USPSA Shooters: Do You Carry a Gun?

[VERT]

I have an RVB or Romack question. When does the match officially begin? Our club allows loaded, bolstered handguns. USPSA is a cold range. So if we are required to follow cold range rules during the event (which I agree with) when does that start? What about spectators?

 

[NHT3]

I shoot USPSA matches when my schedule allows and I always use a rig that I carry in. Usually OWB but last match I shot with an IWB.. It all comes down to why you are there and do you consider yourself a "gamer" or want to improve your real world shooting skills. I usually manage to finish about the middle of the pack and as long as I feel I've shot well for my norm I'm happy with the result but I'm there to improve my shooting skills, not to play the game, to each his own.
I am very interested in the new match that Aron Bright has come up with that he calls a "carry gun match". First one is later this month and filled VERY quickly when he posted it. I think he's designed it with as little game as possible coupled with real world practice for defending yourself. Any practice is good but my reason for practice is always to improve MY skills in a real world situation. I think everyone would agree that defending yourself in a self defense situation is anything but a game.

[FONT=&amp]NRA Life Member, [/FONT]Basic Pistol instructor[FONT=&amp] / RSO[/FONT][FONT=&amp]

[/FONT][FONT=&amp]"Under pressure, you don't rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training. That's why we train so hard" [/FONT][FONT=&amp]
[/FONT][FONT=&amp]Unnamed Navy Seal[/FONT][FONT=&amp]
“Ego is the reason many men do not shoot competition. They don't want to suck in public”

[/FONT][FONT=&amp]Aron Bright[/FONT][FONT=&amp]

[/FONT]

 

[Grelber]

Couldn't afford anything like that in the Philippines back then. I only had one shoe for school and for playing basketball. We're talking about $2 shoes here.

Ha. All I had were $10 department store tennis shoes and farm store rubber boots with two pairs of socks for winter.

Sometimes mom would send us out to look for pieces of old tires & then when we got home she would staple them to our feet.

 

[VERT]

Sometimes mom would send us out to look for pieces of old tires & then when we got home she would staple them to our feet.

That is hard core but at least she could afford staples and antiseptic. Half moldy balers twine would have worked at a fraction of the cost.

A more interesting thread would would be what gun did you use to shoot your first USPSA/IPSC/IDPA Match? Since we obviously can’t afford shoes, winner goes to the guy with a HiPoint and 200 rounds of TulAmmo. Although I don’t think those existed for most of us.

Edit: I also question the 85% number of people who say they carry 75% of the time. Not doubting people’s intentions but rather the practicality of carrying a gun all the time. Work, Schools, Life in general sometimes make it hard. That is why so many little pocket guns get sold.

 

[Latewatch]

I find it amusing that a simple question about whether or not USPSA shooters carry on a regular basis leads to quoting the USPSA rule book.....

Over the course of 30+ years, I have shot some matches from an IWB holster and I do shoot matches with my duty gear from time to time but typically not.

I leave my EDC in the vehicle when I get to a match. I don't clear it and I put it back on when I leave the range. I'm sure that is a pretty common practice among those that do carry regularly.

While it is true that most C Class USPSA shooter can out shoot most Police Officers, that in no way correlates to who I would pick to take to a gun fight.

Just my .02

BTW Vert: I shot my first IPSC match in 1982 with a 2.5" S&W Model 19 from an IWB holster with a mix of .38 +P and .357 magnum ammo. I usually carried a full size 1911 back then but it was at the smith getting some new sights. I went to the range to practice with my back up Model 19 and they happened to be having an IPSC match. I thought WOW, I've seen this in magazines and I gave it a try. Finished middle of the pack.

 

[bwframe]

I have an RVB or Romack question. When does the match officially begin? Our club allows loaded, bolstered handguns. USPSA is a cold range. So if we are required to follow cold range rules during the event (which I agree with) when does that start? What about spectators?

 

[cedartop]

That is hard core but at least she could afford staples and antiseptic. Half moldy balers twine would have worked at a fraction of the cost.

