2006 front sight annual

Annual Issue. 2006 $3.00Volume 23, Number 1A

2006AnnualIssue

2006AnnualIssueNew Single Stack

Division! Detailsinside.

New Single StackDivision! Detailsinside.

1Annual For 2006 • FRONT SIGHT

Area 1 Bruce Gary [email protected] 2 Chris Endersby [email protected] 3 Emanuel Bragg [email protected] 4 Kenneth Hicks [email protected] 5 Gary Stevens [email protected] 6 Charles Bond [email protected]

Area 7 Rob Boudrie [email protected] 8 George Jones [email protected] John Amidon [email protected]. Mike Voigt [email protected] Dave Thomas [email protected]

DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

8 Back To Our Roots: Iron Sights On The Rise.By Robin Taylor, USPSA Staff

Cover: Factory-style guns represent over 75 percent of USPSA’s annual activity.(Central photo of Jodi Ragno by Roger Maier, USPSA staff.)

COVER STORY

THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE UNITED STATES PRACTICAL SHOOTING ASSOCIATION

FRONT

SIGHT

2 Speed, Power, and Accuracy: The USPSA Credo4 Learning The Rules4 Understanding the Divisions6 Getting the Club Connection8 Back To Our Roots: Iron Sights On The Rise12 USPSA Goes Multi-Gun: Multi-Gun Competition Booms14 3-Gun Aggregates Explained16 USPSA Classification Explained

FEATURE STORIES

Welcome to the world ofUSPSA! In this annual is-sue you will find plentyof information about our

sport. Founded in the mid 1970s, oursport has matured every year. Todaynearly 15,000 active members partici-pate at some 360 local clubs. USPSAforms the largest of 60-plus regions inthe International Practical ShootingConfederation.

Handgun shooting is the usual fo-cus of our competitions and we havesix separate divisions to cater to justabout every type of handgun you maywish to shoot. Our stages combinesome athleticism with a larger empha-sis on gun handling through speed andaccuracy. Our classification system al-lows competition among shooters oflike skill level. Rifle, shotgun, precision

rifle and 3-Gunmatches also fallwithin USPSA’srules. Our rangeofficers are cer-tified to providesafe and faircompetitions.

USPSAmembers re-ceive FrontSight magazine,USPSA’s 80-page publication on practical shooting.We’ve taken some of the best parts ofFront Sight and condensed them intothis 20-page miniature. We’ve tailoredit just for shooters that have nevercompeted in USPSA events.

Come, be our guests, read on!

Front Sight MagazineNew Shooter Annual for 2006

Vol. 23, No. 1APublisher - USPSA/IPSC, INC.

President Mike VoigtExec. Director Dave ThomasVice President John Amidon

Editorial StaffEditor Dave ThomasAsst. Editor Robin TaylorSpecial Projects Roger MaierAdvertising Barbara Gibbs

Copyright © 2006 The United States Practi-cal Shooting Association/ IPSC, Inc. Allrights reserved. Duplication of contents infull or part is prohibited unless prior autho-rization has been obtained by writing toUSPSA/IPSC.

FRONT SIGHT (ISSN 0889681x) is pub-lished bi-monthly for USPSA members by:USPSA/IPSC Inc., 702A Metcalf St., SedroWoolley WA 98284.

Annual Membership dues (U.S. and its pos-sessions) $40, Foreign $50. $18 of dues goestoward a one year subscription to FRONTSIGHT.

Unless an advertisement in this publicationcontains a specific endorsement by USPSA,it has not been tested by, approved by or en-dorsed by USPSA. Therefore, if you pur-chase goods or services advertised inFRONT SIGHT and the goods or servicesare not satisfactory or as advertised, USPSA,its officers, agents or employees disclaim allliability for any consequential injuries ordamages.

USPSA OfficePO Box 811, Sedro Woolley WA 98284Phone (360) 855-2245FAX (360) 855-0380web page http://www.uspsa.orge-mail [email protected] hours - 8 am to 5 pm Pacific

President’s Office6802 Burke Ct, Chino CA 91710-6206Phone (909) 548-3355FAX (909) 266-8005Office hours - 9 am to 5 pm Pacific

Interested in USPSA Shooting?

Michael Voigt,USPSA Presidentand 3-Gun NationalChampion

FRONT SIGHT • Annual For 20062

by Robin Taylor, USPSA Staff

Blend those three elements, andyou have what we believe isthe most dynamic shootingsport ever devised. USPSA

shooting grew out of the “combatshooting” and “leatherslap” matchesheld in the American Southwest. Partfast-draw, part “combat” course, thedetails of its evolution are laid out inthe USPSA handbook.

Today USPSA shooting maintains aconnection to its combat shootingroots, but we understand that the gamewe play is just that, a game. It may usebig silhouette targets, but the odds ofanyone being assaulted by an angrymob of 20 brown paper cutouts onsticks are pretty remote.

In keepingwith its roots,USPSA strives touse “practical”equipment suchas that in use bymilitary and lawenforcementshooters world-wide. Competi-tion-only modifications are commonin some divisions, and colorful uni-forms are seen at big matches. USPSAshooting is a sport, but like fencing orwrestling, it’s a sport with a martial his-tory.

