Provisional Rimfire Division?

[ciscoip]

Our numbers are up this year --- I'm not seeing the gloom and doom you're predicting. And I'm pretty sure that with one or two exceptions, no one has a huge reservoir of components sitting around....

Nik,

I hope you're right and that this current shortage resolves itself; just hope it happens before we begin to lose too many shooters. As I noted earlier, my main concern is that the USPSA leadership not wait until things are REALLY bad before they address this problem - better to be proactive rather than reactive.

Cheers,

Doug

There are much better ways for USPSA to assist in this issue than a provisional .22 division. Bulk buys by the organisation of primers direct from the manufacturers comes to mind. These could then be sold to members through a contract with one or more of the retailers already setup to ship hazardous materials.

An easier and better way to solve the issue might be better course design. Instead of designing courses filled with enough targets to force open shooters with big sticks to do a reload, have creative courses with lower round counts.

[scirocco38s]

Just say no to rimfire.

[GlockSpeed31]

Well, I am one of those shooters that has had to hang it up. Taking a huge paycut for a new, but stable, job really hurt. I used to shoot 2-3 matches a month and the State and Area match every year. I haven't shot a match in over a year now due to cost of ammo & match fees. If there was a Prov. Division for Rimfire, then maybe I could venture out once a month or so and shoot a match and not have to decide if I should buy ammo or food & diapers for my kids. I answered Gary's questions below in red print. That is my opinion and like others, will vary to others. I do think the idea should be studied a little more. Seems like there is a small demand for it and it could grow more as it has more light shed on it. I mean, who thought that Lim-10, Revolver and Single Stack would have grown like they did. When I started shooting USPSA, there was only 2 Divisions, now there are 6 divs. I don't think it would be able to grow without the support and backing of USPSA.

Getting back to the original question, I received a call from one of my constituent's today about the idea of a rimfire division. While I think it is much like spitting into the wind, the results won't be pretty, let's explore the idea a bit.

Some initial stumbling blocks I see:

1. Having went through the new division battle for Single Stack, I can assure you there will be screams, tears, and immediate resistance to the idea. Yep, sure will be. But they will get over it just like they did for Lim-10, Production, Revolver and S. Stack.

2. Assuming, just for fun and giggles, that it was adopted, how would it work? Steel is an intricate part of our sport and presents a problem for rimfire. Would it just be called as hit, how would it work? It would be called a hit. Rimfire would be scored at 1/2 value of what Minor is scored.

3. I guess the rimfire division would shoot with all other divisions at the same time on the same stages. Do we just go with paper? See #2 above.

4. Does this open the door for "someone" to say you don't need centerfire guns anymore because you have shown and sanctioned rimfire as sufficient to compete with? Getting the camels nose out of the tent is a lot harder than it seems. Not being political, but the saying of "stroke of the pen-law of the land" is true. People will shoot what they have available to them or what they desire. (I hope that made sense.)

5. Would it actually increase membership, or just further dilute the pool of participants? I think it will bring more JR & Lady shooters to the sport. Also those that can not handle the recoil of centerfire firearms due to a physical limitaion can start or even come back to the sport.

6. How would it figure into our current classification system? See #2 Above for scoring and I don't think the scores should be put into the regular classification system.

Just a few thoughts off the top of my head that should be fleshed out now.

I believe this ammo price, component shortage issue will pass in due time. It will be painful in the short run, but if things settle down in a small area near Virginia and Maryland, panic should subside and things will return to some state of normalcy, whatever that might be. Much like gasoline, will it fall to where it was, probably not. However, it should be subtantially better than it is now.

[Steve J]

Just say no to rimfire.

+1 Power, Accuracy, and Speed. Don't devalue "Power" any more than we already have. Don't devalue the "Practical" in practical shooting any more than we already have.

[Jim Norman]

No to rimfire for USPSA. I truly believe it would be a deathnell.

I can see it now, a couple people showing up to shoot USPSA rimfire and the rest of us showing up and shooting an 'outlaw' Action match using the same gear we do now with pretty much the same rules.

There would be far too many changes to USPSA to allow rimfire as a division. not only that would we need 6 more divisions to mirrow what we already have? talk about diluting the competition!

BTW, I just shot steel Sunday and used two .22s an auto and a revo, both Iron sights, a real blast. but not USPSA, good practice though.

Jim

[Gary Stevens]

Well, I am one of those shooters that has had to hang it up. Taking a huge paycut for a new, but stable, job really hurt. I used to shoot 2-3 matches a month and the State and Area match every year. I haven't shot a match in over a year now due to cost of ammo & match fees. If there was a Prov. Division for Rimfire, then maybe I could venture out once a month or so and shoot a match and not have to decide if I should buy ammo or food & diapers for my kids. I answered Gary's questions below in red print. That is my opinion and like others, will vary to others. I do think the idea should be studied a little more. Seems like there is a small demand for it and it could grow more as it has more light shed on it. I mean, who thought that Lim-10, Revolver and Single Stack would have grown like they did. When I started shooting USPSA, there was only 2 Divisions, now there are 6 divs. I don't think it would be able to grow without the support and backing of USPSA.

Getting back to the original question, I received a call from one of my constituent's today about the idea of a rimfire division. While I think it is much like spitting into the wind, the results won't be pretty, let's explore the idea a bit.

Some initial stumbling blocks I see:

1. Having went through the new division battle for Single Stack, I can assure you there will be screams, tears, and immediate resistance to the idea. Yep, sure will be. But they will get over it just like they did for Lim-10, Production, Revolver and S. Stack.

<Gary> Not sure some have got over it yet.

2. Assuming, just for fun and giggles, that it was adopted, how would it work? Steel is an intricate part of our sport and presents a problem for rimfire. Would it just be called as hit, how would it work? It would be called a hit. Rimfire would be scored at 1/2 value of what Minor is scored.

<Gary> That would be a problem as it requires adjustment to the scoring program. Not an easy task and additionally it cost money.

3. I guess the rimfire division would shoot with all other divisions at the same time on the same stages. Do we just go with paper? See #2 above.

4. Does this open the door for "someone" to say you don't need centerfire guns anymore because you have shown and sanctioned rimfire as sufficient to compete with? Getting the camels nose out of the tent is a lot harder than it seems. Not being political, but the saying of "stroke of the pen-law of the land" is true. People will shoot what they have available to them or what they desire. (I hope that made sense.)

<Gary) I think I understand your comment, I just don't want to be one that helped to facilitate that end product.

5. Would it actually increase membership, or just further dilute the pool of participants? I think it will bring more JR & Lady shooters to the sport. Also those that can not handle the recoil of centerfire firearms due to a physical limitaion can start or even come back to the sport.

(Gary) Maybe. Maybe not. Not enough information to say at this point.

6. How would it figure into our current classification system? See #2 Above for scoring and I don't think the scores should be put into the regular classification system.

Just a few thoughts off the top of my head that should be fleshed out now.

I believe this ammo price, component shortage issue will pass in due time. It will be painful in the short run, but if things settle down in a small area near Virginia and Maryland, panic should subside and things will return to some state of normalcy, whatever that might be. Much like gasoline, will it fall to where it was, probably not. However, it should be subtantially better than it is now.

[tpcdvc]

No, I too think it would destroy our game.