GSSF Lessons Learned

[Gio]

I just shot the Port Townsend GSSF match with the G21. My first return to GSSF after a hiatus in 2020 due to COVID-19. This time, in addition to my dry-fire practice regimen, I used the G21 in a club IDPA match two weeks previously. I didn't score too well in the IDPA match, but it was a great shake-down cruise, highlighting to me exactly what I needed to concentrate on (trigger control-specifically, not hammering on the trigger).

At the GSSF match, I exclusively shot the G21 in both divisions I competed in Guardian and Heavy Metal) and shot my best match with the G21 in years. My one bobble was on the plates where in 1 string of fire, I resorted to hammering on the trigger, with predictable results (2 plates left up...). I quickly corrected on the next string-problem eliminated, all plates decimated. Ammunition used was predominantly Sellier & Bellot 230 gr ball, with 1 box of Federal Champion Brass also used. The holster used was my Vega T.A.C.S Universal, which worked well in stably holding the G21 with the slide jacked back as required by GSSF if carrying the gun holstered during the match, and it worked nicely apres match holding my carry G19.

There's still considerable room for improvement; I had too many "D" hits (i.e., shooting slightly low) indicating that while my triggger control is getting better, it's still not quite there, and, obviously, my time-I need to refine triggger control, and then pick up the pace.

I'm interested in the forum's thoughts about letting the trigger go fully forward versus shooting from the reset point.

A I had a good match, made all the better by shooting it with a long-time friend-we had a nice drive to and from the match, and a good time at the match where I reconnected with some long-time GSSF shooting acquaintences. The match was well run, which was nice, as things flowed well with little back-up at each stage. Attendance seemed a little light, which is probably collateral damage from the COVID-19 ammunition shortage.

Best, Jon

Shooting from reset is a decent technique to maximize slow fire accuracy on a bullseye style course where time is not a factor. You definitely don't want to shoot from reset for any kind of time based scoring or action shooting. Whether you come all the way off the trigger or press-flip-press somewhere in the slack zone after trigger reset, either method works, and it may be gun dependent on how you accomplish it (i.e. how much slack does the trigger have, how short or long is the reset, how much spring tension does the trigger attempt to reset with, etc).

[professor]

I appreciate the response! I was somewhat familiar with the format but most of the dudes I know who shoot GSSF exclusively shoot the outdoor matches. I was curious if anyone here had shot them much and found them to be decent matches since the local matches are super convenient for me and they seem to be a pretty quick match. If I do as well as I think I should be able to freestyle (I do a lot of accuracy work), it might be a fun match to shoot SHO to work those skills. Anyway, I think I'm going to give it a try

I shoot both indoor and outdoor matches. A lot of both. While I prefer the outdoor match format, I like the indoor matches also. IE: I’ll skip an indoor match to attend an outdoor match.

I find both more of a measurement of my progress of the work I’m putting in more than practice by itself. Shoot the indoor matches and master a 500 on a qualified (25y) COF IN A MATCH itself and it is an accomplishment. If shooting 500s become boring, then try SHO, but I think you will find 500s with a true legal stock gun to be challenging enough. 250s with 25Xs are pretty sporty on the pocket COF also.


Prizes in both are great, although the indoor matches are random draw only.

These matches have been VERY good to me in both forcing me to hone my skills and prize winnings.

[Kirk]

I shoot both indoor and outdoor matches. A lot of both. While I prefer the outdoor match format, I like the indoor matches also. IE: I’ll skip an indoor match to attend an outdoor match.

I find both more of a measurement of my progress of the work I’m putting in more than practice by itself. Shoot the indoor matches and master a 500 on a qualified (25y) COF IN A MATCH itself and it is an accomplishment. If shooting 500s become boring, then try SHO, but I think you will find 500s with a true legal stock gun to be challenging enough. 250s with 25Xs are pretty sporty on the pocket COF also.


Prizes in both are great, although the indoor matches are random draw only.

These matches have been VERY good to me in both forcing me to hone my skills and prize winnings.

