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85-503: The sport came about as a response to the perceived shortcomings in competitions organized by the United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) and its migration away from the use of common, un-customized handguns. It was decided by the founders of IDPA ( Bill Wilson , John Sayle , Ken Hackathorn , Dick Thomas , Walt Rauch and Larry Vickers ), that USPSA competitions had become too far removed from

170-704: A "Production" division with rules similar to the IDPA's regulations. Today USPSA and IDPA matches are two of the most popular forums of practical handgun shooting in the United States, with more than 25,000 and 11,000 members respectively. In 1977 the UKPSA was formed to promote and regulate practical pistol shooting in the UK , and became England's regional affiliate of the IPSC. The association proved very popular, gaining international respect within

255-556: A 171.25 mm USPSA Open magazine, although the .40 S&W caliber is less commonly used in Open. Most modifications are permitted in Limited division except optical sights or compensators. Although most handguns can be used for Limited, some popular choices are the high capacity 2011 frame STI and SVI pistols. Competitors can make various modifications such as change sights, grips, slide stops, magazine releases and mainspring housings. Limited

340-454: A better in-service assessment of a firearm's performance or the brutal gauntlet of high-level competition through which a gun must survive to be declared reliable. USPSA is a 501c(3) non-profit Delaware corporation and currently headquartered in Sedro Woolley, Washington . The association is organized into 8 "Areas", each of which is represented by an Area Director at the board meetings of

425-413: A carbine in handgun matches. There is only minor power factor scoring, and the only permitted calibers are 9×19mm, .357 Sig, 40 S&W, 10 mm and .45 ACP. A muzzle brake and any optical sight(s) are permitted. Since no "holster" could be practically used for a carbine, cold range rules are respected via the use of a chamber flag , and the muzzle of the carbine must be pointed reasonably vertical until

510-537: A couple of days before the seventh IPSC European Handgun Championship at the same shooting range. In the beginning IPSC Shotgun and Rifle competitions were run using the IPSC Handgun Competition Rules with small adjustments. Adjustments were later formalized in supplementary rulebooks, e.g. UKPSA published a supplementary Rifle and Shotgun rulebook in 1989. Since 1996 IPSC Shotgun and Rifle rules have been published in standalone rulebooks separate from

595-565: A disadvantage at longer ranges. Different options on shotgun chokes and ammunition (from different pellets sizes and up to slugs ) makes for interesting choke and ammunition choices based on the stage at hand. Like IPSC Shotgun , the minimum caliber for shotguns are 20 gauge in the Open, Limited and Tactical divisions, only the Heavy Metal division is unique in that it requires a 12 gauge pump-action shotgun. The Open division allows optical sights, muzzle brakes, and detachable magazines or

680-493: A final match score. In 2007, more than 220 shooters competed for over $ 390,000 in cash and prizes. The match was held every year in Piru, California until 2012 when it was moved to Frostproof, Florida . Practical shooting Practical shooting , also known as dynamic shooting or action shooting , is a set of shooting sports in which the competitors try to unite the three principles of precision , power, and speed, by using

765-553: A firearm of a certain minimum power factor to score as many points as possible during the shortest time (or sometimes within a set maximum time). While scoring systems vary between organizations, each measures the time in which the course is completed, with penalties for inaccurate shooting. The courses are called "stages", and are shot individually by the shooters. Usually the shooter must move and shoot from several positions, fire under or over obstacles and in other unfamiliar positions. There are no standard exercises or set arrangement of

850-414: A hit factor ("points per second"). The points are added based on which scoring zones the hits are in and the competitors declared power factor (minor or major), with penalties subtracted, before dividing by the time the competitor used on the stage. The highest hit factor wins the stage and gets the full total of Stage Points for that stage, while a percentage of the total available Stage Points are awarded to

935-539: A maximum of 10 rounds per magazine . The division was developed in response to the 1994 Crime Bill , and eliminates any capacity advantage pistols with pre-ban magazines would have had over those with post-ban magazines. Although the federal ban sunset in 2004, the Limited-10 division still enjoys some populariry in the few states that has continued to place restrictions on 10 rounds per magazine. Although most handguns can be used as long as they have no compensator or optic,