A more interesting thread would would be what gun did you use to shoot your first USPSA/IPSC/IDPA Match? Since we obviously can’t afford shoes, winner goes to the guy with a HiPoint and 200 rounds of TulAmmo. Although I don’t think those existed for most of us.

Edit: I also question the 85% number of people who say they carry 75% of the time. Not doubting people’s intentions but rather the practicality of carrying a gun all the time. Work, Schools, Life in general sometimes make it hard. That is why so many little pocket guns get sold.

My carry gun.

 

[VERT]

My carry gun.

Touche’. .380 from a pocket holster is not really competitive but to each his own.

 

[rvb]

I have an RVB or Romack question. When does the match officially begin? Our club allows loaded, bolstered handguns. USPSA is a cold range. So if we are required to follow cold range rules during the event (which I agree with) when does that start? What about spectators?

There's not a rule afaik. as far as I've always been concerned for a weekend club match it begins when registration starts (that's when the "event" shows up on the club calendar) or once a competitor starts walking stages. Others might say different, eg after shooter's meeting. I mean there has to be some [gasp] common sense. The goal isn't to DQ people but to prevent accidents. if you're there early setting up and don't get your carry gun off once registration has started, I'm not going to DQ you; air-gunning stages, well you should know better. Now at a major I might say that starts when the range opens to competitors since you may have hundreds of people milling around, walking stages, etc and no competitor should be milling around w/ a hot gun.

I have had a couple guys show up w/ a hot gun. no problem, just leave it alone for a minute and I or another RO will go with you to clear it and then also cover some basic uspsa safety rules (if you're new).

spectators I don't have any "authority" over from a uspsa perspective. But if I feel they are making the facility unsafe in their actions I will either ask them to put the gun away or leave the property from a gun club perspective. Never been an issue. closest issue I had was a new shooter showed up after the shooter's meeting and was so excited to show off his super cool racegun he took it out of the bag and swept a whole bay of competitors. he didn't come with a holster or any other gear so he left (after we discussed uspsa safe gun handling rules so he'd know better next time he showed up). As far as I know he never came back.

-rvb

 

[BJones]

Yup!! I carry

I think that was the question

 

[rhino]

That is hard core but at least she could afford staples and antiseptic. Half moldy balers twine would have worked at a fraction of the cost.

A more interesting thread would would be what gun did you use to shoot your first USPSA/IPSC/IDPA Match? Since we obviously can’t afford shoes, winner goes to the guy with a HiPoint and 200 rounds of TulAmmo. Although I don’t think those existed for most of us.

Edit: I also question the 85% number of people who say they carry 75% of the time. Not doubting people’s intentions but rather the practicality of carrying a gun all the time. Work, Schools, Life in general sometimes make it hard. That is why so many little pocket guns get sold.

USPSA: Para-Ordnance P14.45R, circa 1994, which was my primary carry gun for a lot of years
IDPA: 1911 .45ACP, I think it was a Springfield - most of my actual carry stuff isn't allowed in IDPA unless download magazines, which is stupid

 

[rhino]

I find it amusing that a simple question about whether or not USPSA shooters carry on a regular basis leads to quoting the USPSA rule book.....

Over the course of 30+ years, I have shot some matches from an IWB holster and I do shoot matches with my duty gear from time to time but typically not.

I leave my EDC in the vehicle when I get to a match. I don't clear it and I put it back on when I leave the range. I'm sure that is a pretty common practice among those that do carry regularly.

While it is true that most C Class USPSA shooter can out shoot most Police Officers, that in no way correlates to who I would pick to take to a gun fight.

Just my .02

BTW Vert: I shot my first IPSC match in 1982 with a 2.5" S&W Model 19 from an IWB holster with a mix of .38 +P and .357 magnum ammo. I usually carried a full size 1911 back then but it was at the smith getting some new sights. I went to the range to practice with my back up Model 19 and they happened to be having an IPSC match. I thought WOW, I've seen this in magazines and I gave it a try. Finished middle of the pack.

I'm a newcomer! I didn't start USPSA/IPSC until 1994.

