IPSC Competition Rig

You will recall that my first rig (belt, holster and mag pouches) was a combination of regular trouser belt, Fobus holster and mag pouches. This was my first mistake, given that I very rapidly upgraded my firearm (more on that later), which required a new rig.

My new firearm came fitted with a compensator and optics, so the added toys required an open race holster. Also, my magazines were metal, and meant that I could use magnetic pouches, plus I saw the value in being able to angle the mag pouches to suit my grip. This meant that I needed some magnetic pouches, and a few race mag pouches.

As I have mentioned before, a complete rig could cost you around $450; a sum that I could not justify. Fortunately there are options; you just need to shop prudently, and combine various pieces of equipment.

I chose to use CR Speed mag pouches and holster, which I combined with magnetic mag pouches and a velcro belt. My setup has cost me about $300 so far. The magnets are a must; I really like them.

The mag pouches took a little adjusting, and are a little irksome because you can dislodge the angle, given the leverage placed on the pouch by the magazines.

Also, setting up the holster was straightfoward. Be very careful when you rearrange the trigger spacers. My firearm required me to remove most of the spacers. But what I didn't realise was that the screw that fastens these spacers, was now longer than the thickness of the spacers. This meant that when I inserted, and withdrew my firearm I scratched my trigger guard. So now I have a nasty scratch. I fixed this by adding an outer spacer. Also, you need to familiarise yourself with the locking switch. Sometimes "unlocked" just isn't unlocked enough. You may want to remove the little nipple that stops the switch, so that you have a larger range of movement. Below is a video explaing the CR Speed setup. It is a little longwinded (two parts), but he eventually gets his point across.

Finally, I added two magnetic pouches. The one, a standalone unit, I placed at the rear of my belt, and I use it to hold my "stripper magazine"; the magazine I use to load one round into the chamber, then remove. The other magnetic pouch I attached to my CR Speed mag pouch. It didn't come with instructions, but Saul Kirsch at Double Alpha Academy sorted that out in literally 5 minutes. It was very easy to install.

In conclusion; setting up your belt isn't an exact science. Hell everybody seems to have a different setup. I am sure mine will change a lot, as I gain experience; so view this as just one option, and discover what works for you.