International Practical Shooting Confederation

International Practical Shooting Confederation

Headquarters	Oakville, Ontario, Canada
President	Nick Alexakos

The International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) is a shooting sport based on the concept of practical shooting. Accuracy, power and speed are all required to achieve a maximum score.

Founding and organization

IPSC was founded at a conference held in Columbia, Missouri, in May 1976. Practical shooting enthusiasts from around the world participated, creating a constitution and establishing the rules governing the sport. Jeff Cooper served as the first IPSC President.

While IPSC is an international organization, countries have their own organizations under the IPSC umbrella. For example, there is the United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) in the United States, and the United Kingdom Practical Shooting Association (UKPSA) in the United Kingdom, and the South African Practical Shooting Association (SAPSA) in South Africa. There are currently over 90 active IPSC regions.

Region	Name of the region
Andorra	Club Andorrà de Tir de Precisió (CATP)
Argentina	Federación de Tiro Práctico de la República Argentina (FTPRA)
Armenia	IPSC Armenia
Aruba	Aruba Practical Shooters Club (APSC)
Australia	IPSC Australia Inc
Barbados	IPSC Barbados
Belgium	Belgian Parcours Shooting Association (BPSA)
Bolivia	Federación Boliviana de Tíro Práctico (FBTP)
Bosnia and Herzegovina	IPSC Bosnia Herzegovina
Brazil	Confederação Brasileira de Tiro Pratico (CBTP)
Bulgaria	Bulgarian Dynamic Shooting Federation (BDSF)
Canada	IPSC Canada
Guernsey	Channel Islands Practical Shooting Association (CIPSA)
Chile	IPSC Chile
Colombia	China Practical Shooting Association (CPSA)
Costa Rica	La Asociación de Tiro Práctico de Costa Rica (ASOTIPRA)
Curaçao	Curaçao Practical Shooters Club (CPSC)
Denmark	Dansk Sportsskytte Forbund (DSF)
Ecuador	IPSC Ecuador
El Salvador	Asociacion de Tiro Practico, El Salvador (ATPES)
Estonia	Eesti Practical-laskmise Ühing (EPÜ)
Philippines	Philippine Practical Shooting Association (PPSA)
Finland	Suomen Ampumaurheiluliitto/ Finnish Shooting Sport Federation (SA/ FSSF)
France	Fédération Française de Tir (FFT)
Gibraltar	Gibraltar Pistol Association (GPA)
Guam	Guam Shooting Sports Federation (GSSF)
Guatemala	IPSC Guatemala
Greece	Hellenic Shooting Federation (HSF)
Honduras	Asociación Hondureña de Tiro Práctico (AHTP)
Hong Kong	Hong Kong Practical Shooting Association (HKPSA)
Belarus	Belarusian Federation of Practical Shooting (BFPS)
India	IPSC India
Indonesia	IPSC Indonesia
Ireland	Irish Target Sports (ITS)
Israel	Israeli Shooting Federation (ISF)
Italia	Federazione Italiana Tiro Dinamico Sportivo/ Italian Dynamic Shooting Federation (FITDS/ IDSF)
Jamaica	Jamaica Rifle Association (JRA)
Japan	IPSC Japan (
Kazakhstan	IPSC Kazakhstan
China	China Practical Shooting Association (CPSA)
Kyrgyzstan	IPSC Kyrgyzstan
Croatia	Hrvatski Savez Za Praktično Streljaštvo/ Croatian Practical Shooting Association (HSPS/ CPSA)
Kuwait	IPSC Kuwait
Laos	IPSC Laos
Latvia	IPSC Latvia
Lithuania	Lietuvos Praktinio Saudymo Sporto Federacija (LPSSF)
Macau	IPSC Macau Association
Malaysia	IPSC Malaysia
Malta	Association of Maltese Arms Collectors and Shooters (AMACS)
Isle of Man	Isle of Man Target Shooting Federation (IMTSF)
Moldova	IPSC Moldova
Monaco	Federation Monegasque de Tir/ Monaco Shooting Federation (FMT/ MSF)
Mongolia	Mongolian Shooting Association (MSA)
Montenegro	Montenegrin Practical Shooting Association (MPSA)
Namibia	Namibian Practical Shooting Association (NPSA)
Netherlands	Nederlandse Parcours Schutters Associatie (NPSA)
New Zealand	Pistol New Zealand (PNZ)
Nicaragua	IPSC Nicaragua
Northern Ireland	Northern Ireland Practical Shooting Confederation (NIPSC)
Norway	Dynamisk Sportsskyting Norge
Panama	Club de Tiro Práctico de Panamá (CTPP)
Papua New Guinea	Papua New Guinea Practical Shooting Association (PNGPSA)
Paraguay	Club Paraguayo de Tiro Practico (CPTP)
Peru	IPSC Peru
Poland	IPSC Poland
Portugal	IPSC Portugal
Puerto Rico	IPSC Puerto Rico
Taiwan	IPSC Taiwan
Romania	IPSC Romania
Russia	IPSC Russia
Serbia	IPSC Serbia
Singapore	IPSC Singapore
Slovakia	IPSC Slovakia
Slovenia	IPSC Slovenia
Spain	IPSC Spain
Sri Lanka	IPSC Sri Lanka
Great Britain	United Kingdom Practical Shooting Association (UKPSA)
Surinam	IPSC Surinam
Switzerland	IPSC Switzerland
Sweden	Svenska Dynamiska Sportskytteförbundet
South Africa	South African Practical Shooting Association (SAPSA)
Thailand	Thailand Practical Shooting Association (THPSA)
Trinidad and Tobago	IPSC Trinidad and Tobago
Czech Republic	IPSC Czech Republic
Turkey	IPSC Turkey
Germany	Bund Deutscher Sportschützen
Ukraine	IPSC Ukraine
Hungary	IPSC Hungary
Uruguay	IPSC Uruguay
USA	United States Practical Shooting Association
Venezuela	IPSC Venezuela
Zimbabwe	IPSC Zimbabwe
Austria	IPSC Österreich

