"Does the fastest shooter win the stage?"

The "Introduction to USPSA" classes run for three hours (at ARPC, the First Saturday of every month).  One of the challenges is to present a HUGE body of information within this very limited time span, without boring both the student and the instruct staff.

The question which invariably comes up is:  in the balance between Speed, Power and Accuracy, which is more important?

The answer is, and always should be:  "It Depends:".


This was the essence on the final question on the test: Question Number 20:

20:  Does the fastest shooter win the stage?

The textbook answer is:   No.  After all, the purpose of the course is to shoot SAFELY, and shoot ACCURATELY.  (We always tell our students:  "Shoot for Accuracy: speed will come to you, as your experience increases".)

My comment was, and always has been:
"Well, sometimes the fastest shooter DOES win the stage.  It depends on the stage, and the shooter.  Fast shooters are often more experienced, and they CAN shoot quickly without sacrificing accuracy."

So instead of a drill about shooting behind a Bianchi Barricade, today I substituted shooting an "El Presidente" stage as the final exam.

I did this because about half of the students, during the Live-Fire Exercise, started competing among themselves to see who could shoot a teaching stage fastest, and still shoot all (or mostly) "A-zone" hits.  Surprisingly, they were doing a good job of it!

They were ready to learn a lesson that not every class could handle, so we gave them the opportunity to learn about DVC .. .with emphasis on the difference between the three factors of Speed, Power and Accuracy.

For those who aren't familiar with El Presente, here is a short description.

Shooters start out facing uprange in a shooting box, pistols loaded and holstered, and the starting position is Facing Uprange  with toes touching the back of the shooting box, wrists above shoulders.  On the start signal, turn, draw, and engage each target  with two rounds each.  Perform a mandatory reload, and re-engage each target with two more rounds each.  The targets are positioned 7 yards downrange of the forward edge of the shooting box, positioned on the supporting stakes about 40" at the shoulder, and about a foot apart".  Twelve rounds required, sixty points possible.

That may not be the perfect description of the stage, but that's the description we adopted.

All nine students attempted the stage, and for the first time we recorded both score, and time.  We had deliberately avoided recording Stage Time before, because we are trying to teach an emphasis on Accuracy.

The lesson we taught here was an education to all of us.

Here's a summary of the most salient scores on El Presidente, a 60-point stage:

Highest Score: 59 points in 19.78 seconds.  Hit Factor: 2.98   (9th Place)
Second Highest Score (highest time): 57 points in 14.61 seconds.  Hit Factor 3.90 (7th Place)

Fastest Time: 50 points in 7.03 Seconds.  Hit Factor 7.11 (1st Place)
Second Fastest Time: 56 points in 10.47 seconds.  Hit Factor 5.35  (2nd Place)


ALL scores sequenced by hit factor (place of finish)
(place)=(score/time)=(HitFactor)

1 = 50/7.03 = 7.01
2= 56/10.47=5.35
3= 46/09.57=4.81
4= 54/33.24=4.08
5= 56/13.91=4.03
6= 54/13.69=3.95
7= 57/14.61=3.90
8= 54/17.68=3.05
9= 59/19.78=2.98

What this taught the shooters  included:

1. sometimes, the fastest shooter DOES win; and
2. sometimes the most accurate shooter tanks the stage

Did I teach the wrong lesson here?  I spent the day teaching them to shoot for A-zone hits, and suddenly I show them that strong hits don't ALWAYS count as much as shooting faster?

I don't think so.

I think I provided a valuable lesson, in that if the shooting problem is "easy" (3 targets at 7 yards, for instance), shooting fast without a miss may ultimately score MUCH higher than slow, careful, ACCURATE shooting.

The exercise, hopefully, drove home the lesson that in ANY shooting problem, the competitor must always balance accuracy vs speed + power (shooting Major results in higher scores for a C-zone hit).

Yes, we want them to shoot safely, and that IS the primary purpose of this class.  But we also want them to be as competitive as their own personal skill-set allows, and sometimes we need to DRIVE this lesson home by allowing each to focus on the potential of their skills to perform well on a certain kind of stage.

---

I think I threw them a curve.  I taught them accuracy all day, and them I made them shoot a Speed stage.  I should have taught them the other side of the equation, as well.

In retrospect, I should have also included a stage where the same targets were presented at a range of, say, 15 yards.  Or better, 20 yards.  With about the same round count.  This would have allowed the shooters whose greatest skill is ACCURACY rather than SPEED to demonstrate their forte.

So you see, I learn as much from my students as they learn from me.

The next class I teach, I'll include TWO "Real Live" stages which focus alternatively on SPEED, then on ACCURACY.

Has anyone a suggestion on which Classifier stage would best present this contrast?  And which should I present first?  The ACCURACY stage, or the SPEED stage?

Anyone?

Chronograph: War Stories!

In 1998, I (and SWMBO) traveled to my first Major Match, which was the Area 1 match in Reno, Nevada.   I was shooting The Beloved Kimber (.45ACP) in my 200gr SWC load,, and I was entirely confident because it had chronographed consistently in Major Power in my own Chrono Tests, and in the Chrono Tests which my Home Section (Columbia Cascade Section) provided during the Section Match.

So it came as a complete surprise when Doctor John and the Chrono Crew in Reno found that my loads were just a little too slow to prove Major Power!  What's this?  I'm shooting a .45 .. how can it NOT be Major Power?

This was the first Surprise Event in my competitive career, so I wasn't sure how to handle it.  But they shot six rounds, and I was still decimal-points short of the speed I needed in my ammunition to make Major Power.

