jkmccoy

I like the Shooters Connection bag.

I'm with Wakal. Not only do I want the rule, I can handle it. Go ahead...bump me into Open for the slide-racker on my Limited pistol. I've got my arbitration fee right here (and I bet I win). There is no rule specifically prohibiting a slide-racker in IPSC Standard or USPSA Limited divisions. It appears that it is entirely possible to build a slide-racker that does not exceed the 45mm dimension rule (IPSC box rule). Clearly it is not an external modification "...such as weights, or devices to control or reduce recoil..." (IPSC Standard Division "g", USPSA Limited Division "g"). I cannot find anything in the rulebook that prohibits it. p.s. Remember how Nicholson finished after that famous quote!

Fellas, I'z a'readin' this here thread an' tryin' ta figger out whass the durned punch line. See-nz how iss s'posed to be a joke. But I finely realizes iss juss edumacation for ya'll that lives summerz they tawks funny. Prolly nawth o' the M-D line. (Thass the Midland-Dallas line fo' you yankees.) Cheers from San Angelo, TX

Try Dale Alcorn - da45acp@msn.com

I've been using an HKS speedloader for about 3 years now (60K plus rounds). It has worked for Witness, P14, and STI magazines. I know that some people have had trouble with these loaders, but I haven't. Really saves the ends of your thumbs. Cheers,

Ouch, Just realized how far we had drifted from the original topic! The process for adopting rule changes in IDPA leaves me with many questions. I would really like to see some evidence of the ability of members to comment on rules and rule changes. Having a level-headed member of this forum on the board of IDPA would go a long ways towards that end. Cheers,

I need to preface my statements with the explanation that my entire experience with IDPA comes from reading the rulebook, reading the web page, and participating in the SO instruction course. I (along with Liota and Wakal) attended an IDPA SO instruction course this past weekend. We were there with a bunch of hard-core IPSC shooters from our club with the expressed intention of being able to host IDPA matches at out club so that we can attract new shooters. I would suggest that the fact that a bunch of hard-core IPSC shooters are training to host IDPA matches shows that there are good things about both sports AND that there are problems with both sports. There are some problems with the IDPA rules. Any time that the enforcement of rules is subjective there is a potential problem. Granted the IDPA rules are simpler than the IPSC rules, but that is because IPSC has tried to come up with a set of rules that do NOT require subjective interpretation. You may disagree with the rules of IPSC shooting, but you must admit that the process for adopting rules is above-board (generally elected comittees to propose rule changes, presentation of rule changes to the membership for comment, adoption of the rules by vote of the executive committee). There are also some problems with IPSC shooting. I have at least three friends who I've been trying to get out to the range for the past two years. All of them have refused to participate in IPSC matches, but have said that they would shoot IDPA. Whether it is true or not, IDPA has the perception of being more friendly to shooters who do not have a lot of competition gear. (If you want to argue about who is really more "friendly" to "run what you brung" competition you need to ask me what I shot in my first several IPSC matches). Even if it isn't true, IPSC has the perception among the general shooting public of requiring a lot of specialized competition gear. I think that the bottom line is that both (IDPA and IPSC) are sports. I know that IPSC is a lot of fun and I'll probably play IDPA because it looks like fun too. But, don't take it too seriously! We are all playing a sport (no matter what rulebook we are using). It is possible (I think highly probable) that the skills involved would serve us well if we found ourselves in a situation where it was necessary to defend ourselves with a firearm. But, IT IS JUST A GAME. Any shooters that come out and play are supporting our sport. I think that we should all be working to promote shooting as a viable and worthy sport. Whether we as individuals prefer IPSC or IDPA shouldn't we be supporting both? Cheers, Kelly McCoy

Garfield, I had not considered recording/scoring the missing shots as "no-penalty mikes" as Flex suggested. My question then is "should the missing shots be recorded as misses (with penalties) or as no-penalty misses?" Cheers,

HOOWEE! How many hundred pages of opinion do you want? Light/heavy, short slide/long slide, trigger pull, sights, S_I or S_I, short dust cover/long dust cover, etc. etc. etc..... You can probably find at least one person who likes any possible combination of all possible features in a limited gun. You can search through these forums and find a lot of opinions. If it is at all possible, go shoot some of your friends' guns. Find out what you like. Then find a good IPSC gunsmith and talk to him about what you liked and didn't like. Have him build you a gun based on that. I will say that I switched from a P14-45 to a custom-built S_I .40 about a year ago and the difference is night and day. Cheers,

Dang, Flex got in there while I was typing. I would really like to hear a ruling from on high (Darth, are you there?) regarding this issue. I would have recorded any shots not accounted for as "misses" (including the penalty(ies). My rationale for doing so (and not recording as no-penalty mikes) is that no-penalty mikes should also be recorded on the scoresheet. (Besides, very few stages actually have situations where no-penalty mikes can occur.) However, I don't think I've ever heard any clarification on this issue. Flex...Go ahead, smack around the scorekeepers. See if you ever win anything again. Cheers,

