recomendations for gear for USPSA Single Stack?

[Detritus]

Howdy all,

I have decided to start participating in the local USPSA matches, though unfortunately depending on some class scheduling i might not be able to participate again untill November...

since I only own a 1911, I will be shooting in the Single Stack division.

bunch of probably unneeded overly detailed stuff removed. summed up best i can below

Basicly i have a crappy rig:

• Blackhawk SERPA Sporter, that I bought because i could get an employee discount on it at my then job (2 years ago)
• an 8-in-line mag pouch that's really a storage case with belt loops and a removable top-flap,
• a choice of belt between a weak spined (getting worn out) 1.5" leather "bubba belt" (what i used in the match on the 11th), and a Wilderness "instructors belt" W/ CSM option that wound up being about 1-2" too large and the polymer core won't let me snug it up enough, also i'm on the large side w/ a waist over 50" so no returns were allowed on the wilderness belt

With the above combo, I'm lucky I made it through that first match with neither an equipment failure nor a "Wardrobe Malfunction" (Note: i'm kinda pear shaped, I'm seriously thinking I should find out if anyone will freak if wear my Suspenders next time)

therefore I would appreiciate any guidance others who shoot Single Stack can give me with regard to what they use or would recomend. As well as any guidance on any "gear gaffes" to avoid.

Current thought is running toward a Comp-tac paddle or belt holster, eventually one of their "Belt feed" mag pouch sets (if legal for SS), and a new properly sized and stiffened belt, this last one may actually be the biggest pain.

anyway, enough of my ramblings. thank you in advace for any and all advice you would care to share. It is appreciated.

 

[Jim Watson]

I wear suspenders to hold up MY gunbelt and nobody says anything about it. I wouldn't care if they did, it is a major gain in comfort and stability.

I'm not going to pick gear for you, Comp Tac makes good stuff and will serve you well.
I use Ready Tac but then I shoot with the maker and he has borrowed my guns to mold to and has made holsters for oddball guns for me, so it is as much social as commercial. Good stuff, though.
http://cpwsa.com/ready_tactical.htm


Wilderness will recycle your buckle to a new belt at $10 off the price of a whole new belt.

 

[tarakian]

I use a combination of Bladetech, Fobus, and Blackhawk for hostlers/mag pouches. For a belt, I use an Uncle Mikes' Instructor Belt. All work great and have held up well.

 

[Jon_Snow]

A properly fitting and sufficiently stiff belt should priority #1. If suspenders help with that then who cares what anyone says? After that, SS precludes the race holsters of other divisions, so it's personal preference. I really like bladetech, I use their paddle holster and tek-lock mag pouches.

 

[Detritus]

Oh just a thought does anyone have photos of how they have their gear arranged? I've seen so many conflicting setups, and the drawings in the USPSA rule book showing how things should be set isn't entirely clear to me somehow ("point of the hip" seems to mean wildly divergent things to different people) .

again thanks for the advice and info so far.

 

[Jon_Snow]

I believe the way to interpret the rule book is to put your fingers on the tips of your hipbones, then draw a line through both and that's what your gear has to stay behind. I wear jeans when I shoot USPSA, so I orinet things relative to the belt loops at 3 and 9 o'clock. My holster straddles the 3 o'clock loops. My double mag pouches go 1 in front and two behind the 9 o'clock loop. I could move my holster up farther, but I'm used to it where it is.

Also, there was a recent rule interpretation that is good news for all of us SS guys. It used to be that if you walked up to the line with a mag in your front pocket, you were automatically booted to Open for the day. Now, that only happens if you actually use said mag, which means you can put a Barney mag in your front pocket and as long as you don't touch it after the buzzer, you're fine.

 

[Hk Dan]

Look at a CR Speed inner/outer belt. Very sti, very secure, an your gear will be in place every time. You just find your inex and strap it on. Barring that, the 5.11 belt with the poly stiffener would work marvelously and be legal or IDPA own the road.

I'd lose the serpa and go with a CQC or a DOH holster.

 

[mgmorden]

I mostly shoot Production but most of the gear choices are similar. For a belt I can't recommend highly enough that you get a competition style belt that has an inner and outer belt setup. Not only is it more convenient to put on and take off, but with a "through the loops" belt the loops often get in the way of where you want to place a mag pouch or holster. You can't have it cross a loop with a traditional belt, but on an outer belt your gear can go anywhere that's legal (basically behind the hip bone).

I use a Double-Alpha belt which I really like. CR Speed has a good following and even the knockoffs off eBay work decently though their sizes are limited.

For a holster, I like my Blade-tech, but Blade-tech's are very popular in Production because of the DOH attachment. Unfortunately DOH isn't legal in Single Stack, so I'd go with any nice kydex holster of your choice. No manual release devices like the button on the Serpa - you want something that is a pure friction fit for a quick draw. Blade-tech, Comptac, or something custom is your best bet.