Most of our competitions focus onskill with a handgun, but rifle andshotgun matches have become steadily

more popular in recent years.Law enforcement and militaryshooters are a natural part ofour audience, but they repre-sent only a small fraction ofUSPSA competitors nation-wide.

ScoringUSPSA shooting revolvesaround a “points per second”concept called “hit factor.” Toget a hit factor, we take intoaccount three factors: Speed,Power, and Accuracy.

Each competitor shoots thecourse of fire against theclock. When finished, therange officers record theshooters’ time (speed), deter-mine whether the shooter isusing a “major” or “minor”caliber firearm (power), thenscore their targets accordingly(accuracy). The resulting

point total is divided by their time, andvoila! we have a points per secondscore, or “hit factor.”

Most matches involve from four tosix short courses called “stages,” and ashooter will end up with a separate “hitfactor” for each one.

Scoring officials will later comparethe hit factors on each course, and givethe maximum points to the shooterwith the highest “hit factor.” Othershooters are awarded points based onhow their hit factor compared to thehighest one. (90 percent of the top hitfactor earns 90 percent of the points,for example.) All the points for eachstage are added up, and the shooterwith the most total “match points”wins!

The math sounds more compli-cated than it really is, and USPSA issuesa scoring program to help keep it allstraight.

Don’t MissWhile it may sound like speed is

everything, USPSA shooters’ favoritecliche’ declares: “You can’t miss fastenough to win.”

Should you leave a miss, or worse,miss and hit a penalty target, you willlose points rapidly. An “A” hit on thetarget (we score A, B, C, D) earns 5points. For each MISS, you will be pe-nalized 10 points. So not only do younot get the 5 points possible, you LOSEa further 10. Hits on penalty targets areworth a further 10-point penalty. Do

Speed, Power,and Accuracy

(Photo by Roger Maier.)

Limited Division phenom BlakeMiguez negotiates a corner. Note howhis finger is well clear of the trigger.

(Photo by Roger Maier.)

Travis Tomasie snatcheshis pistol off a table.

the math, and you will see that theneed for accuracy in USPSA shooting isvery real.

Much More Than “Shooting”USPSA competition involves more

than just “shooting.” Shooters are re-quired to draw, move, reload, negoti-ate obstacles, analyze the course ANDshoot. The timer doesn’t stop untilyou’ve finished doing all those things,

AND fired your last shot. If your gunmalfunctions, it’s up to you to fix itsafely — and fast. If you need to re-load, same problem (see Lisa Munsonreloading at right). There are no breaksor “alibis” for anything short of rangeequipment failure and safety. USPSAcompetition stresses gun handling justas heavily as it stresses shooting, andour courses will force you to do a lot ofit. It’s thrilling, and something we’resure you’ll enjoy.

What About Safety?USPSA shooters are sticklers for

safety — much more sothan in many othershooting sports. For ex-ample, when you attenda match and aren’t eithershooting or working onyour pistol in the “safetyarea,” your pistol mustremain in the holster,unloaded, the entiretime. Breaking this rule

leads to immediate dis-qualification. Pointing afirearm (empty or not)at yourself, at anotherperson, or anywhere up-range of the firing linealso leads to immediatedisqualification, andtwo range officers watchyou as you shoot. Thesame applies to a half-dozen othersafety rules, all of which work in con-cert to give USPSA its exemplary safetyrecord.

As a rule, USPSA shooters are quiteintolerant of sloppy gunhandling —they expect to be able to compete in asafe environment, and sloppy gun-handling puts everyone atrisk.

That said, don’t worryabout getting disqualified.Before you’re allowed toshoot a match for the firsttime, the host club will giveyou a “safety orientation” or“safety check” to aquaintyou with their range and allthe necessary rules, and giveyou a feel for what you canexpect. We all want you tosucceed, and have a goodtime doing it.

To find a club near you, go on-lineto the USPSA website(www.USPSA.org), or give us a callhere in Sedro Woolley, Wash., at (360)855-2245. We’ll be happy to put youtogether with a handful of local clubcontacts. We have roughly 360 clubsacross the United States, and in numer-ous countries around the world.


Safe and Fast. Ladies national champion LisaMunson performs a speed reload. Her finger is wellclear of the trigger guard, the gun is pointed in asafe direction, and her fresh magazine is about toenter the gun as her empty magazine falls away.

Simple equipment, or high-tech? We do both. Limited Champion Rob Leatham (left)used a Springfield XD to vie for the Production title in 2003. For Open Division, Doug Koenig(right) fielded a custom-built, scope-sighted Caspian 1911 in 9mm Super Comp.

Points/Time = “Hit Factor”20 Points/ 10 Seconds = 2.0 “Hit Factor”

Rules occupy a major part ofany game, and it’s my job asDirector of the NationalRange Officer Institute

(NROI) to interpret those rules forUSPSA, and to assist in the training ofrange officers.

I won’t go into the details of ruleshere, you’re much better off to get arule book of your own then ask ques-tions of the competitors in your area.You will get a rule book free with mem-bership, or you can buy a copy directfrom USPSA, or you can download onefrom www.USPSA .org.

