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Thread: Intro to USPSA gear

  1. #1

    Intro to USPSA gear

    I’ve decided to take the plunge and jump into USPSA this summer, with my first match being (hopefully) in June.

    I will be shooting Carry Optics. Given the new rule change, my firearm will be a Walther PDP with Deltapoint and X300U. I have a holster on order, which will go on a Safariland UBL with QLS. The QLS setup is mostly because that’s what I have, but it should provide a reasonable drop and offset while staying within the rules.

    My questions are for the remaining equipment:

    Without jumping too far into the deep end (i.e. I’m willing to spend a couple hundred bucks, but nothing too crazy), what is recommended for a belt and magazine pouches? For just starting out with CO, is one mag in the gun and three on the belt sufficient? Should those mags have 140mm extensions or will 18rd mags be sufficient for just starting out?

    I own plenty of shooting gear including a timer, so apart from a belt, holster, and mag pouches, is there anything else I should invest in now?

    Thanks,

  2. #2
    Member olstyn's Avatar
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    Sep 2014
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    Quote Originally Posted by ssb View Post
    Without jumping too far into the deep end (i.e. I’m willing to spend a couple hundred bucks, but nothing too crazy), what is recommended for a belt and magazine pouches? For just starting out with CO, is one mag in the gun and three on the belt sufficient? Should those mags have 140mm extensions or will 18rd mags be sufficient for just starting out?
    18 + 1 is going to mean that you usually only need to reload 1-2 times per field course, just like 21 or 22 + 1. You just might have to be a bit more careful about choosing where your reloads happen. In order to just try it out, I think you'd be fine to shoot a match with the stock mags.

    That said, in order to jump into CO (or Limited, really) and not feel like you're occasionally disadvantaged, you'll want at least one or two mags with 140mm extensions on them so that you can maximize your stage planning options.

    If you decide you really love it and want to dive in all the way after shooting a few matches with either all stock mags or one or two 140mm mags, it's easy enough to order more 140mm extensions. I personally have had good experience with Taylor Freelance extensions on my P99 mags, and I would expect that the 140mm extensions they make for the PDP would be good as well, but this is one of those areas where everybody has their favorite (or just one that has worked well for them, which is my case), and nobody is really "wrong," per se.

  3. #3
    Chasing the Horizon RJ's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    I’ve got all of 13 matches lifetime, and am a 36% shooter in Production, so I’m not exactly at the top end but:

    I really like my CR Speed Belt and DAA Racer mag pouches. Having a double Velcro belt is extremely convenient. I ran Ghost pouches for a while, but feel like the DAA Racers are a step up.

    As to other stuff, I use Pro Grip gel, reapplied as needed during the match. To make reloading easier between stages, I pack a Maglula and a small 4” square white IKEA oddments tray in a 1 qt zip lock. I dump the rounds I need in the tray, then reload mags w the lula. Any extras get dumped back in the zip lock along with the tray and lula before the next stage.


    I’m also transitioning to CO this summer. I got a couple 5 round extensions for two of my G34 mags and plan to carry 23+23+17 in a match, in three pouches. Defer to @olstyn who knows a thing or two about what works on a Walther.

    Good luck!
    Last edited by RJ; 05-02-2021 at 06:18 PM.

  4. #4
    Member Zincwarrior's Avatar
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    Oct 2016
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    Central Texas
    While I shoot Production, my compatriots in open etc.
    Typically have at least four spare mags.

    Alpha ,CR etc are all in the market on belts and mag holders. Look for the best deal and go for it. Stoegers website is great for having all that.

    It's going to be rough this year with the ammo situation but next year will be better.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by ssb View Post
    I’ve decided to take the plunge and jump into USPSA this summer, with my first match being (hopefully) in June.

    I will be shooting Carry Optics. Given the new rule change, my firearm will be a Walther PDP with Deltapoint and X300U. I have a holster on order, which will go on a Safariland UBL with QLS. The QLS setup is mostly because that’s what I have, but it should provide a reasonable drop and offset while staying within the rules.

