Annual Issue 2008 | FOCUS: Iron and Steel.
Steel Challenge became part of USPSA's world this year, expanding opportunity for practical shooters everywhere. Look for an explanation of Steel Challenge in this issue! Matthew Mink graces this year's cover, blasting his way into the Top 10 at USPSA's Production nationals. He's a part of USPSA's fastest-growing division -- Production. (Photo by Robin Taylor, USPSA staff.)
.
.
Annual Issue 2007 | FOCUS: Iron Sights.
Our low-tech divisions continue to draw the vast majority of activity (nearly 75 percent in 2006). This year David Sevigny became the first "Limited" division champion to win the title with a non-1911 derivative. His expoits in Production, Limited-10, and now Limited have helped fuel the current focus on stock- and near-stock guns within USPSA. (Photo by Roger Maier, USPSA staff.)
.
.
Annual Issue 2006
Annual Issue 2005
.
EUROPEAN ANNUAL. | FOCUS: EUROPE!
Front Sight launched a European Annual in May 2009, catering directly to IPSC shooters at matches across Western Europe. Practical Shooting in Europe has taken off in the last decade, and Front Sight has been covering the European "scene" for the last few years. This annual reprises Front Sight's recent European coverage, and explains a bit about USPSA at the same time. Appropriately, Saul Kirsch graces the cover of Front Sight's first European issue. Saul captains the STI Euro team, but is well-known to American USPSA/IPSC shooters thanks to his frequent visits to the United States. He's shown here competing in the USPSA Open Nationals in Missoula, Montana. (Photo by Robin Taylor.) Download a copy of the European Annual
USPSA's Robin Taylor applies his experience with Glocks to the new "Gen 4" model. He says Glock's new variant offers many improvements of interest to Glock-shooting competitors worldwide. The Glock is already the most-popular gun used in Production Division in the United States and has a strong following in other divisions as well. This new "Gen" adds removable backstraps, a larger, reversible mag release, and much more. Download story.
EXCERPT: In essence, the Gen 4 is what Glock enthusiasts would call an "SF" 9mm ("SF" stands for "small frame") with the added ability to extend the grip. Going "SF" means the trigger reach has been shortened, and the curves at the back flattened slightly to make the pistol easier to get your hand around. This makes the mag release easier to reach for people with relatively short fingers (a common anti-Glock complaint).
To pad the "SF" Gen 4 out to the normal "Gen 3" profile, one pins a "backstrap" onto the grip. The medium "backstrap" itself is really a backstrap cover that has little structural integrity of its own. It's a thin bit of polymer, retained by two polymer hooks at the bottom and a slightly over-size, over-length trigger housing pin at the top. To make the pistol even longer, mount the "large" backstrap cover instead, and you have a gun somewhere between the standard 9mm frame and Glock's famously-beefy .45 (the Glock 21). While the gun isn't any wider, the length makes it feel as though it is. I have relatively long fingers (I can shoot a Glock 21 easily), so this option appealed to me a great deal.
None of the "backstraps" change the width of the pistol at all. Instead the grip angle changes slightly, and the trigger reach changes. None of the changes are night-and-day obvious from the outside, but they're very noticeable in the hand. Thanks to the rough, rounded surfaces, my measurements in the accompanying table aren't exact, but they give you an idea of how much change is involved.
Mod. 2: "SF" Style Trigger Housing
Gone are the days when one trigger housing worked in every Glock in the line. To achieve the smaller "SF" frame dimensions, something had to change inside. That thing was primarily the trigger housing, which is shorter, and has beveled edges. It will NOT work in the Gen 1-3 Glock 17s (I tried).
There are also small changes to the trigger bar, altering some of the geometry relative to the trigger return spring. That part DOES interchange with a Gen 1-3 pistol in a pinch, but I haven't heard back from Glock about potential long-term use. . .
Jessie Abbate has set the practical shooting world on its ear in the space of four years. She's still a junior in college (business major) but is out-shooting the entire ladies' field. Learn more about this record-setting shooting phenom in this issue. Download cover story.
EXCERPT: "A young Anika Sorenstam forced the PGA to debate whether women could play pro golf in men's tournaments. Until she came along, that wasn't really an issue, but when Sorenstam posted a pro average below 70, things changed. There's still quite a gulf between multi-millionaire Sorenstam's accomplishments and World Champion Jessie, but there are parallels.
Jessie won two USPSA national titles and swept the Steel Challenge nationals in 2007 and 2008. In 2009 she took two more USPSA National titles (Production and Limited), swept the Steel Challenge Nationals, and shot a perfect hat trick at the Worlds. That made her unbeaten in 18 starts over three years. Sorenstam never did that.
Abbate set six world records in 2009, handily out-pacing all other women, past or present. Of the eight stages shot at the Steel Challenge, Abbate holds records on five, and holds the fastest time ever shot by a woman (94.94)."