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1020-767: A maximum weight limit, as well as fit fully within a box of specific dimensions. The equipment rules are similar to Production Division, other than providing for 8 rounds for major calibers and 10 rounds for minor. As for holsters , Single Stack shooters must adhere to guidelines similar to the Production Division. The holster must be a practical, non-race style. The Revolver Division is intended for revolvers and shooters must reload after six rounds if shooting Major power factor or after eight rounds if shooting Minor power factor. Modifications are limited, and prohibited modifications are optical sights , porting and recoil compensators . However, shooters may change grips, enlarge

1105-421: A minimum caliber of 10 mm (.40") for major scoring. However, while IPSC Standard still require the major power factor of 170 kgr·ft/s which was proposed by USPSA at the 1999 General Assembly, the following year in 2000 USPSA changed the major power factor of its Limited division to 165 kgr·ft/s. Limited-10 is very similar to the Limited division, except that (as the name implies) the competitor can only load

1190-483: A non-threat in any scoring zone will result in a 5-second penalty for each and every hit. A flagrant penalty is a 10-second penalty given in place of a PE when the shooter knowingly commits an infraction and gains a competitive advantage that outweighs the 3-second PE penalty the infraction would normally earn. Flagrant penalties may be assessed by the Safety Officer for infractions such as: The examples provided in

1275-625: A part of the Nordic Fullbore Rifle Championship since 1953. Around 1900, efforts were done to develop more effective uses of handguns in combat shooting, mainly through experiments by two Britons, Captain William E. Fairbairn and Sergeant Eric A. Sykes. The first known attempts at developing practical shooting as a handgun sport were done in the U.S. before the Second World War, but the attempts resulted in little. Shortly after

1360-482: A stage may require a lower round count for that stage. In the semi-automatic divisions, this refers to the maximum number of rounds allowed to be loaded in the magazine. Unless stage instructions state otherwise, shooters may start with an additional round in the chamber. Also note that "Other Firearm Restrictions" only lists the most significant firearm restrictions for a division. See IDPA rulebook for an exhaustive list of rules. F. 5.00” maximum height, measured from

1445-433: A target. Firing extra rounds on a limited stage will earn a procedural penalty. In addition to the penalty, for each extra shot fired at a target, the highest scoring hit will be removed (taped over) prior to scoring the target. For example: a Limited Scoring stage calls for two shots per threat target. The shooter fires one round into the -0 zone and one round into the -1 zone. The shooter then fires an extra shot, hitting

1530-496: A timely fashion. Comstock is the only scoring method used internationally by the IPSC. Time Plus is a newer scoring method that has seen a rising popularity in Multi Gun matches because of its simplicity. Minor and major power factor is ignored, and only two hits anywhere on the targets are required (no points or scoring zones). The competitors' time is their score, and instead time is added for misses, penalties etc. This scoring method

1615-437: A vaguely humanoid shape consisting of a "head" and a "body". Scoring zones are perforated onto its surface. A "neck" perforation demarcates the "head" from the "body." There are 5 distinct scoring zones on an IDPA target: -0 head, -0 body, -1 head, -1 body, -3 body. The "head" is a 6" square with a 4" circle centered within it. The circle is marked "-0". The area outside of the circle is marked "-1". The "body" has an 8" circle in

1700-409: A variety of challenges. The shooter assumes his or her position in the shooting box and, upon the beep of the timer, draw their pistol and shoots each plate with the fifth being a stop plate synchronized to the timer. Each shooter shoots the stage five times with the slowest time dropped. The score is the combined time of the best four runs and that time added to the combined times of the other stages for

1785-443: Is a restriction on magazine length of 141.25 mm for double stack magazines (5.561 inches, which is often incorrectly referred to as 140 mm magazines) or 171.25 mm for single stack magazines (6.742 inches) (often incorrectly referred to as 170 mm magazines). The maximum magazine length in Limited was changed from 140 and 170 mm to 141.25 and 171.25 mm respectively by USPSA somewhere between 2004 and 2009. On