Rule 9.7.6 covers all cases where a scoresheet is incorrect (a combination of hits/misses/time that can NOT have happened) AND the shooter is not available to reshoot the stage. Rule 9.7.5 says that if there are "insufficient or excess entries or if the time has not been recorded, the competitor will be required to re-shoot the course of fire." If there are too few hits/misses recorded then those that are recorded are deemed to be "complete and conclusive" (9.7.6.2). I take that to mean that the hits are complete and any missing shots must be recorded as misses. I do use the scoring program regularly and I'm fairly certain that it is not possible to make it accept fewer than the minimum total number of shots required for a stage. I also do the stats for our local club (and some of the bigger matches in the area). At the club matches I try very hard to get scores entered before anyone leaves so that 9.7.5 is in effect and if the scoresheet is not correct the shooter must re-shoot the stage. Notice also 9.7.4. I know that at most of our club matches we are lax about having RO's and competitors sign scoresheets. But I have no difficulty in expanding this rule to assume that we (scorekeepers) are not to second-guess scoresheets that have the appropriate number of shots and a time recorded. Unless the shooter approached me and said "I had a no-shoot on stage X that wasn't recorded" there is no way that I would change a score that was based on a complete scoresheet - even if the other 10 people on the squad said "There should be a no-shoot." I would tell the other 10 people on the squad that they should pitch in and help and make sure that the scoring was accurate. Then I would also unmercifully rib the guy that got away with the no-shoot for being lucky. But I would not change his official score. Cheers,

Flex, For the Texas State 3-Gun we had 2-part carbonless scorecards printed at Office Depot. The scorecards were set up so that there were two cards per 8.5x11" sheet of paper. We had printed 100 sets of scorecards for 10 stages (really just fifty copies, each cut in half) and it cost $120. They did it really quick but had much trouble with the concept of 50 cut in half to make 100 sets. Required several trips and yelling at the manager to get it right. Cheers, Kelly McCoy

I've used Ranier bullets almost exclusively for the past 3 years in .45ACP and .40S&W (about 50,000 rounds total). I have found them to be extremely consistent, very accurate, reasonably priced, and they are available from suppliers who always have them in stock and will ship them very quickly when I run out and need bullets before the match this weekend (Midway, Grafs). In .45 I use the 200grn RN in front of 5.2grn of TiteGroup. It is reasonably clean. Gives 168 power factor in my old worn Para Ordnance, 173 in my single-stack with a newer barrel. Great accuracy and perfect functioning in both. Cheers,

Matt, I voted "yes" I would attend. It sounds like fun to me. However, I'm not sure how popular or universal that answer would be. As some have pointed out, 1000 yd. shooting is pretty specialized and I don't know how many people are equipped for it. I also agree with Kelly N, there isn't enough innovation in the shotgun stages. Aerial targets would be great. We had a couple in last year's Texas State 3-Gun. Shotgun stages could really use more innovative/interesting targets. Hope to see you at the TS3G this year. We promise some interesting shotgun targets. Cheers,

This is a topic that is obviously of substantial concern to people trying to host "major" matches. It would be great to be able to attract not only a lot of shooters, but also some of the "top" shooters. Thus, it becomes a bit of a balancing act to try to make everyone happy. I understand that the "top" shooters have paid their dues and put in the practice and are looking for some level of payback. (Even as one of the middle-class shooters I find prize tables by order of finish satisfying.) But for many of us this sport is just a hobby and I would really hate to see it become more mercenary than it is. I (personally) would rather pay a modest entry fee with a chance of winning a plaque than pay an exhorbitant entry fee to provide a great prize for the semi-pro shooter who wins the match. I also understand that for many shooters who have no realistic chance of winning their class or finishing in the top 10 (I won't even comment on the semi-pro sandbaggers out there) that a prize table by random drawing may be of interest. OK, you didn't "win" or "earn" the prize but the drawing is still fun and you may take home something useful. I don't know if it's the best way, but for the Texas State 3-Gun match last year we actually worked sort of a hybrid. The match was advertised as "trophy only" with a very reasonable entry fee and we spent a lot of money on really nice trophies. A bunch of sponsors jumped in and provided prizes that we could award on a prize table. Since we already had trophies to recognize division and class winners, the prize table was awarded by random drawing. It might not be a reasonable expectation, but this was our attempt to have our cake and eat it too. Seemed like everyone had a good time with it. Although I would really like to have all the "top" shooters come to our match I really don't want to be in the position of paying people to shoot the match. I much prefer having people shoot the match because they love the sport and want to compete on some innovative and fun stages to having people come to shoot because they might win a lot of money (or a prize worth a lot of money). Cheers, p.s. I have great fun pointing out to students (especially unruly students) that the trophy on a shelf in my office is for rifle/pistol/shotgun shooting. Probably more fun than I would have gotten from a prize I picked up in order of finish.

