So what the heck is USPSA??

[HK Dan]

What exactly is USPSA?
USPSA is an action pistol sport. It is derived from “Leather Slap” matches run by Col. Jeff Cooper back in the 70s—kind of experimentation to see what techniques worked best for self-defense. It started out as “Combat Shooting”, and went fairly quickly to the more PC “Practical Shooting”. It has since lost some of that practicality in favor of skill development—it’s now more about difficult shooting, speed shooting, and doing it accurately than it is about self-defense.
Each month features new, custom tests of a shooter’s abilities. Each “stage” is designed and generally showcases a specific skill set; but sometimes they’re just designed to be challenging and fun.

What’s the difference between USPSA and IDPA?
IDPA is similar, but the rules for guns are more restrictive. Generally only out of the box handguns are allowed with very few modifications permitted. IDPA stages are more simple and less free-form than USPSA. They are generally more centered on self-defense than USPSA.
IDPA has “tactical” rules that leave a lot of things up to interpretation. USPSA is very tightly nailed down. You know exactly what is and what is not a penalty, and that isn’t always the case in IDPA.
IDPA is usually less tense, less pressure, and more laid back. It is more focused on accuracy than on speed, but speed is still how you know who won.

How do I tell who wins?
We’ll cover that in depth in the scoring section. Generally speaking the guy with the best hits on a target in the fastest time wins. We use timers that tell us when each shot was fired, right down to the 1000th of a second.
So, if you have a stage that tells the shooter to shoot each target 3 times, we total up the best 3 hits on the targets (because the shooter may fire more than 3 shots per target) and divide it by his time on the timer. The person with the highest “points per second” or “Hit Factor” wins the stage.

So, is it better to shoot FAST, or shoot ACCURATELY in USPSA?
You can’t win if you don’t hit the target, but you can’t win if you don’t hit the target fast, either. In “Major” scoring, it’s definitely better to take a few C zone shots if you can do them in 80% of the time required for an A zone hit. With Minor scoring, you definitely want the “A” zone hits!!

What is a good gun to use to start with?
The gun you have is the best one to start with! If you can get a good, secure holster and spare magazines, you’re good to go. There is a Division that you can shoot in.

What other gear do I need to start?
Eye and ear protection, a good secure holster, magazine carriers (it’s good to take 4 spare mags with you on a stage), and ammunition. You’ll want a cap, shoes that will let you move well on grass (cleats are not allowed, however) and weather-appropriate clothing.

What do I need to know before I start?
Know the controls of your pistol. Know how to load it, shoot it, make it safe, clear a malfunction (you WILL have them), and be able to do it with confidence!
You will be more comfortable at your first match if you can safely draw your pistol from the holster that you intend to use. Everyone else will be more comfortable if you’re used to moving with your pistol, keeping it pointed in a safe direction with your finger off the trigger, etc. Again, you’ll be more comfortable if you know how to reload the pistol on the clock. You don’t need to be Rob Leatham, just be able to do those things safely.

How much ammo should I bring?
100 rounds will cover most matches. If you contact the club before coming out, we always publish a round count for each match. This is the minimum number of rounds if you make every shot perfectly (so bring extra!)

Is it the same layout every month?
Oh Lord no. Each stage is custom-designed. If we shoot the same stage twice in a year, it’s something of a novelty.

What can I expect at a match?
Well, expect to spend more time waiting than shooting. During that ‘waiting’ time, we all help pick up brass, paste targets, run the score board for the RO and that sort of thing. There is a fair amount of bull-shooting time—take advantage of it! Introduce yourself and get to know the crew.
When you get to shoot your first stage, expect it to be a blur. When the timer goes off, your brain will literally run down your leg. You’ll screw up, you’ll shoot something differently than you planned, and you’ll feel a little silly. Don’t sweat it, we ALL do that. It gets better! You’re going to have so much fun, and the guys with you will be supportive and probably congratulatory. We love seeing new shooters take up the sport.

What’s the difference between a “stage” and a “classifier”?
A stage (or course of fire) is generated by the club. A Classifier is generated by USPSA and followed to the inch in set up and to the letter in execution. It is used to determine the member’s “Classification”, or what level they compete at. (See “So tell me about Classifications” below)

What can I expect when I start my first stage?
The RO will say “Step forward, load and make ready”. At this point, you should simply say that you are a new shooter. The RO will then ask if you understand the ‘Course of Fire’. If you do—great. If not, ask whatever you want to ask pertaining to the stage and how you shoot it.
The RO will then say “Step forward, load and make ready”. At this point, draw your pistol, insert a magazine, load the chamber, and carefully reholster. You CAN take a sight picture at a single target before you load if you want to.
The RO will say “Are you ready?”. If you are not ready, SPEAK UP. Giving no answer is interpreted as “Yes”. He will then say “Stand by” and within 4 seconds you will hear the audible start.
You’ll shoot the stage! When you’re done, just take your finger off the trigger, draw the pistol backward, closer to your chest and keeping it pointed down range, and wait for instructions. The RO will have counted the shots and watched—he’ll know pretty well when you’re done. This drawing back will be his final cue. He will say “If you are finished, unload and show clear”.
You should drop the magazine, pull the slide to the rear, and show the RO your empty chamber.
He will then finish with “Thank you, put your slide forward, your hammer down, and holster”. Do just that! Let the slide go to battery, point the pistol at the berm, and drop the hammer by pulling the trigger (not by using a decocker). Then carefully hoster.
The RO will announce that you are safe by turning to the other shooters and saying “The range is clear!”. That is their signal to come forward and help reset the stage for the next shooter.