Chrono Man gave me the option; should I re-weigh the last bullet, or shoot it for speed?

Since my original bullet weight had been measured within one tenth of the declared weight, I  was reluctant to expect that the last bullet would be anonymously heavier.  I asked them to shoot it for speed, and fortunately it was much faster than all the other rounds which I had submitted for testing.  I ended up shooting in Major Power .. but just barely!

The thing is, I was using Hercules Unique powder, which is notoriously coarse-grained.  It did not measure accurately from one round to the next; it was only dumb luck that it had tested 'faster' in the last round.

I finished in the lowest 5% at that match .. in at least one stage, I was the lowest non-zero scoring range.  I wasn't very good, but I was still having fun!

Since then, I have changed to fine-grain powder (Vihta Vourhi 330 or VV 320) for the .45 ACP loads, which weigh much more accurately.  And I quit shooting the .45 ACP in competition, for that reason.

(I use only fine-grain powders in competition, even in Level I matches where the ammunition is unlikely to be choreographed.)

I've said this before, and I won't go to the bother of looking up the links to previous posts, but if you expect to compete in a Major Match, you would be well served by using a fine-grain powder which measures more consistently and accurately in most reloading presses.

BTW, I used the same coarse-grain powder in my next Major Match; the Limited National match at Las Vegas later in 1998.  I overloaded the rounds, and ended up with a Power Factor of 198.  It was a bear to shoot, but I managed to do well enough to jump from C-Limited to B-limited based on my scores at that match.

Knowing the limitations of my ammunition, I was careful to shoot for accuracy, not for speed.  This may serve as an object lesson, as my scores in the National Match were just barely high enough to jump me from C-Class to B-Class in Limited.  That, using a single-stack Kimber (cost: $238) with borrowed 10-round magazines and untested ammunition.

I've got the best job in the world!

Last month I squadded with some of the students from my previous "Introduction to USPSA class", and as usual I was treated to the rewarding demonstration of people who are experiencing their first match.


I had a Father and Son pair show up at the class.  They were shooting reloads, but toward the end of the class they began to experience squib load.  The first time was an anomaly; the second was a trend, and so I was reluctantly obliged to discontinue the class; there was only one other shooter in the class, and it would not have been fair to anyone to complete the class with only one shooter.

Besides, it's always better to quit than to reinforce negativity in competitive shooting.

The next weekend, the Father (Chris) and the son (Dominic) showed up with Factory Ammunition.  Sure, they had reloading problems; but they were not about to miss the fun just because of that!


They both did well during the match, but at the last stage it was clear that Dominic, at least, was determined to have his 'best stage ever'.  He was working hard to get through the stage in a minimum amount of time, and we could all see the big grin on his face as he double-tapped every target on the stage.

At the end of the stage, I approached Dominic and said: "Hey, Dominic ... the stage is over, you can calm down now."

He was still grinning like a Cheshire Cat, so I continued:

"Hey, you're still excited?  What is it?  Do you like this stuff?"

He replied breathlessly:

"YEAH!"

The only one there with a bigger smile than Dominic was his father, Chris.    Well, I was pretty happy for him, too!  He had completed his first match safely (it was my privilege to present him with his Certification card), and from now on he can shoot at any range in the Columbia Cascade Section, and compete at any match safely.  He has proven himself.

That's what it's all about.  

When you can prove your ability to compete in the toughest, most rigorous competition shooting venue in the world; when you can stand up in front of your father and your friends and demonstrate that you are not only competent, but "Safely Competent" ... then you have shown that you are the moral  and competitive equal of any man.  They may be 'faster', and 'more accurate'... but they are not 'better'.

And when your own parent beams with pride at your accomplishment .. well, nobody else really counts quite so much.

Not everyone can do that.  Many of us need a couple of tries before we meet the challenge.  Some of us never meet the (deliberately difficult) challenge at all.    I've known grown men, with a lot of experience, who just couldn't meet the test.

But when you do, then that's the truest test of all, of your ability to be fast, accurate, and safe.

I'll squad with Chris and Dominic anytime, and I'll be confident that they can both perform safely and competitively every time.  I can't say that about everyone I've hosted in my classes.  It gives me special pleasure to work with people who can allow themselves to reach for the maximum.  Perhaps they may not achieve it, but they do not falter in their attempts to be ...


"Faster.  Stronger.  Better."

Chrono Questions

I recently received a technical question from a friend and viewer (Rock):

Will a change from our close-to-sea-level altitude here in the valley, to Bend/Central Oregon, approx. 3300’, have an effect on 9mm ammo that is normally about 127 power factor? 1110 fps X 115 Gr?

This is a reasonable question, and one which has plagued competitive shooters since IPSC was invented  (shortly before Christ was promoted to Corporal).  After serious reflection, I decided to address this important technical question.

Taking into consideration all of the salient factors, this was my reply:

Altitude difference will influence measured power factor inevitably, and usually to the detriment of the shooter.

Other factors which may lower a competitors power factor include, but are not restricted to:

• Humidity
• Ambient Temperature
• Time of day
• Exposing your ammunition to the heat of the sun
• a dirty barrel (always clean and oil your firearm before going to the Chronograph Stage!)
• Different brass, powder, primer or bullet .. not just weight (bullet and powder charge), but lot and brand
• Length of time since your ammunition has been loaded
• The number of times you have reloaded your ammunition
• Your religion; are you "Good With The Lord"?
• How long since you have bathed?   [Whew!]
• The cost and importance of the match
• Travel time and inconvenience of timing of the match
• How long since you have chronographed your load
• The physical characteristics of your firearm
• Your personality: "jerks" never chronograph as Minor
• If you  squad with your spouse or child, one of you will be Minor Power (or under!) with the same ammunition
• Your financial situation:  have you slipped a ten-spot to the Chrono Crew?

