From Berms to Bullseyes: My Action Pistol Equipment Evolution.
- Jason
- Jun 9, 2024
- 9 min read
When you first come to the range to give Action Pistol a visit, its easy to get caught up in the flashy gadgets and wiz-bangs that some of the shooters are sporting. Serious sportsmen can spend a fortune trying to shave seconds off their time but they frequently shave dollars off their check book ledger also. Although I am certainly guilty of trying to keep up with the Jones's, I am confident that I would be just about as fast today if I were still running the some of the inexpensive equipment that I purchased in late 2022.
I must first admit that we started with pistols that we owned. These were hand-me-down Glocks and a month into our adventure we found ourselves in Monadnock Firearms in Fitzwilliam, NH to purchase two pistols to enjoy and call our own. We had been in several gun shops prior to Monadnock Firearms but we never got the warm and fuzzy feeling that we received in Fitzwilliam. In other shops it seemed like we were bothering the employees, like we were getting in their way. These folks know their products and they know customer service. They were patient with both my wife and I. They answered the questions we had and they even answered a bunch of questions we didn't know we had. They were never pushy. They have become friends of ours now and we highly recommend them for all firearm purchases. I came home that day with a Glock 34. It was strongly recommended from some of the shooters at the range for its long sight radius, low recoil and reliability. I upgraded it with a performance trigger and a extended slide release. I loved it and shot it a ton over the next year.
At that time I purchased a new holster to go with it. Black Scorpion Gear was highly reviewed on Amazon and worked flawless for me. It's made out of Kydex with a carbon fiber look to it. It sits appropriately on the hip, covers the trigger and has an audible click noise when the firearm is secured into position. It is priced very reasonably at $56.99 at the time of this writing and I would recommend it.
Action Pistol consists of putting two shots on each paper target and one shot on each steel. Standard magazine capacity for the Glock 34 is 17 rounds and yes, I was a bad shot. Slow and inaccurate. So these are extra magazine holsters. Honestly though, you need them even if you are are a great shot. Some stages have the need to send 30 shots down range. These are a universal double stack mag pouch sold by the Bedone Store on Amazon. They are cheap money, $22.99 at the time of this writing and worked great. It also doesn't hurt to invest in a few additional magazine. One in the firearm and two on the hip seem to be adequate.
Hearing protection is a must have. When we started we had normal everyday run-of-the-mill hearing protection and it did the job. It made the sound of fire very tolerable but it also made conversation darn near impossible. Soon we were back in the market for some electronic assisted ear muffs. These 3m Peltor Sports are not a must but they are an amazing convenience. The microphone picks up conversation and plays it to speakers inside. Then when shots start firing, it reduces that noise to a tolerable decibel rating. Communication on the shooting range is extremely important. You have to be able to hear the Safety Officers commands and these make that easy. They aren't cheap but they are a wonderful addition to the range bag. At less than $100, they are a convenience that everybody at the range has seemed to justify.
This one is simple, yet very important. Eye protection. At some point you will be very happy you are wearing this. Whether it is lead spatter off of steel targets or a random brass ejection coming straight at your snot box. Eye protection isn't just a good idea, it is a requirement. These were super cheap Home Depot specials. No frills and works as designed.
USPSA, IDPA, PCSL and all the other acronym shooting leagues are littered with red dot shooters. Red dots simplify shooting. Iron sights require shooters to line up the rear sight with the front sight and then the target. Red dots just have to put the dot on the target and blast away. This is the Trijicon SRO which I also got from Monadnock Firearms. The SRO (Specialized Reflex Optic) has a massive field of view making for quick dot and target acquisition. It has a low profile so it is natural to the shooter to be able to pick it up and perform with it. It also has a top loading battery slot so the operator doesn't have to remove the sight to change the battery out. This is very important if the battery fails during competition. I believe I paid about $580 for this in 2022.
Early on I found that getting an actual dedicated stiff shooting belt is very important. I thought that my twenty year old leather everyday belt was fine until I found out that it wasn't. When the timer chirps and the firearm leaps from the holster, the holster shouldn't be floundering like a fish out of water. A stiff holster is no good if it isn't attached to stiff belt. So one fine Saturday afternoon we made a trip to Monadnock Firearms where they stock Kore Essentials Gun Belts. I believe they were $60ish and made a significant difference in the rigidity of my equipment while drawing.
The above seven items are what I started my adventure with. If I had continued to run the Glock 23 my family member lent me, I easily could have frequented the range with less than $200 worth of money spent on gear. (Holster $56.99, Mag holster $22.99, belt $60). Instead I chose to purchase a $600 firearm and put a $580 optic on it, then add $100 hearing protection. I don't regret any of these purchases. Q: Why am I doing this Action Pistol stuff? A: To have fun. For me, I wanted the G34 with the SRO.
Then 2022 comes to a close and Matrix Arms Invictus comes to town. A couple local boys are producing a steel frame 40 ounce, 1911 grip angle, Glock component compatible competition pistol and it is buttery smooth and has near zero recoil. OK, take my money. I went over the details with the Matrix Arms guys and they sent it to Monadnock Firearms for me to purchase. This slammer was $2,170.00 with all the added features I requested and worth every penny when compared to firearms in its class. Plenty of other manufacturers are selling this quality at 7k and up. The minimal felt recoil of this rocket ship does make for much faster splits. Take into consideration that I still consider myself to be a new-to-competition shooter. This gun will out shoot me for years to come but at least now I am growing with this tool. I could talk for days about this firearm. I am amazed by it.
