| • | The SAFE AREA is on the range (typically at one end of each covered firing-line) ... this is the ONLY
place your gun may be un-cased or un-holstered ... keep your gun pointed at the wall ... this is where you take your gun out of its case and put it in your holster at the start of the match and where you take your gun out of your holster and
re-case it after the match |
| • | NO ammo is allowed into the SAFE AREA ... if you handle ammo in the SAFE AREA, you will be DQ'd ... you may load your mags anywhere, at any time ... EXCEPT in the SAFE AREA |
| • | USPSA is a 100% volunteer activity ... if you're physically able, you should sign-up to help set-up and/or clean-up at least a couple matches per year ... if you go to sign-up, and it's full, check again next week, and every week |
| • | when it's not almost your turn to shoot, you should be loading mags, pasting targets (after they're scored), resetting steel, scoring, or RO'ing ... you may pick up YOUR OWN brass if it's marked or warm (otherwise, it's not yours, and now belongs to the clean-up crew) ... the last thing the guys staying late to clean-up, need to see is someone else staying late to help themselves to other people's brass |
| • | when you pay your match fee, copy your name and shooter no. onto your scoresheet ... before or after that, there are separate squad sign-up sheets for which range you should start on, and head to ASAP ... do your best to help ensure that each squad has the same number of shooters ... when any range has 4+ people ... and
an RO ... they should start shooting ... if you finish, but have less than 12 in your squad, wait another 10min for more shooters for your squad |
| • | someone will collect everyone's scoresheets ... if you get late-comers, put their scoresheet "down 2" (late-comers should not be rewarded with the benefit of seeing how everyone else has chosen to shoot the course, before they have to) ... however, if a late-comer was helping set-up, put him on the bottom ... if you're a new shooter, ask to be moved down towards the bottom |
| • | if you are new, plan to move very slowly ... your goal is to NOT get DQ'd ... a new shooter, regardless of prior
shooting experience, who does NOT move slowly, is perceived as disrespectful to everyone else's safety ... you will impress NO ONE by moving quickly ... you will impress everyone by moving very slowly and shooting accurately |
| • | as the match progresses, the next three shooters' names will be announced ... when your turn is approaching, make sure you have sufficient mags loaded and
on your belt ... when the shooter, prior to you, is finished, wait by the start position for the RO ... and remind the RO you are new ... remember, your #1 goal is to not be DQ'd ... after several matches, everything you do to avoid being DQ'd will become reflex, and you'll have more fun |
| • | the RO should call the range "HOT!" and then instruct you to "make ready" ... face downrange, and load a full mag into your gun, and cycle the slide to chamber a round ... if your gun has a manual safety or decocker, you must engage either (if it has both, and you're shooting Production, use the decocker) ... then re-holster your gun ... at this point, if you have any questions, now is the time to ask them ... but it's best to get them answered well before it's your turn to shoot |
| • | after you've loaded and made ready, the RO will ask "are you ready?" ... shake your head, if you're not ... no response is considered affirmative ... the RO will then say "stand by", which means the next sound you hear should be the start signal of the timer ... upon the start signal,
draw your gun and begin firing ... upon the start signal, you will experience an extreme rush of adrenaline which will severely impair your cognitive skills ... this is why it's so important to go very slow |
| • | when you have finished shooting at all the targets, simply stop, make sure your muzzle is pointed downrange and your finger is outside the trigger-guard ... the RO will then ask "if you are finished, unload and show clear" ... eject your mag and hold the slide back so the RO may see into the chamber ... keep holding the slide back until the RO says "if clear" ... release the slide ... the RO will then say "hammer down" ... aim at the back berm, not the ground in front of you, and pull the trigger (fully expect it to go off, sometimes, it does, at which, you will be DQ'd) ... the RO will then say "holster" ... re-holster your gun, engage any retention devices, and take your hand off it ... the RO will then announce "range is clear!" at which, the RO and the score-keeper will tally your score and the pasters will re-paste the targets for the next shooter (make sure a target's been scored before you paste it) |
| • | if an RO stops you, FREEZE, make sure your muzzle is pointed downrange, and your finger is outside the trigger-guard ... then do NOTHING else ... wait for instructions from the RO |
| • | an RO may stop you for something other than being DQ'd ... like if the timer malfunctioned and you need to start over ... do NOT panic if you are stopped ... people sometimes get DQ'd AFTER they are stopped ... if you are DQ'd, do NOT take it personally |
| • | if you are DQ'd, the RO will instruct you to "unload and show clear" ... once the "range is clear", go to the SAFE AREA and re-case your gun ... you may watch, and help, but not shoot, the rest of the day ... unless otherwise instructed, you are welcome to come shoot the next match |
| • | the 180 refers to an imaginary line, both vertically, as well as horizontally, between the targets and everyone else ... if your muzzle crosses, or
approaches, the 180, you will be DQ'd |
| • | if your finger's inside the trigger-guard while you take more than one step, without firing at a target, or while loading/reloading/unloading, drawing/holstering, or attempting to resolve a malfunction, you will be DQ'd (at home, with an unloaded gun, practice drawing/reholstering with your finger outside the trigger-guard) |
| • | you will be DQ'd for an AD (accidental discharge) which is when your gun fires while drawing or otherwise retrieving it, or while holstering, placing it somewhere, loading, reloading, unloading, transferring it between hands, attempting to resolve a malfunction, or while moving but not engaging targets ... regardless, if you fire your gun at the ground within 10ft of yourself (where no target was engaged), or over any berm, you will be DQ'd |
| • | holstering a cocked gun, without one of a safety or decocker engaged (if so equipped) will result in DQ ... holstering any cocked revolver, will result in DQ |
| • | whether your gun is loaded or not, if after "make ready", and before "range is clear", your hands are relieved of your gun, you will be DQ'd (if your gun falls out of your holster at any other time, you must have an RO pick it up, and reholster it, for you, or you will be DQ'd) |
| • | if you inadvertently sweep your body (below your belt), while drawing or holstering, and your finger is outside the trigger-guard, you're ok ... otherwise, sweeping any part of your body will result in DQ |