The International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) is the world's largest shooting sport association, and the largest and oldest within practical shooting. Founded in 1976, the IPSC nowadays affiliates over 100 regions from Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania. Competitions are held with pistols, revolvers, rifles, and shotguns, and the competitors are divided into different divisions based on firearm and equipment features. While everyone in a division competes in the Overall category, there are also separate awards for the categories Lady (female competitors), Super Junior (under 14 years), Junior (under 18 years), Senior (over 50 years), and Super Senior (over 60 years).
IPSC's activities include international regulation of the sport by approving firearms and equipment for various divisions, administering competition rules, and educating range officials (referees) through the International Range Officers Association who are responsible for conducting matches safely, fairly, and according to the rules. IPSC organizes the World Championships called the Handgun World Shoot, Rifle World Shoot, and Shotgun World Shoot with three-year intervals for each discipline.
In reaction to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the IPSC cancelled all scheduled and future level 3 and above international competitions in Russia.
History
The sport of practical shooting originated from competitions in California in the 1950s intending to develop handgun skills for defensive use, but quickly evolved into a pure sport with little grounding in the original purpose. The sport soon expanded to Europe, Australia, South America, and Africa. IPSC was founded in May 1976 when practical shooting enthusiasts from around the world participated at a conference held in Columbia, Missouri, creating a constitution and establishing the rules governing the sport.Columbia Conference Minutes"What Is IPSC ", accessed August 17, 2007. Jeff Cooper served as the first IPSC President. Today there are over 100 active IPSC regions, making practical shooting a major international sport that emphasizes firearms safety highly. Through international rules concerning firearms, equipment, and organizing of matches one tries to unite the three elements of precision, power, and speed, which is also the motto of IPSC that is (DVC), Latin for "precision, power, speed". Only full-caliber firearms are used, i.e. for handguns 9×19mm is the smallest caliber, and the competitors try to achieve the most points in the shortest time possible.
Scoring system
Accuracy and speed is reflected by the comstock scoring method, while power is reflected by the minimum power factor requirement. Competitors fire the stages one at a time, and the scoring system is based on achieving most possible points in the shortest time.
Comstock The scoring method is called comstock, named after its inventor Walt Comstock, which means that the competitor has unlimited time to complete the stage and can fire an unlimited number of rounds. The time is measured from the start signal until the last shot fired using special shot timers with microphones, and this way the competitor can influence the total stage time. Since the number of rounds is unlimited, the competitor can re-engage the same target to get more points, but at the cost of using more time. Usually, the two best scoring hits count for each target.
Competitors are ranked for each stage by their hit factor, which is the ratio of points per second. The hit factor is calculated by summing the points (target scores minus penalties) and dividing by the time used.
For example, if a stage has 12 paper targets, requires two scoring hits per paper target, and since an A-hit gives 5 points, the stage will have 12 × 2 × 5 = 120 points available. If a competitor scores 115 points and uses 25.00 seconds he will get a hit factor for that stage of = 4.6. The competitor with the highest hit factor wins the stage and gets all the available stage points (in this case 120 stage points), while other competitors are given stage points based on their hit factor percentage compared to the winner. For the overall match score, stage points are added for all stages, which means that each stage is weighted by how many stage points that are available.
The scoring method allows for a precise gradation of performances across the match, but requires a computer and software to do in a timely fashion. Matches can either be scored on paper and manually transferred to the official IPSC Match Scoring System (WinMSS), or can be scored directly on electronic devices like smartphones and tablets with the WinMSS Electronic Score Sheet (ESS) app or third party scoring systems like Shoot'n Score It or PractiScore.
Power factor
The power factor is the momentum of the fired bullet as it's moving through the air, which contribute to the recoil of the firearm (together with the propellant gases stemming from the amount of gunpowder). Thus, the power factor in a way reflects recoil. The power factor must exceed certain thresholds, and is calculated by measuring the bullet speed using a chronograph and measuring another of the competitor's bullets on a weighing scale to find the bullet mass, thereafter calculating the power factor by the formula:
The official unit used for the power factor is the imperial unit kilo grain feet per second (kgr·ft/s), while newton-seconds (Ns) is the metric equivalent. "Grain feet per second" (gr·ft/s) can be obtained by measuring the mass in grain (gr) (equal to pound), and velocity in feet per second (ft/s), but since their product yields a very large number it is common to multiply by a factor of , obtaining the power factor in "kilo grain feet per second" instead.
To measure the muzzle velocity the competitor's ammunition must be fired in the competitor's firearm, since velocities can vary slightly from one firearm to another. In for instance handgun competitions, the ammunition must exceed 125 kgr·ft/s ((2.47 Ns)) for minor scoring, and at least 160 or 170 kgr·ft/s (3.16 or 3.36 Ns) for major scoring (depending on division). Extra scoring is not given for exceeding the threshold. A competitor declaring major, but who fails the threshold, have their score re-calculated at minor. A competitor who fails the threshold of minor is given a score of zero for the match.
