USPSA Open/L10 National Match stage #11: "Go Sit In The Corner"

This is the second in a short series of articles describing the experiences of competitors at a Club Match which features stage designs published by USPSA and which are intended for the 2007 USPSA Open/L10 National Match.

The first in the series featured Stage 2: "Home Run".

This stage is Stage 11: "Go Sit In The Corner".

All stage designs (in PDF format) can be viewed at the USPSA Website.

Stage Starting Position:

"Seated in chair with arms crossed, hands on opposite shoulders. Gun in loaded and ready condition per 8.1, lying flat on one of the barrels, muzzle pointing downrange. All exra magazines are placed on the opposite barrel."

Comments on the Stage Design:

My personal most serious criticism of this stage design is that it required the competitor to be position downranged of a loaded pistol. Looking at the published schematic of the stage design, it seems obvious that this is an intentional feature of the design. I cannot imagine what the designer thought would be particularly attractive about this design feature, but this is one good reason why I am glad I hadn't planned to compete in this match.

Am I the only IPSC shooter who feels uncomfortable about this?

Note the starting position (above); there is no verbiage which suggests that the muzzle of the pistol should NOT be pointed at the competitor in the starting position.

I assume that the NROI has vetted this stage; are any of their members planning to sit in the corner on this stage? I suspect that this has NOT been tested in "Real Life" (that is, nobody has set up the stage and shot it, to see how it feels to stare down the barrel of a loaded gun.)

This is not A Good thing. Perhaps USPSA may reconsider this factor of the stage design. I hope.

At the Club match, I was not the only person who approached the Match Director to voice a certain discomfort about this starting position.

Local Variations on the Stage Design:

Looking at the Stage Layout, it appears that the chair (starting position) may have originally been intended to place the competitor facing downrange in the chair. The club match had the chair placed uprange. This may be a slight difference between the "pre-match" version and the "national match" version of this stage.

The national match stage procedures require that the pistol be placed on one barrel, and all magazines be placed on the other barrel. In the club match version, all magazines were carried on the belt. The Match Director at the club match stated that this was because the stage required more than 10 rounds be fired from a single position. In the actual event, the stage design only required that Limited 10 competitors (also Single Stack and Production) be careful about ammunition management. In the accompanying video, you will see that while the Open Division competitors managed the stage handily with a single (hi-capacity) magazine, the Limited-capacity competitors typically broke the stage into three-magazine arrays. The 11-target, 22-round stage was either divided into 10-6-6 or 10-4-8 round combinations, with one hapless competitor demonstrating the standing reload when he realized that he hadn't planned the stage as well as he might have wished.

In the video below, you will see that the stage design leaves very little room for any alternative than that the competitor be placed downrange of the loaded firearm at the start of the stage.

The first shooter, Mitch, demonstrated that a 10-round magazine limitation is not a serious impediment to a fast stage time. Second shooter, Geek, shows the relative placement of loaded firearm and shooter starting position. The rest of the competitors show variations on the sequence of target engagement and the reload-tactics of competitors who have limited ammunition. Clearly, the challenge of Open Division Competitors is less challenged than that of Limited 10 Competitors.

USPSA Nationals Stage 2: Home Run

Albany Rifle and Pistol Club used it's June, 2007, local match date to present its 'best guess' look at a few of the stages which are scheduled to be featured at the USPSA Open/L10 National match on June 20, 2007.

According to the published stage procedures (see all of the stage designs here), "Stepping on 1st and 3rd bases will activate swinging targets T2 and T7."

Well, this is true. However, the procedures do not specifically require that the competitor activate the targets by "stepping" on the foot-trap activators.

Consider this: at the start of the stage, you are holding a baseball bat. What if, at the sound of the buzzer you toss the bat and it hits one of the foot-trap activators? If you're the kind of person who assumes that "if it isn't specifically prohibited, it must be permitted", is this a legal way to avoid moving bodily to that location? After all, the swinging targets can be engaged from a wide area of legal locations.

This video presents four approaches to the stage.

Note again that this is NOT the 2007 USPSA Open/L10 National Match. This is the stage as presented by a 'local' club, using the stage design as provided by USPSA. The distances to targets, and relationship between targets/activators/shooting positions may be dramatically different from the National Match. Also, the Stage Procedures are ... and should be! ... tentative. My hope is that the USPSA NROI will evaluate the stage procedures as interpreted here, and reconsider whether it should specifically disallow initiation of the moving targets by throwing the bat at the initiator.

The precedent for this question is that in one of the stages presented at a USPSA Open National Match in 2003 or 2004 (Bend, Oregon), one stage may have provided an advantage to a competitor who chose to trip a foot-initiator by throwing a filled magazine at the trap. This didn't actually happen, but in an interview the Chief Range Officer voiced a concern that this might happen. The stage officials had not been instructed in how to rule in this event.

The first competitor, a GM Open shooter, chose not to use the bat to trip the initiator. He ended up 2nd overall, suggesting that there may be no advantage in this approach at this skill level.

The 2nd competitor, an A-class shooter in Single-Stack Division, also placed well without 'gaming' the stage.

The 3rd competitor, a B-Open class shooter, chose to interpret the stage procedure as a permission to trip the initiator by throwing the bat at it. He was successful in his attempt, and turned in a good time within the class.

The fourth competitor, a C-Open class shooter, missed the activator when he threw the bat at it. In the event, he not only failed to realize an advantage using this technique, he ended up with a 3-second penalty because he ran out of ammunition and had to make a standing reload on the last target. This doesn't prove anything, except that ammunition management is always an important factor in shooting any hi-round-count IPSC stage.

On the other hand, if he had expected the trap to trip by using the bat as an activation technique, he may have been rattled by the unsuccessfull attempt and in fact set up a situation where he was distracted by the failure of his tactics.

The questions here are whether it is an advantage to use a prop to trip an activator, whether it is legal given the text of the stage procedures, and whether it is advisable to 'game' a stage in this manner.

Look at the video, decide for yourself.

Blog Inactivity

I mentioned on May 22 that my server was being changed, and I still hadn't got all of the access permissions worked out so I can post pictures and videos on my Gallery website. That situation hasn't improved, I'm still trying to figure out my new URL, signon and password. Until that happens I'm unable to update the gallery. The existing link to the gallery (see sidebar) still works and the pictures and videos that were there are still available, even though some of the captions and other text may not be. I'll see what can be done about that this week. I have a lot of videos to post, but many of them are not edited so updates to the gallery may not be caught up for a couple of weeks.

Daily blogging has been sparse. Between taking a long weekend to celebrate SWMBO's birthday, transporting various family members to doctor appointments, etc., and my own recent bout of hayfever, I've had neither time nor the initiative to post regularly. I hope that this week will be more productive than last week. (My boss hopes the same improvement on my attendance at the office improves, too.)

I did attend a local match (yesterday) which featured a 'best guess' of some stages which will be presented at the June 20, 2007, USPSA National Open/L10 match. We saw some innovative approaches to some of the stages, especially Stage 2: "Home Run". I hope to edit sufficient videos from this local match version to illustrate what may be controversial tactics in the next day or two. The full-length high-density video will not, of course, be immediately available. However, I can still post to YouTube and that grainy version may be sufficient to illustrate the point.

For those of you who dropped by during the past two weeks to see if I've had anything interesting to read, and who were perhaps disappointed in the meager offerings, I apologize. In retrospect, it seems as if I should have found a few moments to explain that I wouldn't be publishing at my usual rate during this period.

Presidential Message

Okay, so I'm a conservative and I think it's dispicable despicable a shame that those liberal tree-hugging Global Warming kooks ridicule Our President.

But sometimes it's really, really funny.

Out of the mouths of babes!

IPSC STEEL

You may recall from a previous article that "Pete" and "Re-Pete" (Mitch M. and Ramiro R.) from COSSA invited me to attend the IPSC Steel match at COSSA (Bend, Oregon) this weekend.

