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First time Uspsa - looking for quick help

1545 Views 18 Replies 7 Participants Last post by ARMORY CRAFT, 12 mo ago

HanSoulo

Discussion Starter · 12 mo ago

Attempting to get into Uspsa this coming weekend and trying to make sure I have everything in order. Especially what division and class I’m supposed to register for.

I plan to shoot with a p320 x-carry with a Wilson combat grip. (From what I can tell, this is legal in production). Areas of question that would keep me in or out of production are: suppressor height sights? Armory craft sport takedown lever? Tungsten weight in grip? Everything else is stock.

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

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northlight

· #2 · 12 mo ago

First, you will have LOTS of fun in USPSA competition.....and meet lots other shooters who will help you get started and be safe.

If you haven't already, I recommend going to a match and observe. The club that runs matches near me always needs help setting up match stages and this is a great way to learn how the events work, meet people and earn some brownie points with the other club members. They may also require that you take their training before competing.

Do you have a copy of the USPSA rules manual? If not, download one and read it cover to cover. Most of your questions about what gun is legal, what mods are legal, etc. will be answered. Guns must fit within a specific set of dimensions. USPSA uses a box to confirm if your gun is legal in length, width, height and the gun must meet weight requirements, too.

There are specific requirements/recommendations for gear, too. You'll need the right gun belt, holster, mag pouches, eye and ear protection, etc. The shooters you meet when you go to observe will gladly offer help.

Practice with your (UNLOADED!) gun/holster/mag pouches at home. Make sure everything fits, works, stays where it should be. Don't have any ammo in the same room!

When you do compete for the first time, know that you WILL be nervous and make mistakes....and that you WILL NOT WIN. You might even get DISQUALIFIED. Everyone does at some point. I got DQd in one of my first matches....it happens and you learn from it. Again, it happens to everyone. And the club wants the event to be safe for you and everyone else.

If you're like me, you want to start competing right away.....take a little extra time to learn, observe, talk to other shooters, practice, etc......and you'll have so much more fun!

Good luck!

Northlight

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HanSoulo

Discussion Starter · #3 · 12 mo ago

northlight said:
First, you will have LOTS of fun in USPSA competition.....and meet lots other shooters who will help you get started and be safe.

If you haven't already, I recommend going to a match and observe. The club that runs matches near me always needs help setting up match stages and this is a great way to learn how the events work, meet people and earn some brownie points with the other club members. They may also require that you take their training before competing.

Do you have a copy of the USPSA rules manual? If not, download one and read it cover to cover. Most of your questions about what gun is legal, what mods are legal, etc. will be answered. Guns must fit within a specific set of dimensions. USPSA uses a box to confirm if your gun is legal in length, width, height and the gun must meet weight requirements, too.

There are specific requirements/recommendations for gear, too. You'll need the right gun belt, holster, mag pouches, eye and ear protection, etc. The shooters you meet when you go to observe will gladly offer help.

Practice with your (UNLOADED!) gun/holster/mag pouches at home. Make sure everything fits, works, stays where it should be. Don't have any ammo in the same room!

When you do compete for the first time, know that you WILL be nervous and make mistakes....and that you WILL NOT WIN. You might even get DISQUALIFIED. Everyone does at some point. I got DQd in one of my first matches....it happens and you learn from it. Again, it happens to everyone. And the club wants the event to be safe for you and everyone else.

If you're like me, you want to start competing right away.....take a little extra time to learn, observe, talk to other shooters, practice, etc......and you'll have so much more fun!

Good luck!

Northlight

Thanks I appreciate it. I’ve taken a lot of defensive classes. Figured competition shooting will be a fun way to get some more trigger time. I already have gear that seems to fit the requirements (except for removing the thigh strap)… been working through the Uspsa manual, but boy is it lengthy lol

Reactions: 2

Rich Jenkins

· #4 · 12 mo ago

I doubt at a local match, anyone is looking at your gun. My guess is you are good to go. Check in with the Match Director and explain you are new. They will bend over backwards to help you, is my bet.

Good luck. Have fun, shoot Alphas, be safe.