Agreed on the practice of leaving the loaded carry gun in the vehicle if you're not shooting it in the match. In my opinion, a loaded carry gun that remains in a personal vehicle is solely the business of the owner and no one else. Leaving it unmolested is the safest option as well as the most convenient. There are match directors (not USPSA) who have asserted that they can forbid having a loaded gun in your personal vehicle when you pull onto the range property, even if you're leaving it untouched in the vehicle. That's stupid, ridiculous, and unenforceable. And stupid.

I miss the days when seeing snubbie revolvers from carry gear was not unusual. A good friend who passed away years ago usually shot with a .38 super open gun built on a McCormick-Tripp frame kit (pre-STI and SVI), but occasionally he'd break out his Colt's Detective Special for a match to get some good practice.

 

[RePete68]

I carry everyday. During the week I wear shirt & tie, so I will have some type of pocket gun on me. Weekends I carry a sub-compact OWB. For the longest time I never carried to or from matches. Then a couple years ago, something hit me & I realized the only time I DID NOT carry was on match day. LOL My home club, NPCCC, has an unloading area for CCW folks, but most other ranges I go to do not have an unloading area. It is kinda an inconvenience, but now I just "un-gun & gun-up" before entering & after leaving range.

 

[jakemartens]

I used to not carry very often or at all most days.
Used to leave a gun in my car when at work, but stopped when cars started getting broken into.

I am much better about carrying, usually put it on in the morning or before I leave the house and just leave it on.
I put away the pocket gun and started carrying a Walther PPQ 4 inch iwb, and have actually shot an indoor match with it from IWB.

Doing the class with Tom Givens last year was great, a real eye opener.

 

[longbeard]

You people carry guns?. Holy crap. Ive seen quite a few of you shoot. If I'm ever a hostage just let me take my chances.

 

[Tanfodude]

^Yup. We shoot no shoots. Leave no man standing.

 

[obijohn]

That is hard core but at least she could afford staples and antiseptic. Half moldy balers twine would have worked at a fraction of the cost.

A more interesting thread would would be what gun did you use to shoot your first USPSA/IPSC/IDPA Match? Since we obviously can’t afford shoes, winner goes to the guy with a HiPoint and 200 rounds of TulAmmo. Although I don’t think those existed for most of us.

Edit: I also question the 85% number of people who say they carry 75% of the time. Not doubting people’s intentions but rather the practicality of carrying a gun all the time. Work, Schools, Life in general sometimes make it hard. That is why so many little pocket guns get sold.

Smith and Wesson Mod 39 in a home made yacqui slide holster. One spare mag. Bought round nose led ammo at the range just prior to the match. Second match was a 1911a1. Same holster, borrowed mags.

 

[riverman67]

I feel like I answered the poll honestly.
I carry something on my days off. Work days are an issue I'm working thru.
The keep it locked up in your car law does not apply to my work place. The de-gunning? gunning up in the parking lot has to be discrete, very discrete. Right now that means a pocket gun. I have another one in the vehicle if
I'm going somewhere after work.

 

[rhino]

I used to not carry very often or at all most days.
Used to leave a gun in my car when at work, but stopped when cars started getting broken into.

I am much better about carrying, usually put it on in the morning or before I leave the house and just leave it on.
I put away the pocket gun and started carrying a Walther PPQ 4 inch iwb, and have actually shot an indoor match with it from IWB.

Doing the class with Tom Givens last year was great, a real eye opener.

Seeing you say that gets me misty-eyed.

You people carry guns?. Holy crap. Ive seen quite a few of you shoot. If I'm ever a hostage just let me take my chances.

You're only saying that because I once shot into the air and missed.

Smith and Wesson Mod 39 in a home made yacqui slide holster. One spare mag. Bought round nose led ammo at the range just prior to the match. Second match was a 1911a1. Same holster, borrowed mags.

Bet you wish you still had that model 39!

 

[Coach]

You people carry guns?. Holy crap. Ive seen quite a few of you shoot. If I'm ever a hostage just let me take my chances.

Don't worry it won't hurt very long.