Since SWMBO was going to visit her sister. Jo, on Saturday at Jo's cabin just east of Sisters, Oregon, we decided that Jo's husband Bernie and I could go to the COSSA pistol match while SWMBO and Jo attended the "Health Fair" in Bend. In the actual event, Bernie chose to attend the Health Fair to get his aura read, so I went to the COSSA IPSC Steel match alone.

Turns out, it was a good choice for me.

As it happened, there were a number of "Psychics" at the Health Fair, and they were determined to tell the attendees what was wrong in their life. Since I already know what's wrong with my life (I'm not rich, not young, and not thin) this would have been a waste of time.

Note thatwhile the Psychics didn't offer to correct perceived deficiencies, they were more than happy to announce the deficiencies of everyone who came into their range. Frankly, I would rather be shot. Happily, that didn't happen at the COSSA Range.

IPSC Steel is essentially an IPSC match, except that all of the targets are steel with NO cardboard (eg: Metric or Classic) targets included in the stage designs.

The stages were generally designed 'on the fly', and the stage directions were not written down. Rather, they were entirely verbal and sounded like:

"Start here, shoot this target twice. Then run over here and shoot this target twice. Re-engage T1 through this port twice, shoot these two targets twice from here, then shoot them again through this port again, then shoot these three targets twice through this port and finish at this port by re-engaging this target twice. Round count: 24 rounds."

Note: do NOT do the math, it will only confuse you.

The stage designer was one of the 11 competitors, and there was usually some discussion before the match started about how to make the stages more interesting. Some of the stages were re-designed before the match started. Other stages were redesigned AFTER that match started, usually leading to more interesting stages.

If you haven't got the impression already, the stage designs were ad hoc and fluid, as was much of the range officiating. For example, I encountered some serious failure-to-feed problems on the first stage. After I shot two rounds and dumped three more on the ground, the consensus was that I should be allowed to correct my problems and reshoot the stage. While I was grateful, I also found this local ruling a little confusing.

Of course, I took full advantage of it.

The stages involved complex "shooting house" designs, with the addition of the type of targets which one usually encounters at "Speed Steel" matches. Essentially, they were either Pepper Poppers or round (or square) plates hanging from stands made of steel 'Rebar'.

The designs made full use of "shoot each target two times" philosophy, and most targets were re-engaged from several positions. This made it sort of a "Memory Match", but there was a decided advantage in that it was easy to set up (eight targets were the only elements in a 24-round stage) and easy to take down.

The host club actually set up only 3 stages. After all had been shot, they decided which seemed the most interesting and changed them slightly by moving (or removing) a few targets, and shot those stages again.

Scoring was similarly odd: a target which was not engaged was deemed to add 3 seconds to the competitor's time. Or else FTE and miss penalties were assigned ... I never understood what criteria were used to determine which penalty system was used for each stage, but I think the match administrators used whatever techniques 'felt right' for each stage.

Note that I'm not being critical. Nobody seemed to care any more than I did what scoring penalties structure was imposed on any given stage. Everybody who showed up was obviously there to celebrate a sunny early-Summer Saturday on The Range.

I already knew Mitch and Ramiro, having met them last weekend at Dundee. And I knew GM Scott Sprenger from many previous matches. I had met Brad some years ago, before he suffered a grevious injury from having a horse fall on him (ligament damage had been 'largely' repaired, but he wore a brace on his leg anyway ... and kicked my ass score-wise!) and I met his son, JD, who was teen-ager quiet but intense, man.

Other competitors included "Drive-By Don" and "180" (who lived up to his reputation), Mike who worked most stages as RO, and Jason of the Funny Hat. There were also a few other players whose names I failed to record. It doesn't really matter, because everyone was there for the fun of shooting, and we all had fun.

Unfortunately, I had a bad lot of ammunition (curses to my reloader, who turned out to me ... me!) so I came in Second Open. Ramiro came in Next To Last Open.

There were only two Open shooters ... okay to do the math this time.

I took a lot of pictures, and some videos. When I explained to Mitch that it was a drag to take a lot of videos at a match because it prevented me from actually enjoying the match ... it tends to interfere with talking to people ... Mitch generously offered to film severl competitors for me. With some hesitation, I accepted his generous offer. Some of the segments you will see below were filmed by me, but most of them (the best ones) were filmed by Mitch.

Thanks, Mitch!

The included match segments are selected at random, generally, but they're all typical of an IPSC Steel match. Most significantly (t0 me), Ramiro mentioned before the match began that an Open shooter has a disadvantage. The report of the pistol is so loud that in combination with Electronic ear muffs it's difficult to tell whether you have hit both shots on a given steel target. I as inclined to poo-poo his petty criticism, until I shot a couple of stages. While I rely on my ability to 'call the shot', in the confusion I found myself unable to reliably do so and thus I took a LOT of extra shots. I'm convinced that the extra shots were necessary, because somehow when you are 'clanging steel' you can't always tell what targets you have hit with which shot, or even (sometimes) how many times you have shot at it.

This is an extremely challenging variation on IPSC competition. If you haven't tried it yet, I encourage you to get together with a dozen of your closest IPSC friends and play with some stage designs.

I'm pretty sure you will embarass yourself almost as thoroughly as I did last Saturday.

Mr. Completely: Red Dot Sights - How They Work

Mr. Completely: Red Dot Sights - How They Work

Mr. Completely has an excellent short article about the kind of sights typically used on Open Division pistols in IPSC.

I would attempt to add explanatory comments, but that would be gilding the lily.

This is a candidate for the shortest Geek-Length article in the history of Western Civilization.

I'm learning ...

Pete and Re-Pete

When I talked about the Memorial Day Dundee Match, I neglected to mention a couple of IPSC shooters in our squad that we had never met before.

Mitch M. and Ramiro R. usually compete at the COSSA Practical Shooters' Range, 21 miles east of Bend, Oregon. (This was the site of USPSA National Matches in 2003 and 2004, where SWMBO and I both competed and worked as Range Officers.) I'm not sure what COSSA stands for. "CO" is obviously "Central Oregon", and "A" is "Association (I think), but I have no idea what the "SS" stands for.

It doesn't matter, and by this time next week I'm pretty sure someone will have clarified the issue for me.

It's enough that Mitch and Ramiro left Bend at 5am to get to the match in Dundee by 9am. I assume it's because they love to shoot and have precious little opportunity to shoot IPSC matches every weekend, being as they are sited in the middle of a state the approximate size of Iraq.

We weren't acquainted with Mitch and Ramiro, so we asked if they were 'new shooters'. They laughed, and said that no, they had shot a couple of matches. (We later learned that they were B-class shooters ... clearly no tyros here.)

We enjoyed the company of Mitch and Ramiro, but as the match progressed we realized that Ramiro was experiencing some problems with his pistol. Worse, we watched as he experienced some Range Equipment Failures which necessitated reshooting the stages. That never works out well for the shooter, and by the time we started the 4th stage I was Range Officer when Ramiro came up to the line.

Hi, I'm Jerry and I'll be your Range Officer for this state, and also for your Reshoot.

Ramiro groaned, accused me of jinxing him, but managed to shoot the stage clean (and beat me on the stage with his STI Race Gun!)

By the time we got to the last stage, I had told them that I was renaming them from Mitch and Ramiro to "Pete and Re-Pete". More groans.

I'm going to be in the Bend area this weekend, and I told them so. As it happens, COSSA iss putting on an "IPSC Steel" match this Saturday. This is an IPSC match in which no cardboard targets are used. This is the High-Plains version of an IPSC Winter Match. No problems with soggy cardboard or tape not sticking. No need to cover targets with plastic bags. They use only steel targets, which simplifies 'bad weather' matches.

