Mr.Stu

In denial about denial - does that cancel out? Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk 2

How does this make any sense? The circuits are split. How can the law be different in NJ vs CA? Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk 2

Damn Howard, you are not have a good run lately. Glad to hear you're OK.

Personally, I have never liked the Beretta slide mounted safety. It works backwards (down is safe, up is fire) and is really hard to reach with the firing hand. Also, leaving it on safe is all but pointless as it decocks as it goes on safe. The *only* time that will help you is if a bad guy disarms you and doesn't have a clue what he's doing (maybe that's why it is built to operate backwards!) It's time to move on and find your new best friend.

I meant more mentally exhausted than physically. There are rules about the maximum amount of movement allowed on a stage to try to level the playing field for us old, fat guys when we play with the young, fast guys. The classifier is meant to measure your skills against the rest of the field. If you practice just for the classifier you'll get placed higher than you're supposed to and you'll get beaten badly at most matches. Practice your general skills that you'd apply to matches - sight picture, point shooting, reload drills, malfunction drills, transitions, etc. and the classifier will put you where you should be - kinda. Dry fire practice is a great way to hone your skills. Get some snap caps for reloading drills - mags with a round in the top tend to slide into the mag opening more reliably.

First steps should be enough I think. Easton is usually a bigger match though. There will be 8-10, sometimes 12 stages. It's a long, tiring day for experienced guys - you'll likely be ragged by the end as a first timer.

Bob has it all absolutely correct except a minor detail about the concealment garment. It is not a cover garment unless you put ballistic plates in it There is no IDPA rule that says new shooters are exempt from wearing a concealment garment. However, many clubs, Somerset included, usually allow new shooters to go without one on safety grounds - one less thing for the shooter to worry about and it makes it easier for the SO to see what's going on. Not all clubs make this call so don't argue with the SO or MD if he tells you to cover up. You asked for advice on your concealment garment. I suggest a light to medium weight canvas or denim jacket to start with. If you use a light shirt it won't have the weight to sweep back without wrapping around your hand when you draw. The rules say it must conceal your gun, holster and mags when you hold your arms up horizontal to the sides. I have seen many garments that are too short to conceal the bottom of a OWB holster. At a club match no-one is going to get snotty about it - it might not even get mentioned. Try to find something you already own that fits the bill - don't rush out and buy anything until you've had a chance to see what others are using and to get advice. At a sanctioned match it could earn you a DQ if it is found wanting. The key thing to concentrate on in your first few matches is safety. There will be a timer running and your time will be way longer than anyone who has any experience. Don't worry about it. No-one shoots above Novice in their first match unless they have a ton of experience in another discipline such as USPSA. If we could all shoot at Master level on our first day, none of us would play - it would be too easy and therefore boring. It can be useful to set yourself a goal, of course. Try for down-0 to start, with no Prodecural Errors or Hits on a Non-Threat. The speed will come once you are familiar with what's going on.

Darn it - I just realised May has snuck up on me. The dates I mentioned above should have been: Phillipsburg 5/10 Somerset 5/18 Easton Fish & Game 5/25 (currently a maybe for me)

You would be more than welcome to join us at Somerset (http://www.somersetidpa.com) You will need to sign up for a space on the matches page on that site to be able to shoot - we have to limit the number of shooters so we can finish at a reasonable time. We only have a small indoor range and we only shoot 4 stages in a match but our MD, Tom, does an excellent job briefing new shooters and it's a great place to start. Too many stages for your first match will be exhausting and you will be struggling by the end. IDPA and USPSA both have a policy where you can shoot your first match without being a member. You do not need to be a member of the host club either. If you decide you want to shoot a second match you need to join the parent organization, but still don't need to be a member of the host club. To find matches in out area look at Walt's website: https://www.nepaidpascores.net The next three matches locally that I'm planning to attend are: Phillipsburg 4/10 Somerset 4/18 Easton Fish & Game 4/25 (currently a maybe for me) For P-burg and Easton you must have a NRA safety certificate or a classification for IDPA, USPSA or ICORE for your first match. This is because you are an unknown quantity as far as experience goes and the MD wants an indication that the shooter has some basic safety skills. If you really want some pointers before attending a match let me know - if we can find a common time I could meet you at Easton for an orientation. Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk 2

That these bullets are not hollow points is not in dispute. They are treated the same as hollow points because they are dum-dum bullets which are included in the same law. Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk 2

...and subsequently deemed illegal by the courts. It is not a good idea to take legal advice from the police. ETA: check the text from the Aitken case: Search for "expand" here: http://www.leagle.com/decision/In NJCO 20120330329

I shot the match this morning. Thanks very much to Ron and the whole staff who made the match a great event. I'll be sure to be back next year.