NROI-certified range officers willbe seen in uniform most often at thelarger Area- and National-level events.However, they all compete actively at

the club and Area level. They only putaside their guns when it’s time to helprun events. The range officer corpsforms the backbone of the volunteerinfrastructure at a great many clubs.The best ones are often asked to travelto major events, and our people are fre-quently tapped by the InternationalRange Officer Association (IROA) toofficiate the major shoots worldwide.(Including World Shoot XIV inGuyaquil, Ecuador.) NROI certifica-tion carries a certain cachet within theUSPSA/IPSC world, particularly if theRO develops a reputation for beingcalm, knowledgeable, and fair.

To become a range officer, we askthat you compete actively in USPSAmatches for approximately one year.Prospective RO’s then attend a level 1

certification class (usually on a week-end) where they are taught the nutsand bolts of being an official, andtested on their knowledge of the rules.CRO status can be gained by corre-spondence, but we recommend attend-ing a level 2 seminar if that’s possible.

Heirarchy Of OfficialsUSPSA’s volunteer officials come in

several flavors, all of which are trainedand certified by NROI.

1. Range Officers - Certified byNROI, Range Officers performmost of the “refereeing” seen at aUSPSA match. They carry thetimer, check equipment, score tar-gets, and help make sure the com-petitor plays in a safe manner.

By John Amidon, NROI [email protected]

Learning TheRULES


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2. Chief Range Officers - CRO’s arethe Sergeants of the Range Officercorps. They have supplementaltraining in course design and rangeoperations. They normally serve asthe chief range officer on a stage,overseeing the activities of the tworange officers under him.

3. Range Masters - Have extensivesupplemental training in range op-erations, arbitrations, staff man-agement, squadding, and the vari-ous fine points of the rules. RMcandidates are assigned a mentor,and over the course of a year theywill complete an extensive pro-gram of correspondence and jobtraining.

RM’s oversee the range offi-cers at major matches. The nation-als, for example, employs two —one assigned to each half of therange.

4. Range Master Instructor - Thetop of the RO heirarchy, the RMI’stravel the United States to instructrange officers and certified rangeofficers.

5. Tournament Director - Tourna-ment Directors (Match Directors)receive specialized training aimedat the top staff job at a large match.They must complete an extensiveprogram of correspondencecoursework and on-the-job train-

ing with an assigned mentor.

Overall, USPSA’s officials are someof the most highly-respected in theshooting sports, and because of this areoften sought out to help orchestratenon-USPSA events.

Their success, diligence, and pro-fessionalism as officials is a major partof what makes USPSA one of the safest,and most professional shooting sportsavailable anywhere.

We look forward to showing youwhat we mean! Come and see us in ac-tion at a local match, and remember,shoot safe!

Many of the questions weget from shooters inter-ested in USPSA competi-tion surround whether

or not their equipment qualifies for aparticular USPSA division.

USPSA competition is divided into

six pistol divisions: Open, Limited,Limited-10, Production, Single Stack1911, and Revolver. All the divisionsshoot together at a match, but thescores for each division are kept sepa-rate, creating five separate “matcheswithin a match.” Shooters in thestrictly-limited “Production” division,

for example, are scored against other“Production” shooters, not against theshooters using scope-sighted “Open”guns.

We’ve written out some general ex-planations of the rules below. If you’reinterested in competing, we strongly


Understanding The Divisions

Limited DivisionAs of this printing, Limited is the

most popular division. Most Limitedcompetitors shoot wide-body 1911’s(STI, SV, Para-Ordnance), a Glock, orone of various CZ/TZ 75 variants.

Allowable changes include allthose listed on the next page for“Limited 10,” plus shooters may usehigh-capacity magazines, so long asthe magazine is no longer than140mm overall (170mm for single-stack guns).

As with Limited-10, shootersmust use a .400 caliber or larger bul-let in order to score “major.”

Open DivisionDominated by cutting-edge high-

capacity 1911’s and TZ-75’s, Open isthe top-fuel drag racing divisionwithin USPSA.

Shooters can make all the modifi-cations allowed for Limited, and thenadd several more. Magazines may ex-tend to 170mm overall, optical sightsmay be used, and recoil compensatorsare practically required.

Shooters may use any caliber thatfires a .355 or larger bullet. The mostpopular cartridge at this writing isone of several variations of the .38Super.

Revolver DivisionIntended for stock revolvers, Re-

volver Division is dominated by theSmith & Wesson 625 and its ilk.Shooters may only fire six rounds be-tween reloads, and modifications arelimited. No optical sights, porting, orrecoil compensation is allowed.However, shooters may change grips,enlarge the cylinder release, changesights, chamfer cylinders, and tunethe action as they desire.

While .45 ACP is most popular,shooters may score “major” using anycartridge that fires a .355 or largerbullet.


If you’re considering taking acloser look at USPSA competition,I can’t urge you strongly enoughto contact a local club representa-

tive and spend time on the range. Theycan show you and tell you more in halfan hour at a match than we can tell youin this entire 20-page book.

USPSA competition is marvelously

diverse, with many subtleties that a lo-cal person can show you fairly easily.USPSA shooters are also a very socialbunch, so don’t be bashful about ask-ing questions.

