The International Defensive Pistol Association, or IDPA is one of the most popular shooting sports in the world. With 30,000 members in over 70 countries, its popularity continues to grow. As the sport has aged over the years, the rules have changed from time to time to better reflect the changing nature of defensive pistil shooting. The current version of the sport is pretty great, but it could also be a little better. Here are three ideas on how to improve IDPA.
Allow Appendix Carry
Honestly I could stop the list right here and be done with it. Appendix carry is the most popular way for switched on CCW holders to carry their guns right now, and the fact that the shooting sport that is ostensibly focused on “defensive” use of a handgun doesn’t allow this common method of concealed carry is crazy to me. I can even write the rule for this: “Appendix Carry: shooters may position their holster and magazines forward of the hip when using this method of concealed carry. Concealment garment must be a closed front shirt, no vests allowed for shooters appendix carry. Holster and all magazine carriers must be inside the waistband.” Boom, done that is how to improve IDPA.
Allow longer courses and more rounds in the gun
Ideas two and three on how to improve IDPA are connected. I don’t want to turn the sport into “USPSA with concealment” but I’d also like to load my gun at or near capacity. Right now, the max number of rounds you can have in the gun is 10+1, and then 10 in your magazines. That’s a holdover from when the sport was founded during the Clinton AWB. Let’s cast off our restrictive chains and embrace freedom! A great way how to improve IDPA is let us load 15 rounds in our magazines.
Then, once we can have more bullets, let’s make the stages longer. Everyone likes to shoot, right? So more shooting is more better? Great! How to improve IDPA part three: up the maximum round count for a stage to 24. Think about how great that would be with 15 round guns! More shooting and more action means more excitement.
Personally, I think that these three ideas on how to improve IDPA make a ton of sense. They’re simple, easy to put in place, and would help position the sport as the thought leader in defensive pistol competition. Maybe if we all email IDPA HQ we can make it happen.