Hope this helps.


Jerry

Don't thank me ... it's my job to be helpful.

Tennessee Football Coach fired for making Obama so

Tennessee Football Coach fired for making Obama song. He'll make more money when this song becomes a big hit than he would teaching school. Tennessee middle school assistant football coach, age 26, fired for a song he wrote and played! This could be the next number one hit country song. It's the best effort yet at encapsulating the outrage at the oversteps of this government in an entertaining song. Apparently, the guy was fired over the song because some parents complained. If you like it, help it go "viral" by passing it along to everyone you know. Click for a Great Song!!! x Tennessee Football Coach fired for making Obama so Not saying ... .... well, yes I am.

USPSA Announcements - United States Practical Shooting Association

USPSA Announcements - United States Practical Shooting Association: USPSA - Announcements

For those of you who want to go to the Nationals this year, and either haven't made up your mind for SURE or didn't get a "Slot" from your Section, you need to be aware of this announcement from USPSA:

Slot Deadline Is Approaching


The deadline for slots to the 2012 STI USPSA Handgun Nationals is coming up June 18. All slots not received by end of business on that day will unfortunately have to be voided and *CANNOT* be replaced. The unreturned slots will be rolled over in to the wait list, which opens June 4th.


Make sure that you don't wait until the last minute. Things can and have happened to delay receipt by USPSA HQ of a signed slot with payment by the deadline. Once the deadline passes there is nothing that we can do. Mail your slot with payment as early as possible to make sure there is adequate time to correct any unexpected issues!

Trust me, if you haven't shot the Nationals yet, you cannot claim to be a "competitor" in the largest sense.

I've been to a few Nationals in my time, and it's my personal opinion that they are the "Biggest Bang For The Buck" available .. even though they are outrageously expensive in terms of time, money, effort, heartbreak, and thrills. 

The first time I want to the Nationals (Limited, in Las Vegas, 1998) I met Jerry Barnhardt in the Vendor tent.  I told him: "Hey, My name is so much like yours, the guys I shoot with kid me about beating Jerry Barnhardt, and I can't live up to the name.  So ... lose a match for me, will you?"

Okay, it was dorky, but just YOU meet your Idol and try to make an intelligent conversation!

In my first national, I was lucky;  I was TWO places away from the bottom of the pack ... not just in my Division, but Overall.   Could have been worse; I could have been at the very bottom (I think my overall percentage was insignificantly about 4%).  Still, it was worth the money and the travel and the inglory ... I got to shoot with some of the greatest shooters in the world.

I don't care if it IS your very first year competing, you owe it to yourself to got to the match and see just what IPSC is really about.  You'll meet people you've only heard about (and perhaps not even that), they will kick your ass, and you will consider it money well spent.

How many times in your life can you say that you have pitted yourself against the best in the world?  And if you're really lucky, as I was, you may find yourself shooting mano-a-mano against the world's champion shooters.

Go do it.  You will rue the expense today, but you will never forget the experience.

'Stand Your Ground' Law Repeal Proposed

'Stand Your Ground' Law Repeal Proposed:

It's called the "Stand Your Ground" law. More than a dozen Michigan lawmakers want to get rid of it. They're afraid that the current law will lead to vigilante justice.


More than 24 states, including Michigan, have some version of the "Stand Your Ground" law. Michigan's went into effect on October 1, 2006. Now, these politicians say they're not aware as of yet that this law has lead to any unnecessary violence, but they want to prevent it from happening. ...

Well, that sounds like a good reason for preventing people from defending themselves from predators.

Not!

Crimson Trace® to Host World's First And Only Midnight 3-Gun Invitational

Shooting Wire: (Wilsonville, OR)   May 18, 2012 Crimson Trace, maker of the industries finest laser and lighting systems for personal defense, is hosting the world's First Annual Midnight 3-Gun Invitational this summer. This three night competition will take place just outside of Bend, Oregon in the high desert. What makes this 3-Gun Event so unique? The entire shooting competition will take place at night, in complete darkness. Competition will kick off just after sunset July 16 and continue into the wee hours of the morning each evening, with the closing ceremony the afternoon of July 18. The top 3-gunners in the nation, such as Jerry Miculek and Juli Golob, are registered and scheduled to compete.

For more information, click this link.

Lawn-mower guy gets Fired for Turning in a Gun He Found on Street

(Wayne County, Detroit county worker John) ... Chevilott found a gun while mowing the lawn [ed: ... on city property]. The gun was in the way of him doing his job ... so he picked it up with the full intention of handing it over to police. He eventually handed it over to police. Then, he got fired for picking up a loaded firearm off the street and handing it over to police. 

Words John Chevilott isn't likely to say in the immediate future:

"I LOVE THIS JOB!"

Nobody Is Perfect

I checked my results from last weekend's ARPC match (sent from USPSA.ORG) and ... as much as I appreciate the great statistical-reporting we now enjoy, I was appalled to read that I had got major penalties in almost every stage.

 I took a picture of the printout: this was sent to me at 1:50 pm after the match.