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1870-427: Is a target designed specifically to not resemble a human being, and includes only one Alpha, Charlie, and Delta Zones. IPSC Targets are physically smaller than their USPSA counterparts and are subsequently considered harder targets to hit. USPSA uses both IPSC and USPSA targets on their courses of fire, while IPSC only utilizes the IPSC target. Modifiers to the scoring are controlled by a shooter's power factor, which

1955-494: Is a timed segment in a course of fire. The time to complete a string of fire begins with a start signal (typically audible) and ends with the last shot fired. Time is measured by a shot timer, which provides the start signal and records each shot fired. There are two types of stages: Scenario and Standards. A Scenario stage represents a self-defense situation that could happen in real life. A Standards stage tests shooting fundamentals. IDPA uses "Time Plus" scoring. "Time Plus" means

2040-544: Is an explanation of the eight divisions within USPSA. Although very similar, there are some equipment differences between the USPSA and IPSC handgun divisions. Both IPSC and USPSA Open require 9×19mm loaded to a power factor of 125 kgr·ft/s as the minimum caliber for minor scoring As its name implies, the Open Division allows for the greatest range of pistol and sight modification. Pistols used in Open division competition are

2125-409: Is commonly used on Standards stages. Unlimited scoring means that the shooter may fire more than the required number of shots at a target. The best of the required number of hits on the target are scored. Extra shots (makeups) are beneficial if they remove more points down than the time it takes to fire them. Limited scoring means that the shooter may NOT fire more than the required number of shots at

2210-685: Is divided into of eight areas, each area having several member states. The Board of Directors comprises the President and the 8 Area Directors. Each member of the Board has an equal voice, with the President breaking any ties. The President is elected by all of the members to a 4-year term. Each Area Director is elected by the members in that Area to a three-year term. The Board of Directors' responsibilities include financial strategy, including budget, planning and investment strategies, membership recruitment and retention strategies, marketing strategies, strategies for

2295-480: Is essentially for "production" type handguns with red dot sights attached to the slide between the rear of slide and the ejection port. Like USPSA Production there is minor scoring only. Carry Optics was introduced by USPSA in July 2015, and competitors could participate in the division from mid September 2015. Initially the maximum weight limit was 35 ounces (approximately 992 grams ) including an empty magazine, but in 2016

2380-457: Is faster, but has the drawback that if a competitor makes a time-consuming error on a stage they may drop severely in the match classification because the time scoring is cumulative. Other scoring methods are Limited Time Comstock, Virginia Count or Fixed Time. The USPSA ranks its shooters in classes, according to their performance on classifier stages. The ranks are: In conjunction with IPSC, USPSA has their own dedicated range officials, which

2465-520: Is often thought of as the USPSA equivalent of the IPSC Standard division, but there are some differences. In Limited division there is no restriction on holster position, while in the Standard division the holster and allied equipment must be worn behind the hip bone. While Standard handguns must fit inside the IPSC box with any of its magazines inserted, there is no box for Limited division and instead there

2550-988: Is run by the National Range Officers Institute (NROI). The NROI is responsible for the training and certification of the Range Officials, firearm safety, good course design and advising the membership on the application of the rules as determined by the board of directors. USPSA has four different types of Range Officials, which are: In December 2007, USPSA purchased the Steel Challenge and the Steel Challenge Shooting Association (SCSA) from owners and creators Mike Dalton and Mike Fichman. The match design of Dalton and Fichman called for simple stages, or courses of fire, made up of just five steel plates. The steel plates are of differing sizes and placed at various distances and angles to create

2635-455: Is very similar to the IPSC Modified division. The Heavy Metal division requires a 12 gauge pump-action shotgun with a tube magazine, and the shotgun has to be factory produced of at least 500 units. The magazine capacity limit at the start signal is 9 rounds. Speed loaders are not permitted, neither are muzzle brakes or optical sights. The USPSA Heavy Metal division is practically identical to

