Got my first DQ

[ben b.]

8 stage Single Stack match, I was an assigned "squad mom", lots of cool stages set up for Single Stack. On my 2nd stage, start seated in a golf cart, I clear a Texas star then exit golf cart to race to my next position...Ooops, don't catch the gun on the corner of the cart's windshield and then run past it (insterad of stopping) and point the gun past 180*, you moron.

I started 3.5 years ago, & I suppose I was overdue. Still makes for a looooong day. Live & learn!

Onward,

Ben

[Jman]

Jerry Miculek said "if you ain't wreakin' you ain't racin'". And he's right.

[calishootr]

it happens, tho luckily for me it took shooting 9 matches a month for 10 or so yrs before i got mine, use it as a learning tool, and jump back in, some or most ive seen lately take it pretty hard, likethey are now some sort of paraiah, which isnt true(lest it happens again in short order, then we need to talk) yrs ago, had a friend of mine cutthe corner on a long field course and do a 'swim move' w/ the gunhand over the top of the target stick, he caught his shirt, which snapped his gunhand basically damned near back behind him, sweeping all of us...most of all, work within your skil level, some come out and see us running around w/ out hair on fire, and think they can too...wrong...some of us have been doingthis quite dilligently for some time...

[teamroyalty]

That soundes like horrible.

[Loves2Shoot]

A friend of mine in his first IPSC match got a DQ there also and it was his first stage, first match.

[open17]

A friend of mine in his first IPSC match got a DQ there also and it was his first stage, first match.

If it's who I think it was----I was the RO. It happens. Swung back on a target that wa visible but

WELL behind the 180. Just for a moment, no shot fired, and he knew what he had done when I hollered Stop.

I think he took it better than me, I just hate to DQ shooters, expecially new ones. Hope he comes back,

seemed like a nice guy.

[Sarge]

I know how bad it must feel. I bumped a prop with the bill of my hat in a match recently which did a pretty good job of twisting my upper body. I get done and tell the RO with a smile, "I think I almost broke my neck". He said, "yeah I saw that and you almost broke the 180". Took the smile right off my face. I don't even want to hear, "almost DQ'd", let alone, "stop".

[Team Amish 1]

The good thing is that USPSA prescribes several safety to-dos at the same time.

You're going through the course while

* watching the 180

* watching the muzzle to prevent sweeping

* keeping the finger off the trigger

* listening for commands, hoping there will be none while you shoot,

and then some.

What I like, is that, even if you break one of the rules once, the rest of the safety rules, if applied, will still get everyone home safely.

We shot a larger match recently and one gentleman on my squad came out from behind a wall and instead of moving a few steps backwards, just turned around and showed all of us the business end of his Limited gun. Needless to say that the whole squad hit the ground but once it was safe to get up again, one guy said that he saw that the competitor did have the finger outside the trigger guard.

At that moment I realized that USPSA has some good "Plan B" rules when it comes to safety.

I have had a DQ before, in my first USPSA year. Basically dropped the gun during the draw. If anything came out of it for me, I increased dry fire training to prevent that in the future and have been very diligent since.

What bugs me most is the blatant disregard for 180° muzzle control of SOME revolver shooters who switch hand when throwing in the new moonclip. I've seen it many times, up to B class, that, especially when moving from right to left, the muzzle goes left (past the 180), muzzle goes up to eject the old moonclip (past the 180 - sometimes pointing at the shooters forehead), then muzzle swings back left (past the 180) to put a new moonclip in. I have pointed that out to revo shooters when I ran the timer and got to hear that the rule did not apply when you're reloading revo's. Huh?

Whoever reads this, please don't rip me too bad, but I'd be interested in comments.

[gino_aki]

I sure hope I didn't jinx you with the DQ I had at the match you shot here....

[Team Amish 1]

My stories all happened in TX and LA.

I'd love to shoot a match in Hawaii...

[Loves2Shoot]

A friend of mine in his first IPSC match got a DQ there also and it was his first stage, first match.