Reactions: 3

HanSoulo

Discussion Starter · #5 · 12 mo ago

Finally got through the entire rule book. I think I need to remove the armory craft take down lever and I’ll be good to go for the production division.

RDS40

· #6 · 12 mo ago

HanSoulo said:
Attempting to get into Uspsa this coming weekend and trying to make sure I have everything in order. Especially what division and class I’m supposed to register for.

I plan to shoot with a p320 x-carry with a Wilson combat grip. (From what I can tell, this is legal in production). Areas of question that would keep me in or out of production are: suppressor height sights? Armory craft sport takedown lever? Tungsten weight in grip? Everything else is stock.

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

First off...let the MD know you are new to the game. They will pair you with a group that will help you along and answer any questions you have and guide you through the stages. Don't be afraid to ask.

Reactions: 1

HanSoulo

Discussion Starter · #7 · 12 mo ago

RDS40 said:
First off...let the MD know you are new to the game. They will pair you with a group that will help you along and answer any questions you have and guide you through the stages. Don't be afraid to ask.

Thank you

Rich Jenkins

· #8 · 12 mo ago (Edited)

Some more thoughts, I get where your head is at. Despite shooting USPSA since 2017, I've only managed to get to 14 matches (we travel a lot). 13 locals and one sectional. I am a lowly D class in Production (36%), and U in Carry Optics. So I am pretty new also.

Things I would do before the match:

Triple check your equipment. Make sure everything that has a screw is tightened. The last thing you need is your holster flopping around on it's carrier.

Use your timer (a smart phone timer if you don't have a shot timer) and set it to random start. Practice getting ready with your full gear. Safe the gun, and have no ammo around. Use the timer to get used to the BEEEEP. Make sure your draw is fast and smooth, and your holster is slow and deliberate.

Practice your reloads.

Things to think about during the match:

You will only draw 5-6 times, so don't sweat the draw time. Just make sure it's smooth. Get the gun out and on target with a good sight picture in a reasonable amount of time (1.5s maybe).

It's all about points per second. So do what you need to do to get max points, in as short amount of time.

Shoot targets in arrays. This means, while you are looking at the stage, attempt to "group" targets together. Can you shoot these four targets with one mag? If so, plan a shooting position, there.

Reload on the move. Meaning, as you are leaving a shooting position, and moving to a new one, reload. Practice running / walking and reloading. Get the old mag out and the new one in.

Be sure and keep the gun downrange, and your finger off the trigger as you move on the stage. Don't be That Guy who gets a trip to Dairy Queen by being unsafe.

Don't wait for slide lock to reload. If you are reloading on a slide lock, you've probably made a mistake somewhere.

Be accurate and avoid no shoots, but don't fear them, either. Be confident in your sight picture. Use your sights. Some point shoot out to 7-10 yards with good results (I am not one). I need to focus on front sight, press.

They say you can't miss fast enough to win. It's true. A or M shooters look kinda slow, but they are getting solid hits. Take your time, quickly.

Get acceptable hits. For USPSA that means "good enough" for mostly Alphas, with some Charlies. If you shoot all Alphas, you are probably not shooting fast enough. If you are mostly missing, or shooting Deltas / Charlies, you probably need to slow down.

Make sure you get two solid Alphas on close in targets. This may seem odd to slow down, close in, but you need to get those 10 points, so make sure. Conversely, for longer targets out to 35 yards, give it a shot but don't sweat it if you end up missing. If it takes you 5 rounds to get two Alphas on a distant target, it is still worth the same 10 points, but you are burning a lot of time doing this.

Don't shoot the No Shoot targets. Don't leave Steel targets standing. Make sure to at least attempt to engage every target.

Don't go first in the squad, if possible. Explain you are new, and they will put you in the middle of the order. That way, you can see how other shooters are solving the shooting problem. Don't worry about stage planning. Find a good solid Production shooter in your squad, and just do what they do, first time out.

Help to setup and tape. Don't BS at the back of the range after you have shot. USPSA is a volunteer sport, and the RO needs help downrange reset steel and tape targets.