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2720-517: Is very similar to the open division, with the exception that only one optical sight is permitted, no bipod and the muzzle brake has to be within the maximum dimensions of 1x3 inches (1 inch diameter and 3 inches long). The limited division is limited to one non-magnifying red dot sight, no bipod and the muzzle brake has to be within the maximum dimensions of 1x3 inches (1 inch diameter and 3 inches long). Rifles with non-magnified red dot sights are very competitive with scoped rifle at short ranges, but have

2805-674: The 1976 IPSC Handgun World Shoot followed with Jan Foss from Norway taking gold. On 24 May 1976 the International Practical Shooting Confederation was formally founded at the Columbia conference in Columbia, Missouri , with representation in fourteen nations. Jeff Cooper was unanimously chosen as the first president. Between 1974 and 1979, stridsskytterligaen (literally the Combat Shooting League) had been

2890-560: The TV westerns of that era. However, many wished for a forum that would more directly test the results of the experimentation in modern technique that had been going on at the Bear Valley Gunslingers at Big Bear Lake , California and other places. Competitions were set up to test what had been learned, and they soon grew into a distinct sport, requiring competitors to deal with constantly changing scenarios. The first public competition

2975-414: The time it takes to complete a stage plus time added for points down and penalties. For a stage, the string times (raw time) plus points down time, plus penalty time are added to determine total stage time. For a match, the total time of all stages is added together. Match placement is based on total time. The lower the time, the higher the placement. The official IDPA target is made of cardboard and has

3060-463: The "Make Ready" command is given. The minimum caliber in USPSA Rifle is 5.45×39mm , and the ammunition has to make a power factor of 150 kgr·ft/s for minor or 320 kgr·ft/s for major scoring. Important elements include the use of prone, off hand and supported shooting positions. Knowledge of the firearms ballistics is a key element to succeed at the long range targets. There are some differences between

3145-451: The "duty guns" available from nearly every pistol maker and each of the major manufacturers offers a wide variety of models that meet IPSC or USPSA Production Division requirements. Stock revolvers may also be used, including the 7- and 8-shot variants. Since everyone in the division is scored as a minor power factor regardless of the round, mostly 9×19mm handguns are used. While capacity is not uniform across model, caliber or manufacture,

3230-503: The -1 zone. First, the shooter is assessed a PE. Second, the highest scoring hit on the target, i.e.: the -0 hit, is removed, leaving two -1 hits. The final score on the target is "down 2." A procedural error is a 3-second penalty given for violating the rules of IDPA or failing to follow the stage procedure of a course of fire. Procedural errors may be assessed by the Safety Officer for infractions such as: Targets identified with two open hands are considered "non-threat" targets. A hit on

3315-434: The 141.25 mm gauge. For a 2011 pattern handgun, aftermarket parts and magazine tuning can increase the (reloadable) capacity from 14 to 18 rounds for .45 ACP, from 17 to 21 rounds for .40 S&W and from 20 to 24 rounds for 9×19mm. The power factors for Limited and Standard also differ. For both Limited and Standard, the minimum caliber for minor scoring is 9×19mm loaded to a power factor of 125 kgr·ft/s, and both require

3400-481: The Board is: As the governing body of IPSC shooting in the United States, USPSA provides a wide range of competitive opportunities for shooters with regulated competition in eight distinct divisions. Each division within USPSA is determined by the kind of firearm used and ranges from production guns, the "stock cars" of the sport, to fully customized open guns that are the Formula 1 cars of Practical Shooting. The following

3485-872: The Combat Shotgun Society. UKPSA also held IPSC practical rifle competitions, while the NRA UK has held a separate discipline known as NRA Practical Rifle competitions with courses usually including physical elements. Today, the NRA UK also holds Practical Shotgun competitions (PSG) alongside the IPSC Shotgun of UKPSA. One of the first 3-Gun matches to be held in the United States was the Soldier of Fortune matches held in 1979 in Missouri, but these matches were neither associated with USPSA nor IPSC. The first USPSA Multigun Championship

