Vest for IDPA

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Wwrhodes91

New member
Hello everyone. I don't frequent the forum, but I've gotten great advice here before. I just ordered a new holster and belt, and now all I need is a concealment vest to get going in IDPA. Any recommendations? I'm not going to pay over $85 or so. I live in Arkansas, so mainly the weather is warm to blazing hot and humid. Thanks!
 
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MrBorland

New member
I used the commonly-used 5.11 vest for a long time, but will start wearing a Duluth Presentation Jacket I got on sale. Maybe not ideal in the really hot weather, but you only have to don it (or any concealment garment) when you're actually shooting - otherwise, take it off and stay cool.

If I were in the market for another vest, I'd get one from Armadillo Concealment. Made in the USA for IDPA shooters by IDPA shooters.
 
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GJSchulze

New member
Be sure to read the IDPA rules about legal vests. I know it says that it must hide your gun, so no see-thru parts over the gun.
 
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GJSchulze

New member
You'll want to wear it unzipped, so it must not show your gun from the front. It probably will be OK, but it looks like the front might hang towards the back a little when unzipped. For club matches, no one will care unless it's obvious.
 
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Captains1911

New member
I was going to recommend that exact one from the sportsmanguide. I bought one myself for IDPA a few months ago and works as good as any, and us the cheapest I could find.
 
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Wwrhodes91

New member
I got it in XL even though I'm usually a L to try and make sure it would be big enough to cover everything. Hopefully it will be good. My girlfriend said she could embroider my name or something on it too, which will be nice!
 
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bamaranger

New member
get

Get the vest you want, in the weight that works, and don't be afraid of a "hot" vest. In the course of a day long match, you likely won't shoot more than 10-15 minutes. The rest of the time, you can be in your shirt sleeves and hang the vest on the bench or folding chair.

Bamaboy really likes the stiff, "Carhart" type cottons, as they sweep away so cleanly on the draw and mag changes.
 
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GJSchulze

New member
Rules for vests???? ***??? There are no rules in a gunfight!
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You're right about gunfights, but the OP said he was competing in IDPA, for which there are a few simple rules:

8.9. Concealment Garments
8.9.1. Legal concealment garments hide the holster, firearm, ammunition carriers, and loading devices from view.
8.9.2. The concealment garment test is for the competitor to stand with their arms straight out to the side, parallel to the ground. If the standing SO cannot see the previously listed equipment from the front, sides, or rear, then the concealment garment is legal.
8.9.3. Concealment garments may not be modified with plastic zip ties, wire, metal, Styrofoam, cardboard, or any similar material that would stiffen the garment or pockets. Patches may not be placed on concealment garment pockets used during a string of fire. Standard laundry starch is acceptable.
8.9.4. Weights may not be attached to concealment garments, but items may be placed in pockets. Pocket flaps may be inserted into pockets.
8.9.5 Specially made pockets for magazine stowage after a reload may not be used.
8.9.6. Lights do not need to be concealed.

If you want to participate in IDPA, then you have to follow the rules. The rules for a cover garment are hardly onerous and would be what you want if you used the vest for carry.
 
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boondocker385

New member
@GJS...

All of the people I work with carry firearms and a lot of other equipment daily while wearing suits. All of us have modified clothing including tailoring and reinforced and additional pockets weights to hold the bottom of our jackets down. Guess I can't play in my work clothes.

My non work attire includes similar modifications.

One clothing item we always look for in potential bad guys are vests BTW..
 
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Captains1911

New member
One clothing item we always look for in potential bad guys are vests BTW..
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Well then I hope you and your colleagues don't show up to an IDPA match that I am participating in and mistaken us all for bad guys...
 
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GJSchulze

New member
One clothing item we always look for in potential bad guys are vests BTW..
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You profile people by whether or not they wear vests? Any kind of vest? Photographers, fishing, or part of a three piece suit or do you mean like bikers' vests?
 
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zincwarrior

New member
OK this is going off topic.

IDPA typically permits shirts and other items if they abide by the rules. That includes Hawaiian shirts to dresss suit jackets. Most of the time I wear a shotgun vest (because it cooler which helps keep you alive in Texas :eek:) without problem to non sanctioned events. Further, there are separate exemptions made for police in their duty rigs. Most of us in Texas are just annoyed that the rules have changed and they want us to wear them in August. :mad: That rule is not being excessively enforced right now...;)

But remember it is a game. No need to get bent out of joint like some posters seem to be doing all of the sudden.
 
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boondocker385

New member
sorry didn't mean to hurt anyones feelings..... just trying to understand the "why" part since I thought IDPA was to develop skills for real world conflict.

Vests in all their forms are a typical "cover garment" that many use in various parts of the world to conceal their firearms along with a number of clothing and accessory items. And in my world people carrying guns often means they are going to use them for something bad at worse and at the least they are a potential threat. And profiling of all types works

We run into a lot of people carrying guns who are good guys but don't know how to dress to conceal nor do they get any real world training. My point is IDPA or other type shooting sports are supposed to prepare people for the real world, then do it realistically (and safely).

Again sorry if I tweaked anyone.
 
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GJSchulze

New member
In theory you are right about IDPA being practice for self defense and to some extent, it does that. But in actuality it is a shooting competition with rules. Quite a few rules and if you regularly go to a competition you will hear people complain about these rules as being unrealistic.

So rule: you must shoot from behind cover and take the targets tactically. However the Course of Fire (CoF) description may alter this in some way.
Rule: you must not drop a magazine on the ground unless it's empty or you had to yank it out because of a jam.

These two are reasonable, but let's continue.
Rule: You have to reload behind cover and when doing so, you can only move one foot (pivot foot). This is true even if you are behind a 10 ft barricade, shooting from one side and then moving to the other side. You can't reload while moving.
Rule: You may shoot out in the open if the CoF description tells you to. However, if you run dry while moving, you can reload while moving to cover, but once you reload you cannot shoot until you reach cover, even if it means not shooting some targets.

The reloading while not moving is a new rule. I've never heard an explanation why it's that way. In the real world I would reload on the move and then continue shooting if that was my only choice.


So, as zincwarrior said, it's a game. It certainly is practice in terms of being able to shoot, but it doesn't train you for being shot at.

Boondocker, I wasn't offended. I have a small frame and even with an XD 9mm subcompact the butt shows if I only wear a shirt over it. In the winter I just wear a jacket, but in the summer it's just too warm and would look even more suspicious if I wore a jacket. I'm retired, so I dress casually. I figure that non-gun people will have no idea and if a bad guy did realize it he just might leave me alone.
 
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RickB

New member
The reloading while not moving is a new rule. I've never heard an explanation why it's that way.
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In exchange for losing "round dumping", we got "flat-footed" reloads.
Both rules are/were intended to prevent firing extra rounds when it would be beneficial to do so in a competitive environment, but something that you would not do in a defensive environment; if you can't reload while running to the next shooting position, there's no advantage to dumping rounds to allow doing so.

To get back on topic; I much prefer an oversized Hawaiian shirt to any vest. I don't use the pockets on the exterior of a cover garment, so the extra weight and bulk of the vest are wasted on me. Though we no longer do "on the clock" retention reloads in IDPA, I could never understand going to a vest pocket with the depleted mag, then having to go under the vest to get the reload mag; go under the shirt/vest once, to both stow the depleted mag and draw the reload.
 
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