I’d argue that, unless you are shooting an SS specific match (ie nationals), you are not usually at a disadvantage shooting SS minor. I know serious competitors that do it by choice.Originally Posted by Elwin
I’d argue that, unless you are shooting an SS specific match (ie nationals), you are not usually at a disadvantage shooting SS minor. I know serious competitors that do it by choice.
Agreed. I got into this sport wanting to shoot something more practical. However, the equipment advantage was too much to compensate for. So, I burned money I didn’t have to get an open gun. Yep, there were no divisions when I started the game, I’ve been doing it that long.
How do you enforce that? Are you going to drop test a competitors gun at the chrono stage?
I’m not saying the concept is a bad idea, but it’s likely logistically impractical.
I don’t see me making any major changes to my gear. I may move the mag pouch forward an inch. I don’t think it makes a huge difference for the first reload, but it will allow better access to subsequent reloads. What it WILL do for me is, after I put on my rig, I won’t need to make silly adjustments to ensure it’s not 1/2 inch too far forward.
My wife is thrilled by the new changes and here is why. She is small waisted, with minimal circumference available to locate her magazine pouches. Now her pouches, especially her rear pouches, are in a much more natural position. The ability to use a flashlight is a,so helpful to her. She has been using a Legion in USPSA, as the weight helps her shoot splits faster. However in steel matches, she uses an X5 with a small grip module, as it fits her hand better. Now, she can use the small X5 grip module along with a tungsten grip weights and a flashlight to achieve near Legion weight and have the best of both worlds — weight and fit for her hand size.
Somewhere else, Hwansik Kim wrote that he tested a light on a steel frame Walther and the new PDP. On the steel frame the light didn’t help, but on the lightweight PDP, the light helped steady the dot. Testing a light on my M&P yesterday, I felt the gun was noticeably steadier with the light, so this rule change will help equalize the difference between lighter polymer pistols and the heavy, completion specific pistols.
Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.
You set a requirement for a firing pin block on all guns by a specific date, and you can test if block is functional without a drop test. Pretty sure this can be done on all hammer guns very easily, and on Glocks with a little bit more work. However, I think that such rule would be important even without enforcement considerations.
How so? They continue to shoot with 10 round mags during in-state matches, and with normal capacity elsewhere. I once squadded with a full team that came to our state match from Hawaii. They didn't seem to have a problem transitioning to higher capacity mags during the match.
Last edited by YVK; 03-08-2021 at 09:21 AM.
Doesn't read posts longer than two paragraphs.
I do think this is a good idea, but I question whether it works for 1911/2011s absent some exceptions. Requiring a firing pin block is basically saying that every 1911 in SS has to be a Colt, Springfield, Sig, Kimber, or S&W (and for some of those makers, only specific models from there lineups), or a full custom that has Series 80 parts in the specs. I don't know enough about 2011s to make a similar list but I'd guess there's mostly the same issue?
You could perhaps require a titanium and/or 9mm/.38 size firing pin with extra power firing pin spring, which honestly may be the majority approach to drop safety among people who carry 1911s. That's just going to be really hard to enforce. Though like you said, I'm all for it being a rule even with imperfect enforcement. At the very least if someone did have a dropped gun fire, an USPSA was able to examine it and determine it wasn't compliant, you'd have the option of sanctioning that person.
I have zero dog in the fight regarding holsters, mag pouches, and lights...because my 2011 is only legal in Limited. Since I don't care what other people do and I don't shoot USPSA to 'win', it's very 'whatever' to me.
But in this day in age there shouldn't be any non-drop safe guns used in USPSA. Personally, all my guns run titanium firing pins and heavy firing pin springs. The easiest thing to do is stipulate that either a firing pin block is present or absent a firing pin block - a firing pin of X weight and firing pin spring of Y weight must be used.
I honestly don't see the need to confirm when you chrono. But I would view it as a solid rule change that can clearly stipulate the correct thing to do. Competitors who violate that rule can be sanctioned, suspended, or permanently barred from USPSA Events depending on severity of the violation.
I am pretty sure they could figure out how to put series 80 parts in 2011.
It goes without saying that ruling like this will put a huge burden on membership. All Open, Limited, SS and many CO and Production guns will be affected. Which is why this has to be introduced asap but with a significant grace period, like a decade or so, to allow folks to amortize costs of their current guns.
Doesn't read posts longer than two paragraphs.
This exact topic came up on Stoeger's podcast, with Matt Pranka on the side of the stock glock being usable to win Nationals, and Stoeger being surprisingly adamant that stock Glocks are not competitive anymore. IIRC he also hinted that back when rules were more restrictive, some supposedly "stock" glocks were not quite stock. Now obviously winning Nationals is different from winning a local match but if you get a consistent 3-5% performance increase that is actually a big deal to me.
These changes don't seem likely to cause a technology race BUT I have 0 faith in the board to have the level of foresight to prevent one from occurring with future rules changes. It just so happens that these recent changes don't offer an absolute advantage because gun weight has diminishing returns. However it's also pretty obvious from past rule changes that the board doesn't always think these things through. I suspect they did not expect non-timmie USPSA competitors to want to put on lights and I also don't think they considered the effect of being able to use a light with irons in different lighting, or the possibility that someone ends up making a "flashlight" that is basically an aiming device. If I recall the old X200 had a version that put out a beam that was like 8" wide at 25 yards.
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