(Right-click on the image to see full-size image in a new tab)

Yes, that was my USPSA member number all right, and the right class, division, power factor ... but down in the lower right corner under "Pistol Statistics" it says:
Total Penalty Points: 140

... according to this, I shot only one stage clean.  Gee, I know I haven't been practicing much for the past few years, but I could only recall two stages where I got penalties!  (Wow!  I must be getting Sudden-Onset Alzheimers since last weekend)

A little explanation; I haven't read my email for a week, and I always read from the oldest unread email to the newest.   So the next email was ALSO from USPSA, sent at 2:00 pm.  It told a slightly different story:

 (Again .... right-click on the image to see full-size image in a new tab)

 Same identification info as the last time, but this version has my competitor number as #79 ... which I recall as being correct since I was almost the last to sign up for the match, and I saw guys in line ahead of me with numbers between 49 and 78 ... so I know I wasn't competitor 48.
and the actual stats were a lot closer to what I remembered, too:
Total Penalty Points: 20

... Except these (a) were the stages for the APRIL APRC match, not the MAY ARPC match, and (b) it shows me as DNF on the last stage (classifier: "Melody Line"), and I shot that match complete, including the classifier. And I strongly doubt that my competitor number was "79" in April, because there were not that many competitors for that match.   Since the email identified it as the results for the MAY ARPC match, and I dispute the reported results for that match, I have no confidence in any of the match results I receive.

...

It has been a long time since I really worried too much about being competitive.  In fact, it has been since I was no longer able to reload .38 Super ammunition, so I could compete in OPEN division (in which I can still see the sights AND the target clearly).   Consequently, I'm not concerned that my reported statistics from ... well, either or both matches .... don't meet my very low expectations.

However, if YOU are competitive, and you want honest accurate reporting on the results of your matches, I strongly advise you to record your own stats from the match before you leave the range, and compare them to the results you receive from USPSA.

TEAM X-T.R.E.M.E. & Cpl Todd Love

TEAM X-T.R.E.M.E. & Cpl Todd Love - YouTube Thanks to SCOTT for pointing out this extraordinary story and video. (I especially liked the Seal Suit!)

No Dundee Match for May

Bill Marrs  sent out an email announcement to all Columbia Cascade members earlier this week.   If you're not a member of the Section, or if you must missed it, here it is:

There appears to be some confusion as to whether there will be a match at Dundee on 5-26.

NO.   There will be no match at Dundee this month.  I'm headed to Bend to shoot the Oregon State match,
and so it everyone else that I could think of to do the Dundee match!

See you at the points match at Dundee in June.

Bill

Enough said, and thanks to Bill for letting us all know.

Oregon Primaries

If God had wanted us to elect our leaders, he would have given us candidates.

I'm trying to fill out my ballot for the current election (which includes Presidential Primaries), and all I can say is that the local issues are more interesting --- and I can be more "hopeful" about them --- than anything on either the state or national venue.

I would have (albeit reluctantly) voted for The Newt as the Republican Presidential Candidate,  until I learned he had been found guilty of "Jumping the Shark", and was no longer a viable candidate.

At the ARPC match yesterday,  I asked The Hobo Brasser if he could tell me for whom he planned to vote, as the Republican Presidential Candidate.   He told me .... but was unable to complete the discussion without reverting to the most foul anglo-saxon terminology.  I think he may even have mentioned the word "D*m*cr*t" once.  (I probably should not have said this; I hate to embarrass my friends.)   (Oh, that's right, I don't, do I?)

What I'm thinking is that the ballot should include the category "ANYONE BUT ______" (name your choice, I know who my "Anyone But ____" choice would be on the Presidential election).

So what we're left with is Montrose's Toast:

 "He either fears his fate too much,
Or his desserts are small,
Who dares not put it to the touch,
To win or lose it all!"

Translated:  "You pays your money and you takes your chances"

Not very comforting, is it?

And I thought *_I_* had too much drama in my life!

[HAT TIP to The G-man, who is recovering nicely from his surgery according to his latest email)

GO FULL SCREEN ON THIS ONE                 – with sound!

FANTASTIC!  You just never know what might happen next time  you go out for a quiet cup of coffee! Press the red button and find out........

How to rip off the IRS for Big Buck$

"Undocumented Workers" from Mexico are claiming ... and receiving ... BILLIONS of dollars of exemptions on their tax returns (and receiving tax refunds) for "Dependent Children Who Live In The Home", for children who live in Mexico.

Can this be true?  Who knows?  At least one TV station in Indiana claims to have interviewed one such "Undocumented Worker" who confirms the story.

According to Indianapolis News, the Inspector General knows this is happening, has reported it, but the IRS is doing nothing to rectify the situation

Indianapolis News Video | Weather Video Forecast | Sports - 13 WTHR Indianapolis (Hat Tip: G-Man)

Travels with Hansel and Gretel

Travels with Hansel and Gretel The Hobo Brasser has started his own blog. There ... in a forum in which he proposes to share the merry adventures of his annual travels (decrepit pickup, dented fifth-wheel, spicey wife, and the dog and the dogette) he proves himself to be the master of understatement. The man is stealing my blog material!

Update-on-Fast-and-Furious-with-attachment-FINAL.pdf (application/pdf Object)

Update-on-Fast-and-Furious-with-attachment-FINAL.pdf (application/pdf Object)

The Seven Deadly Sins of USPSA Competition

When I teach the "Introduction to USPSA" class at the Albany Rifle & Pistol Club (ARPC), I recognize the importance of presenting the class material in a user-friendly, positive manner.

That's why I emphasize all the ways in which a competitor can "DQ" (Match Disqualification for violating a safety rule).

You can't do 'right' unless you know what is 'wrong'.   It's easy to say "Go, shoot, be safe".  But unless people know what are UNSAFE actions ... well, it's complicated.

The easiest way to teach people how to be safe, is to define the actions which are NOT safe.

