USPSA Rig vs Duty Rig And AIWB

I’ve been shooting IDPA in my duty rig for years now and I do fairly well with it. I’ve also been shooting USPSA at a local club now for the last 4 months. I run my duty rig with my duty weapon which is a Glock 19 with the 12 lb trigger.

Out of about 30 shooters I am usually in the top 10. The top shooters are usually B, A or M. A bunch of the guys keep telling me to ditch the rig because it may be holding me back and get an actual production rig and get into some bigger matches. I think I would like to pursue that as long as bouncing back and forth between a few different set ups doesn’t present any issues. My duty rig is OK for local matches as a production set up but outside of local matches, it is not production legal because of how far forward my holster and mags are. If I did take this dive, I would most likely keep running the 19 for a while and then maybe consider getting a 34 if my budget allows for it.

I dry fire everyday and I alternate every other day between my duty rig and my AIWB off duty rig. How much of an issue would it present if I introduced a 3rd rig into my training? Would it even be an issue? Is it really not a big deal? Would it be a good balance to shoot IDPA with the duty rig and USPSA with the USPSA rig?
 

tylerw02

Regular Member
I seriously doubt your rig is holding you back. The best shooters win with just about anything. 99% is shooter, gear may get you that last 1%. I see guys every month running through in two divisions and for the most part, their time doesn’t change much at all between divisions.

Let’s say you can get 0.2 sec off your draw with a race holster and 0.2 off a reload. Six draws tops in a six stage match. If you’re shooting production, you may have ten reloads a match. So you gave 2.2 seconds to gain by switching gear. Is that the biggest fish you have to fry? Are your transitions in the 0.6s? Are you keeping your gun up and ready to go coming into position? Are you shooting on the move? Can you call your shots? Just shot calling on one piece of steel can save you 3 seconds.


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I seriously doubt your rig is holding you back. The best shooters win with just about anything. 99% is shooter, gear may get you that last 1%. I see guys every month running through in two divisions and for the most part, their time doesn’t change much at all between divisions.

Let’s say you can get 0.2 sec off your draw with a race holster and 0.2 off a reload. Six draws tops in a six stage match. If you’re shooting production, you may have ten reloads a match. So you gave 2.2 seconds to gain by switching gear. Is that the biggest fish you have to fry? Are your transitions in the 0.6s? Are you keeping your gun up and ready to go coming into position? Are you shooting on the move? Can you call your shots? Just shot calling on one piece of steel can save you 3 seconds.


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I think I may not have clarified it. What I’m saying is my duty gear is OK at Level 1 matches but that’s it. If I were to start shooting in Level 2 and 3 matches, I would need a production legal rig. Using my duty rig holds me back from shooting in Level 2 and 3 matches.
 

tylerw02

Regular Member
My bad. I completely misunderstood. I read it early in the morning.

If you are planning to shoot bigger matches, certainly play by the rules. My CCW feels awkward when I play more with my race gear. On the flip side, the race rig almost always seems fine no matter how long I walk away from it. Learn your indexes and you’ll be fine.

If three rigs are too much, can always shoot limited.

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TCB

Amateur
If you want to be competitive get a competitive rig. I’ve shot my duty rig at matches and done fine but there is a reason no one in the competitive world uses that stuff. I’ve never had an issue going back and forth between rigs. #somethingaboutamissionandatrain
 
FWIW, in USPSA, there is no exception for duty gear like there is in IDPA*. I don't care if it's a club match in BFE Arkansas where 5 people show up, they should either sign you up in Lim Minor or bump you to Open after the beep.

That said, is there a reason you can't run your mags & holster a touch farther back on your duty rig? Prod rules allow you to put them just behind the points of your hipbones, which is still pretty far forward. Changing your duty rig removes the problem of training with different setups.

*That I'm aware of. There may have been an update to the rulebook, or a thing I forgot in the rulebook, but I doubt it.
 
I should also say that I picked Arkansas out of the air as an exemplar hick state. I've actually shot a couple matches in Arkansas and I found them to be well-run, well-attended, and enjoyable.
 
FWIW, in USPSA, there is no exception for duty gear like there is in IDPA*. I don't care if it's a club match in BFE Arkansas where 5 people show up, they should either sign you up in Lim Minor or bump you to Open after the beep.

That said, is there a reason you can't run your mags & holster a touch farther back on your duty rig? Prod rules allow you to put them just behind the points of your hipbones, which is still pretty far forward. Changing your duty rig removes the problem of training with different setups.

*That I'm aware of. There may have been an update to the rulebook, or a thing I forgot in the rulebook, but I doubt it.

There is an exception:

“5.2.8 Competitors deemed by the Match Director to be full-time law enforcement officers with arrest powers or military personnel on current active duty orders, may be entitled to use their duty holsters or similar holster and related equipment when such equipment does not strictly satisfy the equipment or other requirements of the declared Division. The Range Master will remain the final authority in respect of the safety and suitability of using such equipment at USPSA matches. The use of such equipment, except as otherwise permitted in the rules, is restricted to Level I matches only.”

I’m not willing to change my duty rig for competition. I’m just wondering if anybody has experience bouncing back and forth between the two set ups. From what I’ve gathered, it’s a non issue and shouldn’t have any negative effects.
 
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TCB

Amateur
You’ll be fine. It’s like driving your POV to the Station and going on duty in a GOV. Part of me thinks that guys who are firmly in the “train like you fight” camp really need to work more on their ability to adapt than getting wrapped around the axel about having everything mirrored and their gear perfectly set up for them. (Not saying that any of that applies to the OP)
 
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