USPSA belt and holster

steve8140

steve8140

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For those of you shooting USPSA,

What belt are you using and how is the stiffness?

I will be shooting my Glock 17, what holster would you recommend?

I will also use this rig for shooting steel challenges and potentially a few 3 gun matches. I'm more of the "buy once, cry once" types and want a decent setup without spending a boatload ($500+). I have been shooting IDPA since 2011 and have some gear to start but I don't want to continuously be swapping gear around. Right now i'm considering the Double Alpha Premium belt.
 
Double Alpha makes good equipment. I use a CR Speed hi-torque belt along with CR speed versa mag pouches and a bladetech holster for my DW 1911
 
earthshine402 said:
get this and be done with it

http://benstoegerproshop.com/bsps-b...e-pouches-double-alpha-academy-daa-belt-deal/
Click to expand...

bill o said:
This.
Click to expand...

This again.
Not just because the cool kids say so, but because it's the best gear available. I have 1-6 of every mag pouch on the market, and I feel the ghost 360 is the best, and it's less expensive than most others. Just don't waste your time with the bullets out fad.

Oh, and the Boss DOH hanger will get you laid
 
If you have been shooting IDPA since 2011 I'm sure you have noticed there is little consensus on anything. Even the written rules are debated constantly. It's a personal preference on what is the best but most of the common manufacturers you see are good quality.

I have several belts, Double Alpha, Safariland ELS & Blade Tech all are good in general but some work better at specific things so that is why I use them all.

If you only want 1 the Safariland ELS belt is probably the most adaptable. Once the docks are installed on the belt you can easily re-configure or add / remove as events or stages dictate.

Shooting 3 gun you'll need shotgun caddies & AR mag holders as well and discussing what is best for those is like talking politics or religion.
Just go to a match and ask to try a bunch of different options and go with whatever personally works best for you.
 
If I were starting out again and was thinking seriously about USPSA AND Three gun, I would buy the Safariland ELS system. I have several belts so I never jumped on ELS but have seen it used by many.
 
While I agree that the Safariland Els system is fantastic for 3 gun because of its modularity it is not ideal for USPSA. Not only is there significant added costs but that modularity is not usable within the rules of USPSA . See rule 5.2.5.3


thormx538 said:
Which class are you shooting? If Production, look at the Ghost Hybrid rig set, and add a few mag pouches
Click to expand...

Division, not class
 
[FONT=&quot]5.2.5.3 states, "...the [/FONT]position[FONT=&quot] of holsters and allied equipment must not be moved or changed by a competitor during a match."

Simple to follow- Once the match has started you can't modify the configuration but the modular ELS system allows it's use in USPSA and 3 gun.[/FONT]
 
SJan said:
While I agree that the Safariland Els system is fantastic for 3 gun because of its modularity it is not ideal for USPSA. Not only is there significant added costs but that modularity is not usable within the rules of USPSA . See rule 5.2.5.3
Click to expand...

As long as you don't make a change or addition during the match, 5.2.3 does not apply.

5.2.3
Unless specified in the written stage briefing, the belt carrying the
holster and allied equipment must be worn during the course of fire ; the
belt must be worn at the waist level, which is deemed to be at the same
level as the original belt loops on the lower garment. (See 5.2.3.1 for
exceptions.) The belt or the inner belt or both must be either securely
fixed at the waist, or secured with a minimum of three belt loops. The
belt may be removed between courses of fire.
5.2.3.1 Lady competitors are permitted to wear a belt, holster and
allied equipment at hip level, however, the top of the belt
must not be positioned below the furthest lateral point of the
top of the femur (tuberosity major).

5.2.4

During the course of fire, after the start signal, unless stipulated
otherwise in the stage procedure, spare ammunition, magazines and/or
speed loading devices shall be carried in retention devices attached to
the competitor's belt and specifically designed for that purpose. Unless
specifically prohibited in the Written Stage Briefing, a competitor may
also carry additional magazines or speed loading devices in apparel
pocket(s) and retrieve and use them, providing that the location of the
apparel pocket does not violate the requirements of Appendix D, Item
12 (subject to the provisions of Rule 6.2.5.1).[\QUOTE]
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Double Alpha is tip top. I cheaped out and went with Scorpion when I first started because I didn't want to put in that much $ before I decided if I was going to keep it up. I shoot a Glock 34 and have 4 mag pouches hanging off of it and it holds it all up great. Belt is plenty stiff, I think I have had it for 2 years. If I ever need a new one it will most likely be a DAA, they seem to be very well made and last for ages.
 
