GONZO!!!

I just read the book about 2 weeks ago. Fantastic journal of his day-to-day activities. Phenomenal photos and a great read. Highly recommend. GONZO!!!

WOW..after 21 years of not competing (USPSA/IPSC) I decided to come back to the sport I love. A local club had an IDPA match 4 stages with a 5th small fun house stage that we had to shoot blind. No walk through. I was nervous for my frst stage. I wasn't nervous about my skills as much as technical procedural things like tac-load magazine retention, tactical priority, etc. I worked for about two hours Friday night finding the right concealment cover and practiced until I had a fast draw and magazine change. The rest of my skills I had confidence in. After 21 years, my shooting was good; not great, but very good. Draws and mag changes were smooth and solid. I did incur a procedural when I reloaded without the use of cover (blame old USPSA habits)and during a mag change I just let the mag drop but just as it cleared the mag-well I actually caught it and stuffed it into my pocket. It was smooth and for a bit everyone thought I did it on purpose. we all had a laugh about it but it was pure luck. The Blackhawk Serpa holster is fast but I hate plastic. I will eventually find a leather holster that fits my needs. My new gunbelt from BullHideBelts.com was fantastic. Kept all of my gear comfortable. See my initial review of the belt in the equipment forum. Anyway, I am back. First match jitters are over with. I had my first penalty and am now working on strenghtening my overall performance. Received my IDPA card in the mail (also received my USPSA card) and so I am now in the race. GONZO!!!

Hi Gang... Just wanted to give a short review of my new gunbelt. After a lot of searching I decided to purchase a belt from BULLHIDE BELTS this is the belt I ordered...My Belt A few things... 1) this is NOT two, or more layers glued and/or stitched together to create a thick belt. The belt is made from one thick SINGLE piece of bull hide leather. It is approx 1/4" thick and very solid. When you hold it in your hand, it has considerable heft and feel, yet when put it through the belt loops, it curved and bent easily around my waist. 2) the finish on the leather is superb. edges are finished nicely and the leather is smooth and good looking. 3) I chose the brass buckle with roller. It is a solid feeling buckle that can hold up to a heavy weapon and magazines. 4) I emailed the company with questions and received an email response about an hour later. was concerned because I was hoping to have my belt by this Saturday's local IDPA match. I ordered the belt on Monday 5/9/11 and when I got home from work on Wednesday 5/11/11 it was sitting on my door step! Now admittedly the company is in my own state but still, great shipping and customer service. 5) cost of the belt was $69.95 with free shipping !!! 6) I received emails from Eric which stated "Your belt is being made" and then the next day, "Your belt is being shipped!" WOW!!! I strapped on my belt and fed it through the loops of my pants and put it through my Blackhawk Serpa. I slide my loaded 1911 into the holster and waited a couple of seconds then pulled my weapon fast and hard from both the hands at sides position and the surrender position. My 1911 came out like lightning and the holster and belt never rocked. No slack or give in the belt! I kept working the draw over adn over and the holster hugged my body and the belt never twisted or lifted. Absolutely fantastic! My opinion? This is the belt to buy. Solid construction. very affordable with free shipping (at least at the time of this post) and good communication and customer service. A plus for me is that I am helping to support a business in my own state. Can't wait to strap this on Saturday morning and run through the stages. Thanks Eric and bullhidebelts.com GONZO !!!

Hi Gang... Okay, I was sorta forced to buy a holster for IDPA...so I got a Blackhawk Serpa. My question is this: I know I can't jimmy the push button lock so that it draws faster. I cant "modify" it in that matter....but can I remove the trigger lock button all together or file down the trigger lock little clip on the inside of the holster? GONZO!!!

as far as PF goes..I know. I tend to keep mine just a tad on the higher end of 170 just to be sure...but when i checked some loads, they were coming in at 180 or higher...so I found some loads listed on the internet and tried to get some where they were all relatively the same in PF. Personally, for me, I prefer the 200gr bullet. GONZO!!!