"Pete and Re-Pete" were enthusiastic about encouraging me to attend the Bend June Match. The even offered to invite me to squad with them. So I'll be shooting in Bend this weekend, and I hope to have some interesting photos here.

By the way, you may ask:


Why in the WORLD do they need to hold a "Bad Weather" match in June?

In response, I remind you that the 2003 Area 1 match was held in Bend, the first full weekend in May. It snowed. Why did it snow? Because it was too cold for rain.

Wish me luck.

Evil Star 1.1

Memorial Day Weekend was a busy time here in Geekistan.

Saturday, we shot a Club Match at Dundee, where we were treated to Evil Bill's New and Improved Evil Star (Version 1.1 -- more on this later).

Sunday, we went to a BBQ at the home of Randomly Hittin' Witten and his charming wife, Donna. Many of The usual Suspects were there, including AJ and KJ who have been so busy riding their new Harley that they just haven't had time to get to the range for matches. AJ, however, did show up for the Saturday match and I regret that I was unable to include his Evil Star run in the attached video. Perhaps I can feature him in his own video later on, which would be worthwhile if only because he did a fine job on the stage regardless of his lack of recent practice.

Monday SWMBO and I went to my mother's house in Springfield and worked in her garden. Her sprinkler system is on the fritz, but my brother-in-law John fixed that before we got there. We spent a couple of hours doing basic gardening (weeding, and trimming & spraying her Rose Garden) until we ran out of steam.

On to the Evil Star.

Last month, Evil Bill introduced his Evil Star at the Dundee Club Match. There were a few problems with the design, mostly because:

1. The plates, when hit solidly, would sometimes fall back far enough to strike the backing IPSC targets. This didn't often slow the rotation of the array, but it did some physical damage to the cardboard targets.
2. There was a lot of 'splatter' on the backing targets due to fragmentation of bullets which hit the plate-supporting arms. These supports were 1/2" (or smaller) rods, and any rounds which hit them tended to tear up the cardboard.

Evil Bill built a longer pivot rod to support the backing targets another foot further from the plates. And he also built a facing plate for the plate-supporting arms, so bullets which might have hit the rods and fragmented tended to bounce off the trapezoidal flat surface, instead.

We did experience one problem. The springs which hold the plates in place on the support arms are flimsy, weak material. Over time, they tend to wear out. We were the last squad to shoot this stage, and we found that the weakest springs tended to fall off the support arms. We were able to find and re-install the springs, but this reveals a design flaw in the original Texas Star.

Personally, I recommend Bobby Wright's "Five Point Surprise" as a viable alternative to this target design. The springs are much more robust, and many of the parts can replaced by a trip to you friendly local Ace Hardware Man.

Still the Evil Star proved to be a challenging and interesting target. Here's how it looked when real people were shooting real bullets:




(This video is also available directly from YouTube, here.)

Server Problems?

Many of the photos and especially the link icons in the sidebar are not available at the moment. Also, the "Jerry the Geek's Video Shooting Gallery" is not available. I assume this is a server problem, and will be corrected eventually.

Texas Star design specifications

Over the past year I've posted a lot of photos and videos of "The Texas Star", Bobby Wright's "Five-Point Surprise", and Bill Marr's "Evil Star". Folks are attracted to these interesting, challenging target designs and they write to me with either general or specific questions about the design. The most common theme: "I'd like to build me one of these!"

Most of these correspondents are extra-national, which is to say they don't live in the United States where shipping charges are probably not going to exceed the purchase price of the target. (In fact, you may find one or more of these vendors at major matches in the Continental United States.)

But when you ask me to provide design specifications so you can build your own, I have to say ... I can't do that.

These folks are engineers, or machinists ... usually both. When they build a target, they have invested their time and talents and materials to provide a product. They have created these targets to sell. They're trying to make a living, and if I provide design specifications to you the result is that I am undermining their business.

I refuse to do this.

I have posted photos and videos of these products because I believe in a Free Market economy, and Capitalism, and if someone makes a better mousetrap (or a better IPSC target) they deserve whatever compensation returnable from the market which THEY have developed.

You can search my blog for keywords which may provide links to photos and movies of these new targets. If you can't find contact information there, please write me (my email address is ALWAYS available at the bottom of every page) and I will provide as much contact information as I have or I can find.

When you and the manufacturer of a product have access to each other, then you can decide whether you will buy a target, or a license (including design specifications and/or parts list) to manufacture or retail them.

Now, I know that this will not be a satisfactory to most of you who consider yourself perfectly competent to build a Star target. I'm truly sorry to disappoint you, because I share your enthusiasm for these designs and I would like to see them being used in IPSC matches all over the world.

Please understand that I have not marketing agreement with any of these target manufacturers. My only concern is to encourage the development of new target designs, and to allow entrepreneurs to reap the benefits of their ingenuity and their labor.

Again, I will do whatever is necessary to put you in touch with these manufacturers/designers. But my articles are intended for entertainment and general information only.

So please don't ask me to tell you how to build a Texas Star, or a Five Point Surprise, or an Evil Star. I'll just spend a lot of time telling you "NO". I'll feel bad because I cannot, in good conscience, help you to build your own pirated version. And you'll be disappointed by my recalcitrance.

Jerry-Atrics 1

The March 12, 2007 match at Albany Rifle and Pistol club is unofficially called the "Mothers Day" match. The squad I shot in is unofficially called the "Geriatrics Squad", because there were only a few of the 12 squadmembers who didn't fit into a Senior or SuperSenior category.

One of the non-senior shooters, John, is featured in several of the videos I plan to present and I gave him the URL for this website so he could watch his performance objectively.

There are a lot of videos of his shooting in this six-part series (officially completed as soon as YouTube comes back online and I can upload this video), but this one is especially interesting.

John ... seemed to have broken the rules.
The rules are, shoot the paper targets over the bar, shoot the steel under the bar.
He took a shot over the bar after he had APPARENTLY completed engaging all paper targets. Worse, the round hit the berm just over the steel target array.

Go look at the video. You be the RO. What would you do?


Music ("I Shot The Sheriff") by Mr. Eric Clapton.

The videos for this and all other stages in this match are available at Jerry the Geek's Video Shooting Gallery. The video for this particular stage (a 16mb download) is here.

Stage 1: Better Make Sure (CM99-50)
(Click the link to view the Stage design and procedures in PDF format.)

The designer of this 8-round Comstock Classifier has not been identified. by USPSA.

You can see the original YouTube video here.

Jerry-Atrics 2

Stage 2: Stupid Donut
(Click the link to view the Stage design and procedures in PDF format.)

Music ("Knockin' on Heaven's Door") by Mr. Eric Clapton.

The videos for this and all other stages in this match are available at Jerry the Geek's Video Shooting Gallery.

Mr. Mike McCarter is the designer of this 23-round Comstock stage, which includes 11 IPSC targets and 1 steel target.

Shooter starts in shooting box "A", and can engage all targets from that box and/or Shooting Box "B".

Shooting the Pepper Popper through the 'donut' activates the sliding window, which allows shooter to engage targets T1-T4 (not legally accesible from outside Shooting Box "A".)

Moving downrange through Shooting Box "B", targets T5-T6, T11 - T12 may be engaged.

Stepping on the activator box at the forward lateral wall activates bobbing target T8, as well as a no-shoot penalty target just behind the port (which is not an obstacle for tall competitors.)

Through the port, the shooter may engage moving target T8 as well as static targets T7 and T9. Note that the moving target is repetitively obscured by a steel-plate representing an IPSC target, and is considered "Hard-Cover".

All in all, it's a nifty little Mac McCarter Special stage design. Neat, but not gaudy.

You can see the original YouTube video here.

The 2006 Hostility To IPSC Award

We interrupt this series of actual USPSA Shooting Match articles to bring this Breaking News to your attention:


Jerry the Geek has been awarded 2nd place in the prestigious "Hostility to IPSC" competition. (Click on the title of this article to see the original award webpage ... as long as it remains available.)

