Competition gear.

Looking for recommendations for my first dedicated competition belt and associated gear. Will be used for uspsa mostly, with some 2 gun, an very occasional IDPA matches. I was going to start wil gear I already own and shoot from concealment, however most of the ranges will not allow AIWB so that sucks.

I’m going to shoot both my Roland, and a stock glock 17. I would need one WML holster and one standard holster.

So what belt/holster/mag carriers should I put at the top of my shopping list? I would love input from those with experience so I can buy once/cry once.
 

uwaeve

Newbie
Assuredly not an expert here, but am currently going through gear selection so will give you what I've found. I am not extraordinarily serious about the competitive side so this may not be the optimum gamer gear. Some of the gear is linked, it doesn't really stand out on the forum for me but hover over and you should find some links.

From what I understand (you may know this) the big gear differences are going to be:

USPSA will allow a 2-piece inner/outer belt, IDPA is going to make you thread the belt with your stuff attached through belt loops.
USPSA allows drop/offset holster (rules may vary by division but I believe a common one is that the butt of the gun needs to be at or above the top of the belt, and there are offset rules) where IDPA doesn't allow drop/offset. Someone with a lot more experience can post the specifics or they can probably be found by searching "USPSA offset" or similar.

So basically you're looking at two sets of gear. See the difference between the USPSA and IDPA kits on the benstoegerproshop page, linked below.
USPSA: 2-piece belt and BOSS DOH holster hanger
IDPA 1-piece belt and no DOH hanger

Long story short I don't think you can go wrong with the gear in either of those benstoegerproshop.com kits, but you will need to roll up your sleeves to get things set up for your Roland.

For USPSA the gear in that kit is what I see recommended to newer shooters, though depending on division that may be too many mag pouches for you. I own that DAA belt, no major complaints. I own the BOSS DOH hanger and if you can get it configured like you need to (see below) it is a great piece of kit and locked down and very stiff with that belt. The BOSS hanger has different Y-plates for each hole pattern (Blade Tech vs. Safariland). Chose to go with different mag pouches but without a strong reason to recommend someone else do the same.

For your weapons with lights and/or compensators, you are going to need to do some experimenting with available holsters and attachment hardware, I can help you offline because there are too many combinations to cover. It all comes down to laying out a bunch of stuff that may include adapters with various length hardware, spacers, and belt attachments and just experimenting, unfortunately. There are probably more (and better) options out there but Safariland and TRex Arms are probably where I'd start looking for OWB light-bearing that can handle a compensator. The TRex Arms Ragnarok has the advantage of having a hole pattern that can be attached to the Blade-Tech or Safariland hole pattern (for your hanger or belt attachment piece). The disadvantage is that I believe P&S collectively takes a dim view of the company, some of its products, and proprietor, but I'll leave you to sort that out in your priority list.

Aside from the BOSS hanger, all my stuff (pouches and dump pouch) is on Blade Tech Tek-Loks, which work OK for the 1.5" thick outer DAA belt. Specific competition mag pouches like the Ghost ones are going to fit better but they do screw on and off.

I'm at sort of a midway point where I want a 2-piece 2" belt and all Tek-Loks (like the Stormrider Competition Overlord) but I haven't found a holster attachment I like as much as the BOSS, and the BOSS is specifically set up for the 1.5" belt. I've seen people have success with the Safariland Mid Drop Belt Loop (which accommodates a 2" belt) and a thigh strap for training/ninja stuff but don't think that flies in USPSA. My next experiment to handle both USPSA and generic training is going to be to try to hang the BOSS hanger from a Tek-Lok but up until a few weeks ago the Stormrider Gear was out of stock so it hasn't been a priority for me. I have also done some experimentation with sticking a Safariland QLS receiver and fork in between the belt attachment and holsters to be able to pop different holsters on your rig, but that's getting away from competition-focused.
 

Ryan St.Jean

Regular Member
IDPA I think the Roland is a no go as is a WML. Also in (as I have heard it called 90’s action shooting) AIWB is a no go. Has to be strong side.

I had a conversation with the safety about my strong side holster which was at the side of my hip strait under my arm. He was fine with it after a good look but anything in front of 3:00 would likely not have worked.

So IDPA is Glock 17 sans light. I got a basic OWB kydex Blade Tech to use (with a G19) for IDPA. It has worked fine for a few matches (a few IDPA a rifle class and 1 3 gun.) and I have no immediate plans to replace it.
 
