chizzle

Elegantly simple. Nice job.

Back from the dead. For sale in Buda, Texas. I wish it was in 9mm; I'd buy it in a minute! http://www.cabelas.com/product/CZ-CZ-Modified-IPSC-S-W/1627127.uts http://handguns.g00net.org/CZ/PicCZ_75ipsc_mod.jpg

Having read through this entire thread, I don't think the bulk of people agree with you. It seems like as the RO, that I could DQ the shooter, but that it isn't very well supported in the rule book, and is likely to be overturned by the Match Director.... It sounds like as long as the shot was towards the target, and the shooter says "I meant to do that", then the RO is pretty much screwed.

That is freeking unbelievable, ANOTHER PRICE INCREASE. Had a increase from July 2012 of $320 to $348 a 8% increase then another one from the November price of $340 to $348, little over 2% can deal with than but from $348 to $370 another 6%...total of 16% in basically 8 months when they have SOOOO much business they had to shut down their online ordering site...maybe if we all stop agreeing to being held up the price may come back down to a respectable/affordable level....I doubt it but this is getting out of hand... Did you ever think that maybe a business would invest this money to buy more equipment, so that they can make us more bullets? Presses, dies, electricity, healthcare, etc. all cost money, and these bullets are still very competitively priced. Bueller? Do you think they just call up the manufacturer and order a bullet making machine and it shows up a week later? I doubt it. Those machines are probably custom made and at least a few months out. Maybe they hired some temp workers to box up and ship out the bullets but those machines run 24/7 if you have the staff. Maybe its people working overtime and they work a third shift now? My guess is they are paying more for labor. However it would be nice if they told us what the F is going on. I like mg but please communicate with the customers. It's not hard to put a blurb on the website. I feel like they've done a good job communicating the overwhelming demand for their product and lead times (they updated their website and haven't promised a bunch of backorders). Unfortunately, folks appear to be going around their process (placing orders not on the web) and now this guy is ticked off that prices have supposedly gone up, even though they haven't even had time to get their website updated yet. Part of communication is listening to what people are telling you, even when the truth hurts.

Not all clubs are in the middle of nowhere - an increasing number have development sprouting up around them. They may (reasonably) take the position that a round over the berm (violation of "don't point your muzzle at...") - which then impacts on a neighbor's property - is unacceptable. Some would also see a difference between injury/property damage of a competitor/spectator (while on the club property and during the match) as less disastrous than injury/property damage to a non-participant neighbor (off the club property) due to liability, public relations, etc. The vast majority of 180 violations I've seen have been technical violations (the 180 was violated by a few degrees, but the muzzle never swept anyone or required anyone to change their shorts). "Tightening up" on 180 violations to be "serious about human safety"? Where are these problems occurring? (Seriously, where? I want to know so that I can make sure to avoid them, or at least be forewarned.) If you want a zero tolerance 180 enforcement, then the stage designers will need to cooperate fully (as well as competitors and ROs). Respectfully, ac As someone who shoots regularly at a club in the Indianapolis area, I think this hits the issue right on the head. If I can't DQ a shooter for a wild shot that obviously wasn't intended, just because it hit 1' below the top of the berm, then this sport has no future in residential areas. All it takes is 1 round leaving a suburban range to get it closed down, leaving us with no place to shoot. I think USPSA needs to clarify and tighten up this rule, to give RO's more of a chance to reign in dangerous behavior.

That is freeking unbelievable, ANOTHER PRICE INCREASE. Had a increase from July 2012 of $320 to $348 a 8% increase then another one from the November price of $340 to $348, little over 2% can deal with than but from $348 to $370 another 6%...total of 16% in basically 8 months when they have SOOOO much business they had to shut down their online ordering site...maybe if we all stop agreeing to being held up the price may come back down to a respectable/affordable level....I doubt it but this is getting out of hand... Did you ever think that maybe a business would invest this money to buy more equipment, so that they can make us more bullets? Presses, dies, electricity, healthcare, etc. all cost money, and these bullets are still very competitively priced. Bueller?