I take great pride in this award, and I vow to continue my efforts in hopes that I win first Place in the 2007 competition.

There's a chance that it will actually happen. I draw your attention to my 2007 May Day post: "Target Control".

If that doesn't do it, I don't know what will.

Quality, not Quantity.

In the meantime, I offer my heartfelt congratulations to Jim Norman, the winner of the "2006 Hostility to IPSC" award.

Jim, I've watched your work for years and I have the utmost admiration for your accomplishment.

(Click on the image to see the full-size version. Click on the resulting image again to see a 'clean' version.)

Note that, according to the "Page Info" option, this page was last modified "Sunday, May 13, 2007 12:11:30 AM", and it expires "Sunday, May 13, 2007 12:11:30 AM".

I think that means I'm fortunate that several of my friends cared enough to forward this link to me before it expired. Otherwise, you may have missed this little hissy-fit expression of appreciation compiled by the self-described "IPSC Secretary", creator of the "Official IPSC Forum" (Global Village), and member of the "IPSC Inner Council".

I'm sure you share my joy in this achievement, as well as my hopes that I can do better in the 2007 competition. IPSC must be very proud of the way in which the IPSC Secretary represents the International Practical Shooting Confederation!

Jerry-Atrics 3

Stage 3: Up And Back
(Click the link to view the Stage design and procedures in PDF format.)

The videos for this and all other stages in this match are available at Jerry the Geek's Video Shooting Gallery.


Mr. Mike McCarter is the designer of this 22-round Comstock stage, which includes 9 IPSC targets and 4 steel targets.

Shooter starts in the large shooting box, hands are touching a "X-marked" spot on the lateral vision barrier. (Note: original requirement for toes to be touching the vision barrier were deleted due to safety considerations.)

Targets can be engaged from either end of a lateral wall, or from a port in the center. Shooting positions at the wall ends require backward movement to get around the arc of the v-shaped lateral wall to engage targets on the other end of the array. Steel targets are backed by no-shoot penalty targets.

Music: Eric Clapton - "Cocaine"


(Ignore the "Image Coming Soon" message. Push the button on this and all prior posts. It's a YouTube problem, the video(s) is/are UP!)
You can see the original YouTube video here.

Jerry-Atrics 4

Stage 5: Crap!Weak Hand!

(Click the link to view the Stage design and procedures in PDF format.)

Music will be provided by Mr. Eric Clapton, "Willy and the Hand Jive".

The videos for this (15mb) and all other stages in this match are available at Jerry the Geek's Video Shooting Gallery.

Mr. Mike McCarter is the designer of this 21-round Comstock stage (Originally 'Virginia Count', but changed due to the presence of steel targets), which includes 9 IPSC targets and 3 steel targets.

There are 3 strings:
String 1: starting with hands resting on window sill, pistol unloaded and resting on barrel, on signal load and engage 3 IPSC, 1 PP Free Style.

String2: starting with hands resting on window sill, pistol loaded and resting on barrel, on signal load and engage 3 IPSC, 1 PP Strong Hand Only.

String3: starting with hands resting on window sill, pistol loaded and resting on barrel, on signal load and engage 3 IPSC, 1 PP Weak Hand Only.

You can see the original YouTube video here.

Jerry-Atrics 5

Stage 5: Dundee Dang It

(Click the link to view the Stage design and procedures in PDF format.)


Music ("Swing Low, Sweet Chariot") is provided by Mr. Eric Clapton.

The video (10mb) for this stage is available at Jerry the Geek's Video Shooting Gallery.

Mr. Mike McCarter is the designer of this 24-round Comstock stage, which includes 6 IPSC targets and 12 steel targets.

Shooter starts anywhere in the large shooting box, as long as toes are touching a fault line.

Targets can be engaged from either end of a lateral wall, or from a port in the center. Shooting positions at the wall ends allows engagement of targets in front, or at a diagonal to the opposite side of the bay. Targets are placed behind vision barriers so that some targets must be engaged at a diagonal. A plate rack can only be engaged from the port in the center of the lateral wall.

(Ignore the "Image Coming Soon" message. Push the button on this and all prior posts. It's a YouTube problem, the video(s) is/are UP!)
You can see the original YouTube video here.

Jerry-Atrics 6

The March 12, 2007 match at Albany Rifle and Pistol club -- the "Mothers Day" match.
Stage 6: Emmit's Best (Click the link to see the Stage Procedures and design.)

The videos for this and all other stages in this match are available at Jerry the Geek's Video Shooting Gallery.

Mr. Mike McCarter is not only the Match Director but also is the designer of this 18-round Comstock stage, which includes 8 IPSC targets and 2 Pepper Poppers.

Shooter starts at the forward vision barrier, shoots through a low port and then backs up while engaging 3 IPSC targets. At the uprange edge of the large shooting box, 3 other IPSC targets may be engaged after moving to the other side of a fence which breaks the box into 2 lanes. Finally, having moved back to the downrange vision barrier, complete the stage while shooting through the other low port.




You can see the original YouTube video here.

Pistol Caliber Carbine Match - TCGC May 5

Tri-County Gun Club in Sherwood, Oregon, has lately been attempting to put on either a "Practical Shotgun" or a "Pistol Caliber Carbine" during most months. This month was a "Carbine" match on the first Saturday of May - Cinco de Mayo.

I had planned to shoot the match with my Mech Tech in .45acp caliber, but my Tasco Pro-Point I scope came up croppers the morning of the match with dead batteries. I had used it last month to show off to a co-worker, and neither of us had thought to turn the scope completely off when we were done. This is illustrative of the One Good Reason why battery-driven sights are Not Good.

When you really need them, they are invariably Toes Up.

I realized this at 7am on the morning of the match, and spent 2 hours driving 85 miles because I stopped at every convenience store on the way looking for a place which stocked these very different batteries. I didn't find one -- ONE -- on the trip.

What the heck, I decided to complete the trip so I could at least watch the match, maybe even get some pictures.

When I arrived at 9:30 am (a half-hour after the match was scheduled to start), I discovered that they were still setting up the six VERY challenging stages and nobody had started shooting yet.

I talked to The Hobo Brasser and explained my quandary. He replied: "I have plenty of ammunition, why don't you just use my gun?"

I accepted his generous offer before he had a chance to change his mind, and signed up for the match (and paid my $17 fee ... which included a 'tear-down' charge) immediately.

The 'tear-down' charge deserves comment.

In the Columbia-Cascade (CCS) Section of USPSA, match fees typically run about $15. Recently, the three clubs (ARPC, Dundee and TCGC) have established crews to tear down the stages and put away the targets and props. They charge an extra (not optional) two dollars to the match fees, adn when you're done shooting ... you can go home!
As it turned out, only about a dozen shooters showed up for THIS match, so the tear-down crew only shared $24 for their half-hour extra labor. But it encourages shooters to come out to the NEXT match, when they know that they don't have to work after the match has finished.

(Note that the last match in CCS, which was a Classifier match at Dundee, there were 70 shooters. This provided $140 to be shared among the two people who volunteered to tear down the stages. Not bad wages for a half-hour's work.)

The idea of a Pistol-caliber Carbine Match is that it provides a venue where you can use a notational rifle to shoot what is essentially an IPSC match, which is in turn an excuse to buy another gun.

Works for me.

I bought the Mech Tech last year just so I could shoot these matches. But I didn't count on the gun being hors de Combat in the actual event, which leads me back to the borrowing of Hobo's Beretta "Storm" CX4 9mm carbine.


The Beretta is currently available in 9mm, and is (supposedly) also available in several other calibers as well. To my surprise, the 9mm version using commercially loaded ammunition is entirely adequate to knock down plates and pepper poppers at 30 meters distance, and is still accurate at 50 meters distance.