Hi Gang... this may not be the best forum for this question. Please feel free to move to another forum if warranted. So a friend asked me this question and I had no real way of answering. Hopefully the question will make sense... In your opinion, which would FEEL lighter during recoil? 165gr @ 1179fps = 194 power factor 185gr @ 1035fps = 191 power factor 200gr @ 975fps = 195 PF 230gr @ 850fps = 195 PF Now I know thre are no absolutes and this is not exactly a scientific experiment...let's assume that all things are normal and equal. let's use the following criteria (for what its worth): 1911 5" barrel government model. Straight factory pistol. .45acp same brass same primer same powder same bullet type we're just talking perceived recoil. Any suggestions or opinions? GONZO!!!

way back in the day I used a Pachmayr Thumb Shield. It replaced the plunger housing between the Safety and slide release. Super easy install, and wasnt too ugly to look at either. Pachmayr has discontinued production but they can still be found. have to just look hard for them. I use a high thumb ride but my thumb always sat on the safety. Only until recently have I ever had an extended safety and only because the 1911 I just bought came with it already on it. I always thought the standard safety was big enough. I did not, adn still do not, like ambi extended safeties. I didnt want anything bigger to either catch on some clothing and be swiped off or my thumb get too greedy during the draw and swipe it off. However, I am getting really used to it now and find that the extended safety is nice...although a coupe of times i found that I had taken the safety off and my thumb was riding it before I knew that I had performed the swipe. If you grip the pistol right, you mroe than likely won't rub your thumb, but I guess that's a matter of grip and also hand size. If you have meaty hands and fingers, you might tend to hit the slide. Not sure though. GONZO!!!

Yeah...I'm just an old timer venting...HOWEVER..I went back and found the one youtube club whose videos I was watching..seems like this club either doesnt know the rules or perhaps is just shooting a "local rules" thing because the count at some of the target groupings was above the rules of 8 rounds per location. SO it could have been they were just doing their thing. However let us remember that the Principles of USPSA also state: 1) Courses of fire should follow a practical rationale. (last time the "practical rationale" of high ammo count happened to me I was a U.S. Army Ranger and we were in Central America. But I was shooting an M16 at the time...'nuff said) 2) Practical competition is diverse, never permitting unrealistic specialization of either technique or equipment. (perhaps I am harking to much on the word "practical" here. So I pose the questions... When did uber-capacity take over in USPSA, and so much so that they felt the need to create several other divisions in order to balance out the fairness? Did high count courses of fire come first, or did the introduction of Uber-capacity pistols create the desire for higher count courses of fire? (which came first, the chicken or the egg?) You know guys, perhaps I am harping too much on the word "practical" here. I admit that.

Okay Gang... So, on another thread I was ranting about how in the old days of USPSA/IPSC thre were only two divisions. Semi-auto and revolver. You shot with whatever you brought. NO restrictions on magwells, holsters, magazine capacity, yadda yadda... So I spent some time today watching a lot of different courses of fire on youtube. One club had several of their courses of fire and several shooters from their club shooting those COF. There was an extremely talented young lady shooting but I swear to you, I thought she was just spraying and praying. So I went back and slowly counted each target giving the benefit of the doubt that all paper got two shots and all steel one shot. every course of fire had 30+ minimum rounds! One stage was a 40 round (at least thats what I am counting)! Single stacks, limited 10, etc., truly do not stand a chance. How many mags do we need to shoot s simple sport? YOu mean I cant use a simploe add-on mag well for a single stack match? Seriosuly? I know that USPSA says that you dont need to have a $3,000 race gun to compete...but in reality, yes you do. Plain and simple. Well, I guess you don't if you're TGO, or Enos, Barnhart, Koenig, Fowler, McCormick, Plaxco, etc. Back in the older days IF we had a course of fire which we thought was a little high (up to 20 rounds) we made sure that the it was as fair as possible. We institued at least one mandatory mag change. No section of targets within the entire course of fire ever had more than an 8 round count. What we didnt want is the first part of a stage to exceed the number of rounds and then a shooter having to reload half way through the first few targets before even going on the move to the next section. IN these matches, I saw a non-race gun shooter change magazines so many times. Once for each section of targets...plus he changed during the move so he got to the next high count section with a full magazine. ABSOLUTELY REDICULOUS! regardless of the plethora of divisions (open, production, limited, limited-10, single stack, etc) everything about USPSA/IPSC screams $3000 super spray and pray open race gun competition. You want match pressure? Shoot a modified El Presidente but onnly "A" zones count. So if all the competitors can hit the "A", then it becomes a matter of speed. Can't drop a shot and work half a second faster to win...everyone hits an A or you go home...instill the old 175 power factor so that the $3000 Super race guns have to shoot a decent load. This helps to even the playing field. Anyway..I just had to rant...I just couldn't believe what I was seeing...B.E., whats your take on this? GONZO!!!

