It’s no secret that countless Americans carry guns for self-defense. And even more use firearms for sporting purposes. But what if there was some way to unite the two? That’s where the inspiration for the IDPA came from. This competitive defensive pistol organization organizes events based around shooting from a concealable holster. In this post, we’re going to cover the IDPA’s rules for concealed carry holsters in their competitions.

What is the IDPA?

Founded in 1996, the IDPA (International Defensive Pistol Association) is the governing body of a defensive pistol shooting league. Their events focus on creating realistic defensive shooting scenarios and scoring them. That’s one of the most exciting parts about IDPA matches – it feels like you’re moving through a real-life scenario.

IDPA matches are some of the fastest-growing competitive shooting sports in the world today. More than 400 affiliated clubs exist in all 50 US states and over 70 countries. The organization includes 25,000 members across all of these regions.

The IDPA scores matches based on a combination of accuracy and speed. To do this, a shooter converts their accuracy score into time. Then, they add their accuracy time to their actual time and determine their final score.

Targets in an IDPA match can be either static or dynamic. In other words, some of them move, but others stand still. Targets can be made from a variety of materials ranging from cardboard to steel. In addition, most matches include some kind of “hostage” targets that will penalize a shooter. Some matches even involve clay pigeons used to simulate obstacles like door locks.

What Makes a Holster IDPA Compliant?

IDPA events aren’t a free-for all when it comes to gear. While it might be tempting, you can’t bring a trap shotgun to an IDPA event. Instead, they have extremely specific requirements for a variety of hardware. All of the equipment a participant uses for an IDPA matcht must be:

• Practical: all equipment must be easily worn all day. It must also be in a place where it’s easy to access at any time.
• Concealable: this includes both pistols and holsters. All equipment (except for a tactical light) needs to be worn in a way that an observer cannot see it when a participant has their arms out to their side parallel to the ground. Generally, this means a participant is limited to using a holster for concealed carry.
  

Finding the Right Holster for Concealed Carry

Think you’re interested in dropping in at your next local IDPA match? Before you do, you’re going to want to make sure you have all the right gear. And that’s where Southern Trapper can help.

We stock a huge inventory of holsters that are both highly concealable and extremely practical. They’re perfect not only for crushing the competition at your next IDPA match, but also for protecting yourself and the people you love from real-life threats. To learn more, check out our complete selection of holsters here.

Shop All Holsters Here