Several of the people in my squad were using AR15 variants in 9mm, and although they had to modify their hi-cap (30+ round) magazines to fit the magazine well, they found that their carbines functioned reliably and got accurate hits at the distances involved in the stages designed by Gary "The Tool Man".

Note that Gary has been MD of several matches of this type in the past six months, and they are typified by high-round-count and accuracy-intensive designs. As an example, he puts a lot of bowling pins on the stages, at sometimes extreme distances. He also includes 4" square plates at distances out to 50 meters. This is an extreme challenge, and most of the competitors opted to use the electronic dot-sights to provide quick acquisition of tiny targets at extreme ranges.

Of the many minor events which (as is typical of IPSC matches) made the day interesting even for knowledgeable spectators, I note that Norm the Ungrateful quit after 3 stages. His own Beretta Storm was not retaining magazines reliably. The Hobo brasser faced the same challenge, but he had already learned from David (no nickname) that there was a 'fix' for this design oversight. The specifications for this are available at a previous post, here.



Ultimately, the story is that I not only got to shoot the match, but I now hunger for a 9mm Beretta 'Storm' of my own. The carbine is quick, accurate, reliable and user friendly.

It's also Star Wars sexy.


To illustrate what the Beretta "Storm" (CX4) can do in the hands of a Fat Old Man (in which category I definately claim membership), I offer this video of The Hobo Brasser shooting it in the first stage of the day:

This makes more sense when you realize that the Theme of the match was "Miami Vice", the 1980's Television show.

Guest Blog: CX4 Beretta Storm Magazine Adaption

Guest Blogger: The Hobo Brasser
(Click on the Image for link to Defense.com review of the Beretta CX4 Storm Carbine.)


It appears by disassembly and close examination, that Beretta may have forgotten a small bend in the magazine catch spring. The hole that the short end of the spring goes into is actually molded on an angle, and it appears that they forgot to bend the spring in the same approximate angle, and is not correctly seating into the hole.

I made a slight adjustment bend to the spring, and everything is working perfectly, and now has a very strong and smooth button, and NO slop and the mag is now being held properly. This will now let the catch properly grab the magazine for a sure grip.

When everyone's mag catch is not fully catching, the mags slip out and end up bending the catch.

While you have everything disassembled, slide out the little metal catch and turn it around for a NEW START.



Who Needs To do this?
Anyone who feels any lateral slop in their magazine catch button. Even if your magazines are staying in the gun at this time, eventually (soon) you may experience the dropping problem.

Disassembly pictures can be found at http://www.tacticalexcellence.com/ in the Gallery section.

http://home.wi.rr.com/drdanke/magproblem1.jpg



(http://svr20.thump.net/1190199/drdanke/images/magproblem1.jpg)

Geek Visual Additions, from the cited webpage:


Here's how the spring can be seen in the assembled state.


Here's how it looks in the removed magazine release

Click on the images for a close-up view.

My Generation!

A remake of The Who's hit, by "The Zimmers".


The average age of the band is 78 years.

"Hope I die before I get old!"

Hat Tip: Kim Kommando

Trigger Fingers: 1 is good, 2 is not-good

Somebody doesn't know much about guns.




Ian Rankin is not a bad writer. He's very big in the UK, I understand.

Well, they haven't had legal handguns there for ... what, a decade?

In the process, they've become even more out-of-touch with the principles of gun-handling than the American Main-Stream Media.

For those of you who are at a loss when presented with the question "What's Wrong With This Picture", the answer is -- if you need two fingers to pull the trigger, give it up. You won't hit anything anyway.

Oddly enough, this was the cover illustration for Rankin's 1993 book "Witch Hunt", about a female assassin. (This is actually the cover for the 2004 republished edition.)

Ah my, The Brits. I love 'em, but they don't have much of an IPSC program there any more, y'know.

It's a Whole Lot More Important

The Hobo Brasser sent me this video, and I'm including it here because ... well, the title says it all.

The story line of this ABC Television video is that a Texas man has made it his priority, "300 days a year", to go to the DFW airport every day with as many people he can talk into accompanying him, to meet the plane carrying American military service men and women as they return from active duty in a combat zone.

This video struck an intensely personal note in my heart, because when I returned from VietNam in 1969 the only person present to gladly greet me was my wife. Not that I didn't appreciate her welcome, but I remember thinking about the ticker-tape parades and brass bands of World War II veerans, and wondering whether there was something about my service which was less honorable than theirs.

At least these military men and women will not be haunted by this doubt, that their military service is unappreciated, for the rest of their lives.



This is also available in the original 6mb download here.

Target Control

We're all aware of the ongoing "Gun Control" movement. That is, an organized effort (at levels from municipal to the United Nations) to deprive private citizens from owning, possessing and [gasp!] carrying firearms.

But how many of us are aware of "Target Control"?

Well, those of us who are members, however removed, of the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) are aware that some targets are just NOT acceptable to some individuals, some NGOs ("Non-Governmental Organizations"), and some governments.

As an example, there are governments in this sad world which WILL allow its citizens to shoot at paper targets ... reluctantly, and with many restrictions ... but will NOT allow its citizens to shoot at 'humanoid targets'. That is, any target which however vaguely represents the human profile.


And as a consequence, IPSC several years ago designed and published the design for a "Classic" target (left), which looks much like a stop sign, for use in countries where it is illegal to shoot at a "Metric" target (right), which looks much like a Human.


In point of fact, in IPSC it's not only a matter of human-shaped targets, it's also a matter of 'perceptions based on scale. There are two metal targets in common use at IPSC matches which have a vertically rectilinear shape with a circular extrusion in the top third of the target.


These are called "Pepper Poppers". They come in two sizes: large, and small. The small target (called the "US POPPER") was advocated to represent a (larger) Pepper Popper as it would be seen at a greater distance.

It's not "politically correct" to present the two sizes together on the same stage.

Why?

Because someone commented that it "looks like a momma and her children", and as soon as that comment became widely known, IPSC Management (either International, Regional or Local) began to make rules forbidding their consanguinity.

Or should that be "Propinquity". I often get these big words mixed up.

Apparently, IPSC Management doesn't know the difference, either.

__________________________

Now that we have established the tendency of IPSC Management to concern itself with Political Correctness, let us discuss the legitimacy of the Texas Star.

I've recently been featuring a new variant on that target, which I have dubbed "The Evil Oregon Star". It's a shameless steal from "Some Other Folks", you can see the trail of controversy in recent posts and the link to the original design is found here, with due credit to the original post found at the Brian Enos Forum.

This design was noted by local mad-man Evil Bill, who immediately set out to build his own version. It was featured in an article here called Evil Bill's Oregon Star, featuring a YouTube video of ten seconds duration.

I checked my blogstats the day after that article was posted. In the first 24 hours, I had over 600 hits on that article as the entry point. Over 520 of those entries came from a forum called Canadian Gun Nutz (registration required) under the title " The most Evil IPSC traget array to date" (sic).

In a word, IPSC people are "interested" in a new, challenging target.

Please don't assume that ANY of the following comments are intended as a reflection on the members of this forum. I've been a member of this forum since January, 2005, and while I haven't been a regular 'contributing' participant I have enjoyed 'lurking' until the discussion focused on this article which I posted in my own blog.

Early comments mentioned favorably the challenge of shooting what is essentially a Texas Star, with a 'windmill' array tacked on the back with four paper targets ... rotating in the opposite direction.

Within 9 hours, someone posted a reference to "carnival" stages, which I assume is a slightly derogatory reference to stages which are not purely 'practical' in nature. (Give that I've been competing in IPSC matches since 1983, and in the intervening years I have watched the sport veer wildly from the original 'practical' stages such as the venerable "El President" stage, I can only assume that this term refers to any stage which looks more like a carnival shooting gallery than a representation of the scenario which a person might reasonably engage when, for example, meeting the President of a South American Country and his two bodyguards and having to engage each with two rounds and then inexplicably having to reload even though I may have started with a race-gun loaded with a 25-round magazine.)