If you can get one of your squad mates to video you, do so. Just pick someone at random whose done their stage and ask, hey, would you mind videoing me on this stage? It is really interesting what you notice about your shooting, afterwards. The match will go in a blur, and you won't remember a lot of exactly what happened, so having video in a huge benefit to help you get better.

That's about all I can think of. Good luck with the match, let us know how it goes.

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Navy87guy

· #9 · 12 mo ago

I haven't shot USPSA in a while, but the last time I checked frame weights were not allowed except in Open. The USPSA rules require a positive approval of a mod to be allowable. If it's not specifically called out, then it's not allowed. Check the applicable appendix for your divison: if it's not explicitly allowed, then you're not supposed to use it.

Reactions: 1

HanSoulo

Discussion Starter · #10 · 12 mo ago

Navy87guy said:
I haven't shot USPSA in a while, but the last time I checked frame weights were not allowed except in Open. The USPSA rules require a positive approval of a mod to be allowable. If it's not specifically called out, then it's not allowed. Check the applicable appendix for your divison: if it's not explicitly allowed, then you're not supposed to use it.

That’s what I’m realizing as well

Rich Jenkins

· #11 · 12 mo ago

HanSoulo said:
Finally got through the entire rule book. I think I need to remove the armory craft take down lever and I’ll be good to go for the production division.

I’d say you are good to go, but obviously replace it if you feel like you need to.

You are reading the Sep 21 (latest) version, right? Below is 21.6 on Production parts swaps.

Font Number Document Circle Rectangle

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Rich Jenkins

· #12 · 12 mo ago

Navy87guy said:
I haven't shot USPSA in a while, but the last time I checked frame weights were not allowed except in Open. The USPSA rules require a positive approval of a mod to be allowable. If it's not specifically called out, then it's not allowed. Check the applicable appendix for your divison: if it's not explicitly allowed, then you're not supposed to use it.

Things have changed quite a bit lately. The maximum weight for Production is now 59 Oz with an empty magazine.

Navy87guy

· #13 · 12 mo ago

Rich Jenkins said:
Things have changed quite a bit lately. The maximum weight for Production is now 59 Oz with an empty magazine.

But even when it was 45 oz, you couldn’t add weight (legally) to a production gun to get up to the max. In Production you had to shoot the gun at the weight it was manufactured. If that’s changed, then it should be called out in the Production appendix.

HanSoulo

Discussion Starter · #14 · 12 mo ago

I likely just remove the weight and takedown lever; then I should be good for sure.

ZEEOH6

· #15 · 12 mo ago (Edited)

Navy87guy said:
But even when it was 45 oz, you couldn’t add weight (legally) to a production gun to get up to the max. In Production you had to shoot the gun at the weight it was manufactured. If that’s changed, then it should be called out in the Production appendix.

That’s incorrect. The old Production rule was that you could not be more then 4 ozs over the published weight on the Production list. You could add a tungsten guide rod, brass plug, brass magazine base pads and be ok as long as it’s no more than 4 ozs over published weight for the applicable model of firearm.

Current maximum weight limit for Production and Carry Optics is 59 ozs. It is now a blanket maximum weight for the division and no longer model specific. You can hang a 10 oz light off your pistol and you’re good to go. Yes, it is spelled out that you may use a light that functions. Want to build up your grip with tungsten putty as well? Have at it, it’s good to go. Want to shove tungsten rods in your grip? Have at it. The WCP320 is listed under the Production listing, which WC also happens to offer a OFM tungsten weight kit, making it legal. As long as it’s under 59 ozs with an empty magazine, you’re good to go. The “gas pedal” type take down levers are legal. The ruling was that it replaces the take down lever, which is allowed in the rules, because it does not mount to the frame/grip by any other method.

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HanSoulo

Discussion Starter · #16 · 12 mo ago

ZEEOH6 said:
That’s incorrect. The old Production rule was that you could not be more then 4 ozs over the published weight on the Production list. You could add a tungsten guide rod, brass plug, brass magazine base pads and be ok as long as it’s no more than 4 ozs over published weight for the applicable model of firearm.