[HK Dan]

So, tell me about “Divisions”
Divisions are set up so that only people with similar equipment compete against one another. You’ve seen the fancy Star Wars looking “Open” Division guns on TV. You know the one—it costs more than your first car and has a rate of fire on par with a Thompson submachine gun? Unless you’re in “Open” Division, you don’t compete against those guys. The Divisions are these:

Single Stack: 1911 style pistols only, with restricted holster types and limited modifications to the gun.
Production: your basic, ‘out of the box’ guns with restricted holster types and limited magazine capacity.
Limited: Fancy holsters are okay, and some modifications to the gun are allowed. You can’t use a compensator or electronic/optic sights.
Limited-10: Like Limited, but magazine capacity is limited to 10 rounds. This is so the people in California can feel competitive.
Revolver: Because some people never learn. J
Open: Essentially unlimited modifications to the gun, optic sights, compensators, and uber-high capacity magazines. Anything goes in Open, and you are only limited by your budget.

The Divisions are set up to categorize the equipment you can use.

So, tell me about “Classifications”
Classifications are like Divisions, except Classification refers to the shooter’s skill level instead of his or her equipment. This is so only shooters of like ability compete with each other—if you’re just starting out you will not compete against a Grandmaster.
Once you become a member of USPSA, they begin tracking your scores on special stages called “Classifiers”. They are blueprinted to the inch and are shot the same way by every USPSA club. Your scores on a given classifier are then compared to the best score on that classifier and expressed as a percentage of that best score. When you get 4 on file, they take an average of your percentages and classify you with that. It looks like this:
U class—Not enough classifiers on file
D Class—0-39.9%
C Class—40-59.9%
B Class—60-74.9%
A Class—75-89.9%
Master—90-94.9%
Grandmaster—95-100%
You can classify in every Division separately. In other words, you can be a B Class Production shooter and a D Class revolver shooter. The exception is Single Stack, which for some reason just uses your highest classification.

So, tell me about the scoring system
Oh boy. Get out your calculators boys and girls, this is going to feel like a Calculus lesson. Okay, not really.
First off—a word about Major and Minor calibers. We take the bullet weight in grains times the speed and divide by 1000 to get a “Power Factor”. You must have a power factor of 125 to compete. If you make 165, then your gun is considered to be a Major caliber, which gets you 1 extra point for peripheral hits (bullseyes are still worth 5)
A stage will call for a given number of hits on a target—could be 1, could be 10. In “Comstock” scoring, you can shoot it as much as you want and they just use the best “x” number of hits according to the stage instructions. The scores are totaled up by point value—An A zone hit is worth 5 points. B or C zone hits are worth 3 for Minor and 4 for Major. A D zone hit is worth 1 for Minor and 2 for Major.
Those scores are totaled for each target. Points can be subtracted for penalties, like hitting a no-shoot target or stepping out of bounds, using the wrong arm (the stage calls for weak hand only and you use strong hand by mistake), etc.
The points total, after penalties, is divided by your time. This gives a “Hit Factor”, or points per second. The person with the highest Hit Factor in your class and Division wins that stage for your class and Division.
The stage scores are added together to get a match score, and the highest score in your Division and Class wins the match.
Easier than you thought, wasn’t it (We’ll go over it again at the match).

So, tell me about penalties
Well, you don’t want them. If you do something against the rules or not according to the stage instructions, you can be given a penalty. It can be pretty bad, since they add up—if were supposed to reload but forgot, it is a penalty for each shot you take without reloading. It’s usually 10 points per penalty—invalidating TWO A zone hits each.
Penalties can also get your disqualified from a match. You have to royally screw up to get that one, but things like accidentally shooting as your draw, or turning too far and pointing your gun at the crowd will all get you there promptly. We don’t see a lot of these, but we do see them.

Where can I find a copy of the rules?
At http://blackhawkpistolclub.org/uspsadocuments.html .pdf copies are available for download and printing. You’ll want the 2009 handgun rules, but a copy of the 3 Gun Rules, Multigun Rules, and course diagrams are also available.

Are there any parts I should read more closely or parts I should skip for my first match?
Read the safety section HARD. Look over scoring and penalties, too. You can skip things like “Arbitration”, pretty much Sections 10 and 11 can wait. The appendix is just a reference, so thumb through it when you have safety, scoring and penalties down pat.

Who can I ask if I have questions about the rules?
Any of our handsome and gallant Range Officers can help you. You can just give me a shout if you like.

Who shoots this stuff?
A nice, broad cross section of the United States! Police, medical doctors, construction workers, office workers, postal employees, men, women, old, young—just about anyone with an interest in improving their skill with a firearm!

Why should I shoot it?
Well, that’s a question for you to answer. It is fun, and it’s a great chance to knock around with other like-minded individuals. If you are just starting out it’s a great chance to avoid some of the mistakes that others have made by tapping into their experience (actual results may vary). If you’re a more advanced shooter, it’s a great chance to shoot some stages that you just can’t do on a square range. In any case, you will do things that you’ve never done before.