You are absolutely correct.C-dub wrote:Weren't the original requirements that the barrel be no longer than 3.8 inches? My 30SF originally met the requirements for the BUG category, but fails on the barrel length and weight now.
The BUG classification first appeared as of the 4/15/2005 published rule book. In that version, a BUG was any handgun:
- 5 rounds maximum per string; no reloads on the clock
- Single or double action
- .32 ACP or larger
- Holding a maximum of 5 rounds
- Semi-autos limited to a barrel length of 3.8" or less
- Revolvers limited to a barrel length of 3" or less
As of the October 2013 edition of the rule book, a BUG was:
- 5 rounds maximum per string; no reloads on the clock
- Single action, double action, double action only, or striker fired
- Semi-automatic or revolver
- Use a center fire caliber only (there were no other caliber specifications)
- Semi-autos limited to a barrel length of 3.8" or less
- Revolvers limited to a barrel length of 3" or less
Then came the 2015 rule book, and things got more complicated. In 2005 to 2013, the BUG division was for club-level matches only and were not recognized in any form of sanctioned match. As of 2013, BUG matches could be sanctioned as a Specialty Match so long pre-approval was obtained from HQ. AS of 2015, BUG became a required division for Tier 1 matches, and an optional division, at the MD's discretion, for Tier 2 through Tier 5. Also, it now became a Match Director's discretion to set start condition, holster use, and on-the-clock reloads. Semi-autos were moved into a separate designation (BUG-S), and revolvers into BUG-R.
That's when the semi-auto caliber limit moved to .380 minimum, the max barrel length was reduced to 3.6", size and weight restrictions were introduced, plus more restrictions about magazine length, etc. Also, start condition was changed to one in the chamber plus 5 in the mag, with extra mags charged to 6 rounds. The revolver designation also changed to 6 rounds, not 5 (rule 8.2.6.7.1.6).
Quite interestingly, with the 2015 preliminary rules, BUG-R goes back to a 5-round capacity, while BUG-S stays the same as in 2015.
And, as noted, the barrel lengths got chopped again to 3.5" for BUG-S and 2.5" for BUG-R. And the size constraints dropped considerably...a whopping 2.25" OAL difference for BUG-R.Dunno. Not even sure why I'm still trying to monitor the rule changes closely. Habit, I guess.
BTW, I've been keeping an archive of IDPA rules for a while now. I'm confident I have every published version since the 5/2/2001 rule book, and I believe I have everything going back to October 1996; most are searchable, but a couple of the older ones are scanned and not searchable. If any you ever want an older version for comparison, PM me and I can make it available.