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3570-722: The IPSC Handgun rules. In 1976, an international group of enthusiasts, interested in what had become known as "practical shooting", met in Columbia, Missouri . From that meeting came the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC). In 1984, the United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) was incorporated as the US Region of IPSC. After many years of established IPSC competition, some shooters, including some of

3655-490: The IPSC Standard Manual division. In Multigun , equipment from the handgun, rifle and shotgun divisions are combined into own Multigun Divisions. Mainly two methods are used, either Comstock or Time Plus. The shooter's time is recorded electronically, by means of a shot timer that detects the sound of the shots. Comstock ranks the competitors based on achieved points for a stage divided by their time, giving them

3740-453: The IPSC and USPSA Production rules were originally restrictive in regards to permitted modifications, custom parts and tuning, but while IPSC has stayed very restrictive on its interpretations, USPSA have loosened up on its interpretations of the rules. Therefore, many handguns approved for USPSA can not be used in their configuration for IPSC competitions. There are several differences between USPSA Production and IPSC Production: Carry Optics

3825-424: The Open Division due to too high pressures, but 9×19mm loaded to major became popular again as the power factor was relaxed from 175 kgr·ft/s to 160 kgr·ft/s, and later raised to 165 kgr·ft/s. There are some differences between the IPSC and USPSA Handgun Open divisions regarding major power factor requirements and maximum magazine length rules. While IPSC Open still require the major power factor of 160 kgr·ft/s which

3910-463: The Single Stack Division where they compete against other single stack handguns. As with Limited, shooters must use a 10 mm caliber or larger bullet in order to score a major power factor. Production Division is strictly limited to the use of production handguns with actions that are either double-action-only ( DAO ), double-action/ single-action ( DA/ SA ) or striker fired. These are

3995-415: The USPSA and IPSC Rifle divisions. In the open division one can have any number of many optical sights and bipods, and there is no size restriction on muzzle brakes. 1-4 or 1-6 scopes are popular in the Open division. Some use reticles with marked hold overs, while others prefer reticles with a simple dot and crosshair and choose to dial long range adjustments on the turrets instead. The Tactical division

4080-666: The ability to participate. Practical shotgun has gained much popularity since the handgun ban, with numerous graded matches each year, and large entries to the European Practical Shotgun Championships. Various scoring methods are used: Two primary paper targets are recognized by IPSC and the USPSA and are named for each organization. The USPSA Target (or Headbox Target) is the classically recognizable target for practical shooting. The modern USPSA target includes two Alpha (A) zones, one Charlie (C) zone, and one Delta (D) zone. The IPSC Target (or "Turtle" Target)

4165-453: The bottom of the hammer opening in the frame to the bottom of the grip, 2 3/8” maximum depth, 1 5/8” maximum width. United States Practical Shooting Association The United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) is the national governing body of practical shooting in the United States under the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC). Its over 35,000 active members and over 500 affiliated clubs make USPSA

4250-399: The championship has been held annually since. South Africa has held IPSC Rifle and Shotgun matches since 1983, and IPSC multigun matches since 1984. The United Kingdom Practical Shooting Association (UKPSA) was founded in 1977, and initially focused on practical handgun competitions. In the 1980s, practical shotgun competitions were held both by UKPSA as well as another organisation known as

4335-466: The competition gear (including pistol or pistol caliber carbine) are carefully regulated in IDPA. Ammunition capacity is limited compared to some other action shooting sports in order to keep the playing field level for competitors from states that ban higher capacity magazines. An IDPA match consists of one or more stages. A stage presents a course of fire for the shooter to complete. A course of fire consists of one or more strings of fire. A string of fire

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4420-419: The confusion, some manufacturers lists their magazine tube length as the length of the tube itself, while others lists the length with a basepad assembled. For a 2011 pattern handgun, aftermarket parts and magazine can give a magazine capacity of 29 rounds (reloadable) of 9×19mm for a 171.25 mm USPSA Open magazine (28 rounds for a shorter 170 mm IPSC Open magazine), or up to 26 rounds of .40 S&W for