An Association Of ClubsUSPSA is an “association” of inde-

pendent clubs. They all use the same

rule book, but the clubs themselves aregroups of local volunteers that like toshoot.

Each affiliated club has a slate of of-ficers, and they typically appoint a con-tact person or two to welcome new-comers. It’s the volunteers in the clubsthat make it all happen, that’s why weput such an emphasis on getting people

By Dave Thomas, EXECUTIVE [email protected]

Getting the ClubConnection

Production DivisionStrictly limited to the use of pro-

duction handguns with double- orsafe-action triggers, Production linesup very nicely for owners of double-action 9mm or .40 S&W firearms.Glocks are popular, as are Berettas,SIGs, Springfields, Para-OrdnanceLDA’s, and a host of others. Stock re-volvers may also be used, includingthe 7- and 8-shot variants.

Shooters may change the sights,add skate tape, and tune the internalparts of the gun, but externally-visiblechanges are not legal.

Shooters may only load 10 roundsin their magazines, and all Productionguns are scored as though they fired a“Minor” caliber cartridge (9mm) —no matter how powerful the load ac-tually used. Holsters and allied equip-ment must be “non-race-type” and beworn behind the hip. Most shootersuse a standard outside-the-belt hol-ster intended for daily wear, such asthe Blade-Tech or Ky-Tac lines.

Single Stack 1911 (Provisional)

Catering to the desires of tradi-tional 1911 fans, USPSA introduced aprovisional “1911 Single Stack” divi-sion in 2006. Single-stack Govern-ment model pistols (such as thosemade by Kimber, Springfield Armory,and others) are the only guns al-lowed.

The equipment rules are identicalto Limited-10, except that shootersmust use a single-stack 1911 pistol,and may only use standard-capacitymagazines (8 rounds for “major cal-ibers, 10 rounds for “minor”). Foradditional details, checkwww.USPSA.org and click on “rule-book.”

As far as holsters, Single-Stackshooters must adhere to the the Pro-duction division guidelines: all equip-ment must be worn behind the hips,and the holster must be a practical“non-race-type” such as those in-tended for daily wear.

Limited-10 DivisionSingle-action autoloaders in .40

S&W and .45 ACP rule the roosthere. Since “L-10” shooters are lim-ited to 10 rounds in the magazine,this is the place to be for shooters thatlive in states where high-capacitymagazines are restricted.

Competitors can make variousminor changes to make the gun moreshootable (change sights, grips, slidestops, magazine releases, mainspringhousings, etc.), but they MAY NOTadd optical sights, porting (such asMag-na-porting), or a recoil com-pensator. The rules do a fine job ofleveling out the equipment advan-tages, but again, please check the rulebook for complete details.

Calibers can be either “minor”(9mm, .38Spl, and light-loaded.40S&W, for example) or “major”(full-house .40 S&W and larger).However, in order to score “major” aLimited or Limited-10 pistol must usea .400 caliber or larger bullet.


connected with a good club near them.

Currently we have some 360 clubsformally affiliated with USPSA. To-gether, they offer the level playing fieldthat USPSA shooters value so much —one that allows for fair competitionthroughout our national ladder.

Clubs Working TogetherAffiliated clubs are typically

grouped into what we call “sections.” Ihail from a club in the western Mon-tana “section.” Other members of thestaff hail from clubs in the northwestWashington “section.” Each sectionhas a “section coordinator” that helpsorchestrate things like section champi-onships, and joint club activities suchas staffing booths at local gunshows,

and welcoming prospec-tive members. If youasked for informationfrom us, you’ll find a listof those section coordina-tors in the packet we sentyou. They can easily ex-plain the local matchschedule, and will likelyeither invite you to attenda match with them, or putyou in touch with a clubnear you.

The various sectionsare grouped into multi-state “areas,” numbered1-8. For example, boththe western Montana sec-tion and the northwestWashington section arepart of “Area 1.”

Each “Area” elects an“Area Director” that sitson the board of directorsfor USPSA. They orches-trate Area-level champi-onships in their home ar-eas, and vote on the majorpolicy decisions for the or-ganization.

That Board hired me as the execu-tive director to look after the day-to-day operations of the association andserve as editor of Front Sight. I reportto the president of USPSA, who iselected by the members to a four-yearterm. It is his responsibility (with thehelp of the home office) to orchestratethe national championship events on

ranges operated by local club volun-teers.

In case you’re wondering, the onlypeople actually on the payroll are me,the president, the vice-president, and afew paid staff members in the home of-fice. Everyone else (including theBoard members) are volunteers.

The local volunteers are the enginethat makes USPSA shooting happen,and when you start shooting, you willbe expected to help out. All USPSAmatches, including our national cham-pionships, are run by volunteers. With-out them, (particularly volunteer offi-cials) there are no matches, and we willhave just sent you a nice color mini-magazine for nothing. If you’d likemore information about the associa-tion, or would like the phone numberor e-mail for a section coordinator nearyou, don’t hesitate to contact us at(360) 855-2245, or at [email protected].

Now let’s look at some of the bigtrends for 2006.

Photo by Roger Maier.

USPSA matches challenge you mentally andphysically. Above, dust flies as champion ToddJarrett scoots through a “Cooper Tunnel.” (Dis-lodging a red stick earns a 10-point penalty.)