My son (just turned 5) has several toy guns including a plastic peacemaker replica that makes (electronically) cocking and firing noises and a pretty cool dart gun that we use to shoot the magnets off of the refrigerator. Some months ago I found the peacemaker on the floor with the trigger guard broken off. When I mentioned it to my wife she told me that I'd have to ask our son about it. When asked, he explained that he had used his pliers to remove the trigger guard so that he could shoot faster. I started into a lecture about not breaking our toys and respecting our things when my wife reminded me of the number of hours I spend in the shop modifying firearms so that I can shoot faster. Yesterday afternoon he went to his room to pack some toys to take on a long road trip. He came back and proudly showed me his backpack which he said contained all the toys he needed to take on the two-week trip. When I opened the backpack I found he had packed nothing but all the toy guns he owns. I was SO PROUD! Cheers,

Benny, by "people like you" are you referring to hard-working dedicated people who actively support the shooting sports? or are you referring to people who buy lots of guns from you?? Either description fits the Wakals! p.s. having the Wakals in town markedly increases the chances of having a Texas State 3-Gun Championship in San Angelo in 2004. Kelly

I love my job. There are some duties that carry-over from one semester to the next, but a lot of it ends at the close of the semester. There is something I find very satisfying about being able to say.."That one is over, I'll start again in a couple of weeks." I also love having a couple of weeks when I don't really have to work. I'm going to build a new privacy fence around my backyard and maybe even do some landscaping. A little manual labor (with very little thought involved) seems very refreshing. Cheers,

I've never used them at very high velocities, but I've had excellent results with Ranier bullets in .45 ACP and .40 S&W at IPSC major PF. (Over 50K rounds in .45. and approaching 10K in .40). Cheers,

The UPS delivery at my house is usually late in the evening (6:30-7:00) and we're usually eating dinner. We won't interrupt dinner to answer the phone, but when we hear the UPS truck we have to stop to go see what he brought. This usually involves the small chilldren (4 and 5) dancing to the front door yelling "the UPS guy, the UPS guy...". Although the delivery driver finds this reception amusing, he does joke about the weight of the items I often have delivered (bullets, brass, machine tools and parts). I told him I subscribe to the "large heavy object of the month club". A couple of weeks ago he delivered the trophies for the Texas State 3-Gun match - 10 boxes each about 1.5x2x2.5'. When he got all the boxes on the porch he said he was sure glad those weren't all bullets! Cheers,

Regarding the chamber flags...I spoke to several suppliers/manufacturers prior to the Texas State 3-Gun (intending to buy a bunch and supply them to shooters). I ran out of time and didn't do it this year but will next year. Bill Gravatt of Sinclair International (billg@sinclairintl.com) offered to supply chamber flags at a substantial discount for a sponsorship (not real cheap, but a substantial discount). You might give him an email if you're setting up a 3-gun match. Cheers,

I really like the Optima (despite their reliability issues). You can't beat the design for size, weight, mounting options, etc. For a sight that size you can either live with the Optima or ante up the $$$ for the Docter. A friend of mine had his Optima die recently and called JP. He said JP will repair them (if it is possible to repair it) for a $50 flat fee. So, if you pay $100 for it and $50 to repair it you've spent $150 on a used Optima. That's reasonable, but not a great price. If you don't want to go through the trouble, tell him I'll give him $75 for the broken Optima Cheers,

Failing to record misses may be the WORST scorekeeping suggestion I have ever heard! Even in a "timed-fire" stage the correct total number of shots (hits + misses) must be accounted for. If the scorecard does not have the correct number of entries when it arrives at the stat shack then rules 9.7.5 and 9.7.6 apply. If the shooter is still available the scorekeeper should insist on a reshoot (9.7.5) since there would be insufficient shots entered. The scorekeeper is NOT responsible for determining whether you failed to record an "A" or a "NPM"! If a re-shoot is not possible, since it is a timed-fire stage and misses shall not incur penalties (US 9.2.2.4) the hits recorded would be deemed sufficient (9.7.6) and missing shots would be scored as no-penalty misses. DON'T do that to your scorekeeper. They work hard enough for precious little thanks. Record the hits and misses correctly on a properly prepared scoresheet. If the misses are "no-penalty" misses they need to be recorded in the appropriate column. Us scorekeepers can get pretty testy when you don't record things correctly. And you sure don't want the scorekeeper mad at you Cheers,

Sig Lady, I got your response a little late, but come on over...there are a few shrimp left. There's still beer in the fridge. I'm sure my wife will understand when you show up. There's even a spare couch, but you'd have to deal with the rugrats wanting to watch cartoons first thing in the morning. Cheers,

You want to hear something that will really make you mad... Everything is good here. I can't come up with anything to post a flame about. Weather is great (80F, dry and sunny, no wind). I went to the range on my lunch hour and was shooting well. My job is OK (and relatively secure). Our club match is Sunday and I'm going to go set up a couple of stages tomorrow. I'm looking forward to shooting my first match as "B" class. I've got a cold one in my hand and there are shrimp boiling on the stove. Life is good...