I know, that parenthetical comment was a run-on sentence. I don't care. The artificial restrictions on run-on sentences are discouraged because they are difficult to read, and the goal of good writing is to be easy to read.

But it does illustrate the difference between good writing and good shooting. Good shooting is not suppose to be easy. Whether a stage is colorful, challenging or looks like a small-scale Ferris wheel doesn't necessarily detract from the value of the stage.

Here's the deal:

As the dialogue continued (over 50 posts so far), the tone of the conversation changed from a tentative awe at the complexity of the shooting problem to the question of whether this target array or, in fact, the TEXAS STAR was legally permissible according to IPSC.

I posted to the forum, and mentioned my surprise that someone may question the acceptability of the Texas Star as a legal target. The first response:

"No suggestion. Fact. Try and submit a match with it to IPSC (NOT USPSA) for approval. You'll find out pretty quick.

USPSA picks and chooses which IPSC rules they want to use; so in the US, you're probably GTG."

My reply was a request for someone -- anyone -- to cite the rules by which IPSC had made this determination.

The next day, the only response I had received was:

There was a big discussion about this on the IPSC World forum. Vince Pinto had said that any L3 with a Texas Star would not be sanctioned.

I suggested that the source was not as definitive as a citation to the rule book, and subsequent responses indicated that they were not acceptable in Level III matches. Eventually someone stated:

I just received the word from our section coordinator. No t-star in any match above level 1 ( He just received the official notification) So the t-star must be pulled from the match.

Another member replied:

I'll double check my email when I get to work in the morning...but I'm pretty sure Level 1's would be out as well (any IPSC sanctioned match)

At this point (five days after the original post), nobody has been able to cite a rule which would ban the Texas Star (let alone the Evil Oregon Star) from IPSC competition.

You've got to question whether this is just local/section level decisions based on 'expectations', or whether someone is talking to IPSC Management. I know that's the big question in MY mind.

So I'm signing on to the IPSC Forum to see if I can find some reference to Texas Star.

I find "The Official IPSC Forum" is called "Global Village" with the URL of http://ipsc.invisionzone.com/

The progenitor of this forum?

Vince Pinto.

Here is the sequence of "authoritative" comments from The Official IPSC Forum. The topic:

Texas Star, Can I Use It In Level III Competition: (Registration Required)

When looking through some stage designes (sic)I have often come accross (sic) a target called Texas star. As I have never seen it in our region I would like to know something more about it.For example what is it like,how does it react when hit,is it still or moving,how can I construct such one ?

Source: Velilzar, 4 Apr 2006

• Nobody Important, from Bulgaria

Response from An Authoritative Source (IPSC Canada):

I understand that Texas Stars can be great fun to shoot.

However, they are unlikely to be approved for IPSC matches because they are more of a gimmick than a true IPSC "practical" target.

Certainly as the IPSC Shotgun Course Reviewer I wouldn't approve a stage that included a Texas Star.

If you want want a Texas Star for fun shoots at your club I'm sure you will get some useful feedback from other members.

Source: Neil Beverly - 4 Apr, 2006

• IPSC Shotgun Rules Chairman
• Resident of "UK"
• IPSC President's Council
• IROA Executive Committee
• USPSA member
• ... and other citations

I urge you, especially being a new Region, not to bother spending time and money making a Texas Star. Some people might think it's fun to shoot but, as Neil Beverley has already cautioned, you won't get IPSC Level III or higher sanctioning for any match which includes a Texas Star, because it's considered to be a "carnival" prop.

Vince Pinto, 6 APR 2006, responding to an IPSC member from Bulgaria

• IPSC Secretary
  

I can assure you swingers and gravity turners are found at Level III + Matches .. WSXIV had an assortment of movers, single swingers, double swingers, gravity turners ..

I shot a Level III Match in Feb, which had a total of 24 Swingers in 12 stages ..

In the context of an IPSC Stage, what does the Texas Star simulate ?

Kevin, 7 Apr., 2006

• Nobody special, just Member #63 from Singapore

Hey Kevin,

Did you notice how the Texas Star is being defended by ....... Texans?

Of course they're also responsible for the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, so I guess they're not all crazy! Must only be the ones from Austin & Houston?

Source: Vince Pinto, 7 Apr. 2006

• IPSC Secretary, from Hong Kong

Well, that was edifying. I didn't see any rules or 'interpretations' being cited. I must have read through it too fast, so if you found a citation I would be grateful if you would post it in the COMMENTS section.

Here's another thread from the Official IPSC Forum, only coincidentally started on 10 APR. 2006:

What makes a "Legal" target array?

The question put before this bunch of stalwart and true gentleman and gentlewomen is this:

What makes a legal target array?

In another thread the question was raised, but not answered beyond the famous American politician quote about pornography ("...I will know it when I see it").

Some think that a target array has to be "practical" (vice "carnival") to be legal. However, there is no definition of "practical" (or "carnival") target arrays to be found in the rule book. Either the one half the world's shooters use, or the amended one that the other half of the world's shooters use (sic)

Source: Alex, 20 APR 2006

• Nobody (apparently) important. Sorry ... Important! (From Ankara, Turkey)
  

.....the moderators edit fast around here. gif" border="0">

I thought Alex had a good question before his post was cut to 1/10 of what he wrote.

My reply to this thread is below as this issue has been bubbling for a while and I am no nearer understanding it.

I am sure I will be the unfortunate victim of some more swift moderating gif" border="0">

---------------------------------------------

I think I am just as confused as some others here to be honest about what EXACTLY is an IPSC suitable way of thinking, as compared to one that would not be in the 'SPIRIT' of IPSC. This is not written down or taught anywhere. We hear from our well informed and experianced (sic) Moderators as to their views, but without this being documented its very hard trying to gauge the mentality or the methodology behind this ethos.

On one hand IPSC is trying to distance itself away from non PC self defence scenarios but on the other hand phrases are used where we are trying to still use this basis: hence I am confused.

Source: Mike, 10 APR 2006

• Nobody "Important" (from UK)
  

The thread was closed because the IPSC Secretary stated the official IPSC policy in respect of the Texas Star, namely that proposing use of such a target will cause Level III or higher sanctioning to be denied, and a further statement was made explaining the procedure necessary for that policy to be reversed.

If you (or anybody else, for that matter) think the subject target is so fascinating, you're free to use it to your heart's content, but IPSC is also free to deny any application for Level III sanctioning. By the same token, if you want to host a match requiring that blackpowder (sic) guns be used exclusively, you're also free to do so, but that match will also be denied IPSC sanctioning.

Bottom line: Your "rights" do not trump IPSC's "rights".

Source: Vince Pinto, 11 APR 2006

• IPSC Secretary

Wait a minute, Vince Pinto (in his capacity as Official IPSC World Forum Moderator) quoted Vince Pinto (in his capacity as Official IPSC Secretary) as his justification for closing the thread.

Can he do that?

Well, I guess so.

Vince Pinto apparently not only owns the OFFICIAL IPSC World Forum, but also owns IPSC. It's his Forum, it's his International Practical Shooting Confederation, and it's his Big Dick. He can do anything he wants.

Three words immediately occur:

1. Arbitrary
2. Unilateral
3. Autocratic

Okay, Canadian Gun Nutz, here's the challenge. Who are you going to believe? Vince Pinto (who seems to consider his own opinion and office all the authority he needs), or the Official Rule Book (which was written by ... Vince Pinto)?

Even Vinny can't find a rule which will support his position, but still he seems comfortable with Rule by Fiat.

Dare we mention that he can't even agree with himself?

Vinny, my dear friend ... it isn't easy being you, is it?

