IDPA Defensive Multi-Gun Rules

I cannot tell you how excited I am for this.  Here’s a link to the new IDPA Defensive Multi-Gun Rules, which are IDPA’s hand at 3-gun competition.  I am SO EXCITED.  I love IDPA – probably because it’s the first game I ever shot, but it has stuck with me since.  I also love shooting more than just handguns, so IDPA finally adding official multi-gun rules is pretty cool.  First, let’s look at the divisions for IDPA Defensive Multi-Gun.

Stock Service Gun
Firearms permitted for this division must be:
A. Rifle: 5.56 x 45 mm (.223) or larger caliber, with iron sights only.
B. Shotgun: Pump only in 12 or 20 gauge, with iron sights only. No more than
five (5) rounds may be loaded in the magazine at any time , Six (6) rounds
max in gun.
C. Pistol: Any IDPA SSP legal pistol or revolver using IDPA legal capacity

Cool. This is where your stock ARs/AKs and Mossberg 500s are going to live. What’s great about this is that so many people already have all this gear and can get shooting!

Enhanced Service Gun
Firearms permitted for this division must be:
A. Rifle: 5.56 x 45 mm (.223) or larger caliber, with iron or single optic sights
only. The use of an inline optical magnifier is legal.
B. Shotgun: Pump or semi-auto only in 12 or 20 gauge, with iron sights only.
Five (5) round magazine limit, Six (6) rounds max in gun.
C. Pistol: Any IDPA legal pistol or revolver using IDPA legal capacity

Here are you optics. Got an Aimpoint or an ACOG on your AR? This is where you’re going to be shooting. I predict this will be the most populated division in IDPA Defensive Multi-Gun, as there are a lot of people with ARs that are wearing optics out there.

Stock Pistol Caliber Carbine
Firearms permitted for this division must be:
D. Rifle: 9 x 19 mm or larger pistol caliber (including .30 carbine) with iron
sights only.
E. Shotgun: Pump only in 12 or 20 gauge, with iron sights only. Five (5) round
magazine limit, Six (6) rounds max in gun.
F. Pistol: Any IDPA SSP legal pistol or revolver using IDPA legal capacity

Honestly though, I’m most excited about the two pistol-caliber carbine divisions. This has been something that’s been lacking in the shooting world – an official competition for the thousands and thousands of pistol carbines out there. People with Kel-Tecs, Hi-Point carbines, Thompsons, Ruger PC-9s, Beretta Storms, and of course AR carbines now have a place to run that carbine in competition. I think this is a GREAT move on the part of IDPA to incorporate this; pistol carbines are popular and are everywhere, and this is a great way to attract shooters to the sport.

Enhanced Pistol Caliber Carbine
Firearms permitted for this division must be:
G. Rifle: 9 x 19 mm or larger pistol caliber (including .30 carbine) with iron or
single optic sights. The use of an inline optical magnifier is legal.
H. Shotgun: Pump or semi-auto only in 12 or 20 gauge, with iron sights only.
Five (5) round magazine limit, Six (6) rounds max in gun.
I. Pistol: Any IDPA legal pistol or revolver using IDPA legal capacity

I think I’ve just found the division that will have the second largest number of shooters. Got a Beretta Storm with an Aimpoint clone on it? Welcome to Enhanced Pistol Caliber Carbine. I figure this will see a lot of shooters, and could in fact have more bodies in it than Enhanced Service Gun. Me personally, I’m planning on competing in Stock Pistol Caliber Carbine. This will allow me to get back in to multi-gun competition for a lot less money than shooting regular 3-gun matches, because .40 ammo is a lot cheaper than .308 or even .223.

This is a great step for IDPA. The rest of the rules cover things like concealment (not recommend for long gun stages), reloads and general stuff. I am really excited to see this, and hope to see clubs starting to run these IDPA Defensive Multi-Gun matches soon. Right now, these rules are provincial – club level only. If this is successful and local clubs report high turnout, it wouldn’t surprise me if sometime in the near future we saw an IDPA Defensive Multi-Gun National Championship. Bring it on!

18 Comments

  1. Well shit now I have to go out and buy a shotgun. Hello Benelli Nova Tactical.

  2. I’m not so ecstatic to see “Official” rules.

    We’ve been shooting rifles and shotguns as “unofficial” COF for years now.

    I’ll have to review the rules in some more detail, but just the general nit-pickery of IDPA here might be far more trouble than it’s worth for the benefits.

    Previously, it’s been a lot of fun doing rifle and shotgun stages. Codifying the rules, especially IDPA-style might take most of that fun out.