The OP asked about USPSA, not 3 gun.

I used to have the ELS system because i got a few 50% off coupons for Safariland. One for a G35 in limited and one for a 2011 in limited. I ended up selling them both because the ELS belt is a pain in the ass - you have to get the nubs to line up just right, otherwise you must loosen or tighten the outer belt.. i always ended up tightening it and it was a bit too tight then.

For production division, go with the link I posted and call it done.

For limited, there are some other things to consider, but the OP didn't ask about that.
 
"The OP asked about USPSA, not 3 gun."

It appears the the belt is desired for multi use..... "I will also use this rig for shooting steel challenges and potentially a few 3 gun matches."
 
Overlord said:
"The OP asked about USPSA, not 3 gun."

It appears the the belt is desired for multi use..... "I will also use this rig for shooting steel challenges and potentially a few 3 gun matches."
Click to expand...
I guess my reading comprehension has some flaws, sorry, my bad...

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
 
To poke/drift this thread a bit, what is everyone's thoughts on when to "dive in" on good gear?

I've shot four matches and hope to do one or two more before the end of the season. I've been running pleb tier paddle mag pouches and a simple owb kydex holster and have been thinking about getting a Boss DOH Hanger package moving forward. I'm weighing getting the proper gear so I can being training with it right away versus the potential of needing to make changes down the line, and was interested in everyone's opinions.

Part of my hesitation is I'm still not sure what pistol I want to run. I plan to stick with production USPSA and I don't want to buy a set and then decide I am going to use a different pistol and have to add a holster. I'm currently flip-flopping on a Glock 34 or a CZ75 SP-01 Tactical. Yes, I know the Shadow is cooler/better but I would rather put the time/money into ammo/practice, etc. I am finding both of them at $590 +- a little bit.

I've never fired the CZ so I am a bit hesitant but I know the CZ family in general is really popular. My "main" pistol in the style is a P226 but it has the atrocious MA trigger (although I suppose I could see about getting it worked on) so I am comfortable with DA/SA. That said I preferred the consistency of the G19 trigger to the different pulls, although the heaviness of the MA trigger might have had something to do with that. I'm familiar with Glocks but I wouldn't say I love them but I think the G34 plus new sights would get me at least on course for something competition ready. I don't know how much work the SP-01 would need.

In the end I don't want buyer's remorse but I also don't want the scornful looks lol. To be honest though with my lack of skill I feel like it would be presumptuous to have fancy gear. I guess I could wait it out over the winter to decide but part of me thinks it's better to make a choice and get going on whatever I select.
 
daekken said:
To poke/drift this thread a bit, what is everyone's thoughts on when to "dive in" on good gear?
Click to expand...

I've just started USPSA this last year as well, so while I don't have the benefit of experience, I can give a different perspective.

While I don't have the toppest tier of anything, I've probably gone through two sets of gear, and my experience is that I regret none of the good gear I've bought because, from a psychological perspective, it makes me a better shooter.

That is to say, it's not the better gear itself, it's that I can't blame the gear. I have to acknowledge that I'm slow and I sometimes miss because I suck. And that's okay right now.

I can also recognize that I'm slowly getting better, and that that's also all me.

Basically, at this point, maybe I can get some very small marginal increase with the next tier of gear, but the only things I can realistically do is put more rounds downrange, enter more actual competitions, dry fire more, draw more, and train differently.
 
jrpascucci said:
While I don't have the toppest tier of anything, I've probably gone through two sets of gear, and my experience is that I regret none of the good gear I've bought because, from a psychological perspective, it makes me a better shooter.
Click to expand...
I think that's part of it for me. As much as I kind of don't want to admit it, I do feel a little looked down upon due to my crummy gear (there was one particular comment last match that stuck in my craw).

The other part of me thinks it would only help to have the gear sooner rather than later since I can start training with it in earnest rather than doing reps on my current stuff and then switching to something else.

I think I need to solve the pistol part first, whether that's G34, CZ or seeking some work on my P226. That way I can get the appropriate holster. It just kind of stinks to drop the money on a new pistol and then a couple hundred on a full rig back-to-back.

Then again the mantra from established folks has been "RIP your wallet" so I should have expected this.
 