Excellent, thank you so much for the detailed reply! You've definitely sold me on giving this a shot. I've been looking at the rule book and the different courses of fire and now I really want to make the 500 club lol. I might have to pick up a G43 for the pocket COF as well. One of the main selling points seems to be the prizes, I'm always seeing dudes win really cool stuff from GSSF matches. I have an acquaintance who I believe has won multiple certificates for guns over the past few years (Outdoor matches). Anyway, I really appreciate the reply and I'm going to give it a go.

[professor]

Excellent, thank you so much for the detailed reply! You've definitely sold me on giving this a shot. I've been looking at the rule book and the different courses of fire and now I really want to make the 500 club lol. I might have to pick up a G43 for the pocket COF as well. One of the main selling points seems to be the prizes, I'm always seeing dudes win really cool stuff from GSSF matches. I have an acquaintance who I believe has won multiple certificates for guns over the past few years (Outdoor matches). Anyway, I really appreciate the reply and I'm going to give it a go.

The indoors being random may vary, but each 3 match series awards a pistol certificate. Usually some knives, hats, shirts or something as well. One range owner at a match I frequent throws in quite a few extras also.

The outdoor matches have both performance and random prizes. Both more quality and obtainable amounts than I have ever seen in other disciples. At my level anyhow.

[DDTSGM]

I appreciate the response! I was somewhat familiar with the format but most of the dudes I know who shoot GSSF exclusively shoot the outdoor matches. I was curious if anyone here had shot them much and found them to be decent matches since the local matches are super convenient for me and they seem to be a pretty quick match. If I do as well as I think I should be able to freestyle (I do a lot of accuracy work), it might be a fun match to shoot SHO to work those skills. Anyway, I think I'm going to give it a try

They are great if you have a hero wall at home or work.

Seriously, the local indoor matches I shoot are fun, good bunch of folks. If you get jammed up, our range will run you through the match before the day of the match if you cant be there for the match. My wife also shoots with me, so we enjoy the time.

My problem is vision and range lighting, I've shot numerous 250's with the 42, just one or two 500's with the full-sized - the lighting at 25 yards and my old guy vision don't work that well most of the time.

I think you'll have fun.

[JonInWA]

I had a great time shooting the Port Townsend match with a friend (its become a tradition for us). I shot my G19 in two divisions (subsequent to the GSSF match, I've installed a Leupold DeltaPoint Micro RDS on it for long-term T&E, covered in another thread) and the venerable G21 in the Heavy Metal division.

The only difference this year is that I removed the Warren Grip Assist sleeve and replaced it with a new Hogue HandAll Beavertail grip sleeve. While I initially found myself missing the fin on the Warrren, I shot better and eventually have come to prefer the Hogue for its overall feel and hot it facilitates my performance. It's a bit of a bear to wrestle on my Gen 3 "Big Butt" G21, but eminently do-able and worthwhile.

Comparing my G21 GSSF scores from last year to this year's, I shot this year significantly more accurately and faster (despite disastrous second string on the plates-the first string, and the remaining two were much better). The Hogue HandAll Beavertail is staying on.

Best, Jon

[JonInWA]

And here's an image with it mounted:



Best, Jon

[mizer67]

Despite detesting the Hogue Hand-All and similar grip sleeve products, I put on on my G48 and it's made a big difference in my shooting with that particular slim frame gun.

It's ugly (and apparently a potential risk in a grapple) but it's hard to argue with the performance gain.

[JonInWA]

Other than the normal horrible traffic through Portland (always with the weird, seemingly inexplicable abrupt slow-downs-including a collision literally immediately adjacent to us during one such event), i had a great drive down with my fellow GSSF shooting stalwart, Dan (we've shot together in various venues for around 30 years, and GSSF is a traditional event{s} we look forward to).

This year, I decided to apply a modicum of common sense, and shot only one of my Glocks throughout, my venerable Gen 3 G21. "Throughout" was in only 2 Divisions, Heavy Metal and Guardian. My plan was to shoot both divisions consecutively at each stage (so at each stage, I'd be going through some 60-80 rounds; GSSF consists of 3 stages per Division). What with the driving trip time and the wait times at each stage (which actually wasn't really that bad, even when the RO's took a lunch break and things were operating a 50% capacity), limiting myself to 2 Divisions shooting standard pressure, but full-house .45 ACP made sense. This Dundee match was intended to be a bit of a ramp-up/rehearsal/recon to see if I could shoot multiple divisions reasonably comfortably with the G21.