For mag pouches - your choice really. There are people that swear by the single competition mag pouches, and for things like Limited or Open where they need to be up front and the mags angled outwards (for clearance when ducking and such) then I can undestand that. For Prod/SS though they have to be behind the hip, so I've never felt hampered by simple double-mag pouches. I use RSR pouches for my main rig w/ my M&P and Blade-tech pouches on my backup Glock rig. As long as they're open-top (you don't want flaps) then they likely won't hinder you as you progress.

I carry 4 mags on my belt as a minimum in Production. If I shoot a stage with a Texas Star I usually toss an extra in my back pocket "just in case" . Given the slightly lower mag capacity in SS I'd probably carry 5 on the belt.

 

[mgmorden]

Also, there was a recent rule interpretation that is good news for all of us SS guys. It used to be that if you walked up to the line with a mag in your front pocket, you were automatically booted to Open for the day. Now, that only happens if you actually use said mag, which means you can put a Barney mag in your front pocket and as long as you don't touch it after the buzzer, you're fine.

Not quite correct. A lot of people were getting booted to open for loading from their front pocket. The clarification was that you can load from your front pocket, but after the buzzer your gear still has to meet division requirements.

That means that you can pull your barney mag from a front pocket to "Load and make ready", but after you remove it it needs to go in your BACK pocket before the buzzer goes off. Similarly, at "Unload and show clear", if you manually remove the magazine from the gun, you can't stick it in your front pocket until after "Range is clear" has been called.

The old contention was that technically the COF begins at LAMR, and basically the clarification was that the gear positioning requirements didn't really take effect until the buzzer went off.

 

[Jon_Snow]

That means that you can pull your barney mag from a front pocket to "Load and make ready", but after you remove it it needs to go in your BACK pocket before the buzzer goes off. Similarly, at "Unload and show clear", if you manually remove the magazine from the gun, you can't stick it in your front pocket until after "Range is clear" has been called.

That's not what the ruling says. The following is from the NROI rulings part of the website available here: http://www.uspsa.org/uspsa-NROI-ruling-details.php?indx=55

During the course of fire, after the start signal, unless stipulated otherwise in the stage procedure, spare ammunition, magazines and/or speed loading devices shall be carried in retention devices attached to the competitor's belt and specifically designed for that purpose. Unless specifically prohibited in the Written Stage Briefing, a competitor may also carry additional magazines or speed loading devices in apparel pocket(s) and retrieve and use them without penalty, providing that the USPSA Handgun Rules, location of the apparel pocket does not violate the requirements of Appendix D, Item 12 (subject to the provisions of Rule 6.2.5.1). Should the division restrict the location of the magazines or speed loading devices, carrying them in apparel pocket(s) forward of the restriction point, will be allowed providing they are not removed from that apparel pocket(s) until the command “if clear, hammer down and holster”.

 

[mgmorden]

Apparently you're right. They had made similar ruling last September that was a little less lenient and I didn't know they had further amended the interpretation.

http://www.uspsa.org/uspsa-NROI-ruling-details.php?indx=51

 

[Detritus]

small clarification

Based on the responses/recomendations I'm getting here and at at least one of the other forums i posted a similar thread, I feel i should clarify myself slightly, with regard to Belts.

I need for whatever i buy gear wise to be viable not only for USPSA, but also for use when taking basic pistol courses and the like together with my wife without the gear making me look like a goob, and possibly* (note below) for an occasional IDPA match. Therefore I think that for me personally, and for the time being that a more standard "through the pant loops" style belt would serve better.

it is my understanding that the inner-outer style belt is a no-no for IDPA style matches, and I'd feel a bit of a "geardo" showing up at a class (excepting one that was FOR honing skills for USPSA comp) wearing that form of gear belt.

so anyway, if that changes a recomendation or anything please let me know.


*(note on me and IDPA): My first experience with IDPA was plainly put "Unpleasant" enough so that I never tried it again. To be direct the group I atempted to shoot with was, unhelpful toward me as a new shooter, did not give a proper accounting of procedures, and toward the end was somewhat dismissive and surly toward both myself and my father (who accompanied me since i was only 20 at the time). But it's been 15 years since then and I'm half a nation away from that group. So even though I had a bad expereince the last time, and I am in disagreement with the rationale behind some of their rules, I might just give it another go at some point in the next year.

 

[Jon_Snow]

Since a 2-part belt isn't going to work for you, I'll offer my experiences with regular leather belts. A lot of people recommend the 5.11 belt with the stiffener. I had 1 for about 6 months and it was great at first, but after a month or so the stiffener broke near where it feeds into the buckle. This wasn't a problem for a while, but eventually it became harder and harder to fasten the belt because the stiffener would move around and the holes would become mis-aligned. Now I wear a Galco SB3 leather belt, 1.5" wide. It's great, not quite as stiff as the 5.11 but stiff enough and it still looks and feels new. I'd recommend it over the 5.11 any day.

FYI I wear these belts everyday, not just at the range, so I may have accelerated the wear compared to a dedicated shooting belt.

 

[Promod1385]

I have a CR speed belt. Its very comfortable and much easier to get all of your stuff situated where you want it.

I have Bladetech holsters and mag pounches for my single stack rig, I like the Bladetech stuff with techlocs (you can remove items without taking off your whole belt).