__________________________________

Note: I offer my most abject apologies for not having noticed this situation earlier. I'm not doing my job. Fact is, I have avoided The Official IPSC World Forum for YEARS, because it is the love child of ... Vince Pinto.

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

Evil Oregon Star 0 - Presenting the Evil Oregon Star

The Evil Oregon Star is a new event on the horizon of Practical Pistol Competition in the United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA), so you may have some questions about it.

This short video (also available as a 6mb download from Jerry The Geek's Video Shooting Gallery) may be a first step in understanding what's so Evil about this Star.

The first segment depicts the Match Walkthrough in the April 28, 2007, match at Dundee Oregon where it is first presented as a 'fun stage' in Dundee's annual Classifier match. Note the "Quote of the Day":

"Is this because too many new shooters are staying with the sport?"

The second (short) segment shows the response when it is first presented to the squads.

The third segment shows how to reset the target array, in its present configuration.



Note that this video is not only available through You Tube, but is also available in its full (6mb) WMV format at Jerry the Geek's Video Shooting Gallery.

Other links to this target are:

Evil Oregon Star 1: Geek's Bane
Evil Oregon Star 2: The Movie
Evil Bill's Oregon Star

.

Evil Oregon Star 1: Geek's Bane

An earlier article (Evil Oregon Star 2: The Movie) showed how ten competitors handled the Evil Oregon Star, creative brain child of Evil Bill.

The video below shows the entire stage. The purpose is to provide a context in which the Evil Star is only one element.

The competitor is Jerry the Geek, who hasnt' hit the plate on the first shot in six out of the last ten stages in which it was presented. Still, it's a short video.



This video is also available as a 6mb download from Jerry the Geek's Shooting Gallery, as are all videos and phots from this match and ANY video or picture displayed here.

Other articles in this series are:

Evil Oregon Star 0 (Presenting The Evil Oregon Star)

Evil Oregon Star 2 (The Movie)

Evil Bill's Oregon Star

(Note: links available at the last location will provide a deeper exploration of the Genesis of the Evil Oregon Star)

Evil Oregon Star 2: The Movie

It has been four days since I posted the 'breadboard' video of Evil Bill's Texas Star ... arbitrarily designated (by me) the "Evil Oregon Star". As anticipated, Evil Bill set it up as a 'fun stage' during the Dundee Annual Classifier match, we shot it, and we were indeed intimidated.

In truth, there are no significant differences between the Evil Oregon Star and the Texas Star, except that the Evil Star provides serious penalties for missing the plates.

Those of you who say the original post have already postulated the problems inherent in the design, and you have been proved right in many of your cautionary notes.

The lessons provided by the experience have been carefully noted, and the designer ("Evil Bill") was kind enough to stop by during the match and discuss them with me.

Early in the match ... while the second squad was shooting that stage, Bill mentioned:

"Yes, we're getting a lot of splatter from both the angle-iron on the part of the arm that holds the plate, and it's tearing up the paper targets in the background. We're also seeing a lot of hits on the two rods (leading from the axle to the plate) and that also tears up the cardboard IPSC targets. So far, we haven't had any problems with the plates hitting the cardboard. They're dropping clean to the ground. As for the weight (the blue-painted cylinder that initiates the movement), I never thought it would be a problem and it isn't."

By the time we got to that stage ... we were the fourth squad to shoot it, Bill's evaluation had changed significantly. Note that there were about 70 shooters distributed into six squads in this Club Match, so he had a lot of information from which to draw his conclusions. The product of this testing is an entire new design, which Bill was able to evolve while he was watching other people shoot the stage.

"There are two big problems with this target. First, we're getting way too much splatter from the rounds which hit the supporting arms. I'm going to take off the angle-iron and replace it with a mild steel plate. This should cause the bullets to bounce off instead of splattering the target. In fact, I'm going to weld this plate the length of the supporting arms so the bullets don't hit the rods, either. Most misses which hit the support arms should not hit the targets behind them."

"Second, I was wrong about the way the plates drop. I solid center-hit from a major-power bullet can push the plates back so they hit the targets behind them. This is tearing up the cardboard. I'm going to move the (windmill array, which supports the cardboard targets) back another foot. This will keep the plates from hitting them, and may reduce the effect of 'splatter', too."

Bill said he will re-engineer the target so he has the new (version 2.0) design ready for the May match. If he says so, it will happen.

He also said that if anyone wants to build a similar target, they can "EM" (E-Mail) him and he will send them the parts list.

(You can email him here: billmarrs at verizon dot net ... replace the "at" with "@" and the "dot" with ".")

You can also reach Evil Bill by sending an email to me, at the address shown at the bottom of this page, and I will forward your mail to him. But I really hope you contact him directly!

He said that before he realized that it required an extensive re-design, so if you are inclined to build your own Evil Oregon Star, you may email him but don't be surprised if it takes him a while to evolve an updated parts list. This is a project in development, and sometimes it takes a lot of field testing before the best design is available. (Bill didn't say that; I said that.)

I plan to provide three articles based on the Evil Oregon Star.

Evil 00: Presenting The Evil Oregon Star
This features a video of the Match Walk-through, including comments from the competitors (note especially the "Quote Of The Day". Also, there is a short vignette when the squad I was in walked through the stage, and a third part where the squad is taping targets, replacing plates and setting up the initiating mechanism on the star.

Evil 01: Geeks Bane - The Evil Oregon Star Stage
This is a short video showing the entire stage in which the Evil Oregon Star is only another target array. It provides a perspective for those who wonder how important the Star might be compared to the other targets. In the actual event, you may decide that this is not the part of the stage which slows the shooter down.

Evil Oregon Star 2: The Movie
That would be THIS article. I've included a (YouTube) video which suggests that some people can get past this stage without many more problems than would be presented with just a Texas Star. Others may find that the Evil Oregon Star is ... I hesitate to say "more intimidating", but at least "more confusing" than the Texas Star.

Now that you've read the preamble, here's how ten competitors fared on The Evil Oregon Star.



Note that this video is also available as a 15mb download from Jerry the Geek's Shooting Gallery. The other videos presented in part 1 and part 2 are also available there.

These videos, and accompanying still photos, may not be available for a couple of days due to the delay in editing and publishing them.



.

Book teaches boys how to be 'Dangerous'

Book teaches boys how to be 'Dangerous' - CNN.com



I want to get me one of these!

In fact, I'll get one for each of my children.

They will have it, then, to share with THEIR children, as they get old enough to appreciate the lore.

But I don't think it's just for boys. My grand-daughters are going to enjoy it just as much, I bet.

In the meantime, maybe they'll let me borrow it.

It is available May 1 from Amazon.com for $14.97

Evil Bill's Oregon Star

Last Week (in "Geek's Bane") I warned my fellowIPSC shooters in Oregon's Columbia Cascade Section that our good friend and competitive benefactor, Dundee's "Evil Bill", had taken to heart my warning against the "Evil Star". (NB: this video does NOT show up inNetScape browser, but seems to work in Firefox and IE browsers.)

In return, Evil Bill vowed to modify an existing Texas Star to include added Evil Features.

Okay, it's a done deal and here is what it looks like in Evil Bill's workshop.




You can see the original video provided by Evil Bill here.
(3.02mb download) After this weekend's IPSC match at the Dundee range, I'll set up a sub-album in Jerry the Geek's Shooting Gallery showing how the Evil Oregon Star actually works in a
match.

I note in passing current (IPSC Handgun Competition Rules, USPSA Version, January 2004) USPSA rules include this restriction on target presentation:

2.1.8.4 - Static paper targets must not be presented at an angle greater than 90 degrees from the verticle.

This was proposed by IPSC (and subsequently accepted -- egregiously, I think) because the "Classic" target is roughly symmetrical in outline although the higher-scoring zones (eg: the "A-zone" are vertically asymmetrical.

