Beginner IDPA course?

V

Verbal Clint

New member
I just called the local indoor range that has an IDPA club (the only one in my city) and they said that I couldn't shoot unless I took some 2 hr course they offered through one of their instructors. Is this typical, or just a case of "C-Y-A" or another way to squeeze money out of people?
 
Policies vary.

I can't blame an indoor range for requiring you take a class.
First, it is a profit center for their business and a range is not really a high margin operation.
Second, there are more safety risks to action shooting indoors than on a heavily bermed outdoor range. My IDPA club got thrown out of the only indoor range in the area because of a safety infraction that would have only gotten the individual offender DQed most places.
 
We never allow a new competitor to shoot without their first having demonstrated the ability to safely draw, shoot ( :eek: ), unload, etc. It benefits everyone - the competitor, the range, other competitors - to do so.
How much is being charged for the class? We do a no-cost, hour-long orientation/briefing prior to every match, but I've also been involved in teaching a two-day class, for which we charged $75.
 
My indoor range required an orientation before I could go on the list to do action pistol. It took about an hour, about 75 rounds, and $10. It was great fun.

Sadly, they stopped doing action pistol some time back, citing safety concerns with the concrete floor. Somebody slipped on a shell casing while running, and fell.
 
A gun range, with people standing shoulder-to-shoulder as they blast away at targets, floor, ceiling, overhead lighting, and they cancel action pistol because someone slipped on a case? That's funny. Sort of.
 
Here in San Diego there is only ONE range that will let you draw from a holster. And, it's an indoor range. None of the club ranges will let you draw unless it's a FORMAL match.:mad:
 
I'm not really complaining. It's just frustrating when the website says come out and shoot and then I find out there's a caveat. And it's also disappointing because of my upcoming schedule, I won't be able to shoot for a couple months.
 
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