Better gear is better because you can adjust it to fit you instead of adjusting to fit it. It will help you be more consistent.
That said, my multiple adjustment race holster is only a tenth or two faster than my cheap bladetech non adjustable.
 
daekken said:
To poke/drift this thread a bit, what is everyone's thoughts on when to "dive in" on good gear?

I've shot four matches and hope to do one or two more before the end of the season. I've been running pleb tier paddle mag pouches and a simple owb kydex holster and have been thinking about getting a Boss DOH Hanger package moving forward. I'm weighing getting the proper gear so I can being training with it right away versus the potential of needing to make changes down the line, and was interested in everyone's opinions.

Part of my hesitation is I'm still not sure what pistol I want to run. I plan to stick with production USPSA and I don't want to buy a set and then decide I am going to use a different pistol and have to add a holster. I'm currently flip-flopping on a Glock 34 or a CZ75 SP-01 Tactical. Yes, I know the Shadow is cooler/better but I would rather put the time/money into ammo/practice, etc. I am finding both of them at $590 +- a little bit.

I've never fired the CZ so I am a bit hesitant but I know the CZ family in general is really popular. My "main" pistol in the style is a P226 but it has the atrocious MA trigger (although I suppose I could see about getting it worked on) so I am comfortable with DA/SA. That said I preferred the consistency of the G19 trigger to the different pulls, although the heaviness of the MA trigger might have had something to do with that. I'm familiar with Glocks but I wouldn't say I love them but I think the G34 plus new sights would get me at least on course for something competition ready. I don't know how much work the SP-01 would need.

In the end I don't want buyer's remorse but I also don't want the scornful looks lol. To be honest though with my lack of skill I feel like it would be presumptuous to have fancy gear. I guess I could wait it out over the winter to decide but part of me thinks it's better to make a choice and get going on whatever I select.
Click to expand...

I bought good equipment after trying my first USPSA match a couple years ago. I didn't have any gear at the time and fellow NESer and GM USPSA shooter, SJan let me borrow one of his rigs to try out and I was hooked ever since. I quickly bought "good" equipment after that.

I like the CR Speed versa mag pouches since they can be used for all types of magazines - they come with different spacers for different mags (CZ, 1911, Beretta) etc. That way you don't have to buy multiple mag pouches specific to a type of mag.
CR Speed Versa Mag Pouch

CR Speed belt has been holding up well
CR Speed - Super Hi-Torque Belt- Black

BOSS Dropped & Offset DOH Holster
BOSS Dropped & Offset DOH Holster by Ben Stoeger Pro Shop

Or:
BSPS BOSS DOH Holster, 5 x Ghost Magazine Pouches & Double Alpha Academy (DAA) Belt Deal!
 
If this is something you plan to continue for a while, then you absolutely should get good equipment. But I usually have the mindset of buy once cry once...

As for the gun you should use, that's something you'll have to figure out. If it were between a 226, G19, and a G34, I would totally get the G34. Then if you throw in a CZ SP-01 I'd lean towards a CZ. But with the CZ, you will want to at least swap out the springs on the CZ because out of the box, the DA trigger is quite heavy. SA is decent. If you dump a few hundred bucks in Cajun Gun Works parts, the triggers are insanely nice.
 
andrew1220 said:
I bought good equipment after trying my first USPSA match a couple years ago. I didn't have any gear at the time and fellow NESer and GM USPSA shooter, SJan let me borrow one of his rigs to try out and I was hooked ever since. I quickly bought "good" equipment after that.

I like the CR Speed versa mag pouches since they can be used for all types of magazines - they come with different spacers for different mags (CZ, 1911, Beretta) etc. That way you don't have to buy multiple mag pouches specific to a type of mag.
Click to expand...
I've heard of the CR Speed stuff. They sponsor Steve Anderson's podcast and I've seen some people on the Brian Enos forums talk about them. Being modular like that sounds like a good feature since someday I might want to try single stack, or just be flexible. To be honest I don't understand how those belts work (two layer ones). Does one go inside the belt loops and other go outside of it? It probably makes sense to get at least some quality gear. I do want to keep doing this but there is a kernel of doubt in the back of my mind since I've been so abysmally bad so far.

andrew1220 said:
If this is something you plan to continue for a while, then you absolutely should get good equipment. But I usually have the mindset of buy once cry once...