This is not a novelty item. MidTen bore Sighting Laser
Turn on the laser, chamber it and line up your red dot. This makes sighting in your pistol a breeze. Sub $20. We have used this frequently over the last couple of years and love it. Simple, tried and true.
Did you know that the next PCSL match at CCSSEF is this coming weekend? June 15th, 2024
0%No, I cannot believe this is the first I have heard of it.
0%Yes, I've been looking forward to it since the last one.
0%I am aware and rather upset I cannot attend.
0%I thought PCSL stood for Pacific Coast Soccer League.
I will say that I have gone through a bunch of range bags since day one. They have all been great in their own ways but the last one I purchased will likely be the last one I purchase. Its DSLEAF Duffle Range Bag ($69.95) that came with tons of pockets, 16 mag pouches and three adjustable inner dividers. I ended up removing the dividers all together so I could put my new competition belt in there all assembled. There is plenty of room for the belt and all the other goodies you see above. It is durable, spacious and well thought-out. I may have to change if I ever go to Two-Gun or Three-Gun but I am currently wicked happy with this. (My wife would like to point out that this was the first range bag she purchased and I initially declared it to be too big. Once again, my wife was right in the first place, but I need to try different things to confirm this. Besides, she has since opted for a smaller bag, possibly because I can now fit all the additional items in mine, but really because her cat decided to pee on it. The great thing is that with the plastic lining, your gear stays dry. And yes, my wife wrote this part.)
I also upgraded my hearing protection. Over-the-ear muffs work great but do have a down fall in that the bows for eye protection do create a small gap between the wearer and the muff padding. For this I opted to purchase the new Axil XCOR ear buds. They work the same as the electronic ear muffs as they muffle the loud stuff and let you hear the important stuff but they come in an ear bud platform. No padding to fight for skull real estate with eyewear and no wires to get caught on shirt collars. The pair I purchased have Bluetooth capability so the users can take phone calls or listen to music in their down time. I personally cannot imagine listening to music when at the shooting range as I am always engaging with the other competitors, resetting stages, and generally just paying attention to my surroundings, but I guess it would be nice to have in other settings.
My most recent change has been to replace my belt and mag pouches with a system manufactured by Black Scorpion (again) and a Hydra P Holster made by Ghost International.
The Black Scorpion Gear Pro HD Belt and Mag Carrier Combo is pretty awesome. I installed the Hydra P hostler on it in a fixed position and I never take it off. I Installed the adjustable Black Scorpion mag carriers on it and never take them off. When I get to the range, I take off my everyday civilian belt and put on the Black Scorpion inner belt and then I put on the Velcro Outer Black Scorpion belt which has the holster and mag pouches already fastened to them. These items are always in the same position. A lot of competitive shooting is muscle memory and having consistency with your gear is vital. This belt is also incredibly stiff so when you thrust the palm of your hand onto your firearm and jerk it upward, the holster doesn't waiver in any way, which leads to a clean, quick and resistance free draw. The mag pouches are installed on my left hip and are angle adjustable. The previous mag pouches were oriented in the straight vertical position which meant that the magazines had to be pulled straight up for removal. With the ability to lean these pouches forward, now the magazines can be quickly removed by pulling them from the carriers in the forward direction of the firearm. No need for up movement and then forward movement. Less movement directions, faster reloads.
If you have enjoyed this article and it hasn't quite persuaded you to join us for a Wednesday night practice, maybe this blog will help push you over the edge:
The Ghost Hydra P holster is awesome. Most holsters that I have found use tension of the surrounding Kydex to secure the firearm. Not this beauty. This holster uses a manual rolling
ball lock system to secure the firearm in the holster when not in use. When the command to "Make Ready" is presented, flip the easy to access switch on the rear of the holster and the firearm is now restriction free. The Hydra is hard mounted to the belt so it is always in the same position. It does have adjustments to tilt the position forward and back. A significant improvement over my previous holster is the position in which the firearm now rests. Now my draw position is two inches out away from my body and three inches further down. This gets the handle of the Matrix Invictus out and away from clothing and obstructions. When I go to get the gun, the gun is now all I get. My thumb has plenty of space to easily come down the left side of the handle giving me a firm and consistent purchase every time.
That is it. This is the setup I currently run with and I am currently wicked happy with it. I am far from immune to the shiny thing syndrome but I don't foresee any need for additional gear purchases this year. If you have been keeping count you'll surely notice this has racked up a hefty price tag but the lion's share of it is tied up in the Matrix Invictus firearm. Shy of purchasing this competition dedicated bullet hose, the remaining items total to a reasonable investment in a hobby that I love. And furthermore, who says that we have to be reasonable with our purchases? I don't recommend spending the rent money on holsters and race guns but beyond that I cannot find a reason that you shouldn't "make ready".
Publisher's note: I am not a spokesman for Cheshire County Shooting Sports Education Foundation. My opinions are completely my own and not those of CCSSEF. I am a member there and do enjoy spending my free time at that facility. I created this website to spread the word on how much fun we have and how simple, economical and friendly it is to have fun with us. I pay for this website out of my own pocket. The links to amazon are affiliate links which will help me recoup some of that money if purchases are made using them. I have no affiliation with Monadnock Firearms other than being a proud supporter of their business. Their employees are high class and gentlemanly firearm scholars with a passion for service. Great job to those guys. The t-shirts, mugs, stickers and patches sold on this website are printed at a dropship company and priced at virtually cost including shipping. My thoughts are that t-shirts are the best advertising and way to show support. Once again, if you made it this far, thank you and I look forward to meeting you at the range.
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