Digital camo

[GentlemanJim]

I have some 3gun accessories (mag pouches..ect) that are in digital camo.

Can I use them in a USPSA match....ie USPSA multi gun

Thanks!

Jim

[racerba]

I have some 3gun accessories (mag pouches..ect) that are in digital camo.

Can I use them in a USPSA match....ie USPSA multi gun

Thanks!

Jim

There are no rules preventing it. It's just recommended that you don't. The reason is that we don't our sport to be perceived as a para-military training.

[mactiger]

I have some 3gun accessories (mag pouches..ect) that are in digital camo.

Can I use them in a USPSA match....ie USPSA multi gun

Thanks!

Jim

There is nothing in the rules that specifically prohibits the use of camouflage: it's use is "discouraged", and the MD has the final say. I'd say that camo mag pouches are probably OK. The intent is to stay away from a paramilitary or military look, but I personally don't have a problem with a little camo here and there. Since a lot of people, including myself, wear 5.11 clothing, as do police, firefighters, and some "private security" personnel, the definition of "military"- or "police"-like clothing is sort of blurry. I've never seen camo mag pouches questioned, though.

Troy

Edited August 28, 2007 by mactiger

[AikiDale]

If it is good camo Jim no one will ever notice.

[GentlemanJim]

[JThompson]

[mike cyrwus]

Ive even heard of where an instructor of an RO seminar wears camo during the block of instruction.

[kurtm]

Yea, we don't want to be seen as "paramilitary". That would make the anti-gun people not like us! Right now they still like us, bordering on love. They love the guys with 6-7 magazines and a nice shooting shirt, and they can't get enough of the "hi capacity" pistols and rifles we all use. Yep wouldn't want to be seen in a bad light. Good thing we don't use those bolt action hunting rifles with a scope that Mzz Feinstein loves to call sniper weapons, or those dastardly single shot .50 caliber guns, nope only the "good" pistols, shotguns and rifles all the left love! KURTM

[Chuck Anderson]

I have seen a camo mag pouch questioned by an MD. We were selling one in Digital camo and the MD told the guy not to buy it because it wouldn't be allowed under USPSA rules. Still don't agree with it and that was the only time that has ever come up.

[gunther]

Jeez, I have worn the same desert(camo) pants for like 7 years to every match and no one ever said anything to me. Finally they wore out I dont wear them anymore. Ha Ha I never even heard of this rule, worse is no one ever told me even at the area matches.

[mactiger]

Yea, we don't want to be seen as "paramilitary". That would make the anti-gun people not like us! Right now they still like us, bordering on love. They love the guys with 6-7 magazines and a nice shooting shirt, and they can't get enough of the "hi capacity" pistols and rifles we all use. Yep wouldn't want to be seen in a bad light. Good thing we don't use those bolt action hunting rifles with a scope that Mzz Feinstein loves to call sniper weapons, or those dastardly single shot .50 caliber guns, nope only the "good" pistols, shotguns and rifles all the left love! KURTM

Yep. I was trying to make that point, although I didn't make is as succinctly as you did, Kurt.

I suppose there is an "image" that we should maintain--I just don't think that banning camo is going to help much. IMO, the camo mag pouches would be OK at any match I ran. As would a camo kilt, or a pair of digital desert camo 5.11 trousers that I hear a certain instructor is prone to wearing....

A full camo outfit, complete with boonie hat, alice pack, etc., might be a little over the top, though.

Troy

Edited August 29, 2007 by mactiger

[kurtm]

I agree Troy. The nice thing about the full cammo-alice pack-boonie hat guys are they are only ONE match shooters IF they even come at all. It is a non issue that "is to be discouraged" NOT forbiden! This is a non issue.! If cammo was baned I couldn't shoot my AR-15 or My Benelli M1, and so far that hasn't been a problem ANYWHERE in the world I have traveled to, to shoot a match! I guess anywhere else is a little freer than the U.S. Even England doesn't seem to mind my cammo shotgtun! KURTM

[Cameron]

Kids wear camo to school, so camo can't be all bad.