This rule was imposed to the benefit of the competitor, who is often unable to determine the placement of this higher-scoring zone at a sufficient distance from the target. The "Metric" target, typically used inUSPSA competition, does not suffer from this design flaw.

For those who are wondering whether this target is legal under current IPSC / USPSA rules: yes, it is. As presented here, it is not a "static" target. That is, because the targets are moving, the rule does not apply to this target array. (One wonders what outrage would be generated if this target array were presented in anIPSC match when fitted with "Classic", rather than "Metric", targets.)

We in USPSA are encouraged by the recent publication of the draft 2008 USPSA rule book, which corrects this flaw as well as several others which are in the 2004 rule book and which have caused so much confusion and discord inUSPSA matches.

Liberal Americans Think ....?

Liberal Americans think Harry Reid is a Great American, when he's really just a cheese-eating surrender monkey.

Liberal Americans think Alec Baldwin is a fine actor, when he's really a child abuser.

Liberal Americans think Partial Birth Abortion is a legitimate birth-control measure, when it's really murder of a child in the very act of being born.

Liberal Americans think Sheryl Crow is an entertainer, when she's really a barking moonbat who believes using a single sheet of toilet paper to wipe your bottom should be enough for everyone.

(BTW, does anyone know her shipping address? I would like to send her a year's supply of toilet paper - in a #10 business envelope. What? It will only hold 150 sheets of Charmin? That's okay, as long as she doesn't offend herself.)

Liberal Americans think ....?

I think not.

A Case for Fruit Control

San Mateo Daily Journal

In keeping with my unfortunate tendency to equate gun-control messages with those which support ANY kind of 'hateful' weaponage, I give to you the Case for Fruit Control.

Tiffany Adler, 20, appeared in court Friday for the first time since being arrested on two misdemeanor counts of each crime. She pleaded not guilty and asked the court to appoint an attorney. She and her lawyer return to court July 2 for jury trial and she remains free from custody on her own recognizance.

On March 4, Adler reportedly lobbed apples and asparagus at a gay couple walking on the 500 block of Esplanade Drive. The van in which she was riding then turned around and Adler yelled “faggot” at the men, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

Pacifica police reported finding asparagus in Adler’s purse at the time of arrest.

Adler reportedly said the couple frequented the grocery store at which she works. She told police she was unaware the victims were gay and her actions were based on a prior conflict rather than discrimination.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe sees it differently.

“We definitely think this is a hate crime,” he said. “This one is pretty offensive.”

If convicted, Adler faces possible jail time and probation.

(Emphasis added)

The two high-lighted sentences are probably the most telling:

Pacifica police reported finding asparagus in Adler’s purse at the time of arrest.

Of course, that's prima facea evidence of intent, or ... uh ... something.

“We definitely think this is a hate crime,” he said. “This one is pretty offensive.”

Oh, dear! This one isn't a cross-burning, it's an ingenue with an itch.

"Pretty offensive"?

Please, spare me. The recent events (the VT massacre) provides a standard by which 'offensive' actions may be compared. This one event doesn't even deserve mention, let alone criminal prosecution. I'm sure the Pacifica police department has better things to do.

A Babe with Broccoli ("... and I'm not afraid to use it!") is a joke.

Why do I think that Zero Tolerance has gone mad in Pacifica?

Mossberg 590: "Buy A Gun Day" 2007

Yeah, I bought the Mossberg ("Security") 590 rather than the Remington 870 shotgun last week, because of the comparisons which I cited in my original post. After a couple of range sessions, I've learned a LOT about this gun and about "Practical Shotgun" issues in general. I have a lot yet to learn, but as of today (my second Range Session with the shotty), I have some new information to bring to the table.

The first thing I have to offer is actually something of a revelation to me, although it shouldn't be.

When you buy a new gun, you have to practice with it before you can claim any degree of expertise.

Even though I've been shooting guns of all types (name a type ... I've shot it, if it was invented before 1970 and it's a man-personal firearm) for fifty + years, I've just learned that I don't know much about what I will henceforth refer to as "Practical Shotgun".

Last Monday, April 16 (the day after I bought the shotgun) I spent about an hour on the range with SWMBO and the 590. First thing I learned is that when you're shooting Buckshot (#4, #00 and #000), that stuff makes a helluva kick. SWMBO said it was 'fun' and I wasn't about to contradict her since it was the first time she ever shot a shotgun and I didn't want to contradict her. But it kicked me around pretty good. I didn't have a bruise, but I had a lot of aches that I couln't account for otherwise.

Today, I met The Hobo Brasser at the Albany Rifle & Pistol Club range and gave the Mossberg a good workout. I shot the 590 with two loads of birdshot ... my #7-1/2 downloaded from 1-1/2 oz to 1 oz of shot, and his #6 birdshot. I also shot his 1100 in 20 gauge, and his autoloader (sorry, I hope The Hobo will tell usthe make and model) 12 gauge semi-auto "Practical Shotgun".


The FIRST thing I learned was not news to me: when you have a shotgun with a rigid stock, and it's too short fora physiognomy which only can be described as a "Beer-bellied Spider Monkey", a slip-on rubber recoil pad can make a HUGE difference!



The second thing I learned is that a shotgun which is sold as a 'security'
shotgun (ie: home defense) with a 20" barrel is NOT to be compared to a Winchester Model 12 "Featherweight" with a 28" + barrel and Birdseye Maple stocks. At least, not in terms of perceived recoil and definately in terms of indexing between targets and MOST definately in terms of pellet pattern when the Model 12 is a Full Choke and the 590 is a smooth-bore no-choke "cylinder" barrel.

I'm minded of the Star Trek movie "Undiscovered Country" here, if only because everthing I thought I knew about shotgun shooting just went out the window.


The Model 12 was set up for bird shooting. It was a fine trap-gun, because with the long full-choke barrel I could take my time shooting Clay Pigeons and pick up the last bird of a double ... often a triple ... when it was no more than 4' off the ground. Back in the '60's I was pretty smug about keeping up with my father's Beretta over/under with modified/IC choke on the trap range. If my fathere was still alive today, he would be chuckling about my new-found modesty. In fact, I can't help but think that he's looking down on me and smirking about my humiliation when the parameters of shotgun shooting have changed so dramatically .... although the word "parameters" would never have occured to him.

What he would have said was: "Kicked your butt, did it? 'Bout time, Boy!"

Yeah, it kicked my butt and it was all my fault.

I wasn't PREPARED for this kind of stuff, darn it!

[whine!]

The thing is, the pump on the 590 is lighter than I was accustomed to (years back, when I used shotguns much more frequently than I have recently) with a much heavier forward slide grip.

With the massive Birds-eye Maple forward slide grip, it was enough just to overcome inertia and get it moving. By the time it got to the end of its travel, it just naturally always locked into battery.

With the much lighter material, you have to muscle the pump to get it to reliably lock into battery, and I haven't got into the habit of SLAMMING the pump forward.

As a consequece, I 'very often' don't have a round completely chambered when I pull the trigger.

And it shows.

The Hobo Brasser was very patient about filming me as I took on a six-plate rack, and I have to say that the first run through worked perfectly. I hit every plate just right, and my trigger speed increased from the first plate to the last.

Unfortunately, there was a 'wardrobe malfunction' with the camera so I don't have a video of a good, clean run.

What I DO have is a whole series of videos where I either missed a plate, or (more frequently) I short-stroked the slide and while I was ready to shoot, the shotgun was not.



No, it's not the fault of the gun. It's just something that I don't consistently do right. Someday I'll get it right, every time. But today, it's just an exhibition of what NOT to do with your Practical Shotgun.


Ultimately, the 'last thing' I learned (but really the 'thing' I should have already realized) is that I need to find a spot on my loading bench where I can install my antiquated Lyman Versa-Mec Progressive Shotshell Reloader.

Lucy, you gotta lot of 'splaining to do.