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Brian Enos's Forums... Maku mozo!

Area 3 in Grand Island NE


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When the BOD decides that revolver is a dead division, nobody here better say a f@#$ing word.

Mike you are the only one saying that Revolver is dead.

Phil said killing Revolver was NEVER discussed and Mike Foley said he wouldn't kill any divisions so where is this coming from?

Glad to see you getting out shooting again and would love to join you but my match schedule is full for the year and I can't afford to drive to some of these shoots as much as I would like to.

Some of us are shooting Revolver every weekend and you have shot 4 matches with a Revolver in the last 18 months. Just because we don't shoot the same matches as you doesn't mean we don't care or don't have a say in what happens to Revolver division. Every weekend I'm out shooting Revolver somewhere trying to get others to give it a try.

Please don't pass judgement about those that don't or can't shoot the matches you do.

We are not the enemy here a lot of us want Revolver to survive and grow maybe even more than you do.

Look up my record on USPSA (A18847)and then tell me I can't complain if they kill Revolver division :excl:

Hope to see you on the range Mike :cheers:

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I might have only shot 4 classifiers that were sent in over the last 18 months, but I have shot a whole lot more matches than that with my revolver during that time, Bosshoss.

Revolver Division will not be viable if we only get a tiny handful of wheels at the bigger matches--in many cases, not even enough to be recognized.

I don't want Revolver to fade away to nothing. And I dare say that nobody (except possibly Sam Keen) has done more than me to support and promote USPSA Revolver over the past dozen years.

But I am really discouraged.

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Mike I realize that there are other disciplines that you can shoot revolver in. But USPSA only sees what activity that is submitted to them. So as far as they know you have shot 4 matches with a Revolver in 18 months.

I also shoot ICORE and steel occasionally when I can but that doesn't mean anything to USPSA.

Thanks to Sam and you for all that you have done. There are lots of match directors running ICORE and USPSA matches that help promote Revolver every month.

I remember about 25 years ago shooting the Wheelgunners Revenge in Michigan. A revolver only match that was before ICORE. It turned into a ICORE regional but started out by a group of shooters that loved to shoot revolvers.

I was match director at a large USPSA club back in the early to mid 90's and before there was a Revolver division and once a year we had a "Revolver appreciation" match where Revolvers shot free. It was our usual monthly match but we would get 8 or 10 revolvers to come out and play. It did draw out some of the bowling pin shooters from our area.

I don't have the answers on what to do to increase Revolver turnout but I'm just going to keep shooting the wheelgun and trying to generate interest.

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One of the real ways to promote Revolver Division is to sign up and shoot the wheelgun at major matches. Local matches are great, but don't generate much exposure. Tomorrow I will shoot my second USPSA match with a revolver this week! Sadly, it will probably be just me and Skip again.

Over the last twelve years my son and I have shot a ton of sectionals all over the midwest, and area matches from Phoenix to Vermont.

The "recognition rules" in USPSA create a vicious cycle--people don't sign up, so no recognition, so people don't sign up. Years ago we used this forum to juice up interest and get revolver people traveling to big matches where they know a bunch of revolvers are competing--Summer Blast, Missouri Fall Classic, Sunflower Classic, etc. Today it doesn't seem to work very well, as evidenced by this very thread.

If I were running an area match, I would put real prizes and/or money on the table for every USPSA division, regardless of participation. If people think it's an easy way to win a gun, you better believe they would give it a try!

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I wonder how many thousands of rounds of free match ammo I have given to other shooters when they have borrowed my revolvers and gear. I have had matches where 5 or 6 other shooters are using my stuff!

I wonder how many hours I've spent doing free action work on people's guns, hoping to encourage more participation in our game. Generally the owners eventually sell them on the internet, and reap the extra value of a gun that's been Carmonized.

I wonder how many people I have corresponded with since 1987, dispensing advice on setting up and competing with revolvers.

It just doesn't stick. Almost invariably, people wind up going back to their other toys.

Perhaps the learning curve is too steep for the vast majority of the weekend warriors--I don't know, but God knows I've tried!