4505-546: The country to build upon the handgun skills and training for self-defense. The early days of the sport can be traced back to the 1950s and the quick draw "leather slap" competitions that grew out of America's love affair with the TV westerns of that era. In 1984 USPSA was incorporated as the US Region of IPSC. Practical Shooting challenged the then accepted standards of technique, training practices and equipment. Its early pioneers developed scenario-based competitions to accurately measure

4590-419: The course of fire. FTDR penalties must be approved by the match director. IDPA currently recognizes nine divisions of competition, with each division having different limitations for the firearms. The Revolver (REV) and Back-Up Gun (BUG) divisions are further divided into two subcategories each. In the following table, note that "Max Rounds Loaded" is a general maximum for all competitions. Instructions for

4675-472: The cylinder release, bob the hammer, change sights, chamfer cylinders and tune the action as they desire. The most popular calibers are 9x19, .38 Super, and the .38 Colt family from which .38 Special was derived. Cylinders cut for moonclips are de facto standard as well. Typically, competitors will use a "race" style holster in the Revolver Division. The PCC division gives the possibility to compete with

4760-487: The differences in recoil, magazine capacity and scoring points. An example of differences in magazine capacity depending on caliber can be seen when comparing stock 141.25 mm STI 2011 double stack magazines, which according to the manufacturer yields a capacity of either 14 rounds for .45 ACP , 17 rounds for .40 S&W or 20 rounds for 9×19mm . Magazine capacity can be further increased using aftermarket springs, followers and basepads as long as each magazine still fits

4845-432: The effectiveness of their own shooting techniques and equipment. The rapid shooting on-the-move style of Practical Shooting gave birth to the term "Run and Gun" so commonly used today to describe the sport. For more than 30 years the sport has served as the test bed for new products and the unofficial R&D for the firearms industry. With some competitors annually shooting in excess of 100,000 rounds, no other venue offers

4930-637: The forerunner of IPSC shooting in Norway, until the Norwegian Association for Practical Shooting took over and was incorporated into IPSC in 1979. Finland pioneered IPSC Rifle in Scandinavia in the beginning of the 1980s, and the discipline soon spread to Norway where the first competitions were held in Stavanger February 1984. In 1987 the first official Norwegian Rifle Championship was held, and

5015-508: The format and location of the USPSA Handgun Championship , USPSA Multigun Championship and IPSC US Handgun Championship matches, strategies for the establishment and/or management of relationships with other shooting organizations, including IPSC, drafting and revising the rules that USPSA matches are conducted under, and review and ratification of National Range Officer Institute (NROI) policies and procedures. As of Jul. 2024,

5100-473: The high-center chest, which is marked "-0". A polygonal area surrounding the circle is marked "-1". The remainder of the body is marked "-3". Only the required number of hits are scored. If there are fewer hits than required, the missing hits are scored as misses, which are "-5". If there are more hits on a target then required, the best of the required number of hits are scored, subject to the scoring method used (see below). Scored hits in each zone are added to

5185-496: The largest practical shooting organization in the United States and the second largest region within IPSC after the Russian Federation of Practical Shooting . USPSA publishes a monthly member magazine called Front Sight . IPSC was formed in 1976 at a meeting in Columbia, Missouri , led by the late Jeff Cooper . It was here that the sport of Practical Shooting was formally established after years of independent efforts around

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5270-465: The magazine length to 170 mm (approximately 6.69 inches), USPSA Open changed the maximum magazine length from 170 mm to 171.25 mm (6.742 inches) somewhere between 2004 and 2009. Confusingly, some 171.25 mm magazine setups are marketed and referred to as 170 mm while they in reality measure 171.25 mm, making their configuration illegal for IPSC competitions. Since the magazine tubes themselves always are shorter than 170 mm,

5355-410: The maximum weight limit was raised to 45 ounces (approximately 1275 grams) including an empty magazine. In March 2021, the weight limit was again increased to 59 ounces, allowing essentially all Production handguns, even with modifications that increase weight, such as flashlights and brass grips. Initially there was a 10-round magazine capacity limit, but from 1 February 2017 the magazine capacity limit