JerryShoots... Yes! I know exactly how you feel and it is very difficult to describe to some people. I was married before and have three great children. I never did make the promises that young men make to their families. We divorced years ago and I moved away to make a living. I had to pay $650 mnth in child support plus my own expenses so i had to go where the money was. I have since remarried and have a great wife and have wonderful grandchildren...my wife and I have four horses. Two of them are my very own. I pay all of my bills and while we are from from rich, we have a nice home and acreage in the country. My ex and the kids think of me as "Bank of Dad" ...I get guilted into sending extra money all of the tiem. I know they do it and can see it coming from a mile away...and yet the guilt inside of me makes me send more... FAST FORWARD... After 21 years I am getting the USPSA competition bug again. I find myself 'sneaking' a new box of ammo, or a couple of new 1911 magazines. My current wife doesn't care one bit. Our bills are paid. We have our own checking accounts for our own personal spending...but still ...I find that even with the new wife I feel guilty buying somethng. I wear suits to work and I kid you not, I wont hardly buy myself new clothes because I feel guilty about wearing nice suits or nice shoes. My wife sometimes almsot forces me to buy new things. Then i feel privately guilty about it inside. When I said I wanted to start competing again, my wife was all for it. She supports me to go for it and said she would come take pics, video tape, whatever if i wanted her to....yet...I am secretly trying to look for a reloader and i feel too guilty to say anything to her. It was a struggle when I went to purchase a 1911 at a gun show a couple of months ago. Wife was with me. I had picked one out and yet i walked and walked and walked and came back to it and put it away and said no...then walked and came back and then walked away...my wife told me I deserved it and to stop feeling guilty and buy what i wanted. I finally did and the whole time I am driving home I had this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. again...dont really understand why...I jsut know that I do....it is a strange feeling.

Yep..let's take it back to the 175 PF ...only two divisions Semi-auto and revolver and let's see how the shooter's progress. Dance with the one that brng ya..or the one you brought to the dance anyway. Okay, okay, I know it will never go back to 2 divisions...but at least go back to a real power factor. Regardless of equipment, caliber, optics, compensators, magazine capacity, etc. let's gt the power factor back up to acceptable standard of shooting...let's go retro boys and let's push for the 175. I believe that just re-institting the 175PF would make big changes. I will continue to shoot major power factor regardless of rules, allowances, equipment, etc. Someone has to keep the tradition. GONZO!!!

I have a better idea... instead of getting rid of Major/Minor scoring or power factor... why dont we get rid of 32 round stages? why dont we go back to shooting El Presidente, Bill Drills, Mozambiques, etc., etc. Like the old days where you only needed perhaps 2 single stack count magazines for a stage and you tested some true skill? I know I haven't competed in the last 21 years (I competed heavily 1986 - 1990) but now that I am coming back into the sport I love, I keep asking: When did we decide that we needed 32 round courses of fire for one stage?!!! Could it be that we have given up accuracy and skill for hi-cap spray and pray? Why does IPSC/USPSA/IDPA need more divisions then there are gun models? hey, just two division people...TWO...T-W-O...semi-auto and revolvers and even thats a stretch for me. Just shoot with whatcha got. You can hit the target cant ya? It's a dance...just dance with the date you brought. When did we start deciding that the old .45 acp, 9mm, and .38 super rounds were still too heavy and everyone's hands are just hurting and have boo-boos on them? geez...really guys? I mean do we want to get rid of power factors so we can lighten loads and shoot ultra-light ammo?! Wait, we already have that...airsoft! Just go shoot AirSoft or lazer tag and get the heck off of my range! Jeff Cooper, Ahern, Thell Reed, Eldon Carl, Ray Chapman,and Jack Weaver would all be getting drunk right now, standing in a circle and shooting each other with their 7 round single stack .45s to put themselves out of their misery at all the pansy wansy whining. What the ____ is airsoft anyway?! Do we need hundreds of dollars of space-age race super equipment for airsoft? SERIOUSLY?b] IDPA....hmmm....red-headed step-child... okay, I admit I am only kidding. I like IDPA. Close as it gets to the OLD IPSC ideas and play days 10mm / 40 cal answer to a question that really was never asked. Can those of us who came from the golden days of IPSC/USPSA have a sense of humor enough to laugh at the supposed 'evolution' of our sport? laugh? it is causing me to drink heavily and cry into my glass of 15 year old Havana Club rum. Thanks a lot guys! You kow how much this bottle cost me? Well, let's put it this way...way more than that plastic gum-ball shooting airsoft thingy-majig you got wrapped around your waist. okay...before you guys start flaming me here...and although i am serious about some of the thngs i said....I posted this for a lighter mood. Or perhaps.... "Another round of drinks on me boys! Mr. Cooper what are you drinking sir?" GONZO!!!