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Know EXACTLY how you feel Mike ! :angry2:

The first Memphis Charity Challenge I loaned out 6 guns, ammo and rigs for guys to use, Did about 8-10 action jobs that only 1 is still in use. Don't mind the loaning since it is the only time I know those folks will ever shoot a Revolver, but after a while it makes a person scratch their head.

Thanks for the props too.

Hop

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I appreciate what you guys are doing to keep Revo alive, but please don't give up. I starting shooting competitively 4 years ago (USPSA limited & open) but after joining this forum I have changed over to revolver. I did this mostly because the first pistol I ever shot and owned was a revolver, over 30 years ago. I also did it because of numerous posts that you guys have started out commented on. My intention is to shoot revolver only here in Arizona from here on out. Like most other people, I will only be able to make some national events(Southwest areas only) because I have to work still. In short, thank you for all that you guys have done, and are still doing for the sort.

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The common hurdle that I have noticed that people mention dissuading them from shooting revolver is the number of reloads commonly necessary. Even with the 8 shot revolvers allowed in USPSA currently, the number of reloads necessary remains considerable for many. No real way of changing that, as either a shooter is willing to deal with that or they are not.

The closest division capacity wise is Single Stack, but the process of reloading is quite different from reloading a revolver. In fact reloading every division except for revolver uses practically the same type motor skills.

Many people just want to focus on shooting, and reloading every 6-8 shots gets them out of their "groove" (except single stack shooters of course).

I have never met a frequent Revolver Division shooter who did not love shooting revolvers. As many have posted, it is hard to get people to try and stick with shooting revolver for an extended period of time. In addition thinking that a state, sectional, or area match might not recognize officially Revolver Division leads some to shoot other divisions that are commonly recognized. It commonly takes a match Such as the Memphis Charity Challenge or Revolver Nationals to bring out more than 5-10 revolver shooters. I think that it comes down to getting people to like or love revolver enough to shoot it in competition on a regular basis.

Just my opinion...

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I think it's very simple most are scared of looking bad when they shoot a revolver.

They may cover it in roses, like "too many reloads", have to shoot minor, major hurts, but it always comes down to they feel like they look better shooting an auto and want to be part of the crowd and the crowd shoots auto's.

It's really not any harder than any other gun.

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I have shot revolver for the last 4 years almost exclusively, including area 3 and nationals and every other match, just trying to shoot CO for a while to check it out, if I cared how I look or what other people think I would break out the open gun that is gathering dust in the safe. I will shoot revo again, just looking to try something new for awhile, maybe I'll try PCC next

Edited by fishhunter3
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I think it's very simple most are scared of looking bad when they shoot a revolver.

They may cover it in roses, like "too many reloads", have to shoot minor, major hurts, but it always comes down to they feel like they look better shooting an auto and want to be part of the crowd and the crowd shoots auto's.

It's really not any harder than any other gun.

Yeah, I agree that people do not want to look bad when they shoot revolver. It is a much simpler explanation that what I posted. LOL!

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  • 1 month later...

Only 4 wheels this year--congrats to Josh for an excellent performance at a challenging match.  Thanks to the Area 3 staff for placing plaques and prizes on the table for Revo despite the low number of entries--classy move.

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I too was subjected to the minimum entrant rule at the 2010 Florida State USPSA Match in Titusville. There were only 4 revo entrants and even tho I beat the second place guy by a wide margin I didn't even get a mention at the awards ceremony let alone anything in the record books. I asked the Match Director what I got for being best revolver. He said bragging rights. Hard to back up when there ain't nuthin on the books. Heard most of the revo types went to a money/prize match in Memphis that year. I still shoot revo but I gave up investing $$ in travel, hotel, food and days off work to shoot anything but my local match. It's easy to tell when your entry $$ isn't appreciated. 

If you want a challenge, try shooting Steel with a 6 shot Smith & Wesson 45. THAT will make you humble.  :blink:

Naval Aviator - Viet Nam

NRA LIFE and Endowment

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