If it's who I think it was----I was the RO. It happens. Swung back on a target that wa visible but

WELL behind the 180. Just for a moment, no shot fired, and he knew what he had done when I hollered Stop.

I think he took it better than me, I just hate to DQ shooters, expecially new ones. Hope he comes back,

seemed like a nice guy.

He'll be back and he said he knew what he did, so those are both good things.

[twodownzero]

The good thing is that USPSA prescribes several safety to-dos at the same time.

You're going through the course while

* watching the 180

* watching the muzzle to prevent sweeping

* keeping the finger off the trigger

* listening for commands, hoping there will be none while you shoot,

and then some.

What I like, is that, even if you break one of the rules once, the rest of the safety rules, if applied, will still get everyone home safely.

We shot a larger match recently and one gentleman on my squad came out from behind a wall and instead of moving a few steps backwards, just turned around and showed all of us the business end of his Limited gun. Needless to say that the whole squad hit the ground but once it was safe to get up again, one guy said that he saw that the competitor did have the finger outside the trigger guard.

At that moment I realized that USPSA has some good "Plan B" rules when it comes to safety.

I have had a DQ before, in my first USPSA year. Basically dropped the gun during the draw. If anything came out of it for me, I increased dry fire training to prevent that in the future and have been very diligent since.

What bugs me most is the blatant disregard for 180° muzzle control of SOME revolver shooters who switch hand when throwing in the new moonclip. I've seen it many times, up to B class, that, especially when moving from right to left, the muzzle goes left (past the 180), muzzle goes up to eject the old moonclip (past the 180 - sometimes pointing at the shooters forehead), then muzzle swings back left (past the 180) to put a new moonclip in. I have pointed that out to revo shooters when I ran the timer and got to hear that the rule did not apply when you're reloading revo's. Huh?

Whoever reads this, please don't rip me too bad, but I'd be interested in comments.

Part of this is the reason why I think the 180 rule isn't really up to date in USPSA. It's easy for ROs to call, and that's a good thing, but I personally don't see a problem with a revo shooter who breaks the 180 trying to use gravity to drop out his empty moon clip. After all, us bottom feeders get to use gravity to drop our mags all the time.

I recognize this isn't such a popular position. Some so-called "safety" infractions scare me a LOT. But a revo shooter who breaks the 180 vertically while ejecting a moon clip with his finger off the trigger and the cylinder open doesn't make me nervous at all, so long as he maintains control while doing so.

[bobtorre]

it happens to the best of us.

[ahtsay]

I know someone who got DQd in the World Shoot in Bali on his first stage, on his first draw! According to him he was so nervous that the muzzle of his gun somehow caught the pocket of his shorts at the draw (worst things could have happened) and the gun flew from his hands. Poor guy. He wasn't even able to fire a shot. I think getting DQd have positive effects. It reminds us to be more conscious of shooting safely.

[kcult]

I watched a gal take her first four shots from the line and was supposed to move up about 10 to 12 more feet so she could engage more targets. Instead of clasping the gun with both hands, pointing it forward and moving ahead, she drops the gun by her side and trots to the next point like she was straight off of Baywatch. I cringed.

[gohuskers]

It happens to everyone. Best thing to do is shoot a match as soon as possible and put the DQ out of your mind. What's that old saying, "if you get bucked off a horse best thing to do is get right back on." I agree. Otherwise you'll just keep playing it over and over in your head.

[XD Niner]

Dang I hate hearing about these DQ's and I know it was frustrating at a minimum. Thanks for sharing this, however, as it may help someone else avoid a similar pitfall.

[VegasOPM]

As long as it isn't the "first of many" you are fine. Suffice to say that I heard "turn THEN draw" during the course description for a few matches following mine...

[joecichlid]

Glad to hear nothing bad happened/no one was hurt. Learn from this and move on to the next match. And as said to me and many others, it isn't a matter of IF, it is a matter of WHEN in a game like this.

