Earlier this year, we ran a friendly postal match. The response was great, and everyone had a good time. That particular course of fire was a bit more accuracy-oriented. Since it was a good time, we ran another one over March and April. This one had a bit more a speed element.
Here was the course of fire:
- Required Target 1 x NRA B-22 per entry
- Round Count 30 shots
- Stage 1: Slow Fire Freestyle
- Distance: 25 yards
- Time limit: 2 minutes
- Load magazine with 10 rounds, or two magazines for a total of 10 rounds. On start, fire ten shots from standing position within the two minute limit.
- Stage 2: Rapid Fire, Single Hand
- Distance: 15 yards
- Time limit: 20 seconds x 2 strings
- Load two magazines with 5 rounds. Start from the low ready position with weapon loaded. On start, fire five rounds from strong hand only within the 20 second limit. Reset the timer, reload, and repeat the string for another five rounds from weak hand only within another 20 second limit.
- Stage 3: Rapid Fire, Reload
- Distance: 15 yards
- Time Limit: 10 seconds total
- Load two magazines with five rounds each. Keep the second magazine nearby (i.e. on belt or on table). Start from the low ready position with two hands and the weapon loaded. On start, fire 5 shots at the target, reload from slide lock, then fire another five rounds before the 10 second limit runs out.
Available Divisions
I reworked the divisions a bit this time, and plan to keep these for all future pistol matches.
- Open
- Any pistol that does not fit into other divisions.
- Any pistol weighing 45.0 ounces or more as configured for the match (i.e. optics, weapon lights, mag wells, etc.) automatically put a gun into open.
- Any porting, compensators, gas pedals, frame-mounted optics, or similar modifications also put a gun into open.
- An exception is for rimfire, which can have such modifications while remaining in a rimfire division.
- Practical Optics
- Intended for pistols likely to be used in the “real world” for duty or CCW purposes.
- Max Weight: 45 ounces with empty magazine and and as configured for the match.
- Action: DA/SA, SAO, and striker fired
- Calibers: Any SAAMI spec defensive caliber (i.e. .380, 9mm, .40 S&W, 10mm, 38 Super, 45 ACP)
- Max Magazine Capacity: 21+1
- Electronics: Slide-mounted optics and weapon lights are allowed. Must be configured to be functional (i.e. no WMLs without batteries to save weight)
- Disallowed Modifications: Comps, porting, frame mounted optics, gas pedals, or any other conspicuous modification that wouldn’t typically be found on a factory pistol designed for service use.
- Allowed modifications: Anything else done for ergonomic or common practicality (i.e. checkering, stippling, mag wells, trigger jobs, serrations, etc.)
- Practical Irons
- Same as Practical Optics, but only iron sights are permitted.
- Carry Gun
- Intended for compact-sized guns common for use with concealed carry.
- Max barrel length: 4.1″
- Max magazine capacity: 15+1
- Max weight: 32 ounces as configured for match and with empty magazine
- Electronics: Slide-mounted optics and weapon lights are permitted
- Modifications: Same as practical
- Rimfire Optics
- Any rimfire pistol configured with an optical sight
- Rimfire Irons
- Any rimfire pistol with iron sights(edited)
- Revolver
- Any revolver configured with irons or optics
- Back Up Gun (BUG)
- Max barrel length: 3.5″
- Max weight: 26 ounces as configured for match with empty magazine
- Max magazine capacity: 6+1
- Modifications: Same as practical
Match Results
Here were the winners for each division:
Practical Optics: Matt – 270, 11x
Practical Irons: Matt – 258, 6x
Carry Gun: ReconDave: 279, 8x
Revolver: ReconDave: 179, 2x
Congrats to ReconDave for posting the highest score overall with a 279- 8x.
I enjoyed shooting this one, and could see making it a regular thing. We had no entries for the open division or rimfire divisions, but several for the practical divisions. Notable shout out to Diceman who submitted entries for back up gun, revolver, practical irons, and carry gun- but his scores didn’t end up counting due to a timing mishap. FlatDarkEarth also had a strong showing, and even put up a strong score with a PCC even though it wasn’t one of the available divisions.
I shot the optics division with my Springfield 1911 Operator AOS, and irons with my Beretta 92A1.
For his winning scores, ReconDave used a Shadow Systems WarPoet MR920 for the Carry gun division and a Colt Python for Revolver (respect on that one!)
Of course, shout out to the many other entries. We had Dan Wessons, an FN510, S&W M&Ps, Glocks, a PCC, and more.
Lessons Learned
This one had a much tighter time component to it than the previous match. The thing that seemed to get most people hung up was the final stage with the magazine change. This was especially difficult for the revolver shooters, and understandably so. My main takeaway is that there continues to be a lot of value in shooting at 25 yards, but also working on rapid shooting up close. The B-22 is a forgiving target, which means you have leeway to go a bit faster when it’s at 15 yards and closer.
Gear-wise, I had no complaints about my pistols. The 1911 shot great and the Beretta beautifully. I planned on shooting the match again with a rimfire and carry gun, but never got back to the range due to time constraints.
That’s it for this one. Email subscribers should stay tuned for the next match, which will be rifle-focused.