Ok so Scratch IDPA. Let’s talk uspsa. Guns used would be a Roland’ish 19x, currently sporting a tlr1hl and tbrc comp, and a stock g17. I could loose the light for holster sake but I would prefer to leave it on for the sake of familiarity and durability testing. I’m also not opposed to running a safariland duty holster.
How many pistol mags do I really need on the belt?
What should I be looking for and what is just crap that I should avoid? Links much appreciated.
 
Also, if anyone in the central to South Florida area would take me under their wing and let me play with some of their gear, I’d really appreciate it. I’ll pitch in range fees or we could work something out.
 

stun

Newbie
Number of mag pouches you need is dependent upon division. If you're shooting limited or open (which your Roland would put you into), you need less mags since you're cramming as many rounds as you can get into a 140mm. If you're shooting L10 or Production, you have the 10-round capacity limit and thus you need more mags (4-5)

Highly recommend you pick a solid belt - I've been running Safariland ELS belts for years -- they're very rigid and can't fall off like some of the other competition belts can (if the keeper comes loose)

I have a bunch of used gear that you could definitely use to get you started - PM me if interested (since this isn't the sales forum).
 

Ryan St.Jean

Regular Member
Dudes get so stuck in the problem admiration phase of gear selection before they even start competing.

It doesn’t matter if you show up with perfect gear. It matters if you show up with solid basic safety habits and a good attitude.

Spending a bunch of money on gear when you don’t really know what you are doing is going to lead to a lot of waste.

Read the rules and show up with the stuff you have that fits it best. If you stick with it you will see what people use and learn a lot more. Gear selections after several matches will be a lot better.
 
Dudes get so stuck in the problem admiration phase of gear selection before they even start competing.

It doesn’t matter if you show up with perfect gear. It matters if you show up with solid basic safety habits and a good attitude.

Spending a bunch of money on gear when you don’t really know what you are doing is going to lead to a lot of waste.

Read the rules and show up with the stuff you have that fits it best. If you stick with it you will see what people use and learn a lot more. Gear selections after several matches will be a lot better.
I agree. As I stated in the beginning, I wanted to use gear I have and shoot from concealment, however most ranges will not allow AIWB so its not an option. SO to start competing regularly I will need to buy some gear. I would like to use the experience of others to hopefully save some coin and buy the right stuff the first time.
 

Ryan St.Jean

Regular Member
I agree. As I stated in the beginning, I wanted to use gear I have and shoot from concealment, however most ranges will not allow AIWB so its not an option. SO to start competing regularly I will need to buy some gear. I would like to use the experience of others to hopefully save some coin and buy the right stuff the first time.

Generally you could move an AIWB holster to 3:00 if the rules say strong side. That would let you shoot with whatever gear you’ve got now.
 

pepperoni

Newbie
I agree. As I stated in the beginning, I wanted to use gear I have and shoot from concealment, however most ranges will not allow AIWB so its not an option. SO to start competing regularly I will need to buy some gear. I would like to use the experience of others to hopefully save some coin and buy the right stuff the first time.

Depends where you are... Most USPSA clubs will allow you to shoot in Limited (AIWB with iron sights) or Open (roland special). It isn't an ideal setup, but the rules dictate that people allow it. If a match is a true USPSA match, then you shouldn't have an issue.

Also, if anyone in the central to South Florida area would take me under their wing and let me play with some of their gear, I’d really appreciate it. I’ll pitch in range fees or we could work something out.

I'm in Sarasota - hit me up sometime?
 
Depends where you are... Most USPSA clubs will allow you to shoot in Limited (AIWB with iron sights) or Open (roland special). It isn't an ideal setup, but the rules dictate that people allow it. If a match is a true USPSA match, then you shouldn't have an issue.



I'm in Sarasota - hit me up sometime?
I’m on the east cost near palm beach. I do shoot in okeechobee, Frost Proof, and malabar. Maybe I’ll see you out there.
 
If a match is a true USPSA match, then you shouldn't have an issue.

This is what bugged me about the "most of the ranges will not allow AIWB" bit. Rule 3.3 states:

Host organizations may not enforce local rules except to comply with legislation or legal precedent in the applicable jurisdiction. Any voluntarily adopted rules that are not in compliance with these rules must not be applied to USPSA matches without the express written consent of the President of USPSA

Unless those ranges are in a jurisdiction where AIWB carry is literally illegal, they can't call it a USPSA match unless they've gotten special dispensation from The Beard himself.

The whole point of USPSA is that a shooter can go to any club match in the country and expect a consistent experience, at least with respect to rules.
 
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