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hi-power wrote:

Skiprr wrote:Pancakes, front sight, press.

Just to be clear, in IDPA, can you let the pancakes fall on the ground, or do you have to retain them?

Well, a slide-lock pancake drop isn't feasible, because the pancakes would then be inedible. So you have the Tactical Pancake (TP), or the Pancake with Retention (PWR). While on some stages you can gain time with the TP, because the pancakes can still be in your hand while you run to cover, PWR is most often the way to go.

Ahem.

age_ranger wrote:Definitely looking forward to it..!!!!

Just remember the mantra of competitive shooting: 1) take the pancakes off your head; 2) focus on the front sight; 3) p-r-e-s-s the trigger.

Pancakes, front sight, press.

Pancakes, front sight, press.

age_ranger wrote:Even if you just go and shoot it, at least you'll get practice and know what to expect later on.

Excellent! If we're talkin' a first-time IDPA shooter, he or she should realize that the Classifier's Limited Vickers scoring is more strict than what they'll encounter in most regular matches.

Go shoot!

Oh, and I said I'd shut up, didn't I? We may need this Topic moved to "Competitive Shooting" so the real authorities might see it...

I really need to step aside, be quiet and listen, and let the folks who are truly knowledgeable answer. I probably shouldn't have shouted from the peanut gallery in the first place, 'cause I am far from an IDPA authority; maybe in a couple of years... And I don't want to convey any incorrect information.

But, age_ranger, I think you read the rulebook correctly. I think you have to be a member of the IDPA itself--and take your membership card and the Classifier card that comes with it--to shoot the Classifier. I imagine it's up to individual clubs to stage "practice," not-on-the-record classifier runs if they choose to. And I don't think there's anything that says you can't run a regular club match using the Classifier CoF without it actually being a Classifier.

I sure hope I'm not just digging myself in deeper.

Steve, Tom, Charles, Marc, Bob, et al? Somebody who really knows what he's talking about?

40FIVER wrote:Skiprr_ In your post above, you seem to interchange the words "classifier" and "qualifier" like they mean the same thing. Is that correct? Are they the same?

Oops. No. I went back and caught one of them before I posted, but I guess I left another "qualifier" in there.

It is a Classifier. It's essentially a "test" to be able to place your skill level into a classification. In and of itself, you're not "qualifying" for anything.

Sorry 'bout that.

hi-power wrote:This coming Saturday is an IDPA qualifier only. I honestly don't know if it would be good for you to do that your first time, (or at all).

Those more knowledgeable will slap me down if I lie, so I don't mind throwing my opinion in the bucket for dallas_drummer.

I think a number of clubs are pretty lax when it comes to IDPA regulations if the matches are just "fun shoots," and not sanctioned IDPA matches. By the IDPA rules, you're allowed to shoot one match without being an IDPA member, so you can try before you buy. But you're expected to have your membership by the second match. You don't have to shoot the Classifier by then, though.

You're expected to shoot the Classifier once every 12 months. The score on the Classifier is what determines the Class you shoot in each Division you choose. Oh, except Master Class shooters are excluded from the once-a-year requirement; they don't have to prove themselves every 12 months.

But the classifier is nothing to sneeze at. It's Limited Vickers scoring--meaning that only the specified number of shots count; you can't make up any shots--and it's designed to test just about all the basic elements in IDPA. You have to do freestyle shooting, strong-hand only, weak-hand only, on the move, from cover, do both slide-lock and retention reloads, and all that neat stuff.

IMHO, though, it's not a good thing to do up front unless you've already done a lot of defensive pistol work and are confident in your skills. Otherwise, I think it's a good idea to shoot a few IDPA matches before you try the qualifier. Now, there's no huge downside to doing the Classifier early other than you may end up feeling disappointed if you get a "Novice" rating. But I think it would be a more pleasant experience if you were confident you were ready for it.

Details about the 90-shot Classifier can be found in Appendix 8 of the IDPA Rule Book. And Collin County IDPA has some good suggestions for running the Classifier here: http://www.ccidpa.org/clastips.html. Finally, Mas Ayoob did a how-to piece on the Classifier in one of the recent gun mag annual issues; don't have any of those here at work <duh> but I can find it for you tonight, if you want, while I watch Ohio State...