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From: unmvax!sandia!ralph@gatech.edu (Ralph Keyser)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: Revolvers in IPSC
Message-ID: <35223@mimsy.umd.edu>
Date: 4 Jun 91 20:04:19 GMT
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In article <35130@mimsy.umd.edu> microsoft!joeha@beaver.cs.washington.edu writes:
#
#Wasn't the idea behind IPSC to offer realistic testing of you  
#and the gun you carry everyday, the gun you would have  
#with you when going to convience stores, banks or the  
#park?  Or do you actually carry your race tuned gun around  
#with you?  If you use a different gun for carrying, why aren't  
#you shooting IPSC with it? 
# 
#
Joe, you've put your finger right on an entertaining sore spot. I
think that most people would agree that the "practical" part of
IPSC is often in doubt even if we ignore for the moment the greater 
debate about whether IPSC is a good training ground.

First off, let me encourage you to go out and buy too many speedloaders
and shoot IPSC with your revolver. You'll learn alot about yourself
and your equipment. Every club that I've shot with has separate catagories
for revolvers and autoloaders (as well as stock vs custom catagories) in
addition to major and minor. Many of the stages are set up in logical
groups of six shots, so you can see that the revolver is not forgotten
in IPSC. You will get good at reloading, however. You will also probably
find that it takes a *lot* of rounds to get good at this game, so you may
end up in the sport of reloading as well.

Now, for why you don't see more revolvers at IPSC (I see only a few of
them), I think it boils down to the general competative nature of 
human beings. People tend to lose track of IPSC's original purpose
and start comparing themselves to absolute numbers. They want to be
the fastest, period. Not "the best score" in class X, but the best
score, period. This leads to the race car syndrome since the old 
Chevy is not the fastest car, even if it does get to the store
everytime, rain or shine. Your first move is to an autoloader since
IPSC involves firing more than six rounds in a stage and reloads
take time. Then probably the cut-away competition holsters to shave
a few tenths off the draw. Then...well, as you said, Flash Gordon
City.

Now, in case you haven't guessed, I think IPSC "style" shooting is
the best training available to most average folks. I shoot a stock
autoloader most of the time, and a revolver occasionally. But I
should let you know that the IPSC "race guns" are very seductive. 
Like any tool specialized for a given function, they are
very, very good at what they are designed to do, and they are a
blast to shoot (pun probably intentional). 

So, go out and give IPSC a try. I think you'll get a big kick out
of it. You will probably not have much of anyone to compete against
in the revolver catagory, but if you are out for training and 
experience instead of the win, I think you'll do just fine. Be sure
to take advantage of talking to the best shooters there. There's
a lot to learn about shooting fast and accurately, and lots of
it can be translated to "real life".

Ralph Keyser                        Albuquerque, NM
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-- 
Ralph Keyser                        Albuquerque, NM
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