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Looking to start a club? We’llshow you how in the Club ProgramManual!

USPSA “Area” Map(Please note, Colorado joinedArea 2 on Jan. 1, 2004.)


STORY AND PHOTOS BY ROBIN TAYLOR, USPSA STAFF, TY-19724

In the popular gun press, USPSA is well-known forpushing the development envelope for what are called“race guns” — those with scopes, recoil compensators,and other exotic refinements. While true, the gun

press’ focus on this overlooks the larger truth about USPSAshooting. Since the early 1990s, USPSA has put equal em-phasis on using “Limited” equipment — and now stronglyemphasizes non-Open competition. They introduced the“Factory Gun” divisions in 2000 (Production, Revolver, andLimited-10), and went on to launch a “Single Stack 1911”division provisionally in 2006.

In their early days, Production and L-10 were stepchil-dren to the two “big” divisions: Limited and Open. How-ever, Limited-10 and Production immediately became thefocus for the more practically-minded side of the USPSAmembership. Springfield Armory, Glock, Inc., and Para-Ordnance stepped forward to become strong supporters,each fielding talented shooters and investing in sponsoringmatches across the United States.

Today, Limited-10 and Production together attractenough shooters to eclipse the once-dominant Open Divi-sion in terms of raw scores submitted for classification.

Brand-level competition among theProduction firearm manufacturershas become particularly intense. Also,slots to the portion of the 2005 na-tionals where the Production andLimited titles were decided sold outcompletely months in advance.

Glock switched their entire team’s fo-cus to Production in 2001. Theirteam captain David Sevigny has goneon to win multiple USPSA Productiontitles, including the world title atWorld Shoot XIII in South Africa.

Para-Ordnance fielded superstarshooter Todd Jarrett in Production(winning in 2002), and Berettafielded Ernest Langdon to win the ti-tle in 2000. CZ has made a particu-lar effort for the Production title,with their captain, Angus Hobdell,finishing second multiple times.

Why All The Interest?USPSA shooting represents the mostdemanding form of PRACTICAL pis-tol competition on the planet. Manu-facturers know that if their guns canfare well here, people notice. If thereare problems with their designs, thoseproblems will be exposed, studied,and repaired. A firearm’s capacity for

accuracy, power, and speed are all tested repeatedly in anunforgiving environment, all under the eyes of some of theworld’s top military and law enforcement trainers — guyslike Ron Avery, above, or USPSA’s president, Michael Voigt.The decisions they make are colored by the millions ofrounds they see fired in some of the most demanding con-ditions possible. If a particular firearm earns a good reputa-tion in our sport, that opinion gets carried home by thetrainers, buyers, and officers that compete at all levels of oursport.

From the shooter’s perspective, iron-sighted competi-tion offers the challenge and tactical sophistication ofUSPSA/IPSC with less of the technical complexities found inracing with an exotic pistol. The calibers are commonplace(9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP versus .38 Super or .38 Su-per Comp.), and a selection of competitive guns can befound in local gun shops.

Production in particular offers an easy entry as far asequipment. Many gun owners discover they already own allthe equipment needed to compete here. Once cleared by thelocal club, all they have to do is show up and shoot. Theyfind themselves shooting shoulder to shoulder with bothnew shooters and a wide range of experienced shooters thatare drawn to the sublety and challenge of Production guns.

Gliding with the gun. Remote-control cameras catch Ron Avery inmotion. Avery works as a firearmstraining consultant for the SecretService, among others.

BACK TO OUR ROOTSIron-Sight Divisions Pursue

“Essence” of Practical Shooting


Intense StagesUSPSA shooting forms an ever-

changing crucible for man and equip-ment. Aside from the occasional classi-fier course, no “stage” or course is usedtwice. Instead, everything is rebuiltafresh, using different walls, newprops, and other features. The 2004handgun nationals featured a Surefire-sponsored dark house (ever try speed-reloading by flashlight?), and a host ofmoving targets popping out from be-hind one-of-a-kind walls and barriers.Our ever-changing courses push youout of your comfort zone, and forceyou to perform in ways that no “set”course of fire could.

Diverse ConditionsMost USPSA matches are held out-

doors, in all weather, and the Nation-als is no exception. Competitors areexpected to come prepared for what-ever nature may unleash. National ti-tles have been decided in ankle-deep

rain and mud, 100-degree heat, and ata recent Area match, snow. The sum-mer heat in Barry, Ill., (host of the 2004handgun nationals) is one famous ob-stacle. In Barry it’s not uncommon tosee evening temeratures in the high80’s in summer, pushing into the high90’s by midday. Thunderstorms are areal possibility, with the odd tornadothrown in. (A “severe thunderstorm’forced us to flee the range in Barry forsafety reasons during the 2002 match.)

If your handgun malfunctionswhen it’s cold, wet, or over-warm,

eventually USPSA shooting will exposethat flaw.

Remember that match in the snowwe mentioned? Gunsmith Bruce Graydiscovered his “dead-reliable” Produc-tion gun would fail to fire frequentlythanks to cold-induced problems withboth gun and ammunition. What arude suprise!