We're talking NJ carry here. The 9mm vs .45 debate is different here because you will not be allowed any type of expanding ammunition. Modern 9mm are almost as effective as larger calibers because they expand. If you are restricted to ball ammo bigger is better I think. You can also forget about non-hollowpoint stuff like EFMJ, they still "expand more than normal" and therefore are banned as dum-dum type bullets. My pick at the moment is an XD-45c with the 5" barrel but I need to shoot one to be sure. The full size XD-45 5" shoots very well but is a touch too long in the grip to conceal easily with light clothes. I think a 1911 type is going to be too heavy to lug around all day every day - to be able to put up with carrying every day it needs to be light enough to not be a obstacle.

Not at all. The case had been argued at least 3 times: NJ superior court, NJ supreme court & 3rd circuit appeals court. SCOTUS can read all of those arguments and conclude the 3rd circuit's reasoning is faulty. I'm not sure but they might be able to use the 9th circuit's opinion as both sides of Drake referred to it as well. Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk 2

On reflection, I agree. Perhaps I should not have assumed a level of experience on the part of the prospective RSO. I did mine as a paperwork formality having 20+ years of actually doing it under my belt. Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk 2

Don't pay an instructor for an RSO course if you are going to get one of the Basic Instructor ratings. Once you are an instructor you can self-cert for RSO and the Metallic Cartridge Reloading and Shotshell Reloading ratings. You just need to order the student packs, do the included exam and send it off with a check. NRA will mark the exam and issue your ratings. When I did my Basic Pistol course the instructor included Home Firearm Safety for the price of the student pack. Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk 2

That's mean. I don't like you Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk 2

I've never found and copper build up in any of my barrels. I use Hoppes No.9 and a phosphor-bronze brush which I guess keeps it down.

The apparent men-in-black memory eraser technology built into the timer is really just a side effect of trying to carry out a complex task under duress. It is perfectly normal and you will adapt to it. Think back to when you first learned to drive. You had to consciously think about where your feet were, what pedal to use and how much, what you were doing with the steering wheel, what direction you wanted to go, what direction you were actually going, what speed, what was around you, when to use the blinker, and many more things all at once and it felt overwhelming so you went really slowly to stay as safe as you could. Now think of driving today, the operation of the vehicle is second nature and you can more easily concentrate on what else is going on around you and you are happier driving at faster speeds than when you first started. This will happen as you become more familiar with what you are doing with your handgun too. Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk 2

It's tricky to post links from my mobile but search youtube for Travis Haley and Ron Avery. They have a good training technique called the stripe drill. I have used it to good effect for developing trigger control while speeding up. Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk 2

Please remember, you do not need to be a member of the host club to take part in a match. In both IDPA and USPSA you get to shoot your first match as a taster paying only the match fee. If you like it, you need to join the appropriate organization, IDPA or USPSA. You can then shoot any match at any club under that discipline. I regularly shoot at Phillipsberg but am not a member there. I have also shot sanctioned matches at Lewistown, Ontalaunee, Wilkes-barre and Lower Providence without having to be a member at any of these ranges. Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk 2

If you can hit your target with slow, deliberate fire, I'd say stick with what you've got and slow yourself down. Wait for a sufficiently good sight picture before your press the trigger - every time. Don't try to do "double-taps" - do controlled pairs with a reacquired sight picture. The more you do it the faster you will be able to do it. You can add speed to accuracy. You cannot add accuracy to speed.

You will never see a chrono at a club level IDPA match. At many, but not all sanctioned matches your ammo will be tested - it depends on the MD and whether he can find a volunteer to test everybody's ammo. For 100+ shooters that is quite an undertaking. You'll most likely want to get several club matches done before you step up to a sanctioned match - mostly to get familiar with the format, range commands, competition rules, etc. So long as your equipment is safe and generally within the rules you won't be sent home from a club match. If you turn up wearing your over/under USPSA belt you'll probably be told it's illegal and then you carry on. You will never be allowed to use a shoulder, appendix or cross-draw holster as the potential for sweeping yourself or others is just too great - and the rules don't allow it. Only a strong side belt holster will do. Mag pouches are highly recommended but not absolutely necessary - you can carry spare mags/speedloaders in a pocket. Pouches will be faster, but for your first match you'll be going slow anyway - safety is paramount, your time not at all.

You'll need to take pretty much everything you plan to use: Targets Stapler Ammo Guns Bag for used brass Food/drink (if you're staying a while) Wet-wipes to clean your hands after shooting Hearing protection Eye protection and maybe more ammo

It is really simple. The purpose of the multiple layers of permits and checks discourages many people from becoming firearms owners. This is seen as a good thing by the powers that be. Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk 2