I'm speaking specifically about the changes to classifications last year. The original classes for autos could be summed up like this:
SSP: Stock guns of the type now issued to military and police. Manual safeties unnecessary, mainsprings at rest, lighter calibers, no speedy custom touches.
ESP: Cocked and locked and customized weapons in light calibers. Weapons and handling for the expert user and aficinado. Ostensibly, a seperate division because these weapons should handle and shoot faster than their SSP bretheren.
CDP: Heavy recoiling guns like 10mm and .45. Kept seperate due to their slower shooting, harder hitting chamberings.
This seemed like a pretty logical approach. Here's what they did in the new rule book:
SSP: Same as before accept you can now add more custom stuff as long as some pistol of the same make comes with it. Largely an advantage for Glock users who decorate their "stock" guns with parts from IPSC designed G34/35 series match guns. Despite a relaxed mainspring mandate, there is no minimum trigger pull, so some Glockers are down to 3 lbs.
ESP: Now the "anything single action" division. Regardless of trigger pull weight or actual trigger utility, anything that has a mechanically single action first shot is stuck here. This includes the very Glock like Springfield HD and tiny HK P7, which are now grouped with customized Brownings and .38 1911's.
CDP: Formerly the big bore division, this has become the .45 ACP club. This is particularly senseless since even heavier recoiling guns like 10mm and .40 Super are now shooting with the 9mm's in SSP and ESP.
What started as a way of keeping the game fair with a stock division, gamer's division and heavy division has become a farce that encourages Glock gamesmanship in the SSP division and punishes those who choose unusual trigger designs or more lethal calibers. This seems like a departure from the "street smart" mandate of IDPA and seems to largely reflect the Glock/1911 bias of the directors.
I shouldn't have to say this, but I like Glocks and 1911's and own both and this is not an attack on those platforms. It is an appeal for reality in a reality based game.
SSP: Stock guns of the type now issued to military and police. Manual safeties unnecessary, mainsprings at rest, lighter calibers, no speedy custom touches.
ESP: Cocked and locked and customized weapons in light calibers. Weapons and handling for the expert user and aficinado. Ostensibly, a seperate division because these weapons should handle and shoot faster than their SSP bretheren.
CDP: Heavy recoiling guns like 10mm and .45. Kept seperate due to their slower shooting, harder hitting chamberings.
This seemed like a pretty logical approach. Here's what they did in the new rule book:
SSP: Same as before accept you can now add more custom stuff as long as some pistol of the same make comes with it. Largely an advantage for Glock users who decorate their "stock" guns with parts from IPSC designed G34/35 series match guns. Despite a relaxed mainspring mandate, there is no minimum trigger pull, so some Glockers are down to 3 lbs.
ESP: Now the "anything single action" division. Regardless of trigger pull weight or actual trigger utility, anything that has a mechanically single action first shot is stuck here. This includes the very Glock like Springfield HD and tiny HK P7, which are now grouped with customized Brownings and .38 1911's.
CDP: Formerly the big bore division, this has become the .45 ACP club. This is particularly senseless since even heavier recoiling guns like 10mm and .40 Super are now shooting with the 9mm's in SSP and ESP.
What started as a way of keeping the game fair with a stock division, gamer's division and heavy division has become a farce that encourages Glock gamesmanship in the SSP division and punishes those who choose unusual trigger designs or more lethal calibers. This seems like a departure from the "street smart" mandate of IDPA and seems to largely reflect the Glock/1911 bias of the directors.
I shouldn't have to say this, but I like Glocks and 1911's and own both and this is not an attack on those platforms. It is an appeal for reality in a reality based game.