At the Area 4 championships in2004, flooding made finding droppedmagazines a challenge. Shooters oneach squad worked as a team to rescue


Ladies’ Production championJulie Goloski is one of many carry-ing the flag for Glock, Inc.


each other’s gear from the ankle-deepwater and mud. Shooters workedvaliantly to keep their magazines cleanthat week, but if their pistols were sen-sitive to dirt, malfunctions hinderedtheir scores.

By the week’s end, the weather hadcleared. We found ourselves shooting

in our shirtsleeves, basking in the warmsummer weather.

Equipment TroubleUSPSA shooting allows no margin

for equipment failure, and invariably,pistols fail during the national match.The factory guns experience a much

lower incidence of equipment failure(particularly in Production) but prob-lems still crop up. In 2003, extractortrouble was everywhere. Even SharonZaffiro’s Glock went south that year,treating her to multiple malfunctionsin a single stage.

“It’s a debaaahhcle,” laughed L-10


“The Great One” USPSALimited Champion Rob Leathamlaunches into action at the 2005U.S. Nationals.


competitor Taran Butler. “I’ve lost two extractors so far. . . Idon’t have a third.”

The year before the problem was holsters. Next year itcould be something else. The particulars don’t matter, whatcounts is that all your gear is tested, constantly, in an envi-ronment not unlike car racing. If your motor fails, it’s diffi-cult to win the race.

Ammunition CriticalUSPSA strives to maintain a level playing field. To do

that, every competitor’s ammunition is checked using achronograph. To achieve “major” scoring for Limited orLimited-10, one’s ammunition must generate a certainamount of energy (bullet weight X velocity, must equal atleast 165,000). For “minor” scoring (in Production) theammunition must generate a “power factor” of 125,000.

The iron-sighted divisions experience fewer complica-tions on the reloading front than shooters of more techini-cally-complex pistols, and many Production shooters don’treload at all, relying on factory ammunition throughout.Thanks to them the USPSA community is starting to identifystrengths and weaknesses by factory brand name. I’ll save thegory details, but suffice it say that one discount line is sensi-tive to humidity, while another reacts badly to barrel heat!Changing primer sensitivity can also mean a great deal whenthe temperature drops. All of these traits get laid bare in theever-changing world of USPSA competition.

Popularity RisingIron-sighted competition has grown tremendously in the

past four years, and shows no signs of slowing. If you’re in-terested in USPSA, these “factory” pistols offer one ofthe easiest, and least expensive ways to play.

Seattle’s Finest. King County Sheriff SWAT officerDarrion Holiwell competing in Production at the 2004Area 4 Championships.

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BY ROBIN TAYLOR, USPSA STAFF, TY-19724

Since the early days of USPSA shooting, enthusiastshave brought their long guns out and held informalmatches using the USPSA pistol rules as a guide.However, the number of rifle and shotgun matches

has exploded in the last few years. Call it the war on terror-ism, call it what you will, new shooters and new sponsors arejumping in right and left, with major equipment innovationsand new matches cropping up almost monthly.

USPSA has held a 3-Gun national championship formany years, but recently, regional events have started crop-ping up, along with shotgun-only events. Independent tour-naments like the MGM “Ironman” are the biggest growtharea, drawing hundreds of competitors per match. Amongthose, the trend has been toward “multi-gun” competition,where shooters employ more than one type of firearm ineach stage.

Notice David Neth’s holstered pistol at right. He’s got itthere because he will need to ditch his empty shotgun andswitch immediately to his pistol to finish the course.

Equipment And Competitors Developing FastI had the honor of shooting the first Area 1 3-Gun in

2002, and covering the 3-Gun Nationals later that year.Since then I can tell you first-hand that the competitive barin 3-Gun has risen — quickly. The skill of the competitorsI saw this year and last ranks well above what I saw the year

Hulls fly as David Neth takeson targets at the Area 1 3-Gun.

Photo by Dave Thomas.

Matt Burkett in motionwith RO Tom Loyd in tow.

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before. Very few shooters walk intomatches unprepared for a 200-yard ri-fle shot, or without enough shell hold-ers to deal with a 25-round shotguncourse.

Just standing on the line you canhear the difference. From 2002 to2003, the nature of shooter’s conver-sations changed from “Have you everbeen to the SOF match?” to “I learnedthat trick at the MGM last year, let meshow you how to do it,” or “What didyou think of the prize table at MysteryMountain? Awesome, huh!”

From 2003 to 2004, those conver-sations changed again to things like“I’ve heard good things about the JPadjustable gas system. Does Taran But-ler use one on his AR-15?”

Joe Cabigas and Craig Salmon fitthis description well. You won’t see ei-ther of them at pistol matches very of-ten, but they’ve got the 3-Gun bug.

“I shot pistol real heavy for about ayear and kinda got bored with it,” saysSalmon. “I still get the pistol, butthere’s so much more to 3-Gun.”

“I got kinda tired of pistol, but afriend of mine (got me involved) in 3-Gun down in Arizona. I went downthere and got hooked. I’ve shot Su-perstition Mountain four, five yearsnow,” says Cabigas.

Equipment experimentationcontinues apace, with new goodiesshowing up everywhere.

