Do's: Before you do anything, head out to a match. It's pretty easy to find an IDPA or USPSA club in your area by going to their respective websites. Even if you've never shot a gun before, people will be very welcoming, and very eager to explain everything that's going on. This is a great way to see if these events appeal to you before you make any kind of investment.
Don'ts: Don't buy a gun before you go to a match. If you already own one, by all means bring it and a holster and shoot it in the match. They'll explain all of the safety rules, and will appoint a mentor to guide you through everything. That way all you have to do is be safe and have fun. The reason it's a good idea to go to a match before you buy anything is that you will get to see what people are using, and that will inform your purchase decision. Many a person has bought the wrong gun for pistol competitions only to find out that it's just not competitive, at all. If they had just gone to a match and asked questions they would have avoided that mistake. For example, many a person has bought a Sig P226 in .40 like this one:
...or in Limited / L10 Divisions against 1911's like this one:
Questions to ask: What's that you're shooting? What division are you shooting in? How is that different from other divisions? How much did your shooting rig cost? Why did you X, Y, or Z on that stage? Would you mind if I took a closer look at your gun in the safe area (all the damn time these guys are comparing guns at the safe area, and unless someone is just about to shoot a stage, they won't mind showing you as well).
Things to look for in an instructor: Specifically for action pistol sports, you want an instructor who has had some success in the sport. There are plenty of instructors out there who will gladly take your money and tell you that their fundamentals are the same fundamentals that all shooters use, but they might be wrong. If you go to a match, you can ask around about who teaches shooters locally, and chances are there will be some good recommendations. Very frequently you don't need a lot to take one of these classes, as the instructors will have loaner gear for you to use. After the class you will have a very good idea of what you like, and what you don't like, in a competition rig.
A realistic starting budget: To get started, you're realistically going to want to spend $810. That's around $550 (Glock 17/34, S&W M&P 9, or Springfield XD) for the gun, $40 for the belt (Wilderness Tactical Instructor Belt), $50 for mag pouches (Comp-Tac, Blade-Tech, or Ready Tactical), $70 for a holster (Comp-Tac, Blade-Tech, or Ready Tactical), and $100 for extra magazines, assuming you're starting in the cheapest divisions of IDPA or USPSA (which are perfectly fine to start in, and to stay in for the rest of your competitive career). You could skimp on the holster and mag pouches, but I guarantee you will be replacing them before long. Buy once, cry once I always say.
Things to look for in a gun store (including where to buy): If you're getting into competition pistol shooting, don't go into a gun store unless you know exactly what you want when you walk in there. The salesmen will likely not have a fucking clue what you need. You can (and should) buy the holster, mags, pouches, belt, etc online, because they're typically not stocked in retail stores. The best prices for guns are usually online as well at places like www.budsgunshop.com or www.galleryofguns.com. However, perhaps the best thing to do is figure out what division you'd like to start out in, and then wait a couple of weeks for something to come up for sale on either the uspsa.org classifieds or the classifieds at www.brianenos.com. People are constantly selling their old rigs in order to afford to move up to a more expensive division, and so they sell the whole kit and kaboodle at once. This is a great way to save a couple hundred dollars on your rig. As a new shooter, you might be intimidated about buying a used gun sight-unseen. This is where going to a match or two before you buy your gun comes in handy. Get the email addresses of the people you talk to, and also inquire as to whether or not they have an online forum for local match discussions. That way, when you see a rig you think might work, you can ask the people you know locally if they think it looks like a good deal. Oh yeah, and get pictures before you buy anything. You might not be able to tell from the pictures if the gun is worse for the wear, but your fellow local shooters should be able to.
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