As for the gun you should use, that's something you'll have to figure out. If it were between a 226, G19, and a G34, I would totally get the G34. Then if you throw in a CZ SP-01 I'd lean towards a CZ. But with the CZ, you will want to at least swap out the springs on the CZ because out of the box, the DA trigger is quite heavy. SA is decent. If you dump a few hundred bucks in Cajun Gun Works parts, the triggers are insanely nice.
Click to expand...
From what I've read the G34 is more "competition ready" to start, really only needing new sights and some polishing on the internals. When it's only a little more expensive than the SP-01, it makes it kind of enticing since my reading and your comment implies the CZ's need more work, although with a higher functional ceiling. I don't know if I'd ever outgrow the G34. Still, I don't particularly love Glocks although I don't dislike them either. No doubt the CZ is much sexier.

To be honest the DA/SA of the Sig really threw me off on that first shot. I'm guessing it's a combination of inexperience plus the 13 or so pound DA trigger I have. Still, it gives me a little pause on the DA/SA style.

I've been poking around for a used SP-01 or G34 without much success. Maybe it would be a way to ease the financial strain a bit and see how I like either.
 
I use CR speed belts. the inner one goes thru the belt loops on your pants, the outer one has all the holsters on it and attaches with velcor to the inner belt.

I would try different guns and see what works best for you. Neither CZ nor glocks work well for me, one may work better for you

I wouldn't worry about being bad, just be safe. We all were new at some point and sucked. I started out as D class shooter, it took a good amount of time figuring stuff out, asking questions and a whole lot of practice to move up
 
daekken said:
I've heard of the CR Speed stuff. They sponsor Steve Anderson's podcast and I've seen some people on the Brian Enos forums talk about them. Being modular like that sounds like a good feature since someday I might want to try single stack, or just be flexible. To be honest I don't understand how those belts work (two layer ones). Does one go inside the belt loops and other go outside of it? It probably makes sense to get at least some quality gear. I do want to keep doing this but there is a kernel of doubt in the back of my mind since I've been so abysmally bad so far.


From what I've read the G34 is more "competition ready" to start, really only needing new sights and some polishing on the internals. When it's only a little more expensive than the SP-01, it makes it kind of enticing since my reading and your comment implies the CZ's need more work, although with a higher functional ceiling. I don't know if I'd ever outgrow the G34. Still, I don't particularly love Glocks although I don't dislike them either. No doubt the CZ is much sexier.

To be honest the DA/SA of the Sig really threw me off on that first shot. I'm guessing it's a combination of inexperience plus the 13 or so pound DA trigger I have. Still, it gives me a little pause on the DA/SA style.

I've been poking around for a used SP-01 or G34 without much success. Maybe it would be a way to ease the financial strain a bit and see how I like either.
Click to expand...

Go find a shop selling the Sig P320 X5 and see how it feels in your hand. It's even more "competition ready" than the G34 in my opinion (it already has a Dawson fiber optic front and adjustable rear sight). It's on the "formal target shooting roster" so it's much easier to find in MA since shops can sell it. Also comes with 4 mags so you're pretty close to having all you need for Production.
 
Supermoto said:
I use CR speed belts. the inner one goes thru the belt loops on your pants, the outer one has all the holsters on it and attaches with velcor to the inner belt.

I would try different guns and see what works best for you. Neither CZ nor glocks work well for me, one may work better for you

I wouldn't worry about being bad, just be safe. We all were new at some point and sucked. I started out as D class shooter, it took a good amount of time figuring stuff out, asking questions and a whole lot of practice to move up
Click to expand...
Ah, so that how the belts work. I scored higher with the G19 in the last match than my first 3 matches with P226 but I think it's largely due to improving a tad in general from some practice and a little experience, since every match my scores have ever so slightly improved. I'm not a Glock fanboy or anything but it has worked well enough and is a known commodity for me. I do want to try as many different options as I can to see what I like best. Since I am left-handed, ambidextrous features are a plus.

mlaboss said:
Go find a shop selling the Sig P320 X5 and see how it feels in your hand. It's even more "competition ready" than the G34 in my opinion (it already has a Dawson fiber optic front and adjustable rear sight).
Click to expand...
At least one of the GMs in my squad last match was using one. I've also gotten emails about Sig factory refurb P320s for $380. Not the X5, but another potential option, with a lower starting cost providing a bit of funds for tweaking.

Feels like it's the old rock and a hard place. Not making a decision leads to potentially wasted practice time, making the wrong decision leads to potentially wasted money.
 

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