Course design in 3-Gun is de-veloping fast as match directorslearn what shooters really can andcannot do with their long guns. Atthe 2003 Area 1, for example,shooters faced four partially-ob-scured 235-yard steel targets, andengaged them a total of four timesin two “shoot four, reload, thenshoot four” strings. Very few shoot-ers did well here, since this courseDEMANDED intimate familiaritywith one’s rifle to succeed. How-ever, the rise of optics on tactical ri-fles has made this course muchmore “do-able” than it was usingiron sights just a year or two earlier.

USPSA released a 3-Gun supple-

ment for the club program manual in2003, which helped streamline policiesfor multi-gun stages nationwide.


USPSA President Michael Voigt flips hisshotgun for a speedy reload.

Photo by Dave Thomas.


Open Fiercely competitive, Open divi-

sion applies the “Open” rules to pistols(see page 4), and applies the same rulesto the rifle and shotgun (except thatlong gun magazines may be of anylength). Recoil compensators and op-tical sights are practically required tobe competitive. Bipods are allowed onthe rifle, and in shotgun, shooters mayhave a maximum of 11 rounds in thegun. Shotgun competitors may evenuse speed-loading devices (such as boxmagazines) to reload.

Standard (a.k.a. “Limited”) Standard applies the “Limited”

rules to pistols (see page 4), and ap-plies the same rules to long guns withfive minor exceptions: Competitorsmay use a recoil compensator on theirrifle no larger than 1 inch in diameterby 3 inches long. Competitors mayNOT use a bipod. Magazines may beof any length. Shotgun competitorsmay have no more than nine rounds inthe gun and may NOT use speed load-ers.

Tactical Immensely popular from itsbirth, Tactical has quickly sup-planted “Limited” as the mostpopular division within USPSA3-Gun.

The Tactical Aggregate allows anotherwise “Standard” shooter toadd a single optic to his rifle. All

other equipment must conform to theStandard division criteria.

New 3-Gun Aggregates

(Members can download a copy fromthe USPSA website.) USPSA is a worldleader in 3-Gun competition, and IPSCis rapidly developing their rifle andshotgun rule set as well (check themout at USPSA.org and/or IPSC.org).

Technology Counter-Revolution?

Amid 3-gun equipment, simplicityand reliability are becoming watch-words. Shooters have so much toworry about (ammo, mags, and ammocarriers for the rifle, pistol, and shot-gun, plus spares for each), that anyfirearm or accessory that requires extrabother is a significant impediment tothe shooter.

One can see this most in the move-ment away from minimalist race hol-sters to more-secure Kydex affairs. Notonly is a person less likely to disqualifythemselves by having a loaded gundrop out of the holster on the run, theKydex rigs often meet muster forUSPSA Production, and for more tacti-

cally-inclined matches outside theUSPSA world. To deal with the chal-

lenges of negotiating obstacles whileshooting a rifle (for example), a 3-Guncompetitor needs much more reten-tion than a typical pistol shooter. Onemight venture to say, a more “practi-cal” holster. Imagine that!

ShotgunsWhere Benelli Super-90’s and Win-

chester SX2’s hold the edge in Limited,Remington 1100’s and 11-87’s con-tinue to dominate the Open shotgunevent, with ever-increasing bits of tech-nical gadgetry attached. Scopes,comps, elaborate speed loader hooks,fancy paint jobs, you name it, it’s outthere somewhere.

As we were standing around at a re-cent 3-Gun match, I heard one of mysquadmates, Joe Hampl, talking about3-Gun: “This is a lot of fun, I think it’sgoing to take off.”

If you look around, I believe it al-ready has.Photo by Dave Thomas.

GRRRR, USPSA great Bruce Piatthomes in on a clay target.

Benny Hill with his Open Division AR-15.

Bennie Cooley Jr. loads a shot-gun like his shoes are on fire. He’salways a threat at 3-Gun matches.


BY ROBIN TAYLOR, USPSA STAFF

When you participate in alocal USPSA match, youwill likely shoot one ofUSPSA’s recognized clas-

sification courses (see page 18 for anexample). USPSA tracks score data oneach of the 60-some courses printed inthe USPSA classification course book.Once you have four valid scores withina division on file, USPSA will issue youa classification card that reflects howyour skills compare to the top scoresaround the world. It’s easy, simple, andhas worldwide recognition.

How Does It Work?Classification scores are based on

how your score compares to a com-posite “high hit factor” kept on filehere at USPSA. Your initial classifica-tion requires only four scores in the

system. However, as your skills im-prove, USPSA continuously re-evalu-ates your abilities. Each month,USPSA’s classification system looks atthe best six of your most recent eightscores. If your average score warrantsmoving you up to the next class, wesend you a new membership card in themail, emblazoned with your latest clas-sifications.

Classification Bracket Percentages

Grand Master 95 to 100%Master 85 to 94.9%A 75 to 84.9%B 60 to 74.9%C 40 to 59.9%D 2 to 40%

A Robust, Dynamic SystemSomeone once said that “changes

aren’t permanent, but change is.” Overthe last 20 years, practical shootershave turned the shooting world on itsear, re-inventing the way we shoot, theway guns are built, the way holsters aremade, and even what bullets we shootin them.

