Basic Equipment

Hearing and Eye Protection	Safety is our number one priority. All comeptitors and participants must wear eye protection and hearing protection while on the range.
A handgun	Any handgun will do; you don't need to buy one of the latest and greatest custom raceguns around in order to compete in our sport. As long as the handgun has a calibre of 9mm or higher, you will be able to participate. Later, if your needs change, you can get one of the newer, hi-tech competition guns.
A holster	There are a variety of holsters available on the market, ranging from the $20 fabric and velcro holsters to the $200+ dollar competition holsters. Don't break your bank; start out with one of the cheap fabric holsters until you're sure you are ready to commit the time and money into competition shooting. As long as the holster covers the trigger guard, it will be acceptable for IPSC shooting competitions.
Magazine pouches or speedloaders	Some stages at an IPSC match will require 32 rounds (minimum) to complete. As you may find it advantageous to discard partially loaded magazines during the course of fire, or may need to fire extra shots at some targets, many competitors find that they want to carry 40-50 rounds of spare ammunition on their belt. This generally translates to 4 or 5 extra magazines. To take the Black Badge course, you should have a minimum of 3 magazines.
Sturdy Belt	Competitors wear their guns and allied equipment for several hours at a time. A sturdy belt will be more comfortable, and will be less likely to grab onto equipment during draws from the holster and reloads.