $22 dollar web belt, but worth it, if a single hook & loop belt doesn’t work for you.

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Here’s two aftermarket barrels I’m trying in the Glock 34. Blacklist and Agency barrels. The Agency tube just landed. I plan to shoot it today using the Dawson sights that I recently installed.





The Blacklist threaded barrel came with the pistol when I bought it, along with the OEM tube from Glock. First thing I did was install the OEM barrel, which looked new. The Glock barrel shot poi extremely right, so much so, that I had maxed out all of the windage on the Glock’s plastic adjustable rear sight ~ and it was still hitting far right.

I installed the Blacklist barrel, made a quick windage correction for the barrel and was smashing the X....Cool, but the threading on the barrel makes the G34 too long in length for shooting ESP. I called BL to see about them cutting and crowning the barrel to OEM spec’s...No can do, I was told.



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Here’s a few AR500 targets I picked up for the pistol range. This 6 pack of small steel silhouettes have been great. eBay purchase.



https://www.ebay.com/itm/254881288200

Poppers are pretty expensive. I found these on Amazon. AR500, auto resetting. So far, they work.



https://www.highwildoutdoors.com/products/3-8-ar500-12-classic-popper-steel-shooting-target

These targets are plate AR500 steel I bought from Higginez.




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I did a pistol trade last week at my LGS for this Shadow Systems DR920 Combat pistol.

It got a run through this morning with 60 rounds of 115gr round nose. It appears to be a decent clone that didn’t break the bank like some of the other clone builders can.

Came MRO ready with extra plate adapters, additional back straps, a tactical magwell you can install, which I did, and two mags made by Magpul.

The Trigger has a crisp break past the wall with a typical short Glock reset. This wasn’t always the case. SSystems had a history of average to horrible triggers. This one is pretty good.

The sights are blacked out serrated rear, with a green day glow fiber circle in the front blade, with a center dot that illuminates when dark. Made by Night Fison. I really liked these sights, in both daylight and at night.

Accuracy was excellent out of the box. No tuning of the rear sight will be needed. It was comfortable to shoot and pointed naturally. The underside of the trigger guard has cuts for better gripping of the pistol too.

Barrel has spiraling flutes, but idk what that achieves. The slide is fully enclosed, so you can’t see the fluting through any ‘Gucci’ cuts in the side or top of the frame.

If I decide to put an optic on it in the future. Right now, I’m leaning towards the SRO because of the larger sight window and ease of battery replacement.

For the first range trip with the DR920. I liked what I saw.







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Does that pistol accept Glock aftermarket triggers? I like what I see there.

Yes it will.

I’m happy the DR920 doesn’t need a different trigger. I traded off this older Shadow System MR920 because the trigger was awful and I couldn’t warm to the Glock 19 sized handle.




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Good to know. Nice rig!

I’m calling bullshît. All the AR500 I got from Higginz has dicks painted on it.

I’m in the market for IDPA approved suspenders.

Maybe I should start a new thread.

Here you go sweetheart…😳😂🦫

Are those pandas!

I probably have close to 5k rounds through my Shadow mr918 and so far it hasn’t missed a beat. It’s my usual ccw as well.

The X300 usually only goes on it at night though I do have an armadillo concealment Lux iwb that works well for quick store trips with the light.

Haven’t shot any idpa in several years but may give this a go soon