I'm developing a teaching guide for instructors who are attempting to familiarize new shooters in USPSA competition (this almost exactly follows IPSC rules, as well), and in the process I've boiled the competition rules into a simple seven-element set of  "DO NOT" rules which will help the new competitor to shoot safely, over 90% of the time.  [I would say "100%", but nothing is all- right.

These seven deadly sins are:

1. Muzzle (180)
2. Finger (1 & 2)
3. Sweeping
4. Dropped Gun
5. D&D
6. Over The Hill
7. Cheating

Seven rules, ten words (more or less).  The "Four Basic Rules of Gun Safety" are:

1. Treat Firearms as if they are loaded;
2. Point the muzzle away from non-targets;
3. Keep fingers off the trigger;
4. Be sure of your target, and what is beyond it

Lots more words to remember.  And actually all of the rules are embodied in the USPSA rules which define "unsafe acts".    But competitors need to know the elements of these rules, and the even more esoteric rules which are elemental in a competitive environment.

Here are the Seven Deadly Sins again, with some explanations:

I:   Muzzle (180)

Face downrange, and extend your arms to each side.  Your arms define the 180 degrees in which it is 'safe' to point your firearm.  If you point your firearm 'behind' that 180 degree line, you are breaking the "180 Rule".   That is, you are pointing it uprange, where there may be people standing.  It matters not what you are doing or where people are actually located relative to your firearm; as the competitor, you are responsible for everything that happens with your firearm and breaking the 180 rule is ALWAYS unsafe.

II: Finger (1 & 2)

The rules say you cannot have your finger on the trigger unless you are actively engaging targets.  This breaks down to two general situations:

• You cannot have your finger on the trigger when you are loading, reloading, clearing a jam, or during any activity other than actively engaging targets.
• You cannot have your finger on the trigger when you are moving, except when you are actively engaging targets.

This last part is a bit complicated.

If you take ONE step, you may keep your finger on the trigger.   That's Part 1.

But when you are "actively engaging targets", you may have your finger on the trigger 'anyway'.
That means, your firearm is mounted ... it is raised so that you may see a sight picture with the target generally including the front and rear sights, and the target.  If your firearms is below the sight-line between your eyes and the target, the Range Officer may reasonably assume that you are not "actively engaging the target".  ("Engaging" means shooting at, or trying to shoot at, a target.)   That's Part 2.

III: Sweeping

The term "SWEEPING" include any motion of your firearm or your body which may result in the muzzle of your firearm pointing at any part of your body.

It (according to the rules) does NOT include such actions as are needed to holster, or un-holster, your firearm.  I'm not sure why this is true, except that with some holsters it's impossible to holster a weapon without using your 'off hand' to expand a pliable holster so you can place the muzzle of your firearm in the holster.  This may also be true when using a "gun rug' rather than a holster at the beginning or end of a stage.

At all other times, though, if during the course of fire you combine the actions of your hand which holds your firearm with ANY other activity in such a way that the muzzle of your firearm points at any part of your body, that is an Unsafe Act.

For example:
You are required to open a door so that you can pass through it; if your free hand passes in front of your firearm, you have just "swept yourself".

Or:
You drop your magazine at the end of a stage.  If you reach down to retrieve the grounded magazine before holstering your firearm, you may "sweep yourself".

IV:  Dropped Gun

IF "during a stage" you lose control of your firearm ... it is not in your hand under circumstances which are not required by the stage directions or after you have drawn your firearm from the holster ... and the firearm hits the ground, you may be DQ's for having dropped your gun.  It matters not whether your firearms lands pointing safely down-range.  If you are not in full control of your firearm at all times, you are subject to a DQ.

The phrase "during a stage"   is significant.
If you are NOT an active competitor under the direct control of a Range Officer, and you drop your gun while you are not shooting a stage (eg: you are in the squad area or walking through a stage, and your pistol falls out of your holster and drops to the ground), you are NOT automatically DQ'd. Unless, that is, you touch your firearm. The thing to do under this circumstance is to protect the firearm, call for a Range Officer, and let the Range Officer do whatever is necessary to SAFELY retrieve the firearm and return it to a safe condition.

Of course, this does not obviate the rules which forbid you to handle your firearm other than when  you are at a SAFETY TABLE or under the direct supervision of a Range Officer.

V: D&D

The acronym "D&D" refers to "Drunk & Disorderly".
"Drunk" refers to any situation where the competitor is under the influence of substances to the point where he or she is incapacitated ... which is a very fine line, considering that this is a sport where the 'normal' competitor can be described as "running around with loaded guns".  Essentially, if you are under the influence of alcohol, or drugs, you should not be handling firearms.  This includes such situations as taking prescription medication under the care of a physician.  Any substance which undermines your ability to be entirely responsible for the safe handling of a firearm, including those which only have the warning "may cause drowsiness", is entirely incompatible with USPSA competition.

You're welcome to come observe, tape targets, reset steel targets, and visit your friends.  Please do us all a favor and leave your guns at home.

"Disorderly" refers to many ancillary activities, including coarse/foul language while arguing with a Range Officer.  An armed society is a polite society; one who allows him/her self to display belligerent behavior during a competition event may reasonably be defined as one who should NOT be allowed to "run around with a loaded firearm".  Disorderly conduct is, of course, defined by the Range Officer or other range officials.

These activities may fall under the general category of "Unsportsmanlike Conduct", which is complete in "Deadly Sin #7: Cheating".  (See below.)

