FRONT SIGHT - uspsa

1NsIDENROIby John Amidon, \Rol DK( TURAccidental, Unsafe,BrokenThese are all words with variousmeanings. They are also actions performedby competitors which therange officer is expected to handleduring a match as part of his or herduties. Most of these actions happenso fast that there is a delayed reactionon the part of the range officer.While that reaction time may onlybe a few seconds, it seems muchlonger to those not making the decision.The range officer then has tomake an objective judgement in decidingwhat penalty, if any, shouldbe applied to the cornpetitor. Thisdecision is not always an easy choiceand frequently is not a popular one.No competitor wants to be removedfrom a match and the range officertakes no enjoyment from doing so.However, that is a part of the sportin which we compete, and we mustnever overlook the safety aspect ofour sport. To err is indeed human,but if you must make an error, alwaysdo it on the side of safety.What has prompted these wordsand this article is the recurring problemwith cases detonating in thechamber while unloading andshowing clear. It has even generatedmany postings on the unofficialIPSC e-mail list, which, of course,KriegerA PatentedSlide andFrame Tight.ening Systemwhich Improvesthe accuracyand the entireMechanical FunctioningGive your Gun that Sotid one.Piece Feeling, wont ShootLoose Like the Current Method ofBending. Squeezing and peening$215 plus 812.50 shipping per gunhas offered many solutions andeven a posting saying there is noneed for a solution because theproblem is minimal. The debate iswhether it is a discharge, a detonationor even a deflagration. Is it anaccidental discharge resulting in amatch DQ? Is it a broken gun whichmust be removed from the matchuntil such time as the gun is deemedsafe again?Well, it could be any of these,and this is what the range officer hasto decide and decide immediately.Some of the postings even suggestedrule changes so that after the time isrecorded, a competitor would removetheir magazine and then firetheir last round. Of course, thisbrought up the "what if's." What ifthe competitor shot the last roundinto a target to pick up a miss afterthe time was recorded; what if weprovide an unloading target at eachstage and tape after each competitorCOLT • SPRINGFIELD • CASPIAN • PARA ORD.STI • VOIGT • All 1911 CopiesACC-U-RAILPislolsmiths InvitedBOB KRIEGER, INC.master Guisme2271 Star CourtRoche,sler Hills. MI 49309(2481853.6171so the range officer could tellwhether the competitor was actuallyshooting the unloading target? Thepostings went on and on, but thesuggestion of more rules surprisedme, as I thought from listening tomost of the members I meet that wehad too many rules already.Actually, we already have therules in place to cover this problem.For example, rule 12.02 (i) states,"Any discharge prior to commencement,or while loading, reloading,unloading, or during remedial actionof a malfunction will be regardedas unsafe gun handling, oran accidental discharge." We are notgoing to get into a debate as towhether it was a discharge or detonationor any other term. The rulesare simple, and they address the gungoing off (discharge) — it is a matchDQ. If the competitor feels that theproblem was not related to anythinghe or she did, there are avenues theyare allowed to take within the samerules. Rules 12.02(ii), 9.31, US9.31and 8.07 are some to start with.What could be the reason thatthe case exploded in the chamber?There may be many, and here aresome of them — the extractor is outof adjustment, the ejector is too shortor has a sharp point, the length ofthe cartridge, etc. For safety's sake,we will not alter our position onsuch a serious issue; the competitorhas an obligation to show that theycan handle their firearm in a safemanner. If they cannot, the rulestake over. If they can, but the problemis not their doing, the rulesagain take over.USPSA/NROI's main concern issafety: The safety of competitors, thesafety of range officers, and thesafety of the children and/or parentswho come to observe a match.We really need to start practicingbetter safety habits. It simply is notINSIDE NROI continued on page 67.FRONT SIGHT • November/December 1998