Major and Minor

Power is a requirement in IPSC competition, along with speed and accuracy. The power of a given cartridge is measured by both bullet weight and velocity. The weight of the bullet fired in grains (7,000 to the pound) is multiplied by the velocity (feet per second) and the total must exceed certain thresholds. A competitor's ammunition is fired, in the competitor's firearm (velocities can vary slightly from one firearm to another) to measure the velocity for scoring. A Major load is one that exceeds the threshold of 160,000 or 170,000 (depending on the division competed in). To shoot Minor, a competitor's ammunition must exceed 125,000. Extra scoring is not given for exceeding the threshold. A competitor declaring Major, but who fails the threshold, has his/her score re-calculated at Minor. A shooter who declares Minor, but fails that threshold, is given a score of zero for the match.

Procedure and scoring

The IPSC Classic Target which is typically used.

The typical course of fire is an array of targets, which the competitor must engage with two hits each (sometimes more). Also, steel plates that fall when struck can be added to a course of fire, or stage. The shooter's time is recorded electronically, by means of a timer that detects the sound of the shots. Scoring is relatively simple to explain, but involved to calculate for a match. Known as "Comstock" scoring, the points generated by hits on the targets are totaled. Penalties (if incurred) are subtracted. Then the points total is divided by the time it took the competitor to engage the stage. This calculation, called a "Hit Factor", is the ratio of points per second. The highest hit factor wins the stage and the full total of Stage Points assigned to it, and lesser scores are awarded Stage Points according to the percentage hit factor they fired, compared to the winner.

The points from shots fired and hits generated vary slightly. A center hit for both Major and Minor is five points. However, lesser scoring rings are not rewarded as much for Minor as for Major. The A-C-D rings are scored 5-4-2 for Major, and 5-3-1 for Minor. A shooter who has declared Minor must shoot more "A" hits or shoot faster than one who has declared Major, in order to make up for lesser hits being so punished.