Rogert Vogel, Dave Sevigny, Max Michel, Ted Puente, and Cliff Walsh all found their way to victory at USPSA's handgun nationals in Las Vegas. While we felt Robert Vogel's successes deserved the cover, Ted Puente and Cliff Walsh certainly caught our eye. Both are first-time national champions, upsetting the favorites in their divisions. Walsh in particular upset legendary wheelgun ace Jerry Miculek, who (until now) has never LOST a USPSA revolver title -- and virtually owns the ICORE title as well.
Among the women Jessie Abbate continues to crush the competition, but Randi Rogers and Megan Francisco brought home the titles in their respective divisions. Their stories appear separately in an article by Paul Hyland.
Read about the match here: Download file
Max Michel makes it three in Piru, while Jessie Abbate crushes the ladies competition. If you haven't been keeping an eye on the rebirth of Steel Challenge, take a minute to catch up on the action! Story and photos by Robin Taylor.
Read about the match Download file">HERE.
Glen Higdon rockets down the zipline fun shoot at the Area 1 Championships, slinging paintballs as he goes. This year's Area 1 Championships in Parma, Idaho brought the Northwest's best together for a weekend's fun. Serious competition found its way into a match festooned with floating platforms, ziplines, and the infamous "Polish Plate Rack." Story by Nick Welch, photos by Dave Thomas.
Read about the match HERE.
Rob Leatham secured his 15th victory at the Single Stack Classic/USPSA Single Stack Nationals this year, continuing a winning streak rarely equalled in modern sport! Join Patrick Sweeney as he explains what it's like to try your hand at the top 1911-match in the world. (Photo by Patrick Sweeney.)
Read about the Single Stack Nationals, click HERE.
Max Michel points to the margin of victory at the SCSA Nationals match in Titusville, Fla. Had he shot wide by another 1/10th of an inch, BJ Norris would be the victor. The SCSA Nationals is the premier match for the S&W Steel Series, administered by U.S. National Steel.
(Photo by Dave Thomas.)
Read about the SCSA Nationals, click HERE.
Travis Tomasie led the US squad to victory at World Shoot XV in Bali, Indonesia. Coming close on the heels of his victory at the USPSA Limited Championship, his victory cements Tomasie's position as the No. 1 Limited/Standard division shooter in the world!
To read about the World Shoot, click HERE.
Jessie Abbate pulled down almost every title she reached for in 2008. This issue features two of her triumphs -- the 2008 Limited/Production/Revolver championship (where Jessie took high lady in Production), and the Multigun National Championship in Tulsa (where Jessie was high lady tactical).
To read about the Multigun, click HERE.
To read about the "LPR" Handgun Championships, click HERE.
STEEL CHALLENGE 2008
BJ Norris lands the Steel Master title, while KC Eusebio sets the World Record!
Follow us into the midst of the action in Piru, Calif. for the Steel Challenge World Championships 2008. Shooters came in from Japan, from the Netherlands, Canada, and saw history made before their eyes.
Read about it HERE.
Blistering heat and heavy competition couldn't stop U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit shooter Travis Tomasie at the recent Area 1 Championship. One of the top Limited Division shooters in the world, Tomasie is also one of the top Caspian drivers in the United States.
Read about it HERE.
Rob Leatham Wins AGAIN in Barry. Leatham's unbroken streak of victories at the Single Stack Classic reveals the truth behind his nickname, "The Great One." It's another great victory for Springfield Armory, and the Leatham legend.
Patrick Sweeney brings us the story, supported by photography from Front Sight's own Dave Thomas.
Read about it HERE.
. .
At one time I used to tell people that you could see SHOT in two days.
This year I spent three-and-a-half days walking up one aisle and down the other – spending the other half-day on specific photo and PR missions. Folks, it’s huge. Knowing I wouldn’t see everything, I enlisted James Tarr and some other volunteers to help me scan the aisles, hoping to get a good read on what’s new, and more importantly, what’s relevant to USPSA for the coming year.
Read about what we found HERE.
(Story by Robin Taylor and James Tarr.)
Continue reading "IN SEARCH OF: Front Sight Prowls SHOT 2008"
Tulsa hosted the top multi-gun specialists in the land for 2008. Michelle Dehan's excellent action photography combines with Heavy Metal champion Patrick Kelley's observances to form our coverage of this important event.
Read about it HERE.
(Story by Patrick Kelley, www.multigun.com.)
Mud's the word for Tulsa's 2007 Limited/Production/Revolver nationals. Rob Leatham, Lisa Munson, David Sevigny, Jessie Abbatte, and Jerry Miculek plowed their way to glory in one of the closest-fought matches in USPSA history. Tulsa's nasty conditions put the athleticism of USPSA competition back on center stage.
Read about it all HERE.
(Story by USPSA's Robin Taylor.)