5440-534: The organization. Further, each Area is divided into sections which is represented by a Section Coordinator responsible for coordinating the activities of clubs within his/ her section, and managing the nationals slot distribution process. Besides IPSC, USPSA has its own international Foreign Club Affiliations (FCA) program to allow foreign USPSA members to earn a USPSA classification before competing in USPSA matches. FCA clubs and organizations at some point existed in 14 countries, and some are still affiliated. The USPSA

5525-427: The original founders, became dissatisfied with IPSC, as more specialized equipment was allegedly required to remain competitive. The International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) was formed in 1996 with the aim of returning to the defensive pistol roots of practical shooting. Soon after this split, the USPSA devised a series of competition "divisions" with varying limits on type and modification of equipment, including

5610-422: The other competitors based on their percentage hit factor compared to the winner. To calculate the final match standings each competitors stage points are totaled, and the competitor with the highest total of points wins the match. Comparing each shooter directly to the performance of the top shooter on each stage allows for precise gradation of performance across a match, but requires a computer and software to do in

5695-466: The other hand, if for instance a 2011 pattern pistol is used in the Standard division, either 124 or 126 mm magazines will usually give the maximum capacity and still fit the box. Minimum caliber for minor scoring is 9×19mm loaded to a power factor of 125 kgr·ft/s while minimum caliber for major scoring is a 10 mm (.40") cartridge loaded to a power factor of 165 kgr·ft/s, making for an interesting choice between minor and major scoring taken in mind

5780-414: The overall magazine length will be dependent on the particular basepad used. I.e. using a 167 mm long magazine tube with a 3 mm basepad would yield an overall length of 170 mm making its configuration approved for international competition, while a 167 mm magazine tube with a 4 mm basepad would yield an overall length of 171 mm making it restricted to USPSA matches only. Adding to

5865-413: The playing field is leveled by limiting shooters to 15 rounds per magazine . Holsters must be "Suitable for everyday use", defined as holsters which are not manufactured or cut lower than, and must cover the slide up to, 1/2" below the ejection port. Most shooters use a standard outside-the-waistband holster often made of Kydex or plastic, attached to a dropped-and-offset aluminum or steel mount. Both

5950-463: The practical shooting community, and hosted many National, European and International competitions. Despite the 1997 Firearms Amendment Act in the UK, worldwide practical shooting is currently the second most popular international target shooting discipline and now the fastest growing. Most pistol shooting in the UK suffered severely after the handgun ban, which wiped out many shooting disciplines by removing

6035-407: The reality of defensive shooting situations, using extensively modified guns, handmade ammunition, and speed-draw holsters that were impractical for self-defense. The IDPA founders believed that USPSA matches had become "equipment races", which were heavily dependent on a shooter's gear rather than their ability. In order to keep the sport in line with its founding principles, allowable alterations to

6120-406: The rule book should not be considered automatic. The Safety Officer must use judgement to determine if the infraction warrants a Flagrant penalty. Flagrant penalties must be approved by the match director. A failure to do right is a 20-second penalty given for "gross unsportsmanlike conduct". "Gross unsportsmanlike conduct" includes unacceptable behavior as well as intentional gross violations of

6205-432: The same equipment which is used in Limited is also popular in Limited-10. Like in Limited, double stack handguns can have a magazine length of 141.25 mm and single stack handguns (i.e. the 1911 ) can be used with 171.25 mm magazines. However double-stack pistols like the 2011 seem to be preferred over single stack models due to easier mag changes, and single stack handguns are therefore naturally more competitive in

6290-410: The second world war a distinct combat shooting sport for handguns known as stridsskyting became popular in Norway. This form of shooting had few similarities with the practical pistol sport which would later emerge. During the 10 to 12 years of its existence, what today is known as field shooting gradually took over as the more popular form of pistol shooting in Norway, and the original stridsskyting

6375-465: The shooting sport equivalent to the Formula One race car. They are custom built with parts and features specifically designed for competition. The most notable modifications are the use of recoil compensators and red dot optical sighting systems . A normal Open division rig setup contains at least one 170 mm and four 140 mm magazines. The longer 170 mm magazines provide more capacity, but

