Wakal

Might as well buy the right stuff the first time...you are just going to complain about having junk until you eventually buy the right stuff anyway. Like tools...how many Chinese socket sets must be broken before you buy a Snap-On or Craftsman? How many Craftsman drills before a Dewalt ends up in the tool box instead? That said, I don't see much point for a $400,000 Kreighof...but the $10k ones are sure nice Alex

Ah...an off-topic question. A quick off-topic response: Limited-10 (as it is now) is a brainless sop to the evil gun-grabbers and their sheeple, designed simply to give those evil gun-grabbers some ammunition ("why, those USPSA types don't NEED magazines over 10 rounds...so quityerbitchin about the '94 ban and LIKE it...). Revolver got ruined by the 6-round rule, and Production...well...the rules smell too much like the arbitrary and oft-silly ones proprogated by our IDPA friends. Beretta "trigger bumps," Glock "plugs," and the like...just silly rules designed to stifle innovation. Innovation and bleeding-edge design are the hallmarks of Open, and to a lesser (but not much lesser) extent Limited. Hence, "real gun" and "fake gun" Nationals "Factory Gun" Nationals are all about artificially limiting the gear and (in the case of Lim-10 in its entirety, and Production in its mag limits) feeding ammuntion to the gun-grabbers. Ten-round mag limits support Fienstein, Kennedy, Clinton, Schumer, and their evil ilk against the honest gun owners. Don't give an inch. Even more off-topic: I would love to see Lim-10 become "production" style holsters...and I'd run my CDP gear in it Alex

All you need is an NRA training class of some sort. Too bad we don't know a NRA Training Councilor with a stack of forms. Alex NRA Training Councilor

Just one of those things. My club has been working up a package for the Nationals (we've been kicking the idea around for a few years, but were serious about the '05 Big Show). My research indicated that PASA had a real sweetheart bakeesh deal going (which is why they are good for at least the next three years), but that the real gun Nationals was still up in the air. However, Mike set us straight. There had to be cash on the table before a range would be considered. Ah, well. The west Texas oil field good old boys who run things around here are tight, and although I'm willing to ask I rather doubt they will be into bribery...even for firearm-related fun. Personally, I'm quite pleased with the rumors of Florida for the real gun Nationals. The south part of The Other Left Coast is vastly...and I mean VASTLY...superior to the Left Coast. Alex

That is true, to a point...but a much bigger problem is talking the local community into a $10,000 to $15,000 (minimum) bribe to USPSA in order to sweeten the pot. There are quite a few ranges would could host the Nationals...I can think of three in my section, including my own club, offhand...but as per my discussion with Mike V. after the Racegun Trophy presentation, he needed at least $10k in cash (to be used for hotels) up front from the community as part of the package deal. A little bakeesh goes a long way, I expect...although I can see where he is going. Having a convenient airport, inexpensive hotels, cheap gas, and decent concealed carry/gun laws are not enough...as witnessed by the 2002 and 2003 Racegun nationals which had none of those things. Alex

Dale is "da man" with Bear Traps...he designed the first ones and they have been getting even better since. Don't waste your time with the cruddy spring-activated ones, Dale's are cheaper and work correctly. Alex

I had it explained to me that since the actual part of the no-shoot (inside the perf) lined up with the A-zone of the shoot target, the A-zone was NOT available under any circumstances. The reasoning behind that was that the no-shoot target was impenetrable...the perf was cut, so the C-hit would score (because "half" the bullet was outside the perf and thus able to continue through to the shoot target), but because the A-zone was not available (period) then even though the "half" bullet was touching the A-zone perf there is NO A-zone scored...because, as said, the A-zone is unavailable. So...Vince, C/no-shoot or A/no-shoot? Alex

They are still shooting....it is only 1430 here, with about another hour to go... Alex

Vince, Exactly....the no-shoot covers the A-zone of the shoot target completely, lined up no-shoot perf directly over A-zone perf. So....no A? Alex

The target arrangement: a no-shoot stapled over a shoot target, with the outer perf of the no-shoot exactly aligned over the A-zone perf of the shoot target. The competitor's shot bisects the perf of the no-shoot. The competitor has earned a no-shoot penalty...and as they shoot the perf of the no-shoot, have also earned a hit on the shoot target. The question: since all targets are impenetrable, the A-zone of the shoot target is covered completely (perf of the A-zone aligned exactly with the perf edge of the no-shoot), then the A-zone of the shoot target is unavailable. However, the shot does touch the A-zone perf (from the C-zone side). So...how does it score? Alpha, no shoot? -or- Charlie, no shoot? Alex

No, you are not They moved target arrays around, replaced static targets with swingers (and vice versa), added lots of no-shoots, added more targets... While similar, IMO the Open is more technically challanging yet less...fun. I miss the "baby in the barrel" prop, darn it... Alex

Yes, but Springfield's forged (not cast like the Para) widebody frame is only listed as a 5" .45... Alex

Registration is 130 to 5, same hotel. Sorry! Registration, at least, is very well run and on time, not to mention staffed by some darn nice folks. Alex

I can't see how the 500-gun rule is enforced...just look at the guns on display this very morning at the Limited National's shoot-off (congrats, Todd!). For example...just how many widebody longslide .40's does Springfield make? Heck, how many of them (beyond the one Robbie uses so well) have they EVER built? If we are going to follow the rules, we need to...follow the rules or shut up about 'em. Just my worthless opinion, of course Alex

The match info says 7-9pm at Riverhouse. The Limited shooter's meeting started promptly at 745 (sigh) and was of great utility (in a pig's eye). But there was finger food and $2 Cokes, so it all works out. See you there! Alex

How about a Hybrid barrel with no ports? Dovetailed front sight on the barrel instead of the slide... Alex

