...and to think today you just have fangs
Rob Engh
BC, Canada
No, that's not "true" data. That's "raw" data.
"True" data has to be qualified against what you're looking at and for.
Because you might parse the data into members only, or division primarily shot by a particular member, or data from people who shot more than one single match in a calendar year to come up with data that might serve membership and rules better than just unedited raw data filled with people who dabbled their first time once at a match and shot "open" because they had a magwell on their carry gun.
And just like data from an Area match or Championship tells a different demographic story than local data, but those differences are important for where things are and where things are going.
EDIT: if just talking about the survey responses, didn’t they publish the data?
Last edited by JCN; 02-23-2023 at 08:33 PM.
There has always seemed to me that there is this gap between how much attention, energy, maybe even bias the organization has had toward focusing the sport on the major matches, area and up, Vs the basic monthly club level shooting. I think it was worse or far more biased toward "our world revolves around the majors" when Voight was running the place. Just my perception.
If you look at where the biggest piece of revenue comes from, it is club level shooters, not the handful of fees and shooters at the majors. I know the sponsors only care about majors. If the organization does not strongly consider the interests of those monthly club level shooters, most of whom never attend a national or major, or for that matter area match, it is not serving the membership well.
Not to say that the two groups of shooters are at odds, it is just a need to have a broad focus and understand the health of the sport is totally dependent on the health of the local clubs. I hope that is how they look at "the data" whatever that is.
Since this thread has wandered into the competition/practical realm - here's a great pod cast with JLW and Andy Stanford. https://anchor.fm/lee-weems/episodes...ration-e1upkdb
Brought back pleasant memories as I've trained with and at some of the folks and locales. The NTI - if you listen to it was a hoot. I don't come home from a USPSA match covered in bruises from sims and close in airsoft. That was a gun fight that didn't go well for me. That stuff makes you bleed close up. Wife yells at me when I came back. At the school gym, folks asked - Did you fall down? No, simulated bang, bang, bang!
John Holschen - squashed my head a touch in combatives. Ouch.
Cloud Yeller of the Boomer Age
I was looking for when carry optics was originally announced by the USPSA board and found this.
Carry Optics provisional division announced
USPSA Headquarters
Jul 27, 2015
All Announcements
For decades, USPSA has shaped the pistol industry through its shooters who constantly made their firearms more accurate, comfortable and reliable. From handmade beavertails, thumb safeties and mag wells to electronic sights and porting, our competitors have been instrumental in pushing firearms manufacturing forward.
Recently, the tides have started to turn, and it is USPSA who must keep up with the industry. We have recognized the progression of lightweight carry pistols that are being outfitted with slide mounted electronic optics. In an attempt to answer this growing trend, USPSA has approved the provisional division of Carry Optics. For the remainder of 2015, Carry Optics will be recognized at sanctioned Level 1 USPSA events. At the next in-person USPSA BOD meeting, Jan 23-24, 2016, the Board will evaluate member participation, industry response and growth trends to decide if Carry Optics can remain a viable division within USPSA.
The division rules will stay very restrictive to avoid the potential "arms race" and will keep the requirements strictly in line with industry offerings. A complete appendix of Carry Optics division specifications will be available at www.uspsa.org in the coming days.
We are excited to see how this new division will be received by our members and the industry.
Phil Strader — President
US Practical Shooting Association
Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.
I LOLed my ass off. What happened with lightweight carry pistols and rigid rules to avoid "arms race"?
Doesn't read posts longer than two paragraphs.