    My questions are for the remaining equipment:

    Without jumping too far into the deep end (i.e. I’m willing to spend a couple hundred bucks, but nothing too crazy), what is recommended for a belt and magazine pouches? For just starting out with CO, is one mag in the gun and three on the belt sufficient? Should those mags have 140mm extensions or will 18rd mags be sufficient for just starting out?

    I own plenty of shooting gear including a timer, so apart from a belt, holster, and mag pouches, is there anything else I should invest in now?

    Thanks,
    Double Alpha Academy belt is very stiff and fairly cheap. One on the gun and 3 on the belt will suffice. Honestly you can get away with 2 on the belt and 1 in your pants pocket to make ready with. I have three pouches on my belt but one of them is just for the convenience of not having to dig around in my pockets, I shoot stages with just 2 spare mags and 1 in the gun. 18 round mags will be fine, but if you feel like it I would just get 1 140mm extension and just start each stage with that mag in the gun.

    For mag pouches the Ghost pouches, the DAA XiP, and the CR Speeds all seem to be perfectly adequate. They each have some quirks but nothing major.

  6. #6
    Site Supporter CleverNickname's Avatar
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    Aug 2016
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    TX
    Three mags on the belt is more than enough for CO. I used to run three reloads and then I realized after several years I had literally never used the third reload, and only rarely even used the second reload, so I went to just using two reloads plus one mag in the gun.

    18+1 won't really be that big of a disadvantage. You'll be reloading the same amount of times on most stages, but you might be forced into doing your reload at a slightly-less advantageous part of the course. Also, there may occasionally be something like a 20-round course where you'll have to do a reload but someone with a slightly larger magazine won't.

    As for equipment, I'm on my sixth year of using a DAA Premium belt and DAA Racemaster mag carriers, and am pretty happy with them. I had to replace the inner belt once a couple years ago when it wore out, but that's like a $20 part.

  7. #7
    Member
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    out of here
    Agree with everyone so far.

    A stiff belt is really important to me for reproducibility of holster position and reducing twist and flex.

    I use a Double Alpha like @Eyesquared

    I’d personally get at least one fully prepped magazine with extension (23 rounds typically) and you can use whatever for the other mag for the stage since total round count probably won’t exceed 23 plus 18 and you can start with whichever one you need in the gun for your stage plan.

    Also, I’d buy at least one good adjustable mag pouch for your primary reloading one and the others can be whatever if you’re saving costs.

    Most people at matches will be friendly and helpful. Just tell them you’re new and be friendly and paste and score when you can and people will go out of their way to help you!

  8. #8
    DAA pair has a stiff outer belt and fairly floppy inner belt. CR is opposite. Matter of preference, I went with DAA. Don't go for expensive pouches, I've had most, from Ghost to DAA to Guga Ribas, still prefer either Ghosts or plastic CAA. I like three mags on my belt, covers various scenarios and screwups (unloaded start with mag in a pouch + indavertent mag drop or stoppage, for example).

    I would absolutely go for the highest capacity mag 140 mm mag extension. I've shot a ton of high teens-20 round stages. 18 rounder leaves you no room for error (or aggression, depending how you look at it) and forces you to reload while your match mates will be faster by a couple of seconds just because no reload. I've seen multiple examples of people all the way up to supersquad whose mags supported 23+1 go all in, no reload, on 24 round stages if HF was high. Capacity is a huge advantage of minor PF, use it.
    Doesn't read posts longer than two paragraphs.

  9. #9
    Member olstyn's Avatar
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    Minnesota
    Quote Originally Posted by JCN View Post
    Most people at matches will be friendly and helpful. Just tell them you’re new and be friendly and paste and score when you can and people will go out of their way to help you!
    This may be the most important truth in the whole thread.

  10. #10
    I like most of Safarilands gear and thats what I tend to stick with. Their competition belts and mag pouches with ELS / QLS attachments works for USPSA 3-gun, and training classes. I converted the belt to a ratchet system and the entire setup continues to work well after 3 years of use.

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

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