Each competitor then has his/her stage points totaled for all stages of the match, to calculate the match standings. The highest total of points wins the match. Comparing each shooter directly to the performance of the top shooter of each stage allows for precise gradation of performance across a match, but requires a computer and software to do in a timely fashion.

Competitive divisions

In the beginning, IPSC was fired with whatever handguns the competitors chose. After a relatively short period, it became clear that equipment mattered, and equipment divisions were thus designated.

Open Division

The handgun equivalent of top-fuel dragsters. The pistols have compensators, red dot sights, and high-capacity magazines. Typically chambered in .38 Super (or some variant) or 9mm Parabellum, the magazines can hold up to 29 rounds. They can be loaded to Major or Minor.

Standard Division

Limited to pistols .40 caliber or larger in bore size for Major or 9mm or larger for Minor, at the shooter's choice. They may not have compensators, red dot sights, and the pistol with empty magazine must fit within the "IPSC box" a set of dimensions that limit overall size (225 mm × 150 mm × 45 mm (with tolerance +1 mm/-0 mm), which is approximately 8.85 inches x 5.90 inches x 1.77 inches).

Classic Division

Introduced for the 2011–2012 season for an evaluation period until December 31, 2014. The division is limited to guns following the classic 1911 form; features such as extended dust covers and light rails are not permitted. Restrictions are placed on the size of magazine wells allowed, as well as physical dimension as measured using the "IPSC box". Other modifications, such as slide lightening and thumb rests as allowed in Open Division, are prohibited in Classic Division. Competitors may shoot in either Major or Minor power factor; Major power factor requires a .40 or larger projectile (with the exception of the .357 SIG, a .40 case necked-down to accept the .355 diameter projectile which can be loaded to high pressures) and are subject to a magazine capacity limit of eight. Minor power factor can be achieved using a 1911 chambered for 9mm; a limit of 10 rounds is in place for such firearms.

Production Division

Restricted to double-action or striker fired pistols, scored at Minor, that must both meet the dimensional restrictions and are unmodified from the manufacturer's specifications. Only pistols explicitly listed on the approved list from IPSC may be used. Permitted modifications are limited to the application of grip tape in limited areas, replacement of sights that do not require gunsmithing, and the replacement of internal components with those of the original manufacturer and available as a factory option. Minor polishing and fitting of trigger components is allowed. There are differences in allowed pistols in IPSC Production Division when compared to USPSA Production Division.

Revolver Division

Does not permit muzzle brakes or optical sights. Revolvers of any capacity may be used, but a maximum of six rounds can be fired before a reload is required. Competitors can have any caliber .38 Special or larger, and may declare Major.

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 shooter in Open on a stage is the measure for all other Open shooters, and likewise for all other Divisions.

In addition to the handgun discipline, there are the rifle, shotgun and action air disciplines of practical shooting. These disciplines have competition rules similar to handgun and are scored in the same way. The divisions in all the disciplines are similar.

Competing in all three disciplines or two of them is called a tournament, with scoring similar to that of the individual disciplines. Action air is not included in the tournament structure as yet and is restricted to handgun (2010).

World Shoot

The World Shoot is the highest level shooting match within IPSC. Held since 1975, it is a multi-day match comprising at least 30 separate courses of fire, where the best IPSC shooters from around the world vie for the title of World Champion. Currently the championship is held every third year for each of the disciplines handgun, shotgun and rifle, meaning that since the last Handgun World Shoot was held in 2014, the next Shotgun World Shoot will be held during 2015 and the next Rifle World Shoot in 2016.

See also

• Shooting sports
• Racegun
• The Bianchi Cup

Arranging IPSC matches

• Shoot'n Score It - free web based IPSC, USPSA, IDPA, Steel Challenge, SASS/CAS and PPC/Wa1500 match and scoring service

External links

• IPSC—official website
• IPSC Regions
• IPSC Canada