6460-488: The shorter 140 mm magazines are also popular because of easier handling and often more reliable feeding, leaving the competitor a choice of equipment according to the stage at hand. Competitors may declare major scoring with a 9 mm (.354") or larger bullet, and the most popular cartridges in the Open division are the .38 Super and 9×19mm handloaded to major power factor. For a while USPSA de facto (but not by rule) prohibited 9×19mm from scoring major power factor in

6545-529: The targets, and the courses are often designed so that the shooter must be inventive, and therefore the solutions of exercises sometimes vary between shooters. There are several international sanctioning bodies: Practical shooting evolved from experimentation with firearms for hunting and self-defense . The researchers of what were to become practical shooting were an international group of private individuals, law enforcement officers, and military people generally operating independently of each other, challenging

6630-747: The then-accepted standards of technique, training practices, and equipment. The work was, for the most part, conducted for their own purposes without official sanction. Even so, what they learned has had a great impact on police and military training forever. Some consider the previous Olympic event 100 meter running deer as the first practical rifle shooting competition, which originated in Wimbledon, London in 1862. Other notable rifle speed shooting events are Stang shooting ( stangskyting ) which has been arranged since 1912, and Nordic field rapid shooting (called felthurtig , sekundfält and sekundskydning in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, respectively) which has been

6715-429: The total points down. For example: if a target requires two hits, a hit in the "-1" zone and a hit in the "-3" zone would be scored as "-4" and called as "down-4" (or simply "4"). One second per point down is added to the total time taken to shoot the stage. There are two methods of scoring: Unlimited and Limited. Scenario stages must use Unlimited scoring. Standards stages may use either method, although Limited scoring

6800-512: The use of speed loaders for internal magazines. Magazines must not contain more than 10 rounds at the start signal. Bipods are also permitted, and the shotgun does not have to be factory produced. The Limited/ Tactical division is restricted to iron sights only, tube magazines and the shotgun has to be factory produced of at least 500 units. The magazine capacity limit at the start signal is 9 rounds. Speed loaders are not permitted, neither are muzzle brakes or optical sights. The USPSA Limited division

6885-586: Was at the Big Bear Lake in 1957. In 1969, the South-West-Pistol-League was formed by individual shooters and clubs from California, which to this day is one of the oldest clubs for practical shooting. The first IPSC World Shoot was held in 1975 in Zurich , about two years before IPSC was formally founded. Ray Chapman from the U.S. became the first ever world class practical pistol champion. The next year,

6970-474: Was completely gone as a discipline in the beginning of the 1960s. Stridsskyting later also was used separately to describe the completely different sport of IPSC-style practical shooting during its infancy in Norway. In the early 1950s, practical handgun competitions as we know them today emerged in the USA. Competitions begun with the leather slap quick draw events, which had grown out of America's love affair with

7055-676: Was held in 1990 at Pike-Adams Sportsmen's Alliance (PASA) in Barry, Illinois , but USPSA did not take on multigun full-time until around 2000. In Finland multigun matches have been held since around 1992. Australia held a Rifle and Shotgun Championship in September 1987, and the first IPSC European Shotgun Championship was held in October 1987 at the National Shooting Centre in Bisley , England ,

7140-418: Was proposed by USPSA at the 1999 General Assembly, USPSA changed the major power factor of USPSA Open division to 165 kgr·ft/s the following year in 2000. Thus, the threshold for making major power factor is 165 kgr·ft/s in all USPSA handgun divisions, while IPSC separates its power factor requirements into 160 kgr·ft/s for Open and 170 kgr·ft/s for all other all other handgun divisions. While IPSC Open limits

7225-548: Was raised to any magazine that can fit a 140 mm USPSA gauge (measuring 141.25 mm) The USPSA Single Stack Division (short "SS") caters to the traditional 1911 fan, and its IPSC equivalent is the Classic division. USPSA introduced Single Stack as a provisional division under the name "1911 Single Stack" in 2006 and made it a regular division in 2008 under the name "Single Stack". Only single-stack model 1911 -pattern pistols are allowed in this division, and they must comply with

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