I was standing in the peanut gallery when the SuperSquad was running Stage 2. I was too far back to see much of anything, so I was talking to the charming woman who was letting her rather shamelessly cute dog rest in the shade. She watched TGO discussing his results with the CRO and gently shook her head. "Oh, Robbie messed up," she said. I raised an eyebrow and she said "I know what he looks like what he isn't happy." TGO wandered back and she asked him what the problem was. He said "Slow as hell, dropped too many points." She asked why he did that. He said "I'm old and fat, Mom..." Not quite so old and fat after all, I think... Alex

Just got back from the shooters meeting... I've always been told to be on time. Too bad these guys weren't. It started 45 minutes late, maybe to allow the bar to make money. >_> It did have one redeaming feature. It was short. 20 minutes tops. Hopefully, the match will go well tomorrow. They did tell us to be on time for the shooting. Maybe I will. Liota

I know it is Saturday, but I have more "Bend sucks" to add to my previous post... I really REALLY hate driving a half hour at 55mph (on a road that should be at least 75mph) to get to the range, only to be run off said range because "shooters are not allowed on the range until 1200." That little factoid was NOT published on the web site (which, of course, also says that today is the first day of the Limited Nationals...psych!), nor was it in the shooter's information package. Oh, but it WAS in the match booklet. TOO BAD THEY DIDN'T FEEL THEY HAD ENOUGH MONEY FROM MY $225 ENTRY FEE TO MAIL IT TO ME! They handed them out at registration...which started at 1330. Sweet. Raw incompetence at work. Speaking of "at work", as mad as I was about driving out to the range at 1000 only to be told I wasn't welcome except in the parking lot, I'm even more annoyed on behalf of the range officers. They were supposed to shoot the "fun match" from 1000-1600 today. As of 1130, when I left the parking lot (sigh), they were still waiting around for authorization to SKIN all the stages...only about 2/3rds of them were ready, with much pointless standing around to be seen. Even sweeter. And...this is the Big Show. So far, a hearty BRAVO. Not. But the match shirts look good, and the folks at registration couldn't have been nicer. Nor could the RO's (even while running Liota and I off with tazers and large pointy sticks). That all said, we really need to find a better range. Oregon is horrible to travel to (driving or flying, as the airport is SO far from Bend and the speed limits are insane...as are the gas prices), the local hotels are quite expensive, and the local restaraunts are also a bit steep. The range has plenty of parking and is decent enough...just a half-hour from anywhere. The bays are all rather small, the stages make great use of orange hazard matting walls (insert vomiting noises here), and there is no decoration outside of the stage number signs. Perhaps Vegas...mmm....Vegas...or somewhere even more central, like Texas or Louisiana. I hate driving 1,850 miles to a match that looks like a local match, not even a State or Area match. Expecially one that is mismanaged like this one has been so far. At least the stages look cute (for a club match). Alex

Typical. I'm not impressed with some other screaming liberal issues (beyond gross stupidity in dealing with career criminals)...gas is 35 cents more expensive here in Oregon than it is a few hundred miles away, the speed limit on the LOOOOOONG straight nearly flat road from the world to Bend is a mightly 55mph...I REALLY hate that the Oregon has no concealed carry reciprocity...so typical of the liberals, don't trust your sheeple to protect themselves and then make it miserable for them to try and escape and evade your clutches by jacking up taxes and keeping speed limits artifically low. And I really hate that a vulture shat upon my nice new truck and etched the paint with his (her?) toxic poop. But at least I made it to Bend early Alex

I'll check it out...the 1% strikes back! Alex

But is it growing because it is a viable, well-thought-out shooting sport OR because IPSC is constantly denegrated by the IDPA proponents who staff most of the major shooting magazines? Trying to portray IPSC in a positive light is rather like trying to give a conservative a fair shake in 99% of the media in America. It just doesn't happen. Having sat through the IDPA RO class this very weekend, the area coordinator (and a darn nice guy, too) for IDPA admitted that many of the rules are completely subjective. You can't have a viable sport with subjective rules...or you end up with the complaints that appear in this forum every time we talk about it. "Cover," "tac loads/reload with retention", and the strange trick of magazines (if you accidentally drop it behind cover, you have to pick it up lest you earn a horrible penality...but if you should happen to accidentally drop it whilst moving between cover then that is OK)...all depend on the state of mind of the RO. A shooter running .6 split/5 point hits on three targets around a corner will look COMPLETELY different than a shooter running the same array with the same hits at .12 splits...yet both are expected to "angle" cleanly to each target while slicing the pie...one moving at the speed of TGO, one moving at the speed of mud. I find both sports entertaining...heck, and I play CAS too (defined as "dress-up with cap guns" these days), so I'm about as easy to get to shoot any sport. But I would much rather have folks like Darth Vince setting up rules, openly and with much discussion, than folks that have a vested interest in cash flow and product placement debating in secret with nary a word of explanation. Alex

Well, since I like reading SiG Lady's bitchin', it must belong in the "like" forum I like the fact that the Air Farce (well, my squadron commander, anyway) realized how mismanaged the Air Farce shooting team is and decide to grant me time off to compete in both of the RaceGun nationals herself, instead of trying to fight with HQ SVC. I'm still trying to get her to come out and try a match, though. Lots of interest, no time Alex

One of the local guys was doing some research...turns out that the patent on the tec-loader forbid Arredondo from just making an aluminum tec-loader thing. So he made one that bolts OVER a tec-loader Pretty darn sneaky. I'd like to try one, hope it isn't as heavy as it looks. Alex

The Armalite version seems a lot more solid (and looks "racey", always a plus): $89 from Armalite, cheaper elsewhere Alex