Cartridges used were exclusively High Desert Cartridge Company 230 gr ball standard pressure; HDCC makes excellent remanufactured cartridges, and their .45 ACP is one of there key offerings. I case-gauged each individual round, and had no pre-match rejects. I've found HDCC's offerings, and their .45 ACP in particular as used in this match to be superb; clean-shooting, very well manufactured, and very accurate. They're headquartered in Eastern Washington, and Dagga Boy/Darryl Boelke is on their staff, specializing in cartridges and cartridge development on the revolver side of the house.

In this age of increasingly restrictive state gun laws, I carefully researched out Oregon before I left. Guns were carried unloaded in a locked case, and loaded magazines were similarly carried in a separate locked case, both in the rear of my SUV, out of reach. Fro what I could discern, my use of my high capacity magazines was allowable, but only if properly stored/secured en-route, and only at the designated event. My "carry" magazines were all 10 rounders, with gun carried unloaded in a locked case, with carry magazines similarly secured in a separate (and also locked) case. The joys of travelling in 2024 in woke environments...

The match itself was very well organized and run. We arrived around 10:30 and were finished and left the range facility around 2-2:30. While I didn't personally talk with him, there was a Glock Armorer on site during the match.

As I've written here before, my Gen 3 G21 is my bete noir, my personal albatross of sorts. Mechanically, it's superbly accurate and exceptionally reliable with probably some 10K rounds downrange through it over the years. I run min with a set of Warren/Sevigney Carry steel sights, with the front sight face in fluorescent orange, a Hoghe HandAll Beavertail grip sleeve, a Pierce Grip butt plug, a Glock Extended slide release, and a Glock upgraded triggerbar with a Dot connector and a standard coil triggerspring. General lubrication is with Lucas Extreme Duty gun oil, and Lucas Red "N" Tacky #2 grease is used on components where there's metal-on-metal reciprocation.

Throughout the match, the G21 ran smoothly and impeccably. It's just a proven, well vetted pistol. My match specifically went decently-I did significantly better this year in both the "Five To Glock" and "Glock M" stages, but the steel plates in the "Glock The Plates" was a bit of a train wreck. The gun felt really, really good with the two paper stages, but I was tired and had some issues with mentally properly hyper-focussing on the plates-and it showed.

For me, the G21 is a somewhat demanding and unforgiving platform. If I don't achieve a good sight alignment and maintain it, if I don't exercise decent triggerpull technique and consistency, and if I don't follow-through my shots, it'll show...as it did with multiple misses on the steel plates. If I don't have good technique, I tend to shoot low with the G21; the right technique and sight picture amazingly tightens things into my accomplishing good center hold/center hits...yeah, it's amazing, I know....

I know what i need to do (and no, divesting myself of the G21 isn't in the cards). In addition to my regular G21 practice and competition use (IDPA and ASI), I need to go to a square range, put together a 6" plate plate rack array at the proper distance (33'/11 yards), and practice, observe, and correct-my own personal GSSF Steel Plate OODA Loop...

Regardless of the plate disaster, I had a great time. The gun and the High Desert Cartridge Company cartridges ran superbly. I felt really good shooting the paper 5 To Glock and Glock M divisions-both individually and in succession, scoring decently in both Divisions-significantly better than in previous GSSF matches with my G21. The Hogue HandAll Beavertail and my current gunspringing will remain the same.

In additionally to practice, I think that my GSSF match strategy with the G21 will change; historically at GSSF matches, my practice has been to shoot the 5 To Glock or Glock M Divisions first and second, saving the steel plates for last; I think that in the upcoming Port Townsend GSSF match in August I'll change that around a bit, to shooting the plates first, as I'll be freshest and will have less fatigue/difficulty in maintaining the hyper focus necessary for the 4 strings per Division of plate runs.

As always, critique and snarky comments are welcome.

Best, Jon