VI: Over The Hill

This section refers to both negligent discharges (there is no such thing as an "Accidental Discharge", as we are all entirely responsible for anything which happens with our firearms) and shots which are so badly aimed that the bullet passes over the berm.  The berm is provided by the range to stop any fired shot; if you can't keep your shots low enough to hit the berm after they pass through the target, then you are not a safe shooter.

This also refers to any shot which impacts the ground within six feet of the competitor (or behind the competitor) unless it is obvious that the competitor is actively engaging a target which is close to the ground within that range

VII:  Cheating

This is a general catch-all phrase which envelops situations which may not have been defined previously.  Essentially, this is "unsportsmanlike conduct" or a deliberate attempt to obviate the rules.  This is presumably to gain a competitive advantage, but not necessarily so.

A good example is the rule which requires all competitors to wear both eye-protection and ear-protection.  If, during the course of fire, a competitor may lose either piece of competitive safety equipment, the Range Officer is obliged to stop the competitor, correct the situation, and mandate a re-shoot for that competitor.  There are no options available for the Range Officer; the competitor has, at last, lost time by the loss of safety equipment, and consequently has not been presented with an 'equitable shooting problem'.  The RO must mandate a reshoot.
This provides the competitor who is 'having a bad stage' with an opportunity to re-shoot the stage; by merely doffing ear muffs, the rules would mandate a reshoot.

However, the rules specifically forbid this under the "Unsportsmanlike Conduct" clause; it is cheating.

The number of categories is small, but the detail is large.  This approach doesn't pretend to simplify the rules of competition.  It only serves to present the rules in an easy to remember set of categories, and provide the instructor to bunch the most important safety rules in a simple framework for presentation.

BlogMeat for April

I know I know, I haven't been talking here for .... well, far too long. Almost every night when I turn the lights out I lay in bed and think about the things I want to talk about here. But by morning, it's all gone out of my head.

So what I'm going to do, with your kind permission, is to just grab a few of the many subjects that won't let go of my brain and do kind of a free-style "chain of consciousness" core-dump.

My Lai:
I went to the local library yesterday and checked out some DVDS from their limited stock. I ran across a short series pertaining to the Viet Nam war, and I brought that home. The video on the My Lai Massacre was so horrendously sickening to watch, I had to shut it off last night and finished watching it this evening.

The thought that anyone, especially American Soldiers, could willingly ... even eagerly ... take part in a massacre of men, women, children and infants is appalling. The video ( available online through pbs.org/american experience ) made me almost ashamed to be an American, let alone a veteran of that horrible war. I understand the combat pressures and failed leadership which drove those soldiers to such extreme reactions, but I still cannot countenance it.

The massacre took place on March 16, 1968. The first news became popular media grist a year later. I entered the service in September of 1968, and went to Viet Nam a year later. We were just becoming aware at that time. I remember being horrified even then, and my determination was to NEVER find myself in a position where I was as helpless as those young men in C-company must have felt. I went through NCO school, and arrived in Viet Nam as a Staff Sergeant (E6) on September 20 of 1969. My determination was not only to bring every man in my platoon home, but to prevent ANY combat reaction which preyed on unresisting, unarmed civilians.

(I didn't bring 'every man' home; one man was killed by a booby-trap, another was wounded. One man was snake-bit; the venom gave him a 70% profile, and got him out of the field, so at least HE was satisfied.)

Thankfully, my experience was not that extreme, and the situation was not one with which I had to contend. But I had nightmares before Vietnam, and during my tour .... and they were much worse than those which I experienced after I returned to civilian life.

The nightmares are few and far between, but I suspect I will experience "What Might Have Been" nightmares for a few days to come.

Introduction to USPSA classes:
The Albany Rifle and Pistol Club, where I conduct these introductory classes in IPSC/USPSA training, has historically worked hard to ensure that the people who show up a the classes have at least rudimentary skills in firearms handling techniques. This year, the 'filtering' process broke down; I was designated at the primary contact person for enrollment, and most frequently prospective students contact me only a few days before the next scheduled class.

So I don't have time to insure that they have the background in gun-handling and pistol shooting, and sometimes when the students begin their live firing exercises I discover that they have some seriously bad habits which are not consistent with shooting under the pressure of competition.

When that happens, I notify Mac that this person should not be allowed to sign up for a match, and I watch the registration for that match to insure that they are not accepted as a competitor. Usually, I respond to their registration email to inform them that they need more training.

That was the case last class (actually, this month/first Saturday) with a student I'll call "Vern".

Vern is a helluva nice guy ... well, almost all of the students are (is there something about personality types of those people who want to compete?) ... and when I contacted him after the class I told him that I would prefer that he get more training.

The problem appeared to be that he learned to shot handguns as a child, and he was given a revolver to shoot. Unfortunately, whomever taught him allowed him to brace the heavy weight of the revolver by bracing his right wrist with his left hand, his left thumb over his right wrist.

That works fine for revolvers, but he planned to compete with a semi-automatic pistol; a Beretta 92 variant, if it matters.

EVERY time it was turn to shoot, he started out with his left thumb in the way of the recoiling slide. I would shout "STOP!", explain to him that it was personally dangerous to put his thumb in a position where the slide might hit his bracing thumb. He acknowledged the danger, but could NOT break himself of the practice!

That night, I decided that I could not let him shoot. I told ARPC that he needed more training, and then I told Vern that this was a problem which could not be ignored. Sure, he had no problems with just casual shooting at the range, but under the pressure of competition it was almost inevitable that eventually he would do himself a damage.

Vern replied with a surprisingly understanding tone. He realized that my concern was for his personal safety, and was not offended that I had singled him out for special treatment.

So he and I made a date to meet at the range this afternoon (he is a club member, so access to the range was easy for him), and I agreed to coach him.