Joe W.

[latech15]

Got my first on this weekend. Before first shot of the first stage after 9 hour drive.

[ben b.]

Got my first on this weekend. Before first shot of the first stage after 9 hour drive.

Yuck!

Share the story, please.

[jasond]

What bugs me most is the blatant disregard for 180° muzzle control of SOME revolver shooters who switch hand when throwing in the new moonclip. I've seen it many times, up to B class, that, especially when moving from right to left, the muzzle goes left (past the 180), muzzle goes up to eject the old moonclip (past the 180 - sometimes pointing at the shooters forehead), then muzzle swings back left (past the 180) to put a new moonclip in. I have pointed that out to revo shooters when I ran the timer and got to hear that the rule did not apply when you're reloading revo's. Huh?

Whoever reads this, please don't rip me too bad, but I'd be interested in comments.

I was warned for "almost" breaking the 180, just as you described, within my first few matches - and I probably did break it. I quit using the switch hand reload, and I'm more careful when going right to left now.

It's easy to fumble a revo reload (especially with my two left hands), so I can't see letting us get away with breaking the 180. If the cylinder didn't open, gun got turned at crowd anyway, and the shooter was still fumbling to open it, might not be good.

Oh yeah, got sent home 1st time last year for putting a loaded moonclip down on the safe table to help someone with a broken gun..........

[Field]

well most of the time if you get DQ'd for somethin you usually dont do that same thing again for quite a while.

Edited August 2, 2010 by Field

[BillR1]

I should've got one yesterday...

We had a stage with 3 shooting positions and backward movement between the 3. From P1 to P2 I did fine. There was a reload between P2 and P3 (still moving backwards) and I turned the wrong way, clearly breaking the 180. Several shooters caught it, but the SO didn't DQ me. (I deserved it, no question!) I didn't even realize what I'd done until after the stage.

I definitely ned to plan the movements better and watch the 180. Lesson learned.

[professor]

What bugs me most is the blatant disregard for 180° muzzle control of SOME revolver shooters who switch hand when throwing in the new moonclip. I've seen it many times, up to B class, that, especially when moving from right to left, the muzzle goes left (past the 180), muzzle goes up to eject the old moonclip (past the 180 - sometimes pointing at the shooters forehead), then muzzle swings back left (past the 180) to put a new moonclip in. I have pointed that out to revo shooters when I ran the timer and got to hear that the rule did not apply when you're reloading revo's. Huh?

Whoever reads this, please don't rip me too bad, but I'd be interested in comments.

I was warned for "almost" breaking the 180, just as you described, within my first few matches - and I probably did break it. I quit using the switch hand reload, and I'm more careful when going right to left now.

It's easy to fumble a revo reload (especially with my two left hands), so I can't see letting us get away with breaking the 180. If the cylinder didn't open, gun got turned at crowd anyway, and the shooter was still fumbling to open it, might not be good.

Oh yeah, got sent home 1st time last year for putting a loaded moonclip down on the safe table to help someone with a broken gun..........

Shooting revo, whether you're moving left to right or right to left on a stage, you still have to be aware of not breaking the 180 horizontally OR VERTICALLY when reloading. I normally reload holding the gun in my weak hand, inserting the new clip with my strong hand. I rotate the gun vertically up to get out the spent clip, but not past the vertical 180, and hold the gun downward and to the left about 45° while putting in the new one. No problem.

But if you do the same thing when moving right to left, that 45° will have you breaking the horizontal 180.

So, if forced to move right to left [for a left-handed shooter, it's the reverse left to right movement that's a problem], I'll reload keeping the gun in my strong hand so it's easier to keep the muzzle pointed downrange.

BTW, revo shooters I know don't think they are entitled to any breaks on 180 violations, even when the cylinder is open and empty. What they object to are ROs who get anal when that muzzle goes NEARLY vertical, because then you can clearly see down into the bore of the gun at an angle. I guess it can be intimidating unless you're used to it.