Minimum power factors DivisionMinor scoringMajor scoringHandgun production125 kgr·ft/s (2.47 Ns) Only minor scoringHandgun standard, classic, revolver125 kgr·ft/s (2.47 Ns)170 kgr·ft/s (3.36 Ns)Handgun open125 kgr·ft/s (2.47 Ns)160 kgr·ft/s (3.16 Ns)Rifle all divisions150 kgr·ft/s (2.96 Ns)320 kgr·ft/s (6.32 Ns)Shotgun all divisions480 kgr·ft/s (9.48 Ns) Only major scoring
Targets
To achieve a varied, challenging and exciting sport there are no fixed target arrangements, distances or shooting programs, making every match unique. Paper and steel targets can be mixed in the same stage, and may be static, moving or partially covered by targets called no-shoots that give minus points if hit.
Paper targets have the three scoring zones A, C, and D with points per hit varying slightly depending on power factor. A center hit for both minor or major is five points, but hits in lesser scoring areas are rewarded more for major than minor with the A-C-D zones being scored 5–4–2 for major and 5–3–1 for minor (see table below). A competitor who has declared minor must therefore either shoot more "A" hits or shoot faster than one who has declared major to make up the scoring disadvantage.
Some typical examples of moving target setups are swingers, bobbers, clamshells, movers, and drop turners.
Scoring of the targets is done by the Range Officer. For the competitor to get the relevant scoring value or penalty points, the bullet hole must at least touch the line of the scoring area.2019 IPSC Combined Competition Rules, , 9.5.2 and 9.5.3 (Breaking the relevant scoring line is thus not necessary.)
Steel targets score 5 points and must fall to be scored. (For rifle some steel targets may score 10 points).
Scoring areaMinor pointsMajorpointsA55C34D12
For paper targets, the octagonal IPSC Target in typical cardboard color is used throughout all the disciplines, and a scaled-down IPSC Mini Target is used to simulate a full size target placed at a greater distance. Additionally, the Universal Target can be used for rifle or shotgun, while the A3 and A4 paper targets are approved for shotgun matches only.
For steel targets, there are two standardized knock down targets, the IPSC Popper (85 cm tall) and the scaled-down IPSC Mini Popper (56 cm tall). Metal plates are often circles between 20–30 cm in diameter or squares between 15×15 cm to 30×30 cm for handgun, and circles between 15–30 cm in diameter or squares between 15×15 cm to 30×45 cm for rifle and shotgun.
Disciplines and divisions For many years IPSC was fired with whatever firearm the competitors chose, but as equipment became more and more specialized various equipment classes were introduced. The equipment classes in IPSC are called "divisions". All divisions fire the same stages, on the same days, as all other divisions, in a match. However, when calculating match standings, only divisional stage scores are compared. Thus, the top competitor in Open on a stage is the measure for all other Open competitors, the best Standard competitor is the measure for all other Standard competitors and likewise for all other divisions.
Handgun
In handgun, there is currently one division for optical sights and four divisions for iron sights. The minimum caliber is 9×19mm for all handgun divisions. During the competition the handgun must be worn in a holster securely attached to the competitor's belt. The holster needs to cover the trigger guard, the heel of the gun needs to be above the top of the belt and the belt has to be attached through at least three belt loops. Men must wear the holster, magazine holders, etc. in the belt at waist level, while female competitors may choose to wear their equipment either at hip or waist level. During the competition the position of the holster, magazine holders etc. can not be moved or adjusted from stage to stage. For all divisions except Open and Revolver the foremost portion of the handgun and all magazines must be placed behind the hip bone. Race holsters are permitted in all divisions.
Open The Open division is the handgun equivalent to the Formula 1 race car where most modifications are permitted to achieve a faster and more accurate gun. It's the only division which permits optical and electronic sights (such as red dot sights) and recoil reducing muzzle brakes (also called compensators).IPSC:: The Handgun Divisions List The division facilitates the highest magazine capacity, placing a restriction of 170 mm maximum overall length measured at the rear of any magazine. Shorter magazines, i.e. 140 mm, are also popular because of easier handling and often more reliable feeding, leaving the competitor a choice of equipment according to the stage at hand.
Open and Revolver are the only two divisions where 9mm bullets (.355") can be used to achieve major scoring, and hence .38 Super (or some variant) or 9×19mm loaded to major power factor of 160 kgr·ft/s are popular cartridges for the pistols in Open. The 9mm caliber cartridges provides higher gas pressures and better magazine capacity over 10 mm calibers. Open handguns are often expensive custom builds with parts and features specifically designed for competition, and with the maximum magazine length of 170 mm some 9mm/ .38 Super magazines can hold up to 28 or 29 rounds.[ Infinity Firearms – Magazines]