We started out with dry-fire exercises. Then we went to one-round stages, where I watched him carefully for his instinctive "thumb-over" grip. We worked together for two hours, and I tried every trick I could think of to rattle him. I kept telling him his draw-to-first-shot time, thinking he would be so concentrated on improving his shot that he would forget his grip.

He did not.

I gave him shoot-then-reload exercises. Surely that would distract him from reverting to his old grip.

It did not.

Finally, after two hours and over fifty separate live-fire exercises ... he had been gripping his pistol safely 100% of the time.

I told Vern that he could shoot on my squad any time, and I would be glad to watch him complete his certification match safely. We parted friends, still, and I think it's going to be really fun watching him at his first match.

Barb:
On the other hand, sometimes there's an impulse to just let the shooter try a match and see if they can consciously overcome their ingrained problems. It doesn't always work.

Barb and her husband first come to my August, 2010, class. She was completing her chemotherapy treatments for Cancer, and she was totally bald. Immediately I attached my feelings about SWMBO's long (30 months) losing battle with Cancer, so Barb became something of a "Teacher's Pet" in my mind. I was so determined that she get through her training successfully, I may have been less critical than I should have been about her inability to keep her finger off the trigger during loading/reloading/clearing a jam.

Some time went by after her August training, during which they were unable to make it to a Certification Match; so they came back to my February, 2011 class for a "refresher". By then, Barb had successfully completed her chemotherapy and had her hair back! But Barb still couldn't keep her finger off the trigger, even though I "DQ-ed" her during the class.

Finally, she shot her certification match in February. I was the RO for her first stage, and she violated the "FINGER" rule three times in quick succession before I finally (reluctantly, but necessarily) DQ'd her.

It pissed her off. She wasn't mad at me; she was angry with herself. She knew that we had worked on that, and she just hadn't been able to overcome her bad habit. The problem was, she became self-conscious when being watched by a lot of people, and under pressure she reverted to old, bad habits.

The next month, I asked her to not only come to the class, but to be my "Demonstrator".

In each class, we set up from 5 to 10 different stages (depending on how much daylight is available). I explain the shooting problem to the class, take questions, and then my Demonstrator shoots the stage so the new students can see what should be done.

That put Barb very much in the lime-light, when she knew that everyone there was watching on her ... and counting on her to set a good example.

Barb performed beautifully on each and every stage. Of course, there were some glitches when she had to clear a jam on one stage, but that was also a training experience.

Finally, this month (last weekend) she shot her Classification Match clean; I squadded with her, and I got to RO her for several of the stages. There were some awkward moments, which is natural ... I had a few awkward stages too (I have GOT to practice more!) but she was always safe.

At the end of the match, I got to award certification cards to Barb and to one other new shooter, Bob. (Bob had his wife and his little daughter with him for the last two stages, as an Unofficial Cheering Section; it worked well for him, but his daughter wouldn't share her Oreo cookies with me.)

During the award ceremony, traditional at every club match in the Columbia Cascade Section ... when Barb came forward to receive her certification card, there was just the slightest hitch in my throat.

She had told me earlier that this day, April 14, was exactly the one-year anniversary of when she had been diagnosed with Cancer. That day was very special, to her and to me. That she was there, and able to play with new friends as a "normal person", was a bit of a miracle. I don't know which of us was the most moved; Barb, her husband, or me.

July:
New Shooters who intend to take the Introduction to USPSA class in July ... are probably not reading this. But I have already informed Mac that I will not be available to instruct the July class.

My son, my daughter, and both their families all live in San Diego. Independence Day is the Wednesday before the "First Saturday" of the month. I'll be in Southern California on Independence Day, and I don't expect to return in time to attend the class. I've already told Mac, but if you are planning to suggest that friends attend the class in July ... take a hint. I don't know yet if the class will be cancelled, or Mac will teach it, or it will be rescheduled. We're still trying to work out the details.

I have my priorities, and I'm very clear on them. Family first, THEN shooting ....


Snow Bird:
The Hobo Brasser and his charming wife Sharon "Spicey" Brasser typically spend their winters in a trailer park in Texas. This has been problematic for them.

Last year, some fool put regular gas in their fifth-wheeling diesel pickup. They spend two weeks in Shasta, California, waiting for the local mechanics to put a new engine in (which cost them much more than their retired-folks budget could easily accommodate).

This year they experienced a hail-storm .. with hail the size of golf balls ... just before they were scheduled to return to God's Country (Oregon, for those of you who are not familiar with the concept).

Since then, they have experienced a few other mechanical calamities, including the need to replace three tires on the New/Improved Pickup.

The Hobo Brasser has requested and required that I meet him at the Dundee match at the end of the month .... that would be the 28th. We will retire, after the match, for our traditional repast of Wheat Bear and Linquica Pizza at the Abby's Pizza Parlor in Newport Newberg, Oregon. Fellow devotees of the shooting sports are invited to join us: the story telling will be dominated by the Mad Irishman, but you must buy your own freakin' pizza & beer!
_______________________--

Update: changed NEWPORT to NEWBERG as the closest Abby's Pizza Parlor. thanks for the Hat Tip, Guy!

Grip

It's kind of funny, in a suicidal kind of way, the kind of things that shooters will do on their way to becoming "Competitors".

Last weekend, for about the tenth time in the past year, I watched a student in the "Introduction to USPSA" class wrap his weak-hand thumb over the top of his strong-hand thumb.

He was shooting a 1911-style pistol ... you know, the kind where the slide rocks back every time you pull the trigger? And his off-hand thumb was splayed right below where the slide could rip that sucker off!

