Provisional Limited Optics

[ECK]

Roughly speaking, how many people shoot IPSC vs. USPSA, anyone know off hand?

Not sure, but if I had to guess, there are probably more IPSC shooters vs USPSA.

USPSA is only shot in the US and US territories. IPSC is shot all around the world in Europe, Eastern Europe, SE Asia, Africa, Australia, South America….

A few years back there was a push in the the Philippines to break away from IPSC and adopt USPSA rules, but I don’t know what became of that.

I do remember hearing some interesting stats about Russian a few years ago: The membership in the Russian Region of IPSC was way higher than USPSA membership, but the number of active competitors wasn’t very high. The speculation behind that was you had to be a member of a shooting competition organization to own a handgun, and IPSC qualifies. So a lot of people joined IPSC to be able to purchase their handgun, shot a match, then went on with their life.

[Warped Mindless]

I dont do competition.

I’ve entertained the idea but I dont feel like having too buy/build some custom gun to be competitive.

If they had a TRUE production/ccw division where you basically compete with a straight “out of the box” gun (except maybe for an optic) then I would but from my very limited understanding, even production division isn’t quite like that.

I understand that technically I could go use a straight stock pistol if I wanted but if I’m going to go thru the hassle of competing, I actually want to be competitive and that means having not just the skill but also the right equipment.

A lot of people out there hold this same opinion and if USPSA would take these opinions into account, they would have a lot of new members.

[feudist]

I dont do competition.

I’ve entertained the idea but I dont feel like having too buy/build some custom gun to be competitive.

If they had a TRUE production/ccw division where you basically compete with a straight “out of the box” gun (except maybe for an optic) then I would but from my very limited understanding, even production division isn’t quite like that.

I understand that technically I could go use a straight stock pistol if I wanted but if I’m going to go thru the hassle of competing, I actually want to be competitive and that means having not just the skill but also the right equipment.

A lot of people out there hold this same opinion and if USPSA would take these opinions into account, they would have a lot of new members.

That's the opinion of a lot of people when they consider trying a match.
Then they actually shoot one and realize-if they're honest with themselves- that they could use the winners race gun and still lose as badly.
The skill level is just not seen in normal shooting circles and when it is it's dismissed with "They're shooting powderpuff loads" or " I could do that with a space gun"

The fallacy for a "street shooter" (like I was)is to think that only winning validates the experience.
I "competed" with my duty Glock 19 in Limited Minor before there was Production. I measured my performance by how many people I finished ahead of, whether I shot clean and how I handled Match Pressure.
It was incredibly eye opening to me as a street cop to see what real high performance meant, and to be exposed to the training concepts that supported developing that performance. I was (immodestly)the top shooter in my 700 man department and my first Classification was middle C class.
Humbling.

[GJM]

I dont do competition.

I’ve entertained the idea but I dont feel like having too buy/build some custom gun to be competitive.

If they had a TRUE production/ccw division where you basically compete with a straight “out of the box” gun (except maybe for an optic) then I would but from my very limited understanding, even production division isn’t quite like that.

I understand that technically I could go use a straight stock pistol if I wanted but if I’m going to go thru the hassle of competing, I actually want to be competitive and that means having not just the skill but also the right equipment.

A lot of people out there hold this same opinion and if USPSA would take these opinions into account, they would have a lot of new members.

Nils won Production, CO and Limited this year with a $600 Canik Rival. A friend of mine just won high overall of all divisions at a competitive AZ match, with a Glock in CO.

[Slalom.45]

I will be contacting USPSA asking them to move these guns into CO. We do not need even more divisions.

[ECK]

I will be contacting USPSA asking them to move these guns into CO. We do not need even more divisions.

You’ll get your chance as soon as they open up the member-comment portal.

[RJ]

That's the opinion of a lot of people when they consider trying a match.
Then they actually shoot one and realize-if they're honest with themselves- that they could use the winners race gun and still lose as badly.

The skill level is just not seen in normal shooting circles and when it is it's dismissed with "They're shooting powderpuff loads" or " I could do that with a space gun"

This times 1,000. Equipment is wayy down the list of why I suck at USPSA. My initial (and only) classification was a high D (38%) in Production with a stock Glock 19 Gen 5.

[ECK]

I dont do competition.

I’ve entertained the idea but I dont feel like having too buy/build some custom gun to be competitive.

If they had a TRUE production/ccw division where you basically compete with a straight “out of the box” gun (except maybe for an optic) then I would but from my very limited understanding, even production division isn’t quite like that.

I understand that technically I could go use a straight stock pistol if I wanted but if I’m going to go thru the hassle of competing, I actually want to be competitive and that means having not just the skill but also the right equipment.

A lot of people out there hold this same opinion and if USPSA would take these opinions into account, they would have a lot of new members.

I suppose there can be a few barriers to competition, but the main is just getting off the X and finding a match and shooting it. I still remember my first match: I found the match online at a club near my house, showed up on match day and asked the first guy I ran into if they let people observe. He asked if I brought my gun (which I did) and he told me to go get it. He had me squad with him to show me the ropes, another guy loaned me a few mags (I only brought 3 1911 mags), and I had a great time. I didn’t finish all that well, but I wasn’t last and I didn’t do anything to scare my squad mates.

I didn’t start until my late 30’s. I knew about it, but was under the perception that it required fairly specialized guns, same as you. I was wrong. I competed for my first year with a fairly stock Kimber Series I 1911 in Single Stack division. I did have to buy more mags, a belt, better holster, six mag pouches, and load my ass off on a single stage press. But I did it, had a ton of fun, and here I am 15-ish years later and still bangin’ away and having fun.

Probably my most ‘competition’ specific gun I have is my 6” 2011 a local gunsmith/fellow competitor built for me for limited division. Most of my other guns have been factory production guns that have been to one extent or another been DIY’ed to make them suit me better. Some of those mods were chasing the latest fad, others are what I determined make me shoot best. I’m currently shooting a CZ Shadow 2 with my own DIY trigger job with springs and part from CGW that probably cost less than $60, although milling the slide for CO cost almost as much as the SRO I have on it.

But every now and then for S&G I shoot my EDC gun (a Sig 365XL w/ HS red dot on it). The few times a year I do shoot IDPA I use my EDC gun while wearing street clothes. For me, IDPA is practice with my EDC gun, USPSA is for racing.

When I first started the equipment rules were the furthest thing from my mind. Now, if I am even contemplating buying a new gun, one of the first thoughts that cross my mind is, I wonder what division I could shoot this in?

[JCN]

My wife says that new 226 X5 could be the division killer in Limited Optics.

The actual division killer that people don’t realize is the Alien Retro.

The 226 X5 is nice and all, but it’s still a tilting barrel.

Alien fixed barrel to the frame is on a whole different level of speed and recoil management.

As soon as they release viable mag extensions for it, that’s what I’m running.

[Clusterfrack]

The actual division killer that people don’t realize is the Alien Retro.

I would love to see the Alien displace custom 2011s.