  3. Specific codified rules aren’t necessarily a bad thing, especially if their intention is to grow the sport beyond just “take a stage, move the targets around, and call it a rifle/shotgun side match.”

    Caleb, since you’ve read the new rules, I’m curious: what, if any, limitations do they put on the distances that rifle targets can be placed at?

    If there’s no limit on target distance, this will put the pistol caliber carbines at a distinct disadvantage at distances past 100ish yards, which might have the unintended effect of making those divisions into a wasteland.

  4. The rules state that 75% of rifle shots should be at 50 yards or less, with occasional shots out to 200 yards being “encouraged”.

  5. I like that Stock Service Gun Class. A lot. I loves my me three gun, but shotgun is currently a Mossberg 500 with a 7+1 mag and it’s at too much of a disadvantage when I go up against other Tac Iron competitors running tricked out Benellis and 870’s.

    But,

    With a 5+1 limit, reloading speed is going to be even more crucial than it is in Tac Iron. Shotgun stages tend to denigrate into reloading speed competitions and not shooting matches.

  6. Interesting. 200 yard shots with a pistol caliber carbine are doable, but it’ll definitely be pushing the limitations of that particular platform. I assume targets are to be IDPA-style paper or steel poppers?

    I’m not so wild about the capacity limitation on the shotguns being cut off at a total of six, though. Defensive shotguns with barrels of 18.5 inches with capacities of eight or nine rounds are fairly common.

    That said, they aren’t as common as guns with capacities of five or six, so I can kinda-sorta understand why they did it.

  7. The shotgun rules are horrible IMO…. 5rd max? 10rd max on a shotgun only stage?????
    most of your SD/tactical shotguns hold 7 in the tube, us Saiga guys can buy 10rd mags for cheaper than you can get ahold of a good 5rd (at least the last time I had money to spend on mags for my S12)
    *shakes head in frustration

  8. have you shot a nicely setup one?
    beats the hell out of any mossy, benelli, or other that I’ve shot, less recoil, box mag, and same ergonomics as my rifle….
    shotgun and 223 rifle that have the same stock, same grip, same trigger, same feel in the hand…….

  9. Saigas are specifically illegal in IDPA Multgun. The rules state that detachable box magazines are a no-go for any shotgun, limiting the guns to the more traditional tube fed magazine types.

  10. figures….. if you can’t beat it….. BAN IT

    oh well, so much for my hopes of getting into IDPA

  11. Now, it could be argued that because it’s listed under “modifications” then a stock Saiga would be legal.

    But who knows? I’d imagine that at a club match it wouldn’t be that big a deal.

  12. That is where you would get into some really wild conversation though, stock as it what?
    as built?
    as imported?
    as bought from a US MFG?
    and all saiga’s have box mags no matter if they’re restored to PG or left in imported ‘sporter’ configuration.
    that is a conversation that I have to have with Knob Creek for this fall before I spend the money to register for their shotgun match

  13. Anyone else notice on PP16 that an extended safety button is both permitted and excluded?

    The draft is from 2008, I suppose its fixed by now?

  14. This idea is tooo kewl… now I can bring the Marlin .357 lever and let it run a stage with it’s little brother Ruger Security Six and their cousin Marlin 12… WOW.
    Seriously- ‘playing’ around useing this combo on personal time with buddies for fun, so why not use it in a competition other than cowboy? Especially considering these may be the only weapons available, or what one is used to.
    I don’t see a downside to it other than speed loading the lever as quickly as a magazine fed semi.
    Shy III

  15. Glzad to see they are finally out,. I agree that a lot of clubs have been doing their own thing but i also think this could make others start running an IDPA 3 gun instead of IPSC since their is another set of offical rules now. I’ve wanted to do 3 gun for awhile now and IPSC seemed too much of a learning curve, least realistic, and more expensive in equipment and ammo. I think this will be what final gets me out at one. Caleb, does ACC or another Indiana club plan on running an IDPA 3 gun sometime next year to your knowledge?

    Actually while I could see the capacity being somewhat higher like 8 and the total string around 12 or so, I like the shotgun rules. As ExurbanKevin says keeps the shotgun rounds a shooting and not a reloading competition.

    I hope the “modifications” interpretation on the Saiga’s magazine being stock is they way people will read it. I don’t know what Caleb has against them (probably they rock too much!), but being an AK guy they make the most sense for me to run. Like Jesse, I am now in need of a defensive style shotgun and the same manual of arms for my rifle and shotgun would be nice (maybe not as much fun…).

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