USPSA (including Steel Challenge)
Our Matches
The USPSA matches by Flagstaff Action Shooters (AZ24) is a USPSA match held near Flagstaff, Arizona. We host pistol and Multi-Gun matches and typically run four stages for pistol matches. We also host Steel Challenge matches and typically run four stages per match. We are now an officially sanctioned Steel Challenge club. Use your USPSA member number when registering for Steel Challenge matches.
Normal match time is 9:00 am but in the winter we start at 10:00 am. You can register for our matches on Practiscore. Registration closes at 6:00 pm MST the night before the match. We do accept walk-ons but really prefer that you register on Practiscore to help the match start on time. Match fees are $10 for Flagstaff Action Shooters members and $15 for non-members.
Occasionally we have to cancel a match due to weather or for some other reason. Any match cancellation will be announced via the email list (see the link below for email signup).
Arrive at 8:30 a.m. for check-in, earlier if you want to help with setup. Eye and ear protection are required, and you must be present at the safety briefing to participate. We operate under cold range rules. Do not exit the car with loaded weapon. Your unloaded gun must be in a case or holster to enter the range. The only time we handle firearms is at a "safe table", or at the at the firing line with a safety officer present. Firearms remain unloaded until the safety officer directs the participant to "make ready." Please do not be late, if you are not present at the safety briefing, you cannot shoot with us.
If you are new to shooting USPSA or have not shot with us before you be sure to read the FAS New Shooter's Guide.
We also run an email list to notify people of any Flagstaff Action Shooters matches, events and occasionally other info. You can sign up for the email list at https://tinyletter.com/FlagstaffActionShooters
What is this IPSC or USPSA action pistol thing?
USPSA, the United States Practical Shooting Association, is the U. S. member of the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC). USPSA and IPSC were established to promote, maintain, and advance practical marksmanship, and trace their roots back to competitive shooting developed in Southern California in the 1950s.
From the USPSA website:
Practical shooting is a
sport that evolved from experimentation with handguns used for
self-defense. The researchers were an international group of private
individuals, law enforcement officers, and military people generally
operating independently of each other, challenging the then-accepted
standards of technique, training practices, and equipment. The work
was, for the most part, conducted for their own purposes without
official sanction. Even so, what they learned changed the face of
police and military training forever.
You may remember that in
the original Dirty Harry movie, Clint Eastwood's character visits a
training center and walks down the street of a mock city engaging
hostile targets and while identifying and sparing innocents. A lot of
us saw it too, and thought, "cool!" It looked like too much
fun to be just the law enforcement work of qualifying with a
handgun.
Competition had begun with the "leather slap"
quick draw events of the 1950's, which had grown out of America's
love affair with the TV westerns of that era. However, many wished
for a forum that would more directly test the results of the
experimentation that had been going on in Big Bear, California and
many other places. Competitions evolved to test what had been
learned, and just for the pure fun presented by what quickly became a
sport requiring competitors to deal with constantly changing
scenarios while shooting rapidly and accurately with full power
handguns.
In 1976 an international group of enthusiasts
interested in what had become known as "practical" shooting
met in Columbia, Missouri. From that meeting came the International
Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC). In 1984 USPSA was
incorporated as the US Region of IPSC. Membership in USPSA
automatically includes membership in IPSC.
For 20 years USPSA
competition has provided a test bed for equipment and techniques,
many of which are now the standard for police and military training.
Some of USPSA's top competitors are regularly employed as trainers
for elite police and military units. Today, USPSA matches are
conducted every week by the nearly 400 affiliated clubs all over the
United States. For most people, practical shooting is pure sport
conducted with little or no thought of the self-defense aspect of
firearms use. However, USPSA members are generally the most
proficient shooters in the world as witnessed by their domination in
the world of firearms competition.
What do you need to compete?
A reliable and safe handgun, 9mm or larger, a minimum of three magazines, and a belt/holster* system to hold them. Eye and ear protection. Plenty of water, maybe some snacks, some sunscreen, and a positive mental attitude. This is serious fun.
* Serpa retention holsters are not permitted at Flagstaff Action Shooting matches. Please contact us for more details.
What exactly is 3-gun (or “multigun”)?
3-gun is as close to a first person video game as you will get without joining the military.
3-gun gets its name from the fact that you use three different types of firearms over the course of the competition: a shotgun, a rifle, and a pistol.
You score points by hitting designated targets, which include clay pigeons, cardboard silhouettes, and steel targets of varying sizes. Competitors lose points for hitting “no shoot” targets (hostages, friendlies, etc) or skipping targets / obstacles. Their score is augmented by the time it takes to complete the course of fire. The person with the combination of fastest time and best accuracy wins.
What do you need to compete?
The basic materials are pretty simple and fairly cheap; a complete competitive 3-gun setup can be yours for less than $1,000. All you really need is a semi-automatic rifle, a shotgun (pump or semi-auto) and a pistol (semi-auto or revolver). Although there are different divisions with different equipment requirements, any AR-style .223 is good to go, any shotgun with 20ga or larger will work, and a 9mm or larger pistol is good to go. You will need a holster* for the pistol, and magazine and shell holders for the ammunition.
* Serpa retention holsters are not permitted at Flagstaff Action Shooting matches. Please contact us for more details.
Want to learn more?
Google searches and YouTube work, but the best way is to come on out and try it, ask questions, and have some fun.