Yuku free message boards

Drew,
Standby because for the first time since you joined the IDPAForum, we are going to agree.

Outlaw to me is a club that is not affiliated but uses most of the IDPA intellectual property, the IDPA rules, and does not write their own rulebook. They just use IDPA's rulebook with the exception of a few rules. Popular ones to ignore are magazine capacities, holster rules, and using cover for all reloads, etc. Of course one of the side affects of this is that they do not require their shooters to be IDPA members, which further takes money from IDPA. Recall in the beginning that it was not easy for IDPA. There were more nay-sayers than their were supporters. They have worked long and hard on that problem, and put their money at risk to do so. They should reap the rewards of this hard work and risk.

As an example, I live within a days drive of an outlaw club, run by the nicest guy and best shooter you would ever want to meet, and someone I have a ton of respect for. Some of their shooters come to our state match and we are vary glad to have them, they are a fun and hard working group and know how to have a great time where ever they are. But we SOs have had to explain some of the rules of IDPA to these shooters and they sometimes will not believe they are real rules. One older guy with a very nice Red Corvette made the trip to our state IDPA match several times. He was just sure he could wear shorts and knee pads for example. I think he left the match mad because he could not do that in our state match, and I was as sweet about it as one could be. (See Bubba's rules of escalation.)

Groups like TSA and IDSA have actually written their own rulebook, and although they are very similar to IDPA, they are different. It is not a cut and paste, it is a ground up new rulebook with different phrasing and some different rules. (You should read their rulebook if you are so inclined, it is a pretty darned good effort.) I have no heartburn over these clubs. They put in the time and effort to make their sport flurish, and should enjoy the fruits of their labor. It is in effect a whole new sport. Some of them even have multi-gun rules.

I also have no heartburn over Frank Glover's famous saying which paraphrased says, "I put on at least 6 IDPA matches a year as required, and this isn't one of them."

So this is just one man's opinion from the vacuum of Idaho, and holds no weight outside my own head. Food for thought as it were....

Have a good day,

Ken Reed

Edited to add that the MD of the outlaw club above actually started it as an IDPA club long ago, and would make it an IDPA club again, but the BoD or members won't have it for some reason. This MD is my friend, and one of the biggest IDPA supporters that I know. I clearly mean no disrespect to him and his continued efforts to get this club affiliated again, and it was used in my post purely to aid the discussion.