I have not competed in 21 years! I competed very heavily 1986 - 1990 (ah, the great old days) I got bit by the bug again really bad. When I contacted USPSA they told me that some records were lost from those days when they computerized all of their records. No biggie...I rejoined immediately. My goal? Get my A-Card in Limited and Single Stack in USPSA...may try to seriously compete in IDPA this year but with my focus on USPSA, I may not be able to spend that much time away from family. GONZO!!!

Observe the observer!!! GONZO!!!

Make it a general rule to "Feel The Trigger" GONZO!!!

GONZO!!!

"look at nothing" GONZO!!!

WAIT... "See what you need to see" ...hmmmm....I know Brian preaches that at times...however I seem to remember J Michael Plaxco saying that in his book from years ago... Is that the book we get to win?!!!! I know, I'm off track...couldn't help myself GONZO!!!

Geez...why dont you guys stop holding back and tell me who you like?! LOL Okay Okay, I can take a hint...I will go check out Techwear. Seriously, thank you for all the replies. I will pass along the info to my guys GONZO!!!

Hi Gang... quick question...does anyone know where someone can purchase some generic shooting team shirts...what I mean is I see the Team Safariland, team STI, yadda yadda...I am looking for those same two-tone or multi-paneled shirts but blank. Some friends and I want to make some up for our local range and shooter's club. Any, and all, help will be greatly appreciated GONZO!!!

Back when I first began shooting and competing 1986 - 1990 I wore Ernie Hill Speed Leather and I had a couple of extra Safariland mag pouches. Now here it is 21 years later and I am beginning to compete again. First thing I did was look to see what was out there...OMG...all this stripped down plastic every where!!! So, I dug out some old Ernie Hill leather speed holsters, mag pouches, etc. Most of the guys on here have never seen leather speed gear in competition. I'll dazzle 'em and confuse 'em with all of my leather! LOL Yeah, I might be old school but tried and true is ALWAYS in fashion! GONZO!!!

I listen to Classical music, Native American or Shakuhachi flute music the evening before and on the way to the range. I am visualizing the entire match (even if I do not know what the course of fire is) I see myself going through the R.O. commands of loading and "shooter ready?". I see my perfect draw and my first front sight picture on the center A zone . I feel the trigger squeeze. The other thng that I do is if there is a warm up range, I shoot one magazine of ammo ...just to foul the barrel out so every shot after is consistent and it gets me over the match jitters because i already have felt my gun's recoil. Nothing left to do now but wait for the beep adn perform my perfect draw with a crisp front sight picture on the A Zone and squeeze the trigger. everything else in the match (running, reload, barricades,etc., is just a set up for the same thing...solid stance, crisp sight picture on the A zone smooth trigger squeeze. GONZO!!!

THINK and choose your words carefully. GONZO!!!

I have always had the inate ability to begin something new and read read read everything there is on a particular subject. Disassemble it in my head , reassemble it and put that info to use right away. I might not be a master at it but in a way, I am way ahead of the game...It is finding the principles and concepts and learning how to incorporate them rather than sticking to a "technique"...It is the same philosophy that I have applied to martial arts, shooting, horsemanship, etc. It is just the way I am. okay, that being said... When I first began shooting in USPSA/IPSC in 1986 I did not know anything about this sport. I caught the bug and began to read anything that I could get my hands on...which wasn't much being that it was waaaay before the internet was available. So I began to practice all the principles and concepts that I was learning by dry-firing every day. By the time I got to the range nad wanted to try my first local match, I handled my 1911 almost like a pro although I did not have the actual experience. I was like lightning and within a short time was a force at the local clubs...however my accuracy wasnt really all that great in comparison to my speed and ability. My local gun shop owner introduced me to a guy who was interested in competing USPSA. I was 23 years old at the time and Troy was about 48 (the age I am right now). Troy was a skilled bullseye and silhouette shooter but thought he was too old to have the speed and skill to compete. We began hanging out and shooting together. Troy helped me develop a major load for my .45. He also forced me to slow waaay down and get that front sight picture perfect and call the shot. I was able to push him to get a little faster and to be looser. Within six months he and I are dominating local matches and made quite a good showing at our first state and Area Championships. We pushed each other to perfect practice and pushed each other to expand what we did and how we did it. I favored Rob Leatham's style and Troy's body and shooting style mimicked Jerry Barnhart. Troy's son followed Brian Enos and emulated him in his shooting. So what pushed me to that next level was having a good consistent training partner. We were exact opposites in everything that we did and yet we worked together better than others (at that time). so..what pushed me to the next level: 1) Dry-Fire 2) A great committed and consistent training partner. BTW: I stopped competing in 1990 and now after 21 years, I am taking up the sport once again. USPSA and IDPA. WOW, here we go again! GONZO!!!