[Jaxshooter]

There are more people killed at schools than at all the USPSA and all other sanctioned matches world wide.

[mpeltier]

Funny thing is in 7 years I have yet to see one of those we dont want to offend at a match. I was however greatly offended at a local match once. I made the mistake of wearing a pair of designer type camo shorts (the type you can buy at walmart) that in no way looked military, para military or otherwise. I took so much flak over that from club members, extremely rude and threatening (some of witch were board members) that I have not shot with them scince. I did not rejoin their club and I did not rejoin USPSA. After a couple years I did rejoin USPSA. I wonder how many others have been turned away from our sport by similar experiances due to a poorly written "recomendations" in our rule book. If it is a rule book it should have rules, not recomendations. Now I wear anything so long as it is tastefully designed, those mag pouches are in my opinion very tastfully designed.

[J-Ho]

Does anyone else think that "what should I wear" questions are ridiculous? I know, I know, it's a sort of rule, but a rule about fashion? I understand the desire to discourage the paramilitary look. (some one might think we are learning to use guns). Even the Cav. Arms guys, with their molle gear and real machine guns, don't look like some para military outfit, When I saw them they had yellow shirts on (although they do all wear the same color shirts, hmmm....) Banning or even discouraging camo is a bit much. A rule stating we must wear "appropriate" attire might work. If I go to nationals decked out in BDU's I think the match director should be able to say "What the f#@k were you thinking? Now go change!" If you go to a major match with ONLY your BDU's you probably shouldn't have gone in the first place.

That does it!! From now on I'm wearing a hot pink tech wear shirt with whatever gun company logo on it AND i'm gonna paint my face camo. How para military will that look?

[J-Ho]

Does anyone else think that "what should I wear" questions are ridiculous? I know, I know, it's a sort of rule, but a rule about fashion? I understand the desire to discourage the paramilitary look. (some one might think we are learning to use guns). Even the Cav. Arms guys, with their molle gear and real machine guns, don't look like some para military outfit, When I saw them they had yellow shirts on (although they do all wear the same color shirts, hmmm....) Banning or even discouraging camo is a bit much. A rule stating we must wear "appropriate" attire might work. If I go to nationals decked out in BDU's I think the match director should be able to say "What the f#@k were you thinking? Now go change!" If you go to a major match with ONLY your BDU's you probably shouldn't have gone in the first place.

That does it!! From now on I'm wearing a hot pink tech wear shirt with whatever gun company logo on it AND i'm gonna paint my face camo. How para military will that look?

Only bad thing about wearing digital camo on your face is trying to get back out of the printer.

[boo radley]

This is a huge non-issue, IMO, and the rule book entry mostly serves only to provoke those who care to be provoked.

At major matches (where I do sometimes see TV/media), 90% of the participants seem to be dressed reasonably with whatever attire serves function and vanity. The other 10% dress either, uh, individually -- barefoot, kilt, "Doc Holliday, etc." -- or in poor general taste, 'cause that's also how they dress in general. Socio-economic/education deal. <shrug> Either way, this signal is mostly lost in the larger noise.

Local matches, I see a lot more camo, tank-tops, etc, etc., but there's a different demographic, and no one much gives a d*mn.

[J-Ho]

This is a huge non-issue, IMO, and the rule book entry mostly serves only to provoke those who care to be provoked.

At major matches (where I do sometimes see TV/media), 90% of the participants seem to be dressed reasonably with whatever attire serves function and vanity. The other 10% dress either, uh, individually -- barefoot, kilt, "Doc Holliday, etc." -- or in poor general taste, 'cause that's also how they dress in general. Socio-economic/education deal. <shrug> Either way, this signal is mostly lost in the larger noise.

Local matches, I see a lot more camo, tank-tops, etc, etc., but there's a different demographic, and no one much gives a d*mn.