"Georgino" is currently building me a single stack. I'll have to talk to him about this next time I see him. He's still got the skills...

Can I ask where you got your grips (or if you made them)?

Saul, Can you answer the following about IPScore? 1) Can you load a shooter database onto multiple devices (i.e. you create a shooter onto one device and then copy onto others)? 2) Does it export to WinScore? These are the 2 items that our scorekeepers brought up, that they really want to see with any electronic scoring method. Sincerely, Chuck

Two words.... YouTube We post a link to some YouTube video on our steel match "intro" page on our website. We also have a booth at the local gun show where we show video clips from our matches. I've found that clips of average shooters (C class, D class) are more effective that clips of GM's, because they're less intimidating for new shooters.... Guys are thinking "that looks fun, and I could beat that guy!" You can check out our steel match intro webpage at: http://www.indyrange.com/Programs/FNS/steel_New.htm It's a simple page, but it works!

Thanks Saul. PM inbound.

Has anybody tried the Iphone / Ipod Touch application on Saul Kirsch's website: http://www.doublealpha.biz/daa-iphone-applications/ipscore-ipsc-scoring-application?osCsid=a19a017a0e73853129c0d22ddd2f28bd This seems like the future of USPSA scoring. I can imagine a range with Wifi, RO's with Ipod Touches (or Ipads) and entering the data in real time (no more syncing Palm Pilots). If anybody is trying this already, I'd really love to hear their input. This seems like a great idea, and a way that shooters could throw in a few dollars per match in an effort to get quicker feedback.

Could you post a "poll" so that we could vote? I think the results would be very interesting. We pay $17-20 for a match here in central Indiana.

Putty, I'm an industrial water chemist that helps design systems like these for industrial customers. We don't sell residential units, but feel free to PM me and I'll walk you through the process so that you get what you need. If you have any more info on the water analysis, that would be a big help. Sincerely, Chuck

At our matches, we simulate the shooting process (from "make ready" to "if clear, hammer down holster") with no gun during the shooters' meeting. Then we explain that we will enforce the safety rules, but it doesn't mean we're mad at you. When you create a culture of "the rules are the rules", new shooters appreciate that and take their first DQ better. If they feel that the RO uses his "discretion" more with his buddies than with a new guy, that turns them off immediately and makes them not want to come back. I think this is an issue where USPSA has the opportunity to lead by example, and if people are too hard headed to learn from their lessons, then they are welcome to shoot somewhere else.

You won't be disappointed with the MGM plate rack. We bought one for our monthly steel match, have shot it tens of thousands of times, and it's still good as new. Thanks to MGM for making such quality stuff!

You guys rule! I just linked to your post from www.INGunOwners.com so that my local guys can see we're not the only ones that run a match when it's cold outside! http://ingunowners.com/forums/shooting_sports/74566-february_friday_night_steel_mcfg-6.html#post847308

Don't forget to sign up for the Indiana State Match this year; it's a few hour drive for you, but should be a great match (10 stages + chrono).

I really like the idea! If guys could shoot 8 shot .38 special revolvers and competitive, it would only serve to bring more guns into USPSA. While I don't think it's going to "take over" the revolver division from .45 acp 625's, I don't see how it could hurt anything. Maybe it would increase market demand for more rigid moonclips for the .357 8 shots revolvers (which are currently a little flimsy due to the thinner groove on the cartridge) and sweet Carmonized action jobs on 627's . We might also see a proliferation of 9mm and 38 super 8 shot revolvers, in an effort to make these guns reload faster. Based on this, I think it would only be good for the sport, but I'm curious see if anyone can come up with a reason why it would be bad for the sport. I think it would be really helpful to have a poll on this thread, to see if other people agree, or if we're in the "minor"ity. (shocked looking smiley face due to use of terrible pun)

I had a similar experience at a club match here in Indiana. We had to move from box A about 25 feet to box B to grab our magazine and then proceed 15 feet to box C to shoot. I left my unloaded gun locked in my CR speed and took off sprinting.... When I got to box B, I saw "something shiny" ahead of me! It was my STI that had flown out of my CR speed and landed on a wooden spool in front of me After that experience, I learned: 1) Never, ever run with your gun in a race-type holster 2) If you want more retention (i.e. for 3 gun) use a Blade Tech or similar 3) Get your hand on your gun immediately (i.e. draw then run) so that you can't lose it Hopefully this post helps other people from having to learn the hard way.

