Forward Falling Popper Substitution

[Jim Rusert]

No Virginia Count in Classifiers that include steel targets.

[GrumpyOne]

It still would be easier (read cheaper) to change that rule rather than making everyone change poppers.

[Nik Habicht]

Make that classifier Virginia count? You take a penalty for driving the popper down......

You'd have to remove the steel, as steel requires Comstock.....

[G-ManBart]

It still would be easier (read cheaper) to change that rule rather than making everyone change poppers.

That's why one possibility would be to do one of several things. 1) Dictate rear-falling poppers for those classifiers where it could be an issue, and specify either as acceptable for all other classifiers, i.e. "unless otherwise noted, poppers can be of either forward or rearward-falling design". 2) Dictate forward falling poppers for those few where it could be an issue and add the same clause as above. In either case, it would only impact a few clubs...those with no forward-falling poppers, or those who only have/require forward-falling poppers. If either of those situations happen, they simply don't use those couple of classifiers. I counted a total of 6 classifiers like this. R,

[G-ManBart]

From the 2004 Classification Administration Book (emphasis added):

"Every possible effort has been made to ensure that

all the stages in this book are “game proof.” The courses

have been repeatedly reviewed by many people with

hundreds of years of combined practical shooting and

course design experience. These include Range Officers,

Chief Range Officers, Range Masters, Range Master

Instructors, and the Director of the National Range

Officers Institute. The nature of the project is such that

there are probably undetected errors in spite of all that

effort. In most cases the intent of the course will be

obvious. USPSA requests that you honor that intent."

"It is, however, necessary to establish an exception in the

case of the classification system. The classification

system is able to determine a competitor’s accuracy and

speed as those abilities are quantifiable. The system is

not able to measure the ability to “game” a stage as those

intangible skills are not quantifiable. If competitors are

allowed to outsmart the classification course designer

the results are meaningless."

I don't see how anybody can argue whether the intent is to have classifiers set up as identically as possible from one club to the next. If they are set up to allow an option at one club, that isn't available at another club, it's clearly at odds with the intent. No, we'll never get "perfect", but we can take reasonable measures towards uniformity. R,

[Graham Smith]

But the basic question remains - are forward falling poppers legal to use in a Classifier? I cannot see anything in the rule book or in the classifiers that specify anything about a popper other than it's dimensions and that it needs to pass a calibration check. That being the case, I cannot see any reason why forward falling poppers would be any less acceptable for use in a Classifier.

Now, that said, it is clear that a few Classifiers (like the one in the OP) might be effected by this, so an MD may want to choose to avoid them. But that does not seem to negate their use in general.

[spanky]

I would be inclined to note that in the interest of the spirit of classifiers, rear falling poppers should be used in instances such as the one in the OP. If there is nothing behind them then I can't see any reason not to use whichever is available.