I agree, I however am one of those, uh, individuals who wear goffy a$$ clothes to matches, not major matches, usually just local, usually. The whole "Super Duty Ultra Bad A$$ Tactical" gear is just way too serious for me. I shoot this GAME because it's FUN.

[GentlemanJim]

So ....if I stick a few pink flowers and a save the whales sticker on em...it will be ok?

Maybe pay some carbon credits

I understand the rule and I have to agree with it! There are people that will exploit ANY issue to destroy the credibility of gun owners and shooters.

The rub here comes from the fact that we are required to use 3 guns in a basically tactical situation.

In this environment our gear and our guns will most lilely be the same or very similar to equipment used by LE or military.

It seems ironic and almost ridiculous that a mag pouch or piece of gear can be acceptable or not depending on the pattern printed on the cloth.

I would like to present a less threatening appearance to our bunny humping politicly correct bretheren but nobody makes the gear I need in hot pink.

Am I alone on this?

Or do others see the hypocracy in a world where its just ok to wear your pants down around your knees and your butt sticking out..or be some sort of sexual deviant, or produce music that touts drugs murder and violence...its ok to trample the rights of the many...for the ideology of the few.

Just about any kind of sick twisted filth..is accepted.. but a GUN owner with camo? legions of perverts will decend upon you for that transgression!!!

It just sucks that those people have such control over every aspect of our lives.

Please dont think I am complaining about the rules...Im not, we have to do all we can to protect our image and our rights.

So sorry for ranting I can get a little carried away sometimes

Jim

[mactiger]

You can buy some carbon credits if you want, Jim, but if you're going to the USPSA MG Nationals, go ahead and use the camo mag pouches. Or your camo rifle bag, or trousers, or kilt... You get the drift.

It won't be an issue.

A gentleman emailed me and asked if he could wear his USMC digital camo kilt to the LPR nats; he even included pics. I replied and asked where I could get one of those. Guess he'll be wearing it.

Troy

[Glockster35]

As an active duty military member, I happen to have amassed quite the collection of military style gear over the years, most of it purchased in the last 8 years for deployments. If I were to shoot 3 gun (don't plan on it anytime soon) I would wear what I have at home...mostly OD green tactical gear. Most of my civilian clothing probably closely resemble what I guess most of you wear daily. I am a jeans, shorts and t-shirt kind of guy.

If someone comes at me with an attitude about my selected gear, they are getting attitude right back. I have earned the right to wear what I want, para-military looking (in their eyes) or not! Having said that...I don't go out of my way to buy things specifically to meet any recommendation. At the same time, I don't go out in public flaunting where I work, or what I do for a living.

I don't own any clothing that shows my branch of service (except that I am required to own), have a crap load of bumper stickers on my car (showing branch of service) or have tattoos showing my service. I don't desire people to pat me on the back for what I do. When I retire, I don't plan on having a retirement ceremony, I just want to walk away knowing I have done my best!

I do understand why the USPSA would have a reccommendation for it's members to not wear an over abundance of military style gear. But I do agree, the recommendation should not be in a RULES book!

[Jaxshooter]

NO Camo, wife beaters with an unbuttoned plaid shirt and striped shorts with black socks and sandals are acceptable if the socks come all the way up to the knee.

[GentlemanJim]

Im still thinking about that KILT thing

I cant think of any other thing that would disrupt your competitors concentration more than seeing you shoot prone in a kilt!

This may well be the stealth technique of the future....Hmmm

Jim

[Azone41]

At Area 4 this year it did become a problem on one stage. We had two young women on our stage and one of them was wearing some camo shorts that she bought a Wal-**** the day before. Now mind you these shorts were very short and looked VERY good on this young lady. The RO not only made an a** of himself over it but when I asked about what was going on he shoved the rule book in my face and said its in the rule book and she can't wear them shorts. I got a little upset and told him " it says discourged not forbidden". I contacted the RM (Tom D) and the problem was taken care of. Nowadays you see people wearing camo all over the place it has become in style.