We run a monthly steel match on Friday nights. The match fee is $15 for non-club members, and $10 for club members. RO's get a $5 discount. If you want to check out the details, go to www.IndyRange.com > Programs > Friday Night Steel

Typically these must be reasonable, in that they can't prevent you from finding some job in your area. That being said, they can prevent you from dealing with former customers for a "reasonable" time (typically 12-18 months) if you've signed them.

I like the target frame you made! It looks simple and durable enough, without being overly heavy. I've also tried some USPSA targets from: www.BradsAirsoftTargets.com I was a little underwhelmed, as the targets were very tiny. They're not a bad deal; they're only like $17 each. If I were building a target, I'd love to see someone build a USPSA target with just the A B and C zones out of ~1/8" aluminum like what Drazy Metal Works uses for their plate rack targets. They are durable, and ring well enough you can tell that you hit them. I'd also like them to be the same scale (1/4 scale) as the poppers that I have on my Drazy plate rack. For stands, I'd probably just use PVC target stands.

Corey, I bought a 2011 copy from MannyUSA, and have been happy with it thus far. I would suggest that you get: 1) The gun you desire 2) More mags than you think you'll need (they are somewhat fragile, and don't work well when they get cold) 3) Plenty of gas and bb's (way more than you think you'll need) 4) Targets. We ordered the plate rack from Drazy Metal Works, and it's AWESOME! I shot my targets from Manny too close (~15 feet) and it ended up breaking the "gel" target and the "bullseye" target within the first 48 hours. Manny was a very stand up guy and offered to replace them at no charge, as long as I promised not to shoot them so closely next time. I've learned the following about Airsoft since I got mine: 1) The mags are very temperature sensitive. As you shoot the gun, the escaping gas greatly cools the mag. As the temperatures drop, so does the pressure (there's a chemistry equation that explains this PV=nRT), and the gun doesn't want to work correctly. I bought a cheap heating pad (like you'd use on a sore shoulder) from a drug store, and use it to keep my mags warm to the touch. This helps them last longer, and shoot faster. 2) The propane gas isn't what it's cracked up to be. I tried the adapter from Manny (plastic) and it tended to leak. Manny provided me with an aluminum one too, and it was a little bit better, but still tended to leak propane when filling the mags. I plan on just buying the canned airsoft gas (~$8 / 3500 rounds) in the future, and not worrying about trying to save a few bucks using propane. 3) Manny Bragg is as nice as everyone says he is. He's been absolutely great to deal with, and I would deal with him again in the future. Good luck on your Airsoft gun, I'm sure you'll have a great time with it! Sincerely, Chuck

If you're trying to jump start your volunteers, here's what I would do: 1) Set up a normal match with your normal help (if any) for one last time. 2) When you're doing your shooter's meeting for this match, explain that your match is really short handed and that the current system is not sustainable. Then announce that you want 5 shooters to responsibility for 1 stage each at the next month's match (sort of a "Team Leader" approach). If you can only get 4 shooters (not including yourself) then plan on shooting 4 stages at next month's match. If you can only get 3, ask people if they want to cancel the match for next month. I think the peer pressure will push people to volunteer, and give you an opportunity to get some new blood into the match. 3) If somebody's stages aren't great, don't be too hard on them. Make sure they're safe, but then let the other shooters give the designer a hard time about them. I think shooters' competitive nature will take over, and you'll have several people wanting to out-do the next guy. Thanks for posting this! I thought you did a nice job of not being antagonistic, while addressing a real problem that many matches have. Good luck, and please keep us updated as to what course of action that you take.