I'm asking if you can get the picture, here. Because from my (Range Officer) point of view, this looks like a recipe for disaster. So when I saw this Good Ol' Boy gripping his pistola that way, I hollered "STOP!"

Ol' Vern, he didn't do nothing, but he didn't change his grip none, either.

So I hollered "STOP!" a couple or four more times, until Vern looked back at me like a Coon Dog when you holler about the same damn thing, y'know?

It's like you holler your lungs out on a Chocolate Lab, and he's so pleased to please you he looks back, lays his tongue over his bottom teeth, and pants at you, just so show you how happy he is you're talking to him even though he's got no IDEA why you're talking so loud.

Crap-o Crap-o Doo Dah .. these are the moments when you realize how GLAD you are that at least you've taught the concept of the "STOP" command!

In case you are not intrinsically familiar with the range commands, Stop means that if you are the competitor .. when you hear the word spoken in the "Command Voice" you stop whatever you are doing and wait for the Range Officer to tell you what to do next. It doesn't matter who yells STOP ... you just stop!

So, while we "assume" that all of the people who go through the "Introduction to USPSA" course, the minimum discipline which is established during the classroom phase is that when someone-one says "STOP", the shooter STOPS!

---

The situation was, the shooter (I had never met him before, and had certainly never seen him shoot) was laying his weak-hand thumb over his strong-hand wrist while he was trying to shoot his semi-automatic pistol ... the mechanism of which involved slinging the slide back over his hand every time he pulled the trigger.

Now, if that thumb is situated low enough on his strong-hand wrist, there's no problem; plenty of room for the slide to rack back on every shot, and miss his weak-hand thumb.

The guy has used this wimpy, unhelpful, dangerous grip for (who knows HOW long?), and he has no idea why why it's not a Good Thing to do.

As Chill Wills says in the movie McClintock:

People, People, People!

Give me your attention here.

I know that you've been shooting your 1911-style pistola like this for YEARS, and it has never caused you any problems.

How can I say this?

I don't give a SHIT what you've been doing for years!

Don't do it HERE!

The thing is, we're trying to teach you how to shoot competitively, safely. All the stuff you've been doing without hurting yourself? It doesn't mean SQUAT. When you begin trying to shoot, better, faster, you forget about safety and you fall back to your old (bad) habits .... you put yourself at risk.

I don't want to see it, and I for sure don't want to be part of the squad who is obliged to chase all over the bay to find the parts of your left thumb which have been splattered all over the North 40 because YOU think it's okay to put it behind the slide of your semi-automatic pistol!

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This is not the first time I have seen a "New Shooter" try this really really STUPID way to support your shooting hand. And every one who has done so, I've either corrected it to the point where I'm sure he will NEVER do this again, or I've stopped him (as well as I could) from competing in a USPSA match.

You want to know why I'm opposed to this technique? It's because if you get all excited in a COMPETITION environment and forget how you are supposed to hold your pistol while you are shooting ... there are three consequences, in order of escalating consequences:

1. the slide will take the skin off your thumb;
2. the slid will take the bone off your thumb;
3. the slide will take your entire freaking THUMB offa your hand!

None of these are A Good Thing. But I can't convince you of this, during the class. Why? Because you've been holding your pistol with your weak-hand thumb on the back of your strong-hand wrist for YEARS, and it has never caused you any problem!

When I tell you not to do that ... you ignore me.

Oh, sure, you (talking to the student/shooter) have been doing that thumb-over-wrist grip-thing for YEARS, and it has never hurt you. But you have not been shooting in COMPETITION, which is a whole other thing!

But do you listen to me? Sure, for the duration of the class.

Am I confident that you have learned from my advice?
NO! You think I'm an idiot, so why should you listen?

Question: why are you taking the class? Because you have to do that to shoot in competition? And why have I told you so many times that the most important thing we are trying to teach you is SAFETY?

You get all flummoxed in competition, and you do not always get the exact perfect grip ... because you're trying to cut down the time you're spending on non-shooting moments. Just as I have taught you, right?

And you grip your right hand just a LITTLE bit higher, and the slide takes your thumb off your hand, and when the Insurance Adjuster comes around at the Emergency Room and asks you how the HELL you blew your thumb off, you tell him "Hey! I took the training course, and my instructor never told me that was a dangerous practice!"

Guess what?

It is dangerous, and if you can't beat your bad habits, I'm not going to let you compete in USPSA matches!

NOBODY flunks the "Introduction to USPSA" class, unless they have shown that they cannot handle a firearm safely. It's not just about keeping the muzzle pointed safely downrange. It's also about ensuring that you won't hurt yourself.

I don't really care if you go to the range and hold the gun in an unsafe manner, and frankly, I don't really care if you hurt yourself because you haven't a CLUE about what "gun safety" means as long as you don't endanger yourself.

But I've seen three different people try to hold a pistol in this manner (with your thumb in the way of the reciprocating slide), and I will no longer allow ANYONE to complete the "Introduction to USPSA" course until I'm confident that you not only know why this is an unsafe act, but you are not going to repeat the egregious action .... even under the stress of competition. (Well, none of the other two people actually went to a match, but you may ignore that precedence, and I can't allow that.)

YOU may be willing to shoot that way, but I'm not willing to allow you to shoot that way. Hell, I might be squadded with you. I might be the guy who has to put a tourniquet on your arm, so you don't bleed out.

I'm not "comfortable" with that. So don't do it. Either learn to shoot safely, or don't shoot in competition.

It's your choice. But don't learn it on MY time!