How many times have I started an article this way? Not enough times. There are never enough matches, never enough variations on the theme. I love this game, and my friends are usually the people who enjoy it with me.
This is no different from many of the preceding articles. The weather was perfect for IPSC competition ... sunny, warm, a slight breeze enough to keep the climate temperate (as opposed, I guess, to "enough rain to keep the dust down" considering that this is, after all, The Pacific NorthWet. Sometimes late summer is sufficiently similar to late Spring to extend the desirable shooting season.)
I can use any available excuse to declare any given day "perfect shooting weather", without apology.
It wasn't raining, the wind wasn't blowing down the steel targets, the masking tape stuck to the cardboard targets (which weren't shrouded by plastic bags to keep the rain out), and the competitors weren't similarly shrouded in rain jacket and trousers. What more could I ask?
We like to find the 'different things' to make one match stand out.
This weekend, the "different thing" was that Catherine was carrying a 5" 1911 in an IWB holster, shooting in the Single-Stack Division (8-round magazine limit, holster and magazine carriers receded). As everyone knows, IPSC will get you killed because we don't typically compete in a defensive mode.
Catherine has been competing at local USPSA matches for less than a year now. She and her Partner, Jerry (not me, Some Other Infidel), are always friendly and eager to chat.
Sometime when talking to Catherine, you will hear her say: "Do you carry?" I can't say that she/they use USPSA matches as training for Concealed Carry skills, but this is the first time when I've seen Catherine in CHL mode.
When I noticed her IWB (Inside Wast Band) holster, I asked Catherine about it. How comfortable was it to carry on a daily basis? (Note that this image and link are included as "typical" IWB holsters; I have no reason to believe that this specific holster was the one she used.)
"I use to carry a 4" pistol, but I wanted to try the five inch. It turned out that it was no more difficult to carry than the four inch. With the shirt-tail out, you can't see it" she said, as she un-tucked her shirt-tail to demonstrate.
"Yes", I commented. "It adds a little bulk to your hip silhouette on the right side, but a casual observer would have to be looking very closely to notice the difference. It seems effective, but what about the extra weight?"
Catherine didn't seem concerned about the weight, and we didn't have time to really discuss topics such as fatigue generated by all-day concealed carry of a five inch 1911, because she asked "do you carry?" ... and I was on the defensive. (I have the CHL, but I don't carry ... it's an Academia thing, you wouldn't understand without a long discussion. I suspect that Catherine wasn't buying my apologia.)
I watched her on several stages, and the IWB holster carry didn't seem to affect her performance significantly. Note that she is still in the competitive level where she shoots slowly and deliberately, with much emphasis on accuracy.
(In the excellent match presented this weekend by Mike McCarter, this was an exercise in tactics as many stages required accurate shooting in preference to 'fast shooting', as the video demonstrates.)The photos illustrate the holster. The video illustrates the use of the holster only at the end of the stage, since the starting position requires the pistol to be placed on a table, loaded (not propped.)
Sorry, I don't have match results yet. However, the video has been loaded on YouTube and is presented below. Also, it is available as a 10mm download here.
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