Current maximum weight limit for Production and Carry Optics is 59 ozs. It is now a blanket maximum weight for the division and no longer model specific. You can hang a 10 oz light off your pistol and you’re good to go. Yes, it is spelled out that you may use a light that functions. Want to build up your grip with tungsten putty as well? Have at it, it’s good to go. Want to shove tungsten rods in your grip? Have at it. The WCP320 is listed under the Production listing, which WC also happens to offer a OFM tungsten weight kit, making it legal. As long as it’s under 59 ozs with an empty magazine, you’re good to go. The “gas pedal” type take down levers are legal. The ruling was that it replaces the take down lever, which is allowed in the rules, because it does not mount to the frame/grip by any other method.

Oh wow! This would be awesome. I didn’t see anything specifically about the takedown lever so I was under the assumption I would have to remove it.

Rich Jenkins

· #17 · 12 mo ago

Navy87guy said:
But even when it was 45 oz, you couldn’t add weight (legally) to a production gun to get up to the max. In Production you had to shoot the gun at the weight it was manufactured. If that’s changed, then it should be called out in the Production appendix.

As I recall how the rules were at the time (2017?), the Gun List specified the gun weight, but you were allowed some overage to account for things like basepads or different Grip panels. I don’t recall the exact number and I can‘t locate an older rule book to check. When I switched to a Glock 19 Gen 5, I added Dawson basepads and a tungsten guide rod to get right up to the limit. It might have been +4 oz? Either way, worrying about stuff like this is partly why they just set the max weight at 59 oz.

In hindsight worrying about the gun is pretty low on the priority list for a first match. If it's reliable, is about it. In shooting my first few matches, I lost more time from mental errors than anything else. My IQ dropped 50 points when the beeper went off (still does).

HanSoulo

Discussion Starter · #18 · 12 mo ago

Rich Jenkins said:
As I recall how the rules were at the time (2017?), the Gun List specified the gun weight, but you were allowed some overage to account for things like basepads or different Grip panels. I don’t recall the exact number and I can‘t locate an older rule book to check. When I switched to a Glock 19 Gen 5, I added Dawson basepads and a tungsten guide rod to get right up to the limit. It might have been +4 oz? Either way, worrying about stuff like this is partly why they just set the max weight at 59 oz.

In hindsight worrying about the gun is pretty low on the priority list for a first match. If it's reliable, is about it. In shooting my first few matches, I lost more time from mental errors than anything else. My IQ dropped 50 points when the beeper went off (still does).

Yeah, I’m not expecting to do very well against the whatever the competition may be. Certainly looking to understand the format mostly my first couple times.

ARMORY CRAFT

· #19 · 12 mo ago

2

I could be wrong, but AFAIK Armory Craft Sport takedown levers are OK in USPSA Production......at least per feedback of many customers, there are a lot of regional chapters that allow them.

Trigger Air gun Gun barrel Gun accessory Rectangle

P320 SPORT TDL:

www.armorycraft.com

Sig P320 SPORT Takedown Lever: X-FIVE X5 X-TEN X10 X-Full X-Compact M17 M18 AXG | armorycraft

Sig Sauer P320 SPORT Takedown Lever Fits ALL P320 Models - P320 / P320 X-FIVE / X5 Legion / M17 / M18 / P320 Compact / P320 Full / P320 X-Compact / X-TEN (X10) / all AXG models / X-Carry etc. Also compatible with Sig Sauer P250 handguns. Choose between a Black Nitride or Nickel Boron finish...

www.armorycraft.com

www.armorycraft.com

Air gun Trigger Gun barrel Gun accessory Metal

Classic P-Series SPORT TDL:

www.armorycraft.com

Sig Sauer 220 226 227 228 229 239 M11A1 X5/X6 SPORT takedown lever | armorycraft

Classic P-series SIG SAUER 1-piece super durable design Sig P220 P226 P227 P228 P229 M11A1 & X5/X6, P239 'SPORT' takedown lever. This is the 'SPORT' style takedown lever. It has identical foot print/outline of the stock takedown lever, but has a better texture for easier indexing and better...

www.armorycraft.com

www.armorycraft.com

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