Like a schoolteacher’s bell curve, asthe top end of our sport improves, the“high hit factor” required to achieve a“Grand Master” score improves aswell. By continuously adjusting forchange, our classification system hasbecome the one universally-recognized

benchmark within the practical shoot-ing world.

IPSC, the world body of whichUSPSA is a part, also has a classificationsystem, but it runs under a differentrule set, confusing the issue. USPSA’sdatabase is much more mature and bet-ter-populated than the IPSC system,prompting shooters to place greatstock in their US classification.

Today’s practical shooter wields alevel of technique and technology thatoutpaces the very best shooters of the

mid-1980s. Thankfully,our system’s ability tocontinuously re-set the

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World Champion Eric GrauffelUSPSA Member No. F-38440,lives in Quimper, France. His GrandMaster classifcation in the USPSAsystem is based on scores datingback to the 1998 Area 3.

Classification CardRecognized WorldwideWith four scores on file, USPSAwill issue you a classification card.Present that card at any clubworldwide, and you will be classedwith shooters of like ability.

JJ Racaza, Open divi-sion Grand Master.Compare his gun tothe single-stack 1911seen on page 6. JJ’s“C-More” heads-up-display optical gun-sight didn’t exist in1985.


standard of achievement has main-tained the integrity of a USPSA classifi-cation.

When Can I Get Classified?USPSA “runs the system” once a

month. Your local club has until the10th of each month to submit your lat-est scores. USPSA then enters all thatdata (upwards of six thousand scoresper month), runs the system, and poststhe results to www.uspsa.org. Whenyou punch in your membership num-ber, all your scores become visible, let-ting you check for errors and keeptrack of your status.

In addition to the classifier courses,all National-level, and many Area-levelmatches are used for classification pur-poses. We mark them differently soyou can tell them apart, and uploadthem to the website along with the clas-sifier scores submitted by the clubs.

Why This Concern Over Change?

In 1985, when USPSA’s classifica-tion system came into being, high tech-

nology meant an8-shot 1911 in .45ACP, supported bya two-port recoilcompensator. To-day, high technol-ogy competitors(those in Open di-vision) carry amodular 1911 or aCZ-75 in one ofseveral 9mm/.38Super variants.Red dot scopessimplify aiming,and recoil com-pensators (com-puter designedwith up to 12ports, openings,and side vents) re-duce recoil and stabilize the gun as itfires. Magazines hold up to 28 roundsof ammunition (yes, twenty-eight!),and holsters look more like a mountingbracket for a super-sized cell phone.

Technique has progressed along asimilar track, leaving a trail of out-moded ideas in its wake. The fine

points aren’t germane, but practicalshooting experts now serve as trainersto the world’s law enforcement andmilitary organizations.

The change in competitive strategy,along with technique would have longago outmoded any fixed measuringscale.


Past Ladies World ChampionAthena Lee earned her USPSAclassification while shooting forthe Phillippine national team. To-day she lives in Houston.


In our classic course, the “El Presidente,” the shooterstarts facing uprange with his hands above his shoulders. Theshooter turns to face the targets, draws, fires two rounds ateach of three targets, reloads, and shoots two more rounds ateach of three targets. When USPSA’s classification system wasfirst conceived, any El Presidente’ time under 9 secondsearned a very high rank. Today, America’s top shooters fre-quently post times under six seconds, with isolated perfor-mances going under five. Like the 4-minute mile, a 5-secondEl Prez seems impossible, until you see it done.

In the same way a golfer must complete many rounds ofgolf on courses with a known “par” to earn a “handicap”USPSA shooters must complete several courses with a known“high hit factor” to earn a classification. Once they’ve doneso, other shooters (or golfers) can use that classification tojudge their abilities, and arrange competitive classes whereshooters compete against others of like ability.

That’s the gist of the USPSA system. It’s a robust system,and one that has served USPSA well.

SETUP NOTES:

RULES: COURSE DESIGNER:Practical Shooting Handbook, Latest Edition

A

A

B

C CD D

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RANGE OFFICERS

INSTIT

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START POSITION:

STAGE PROCEDURE SCORINGSCORING:

TARGETS:

SCORED HITS:

START - STOP:

PENALTIES:

CM 03-02 Six Chickens

Set no-shoots to 4 feet high at top

of B-zone. Build target arrays so that the upper corner

of the waist meets the lower corner of the no-shoot,

Crow Carter — Modifications by US Design Team

Standing in Box A, hands naturally at sides. Handgun is loaded and holstered as per ready condi-

tion in rule 8.1.1 and 8.1.2.

On the signal, engage T1-T6 with one round maximum

freestyle, perform a mandatory reload, then reengage T1-T6

with one round maximum, strong hand only.

Virginia Count, 12 rounds, 60 points

6 IPSC

Best 2/Paper

Audible - Last Shot

Per current edition of USPSA Practical

Shooting Handbook.

Target ArrayConstruction

with the short angled waist parallel to the bottom of the

no-shoot.

Shaded dashed lines show

target edges behind no-shoot.

“Six Chickens” is one of more than 60 classificationcourses used by USPSA affiliated clubs to generate “classi-fier scores” for their members. USPSA processes 6,000-plusscores per month, maintaining a classification record forthousands of shooters worldwide.

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