Last week I was up to my butt in lawyers with legal cases I’m working on across the country, and this week the same, so last weekend I needed a little respite. On Sunday I took the fox and a box o’ Glocks to the Glock Sport Shooting Foundation (GSSF) in Orlando, Florida for a little R&R. They have matches for service/home defense pistols, “baby Glocks,” and a separate category for the target model guns, which can be tricked out with recoil compensators, red dot optical sights, and all that. Most of the shooting, though, is done with ordinary pistols with regular sights.
At 591 entries over two days, the Central Florida Rifle & Pistol Club set a record for attendance in the several years they’ve been hosting these matches. Chris Edwards of GSSF told me that in the past year, attendance has been increasing greatly all over the country. I think one reason is the relaxed atmosphere of the matches, and the format: you shoot at your own speed, and Master shooters are separated into their own category so sharks don’t prey on minnows. You can download the rules and the course of fire at www.gssfonline.com.
Emphasis is on accuracy more than speed, which is more complicated than it sounds. Each stage of fire is electronically timed from start signal to last shot. Every point down adds one second to your time, and a missed target costs you a ten second penalty. (You can fire extra shots to make up for a miss on steel targets, but not on paper targets, and you have a finite number of shots allowed.) Basically, it’s a “make every shot count” game, but that said, it’s the fastest time that wins. Easiest explanation is: it’s won with speed, but it’s lost with poor accuracy. There are special awards for Guardians (military, cops, other public safety personnel); junior shooters; women; the physically challenged; and even us geezers, though Master shooters can’t compete for those special awards. They give away tons of guns as prizes, and just belonging to GSSF allows you to buy one Glock pistol a year at “police discount price,” which makes the membership fee a helluva good deal.
I got to meet old friends, make new ones, and just have a great time. Shooting gets your mind off things via the same mechanism as extreme sports: the focus on safety and performance has to be so total that everything else is pushed out of your mind. That’s what makes it so refreshing and relaxing, as well as fun…a point that lots of people who don’t understand the “gun culture” miss.
Preliminary scores indicate I came in second in MajorSub category (for large caliber subcompact pistols such as my favorite Glock, the G30 .45), though I tanked in the 9mm divisions. But I came home to fly out the next morning for a deposition in New York City feeling rested and copacetic, and that’s what recreation is about: getting you cleansed for a while of the hassles of daily life and work, so you can go back and perform your mission better, and keep the cycles of life and purpose going. Kudos to Mike Ross and his CFRP team, and the other GSSF hosts nationwide, and Chris Edwards and the rest of the GSSF staff for making this well-conceived shooting sport available to all of us.
The timer is running and the brass is flying as USAF pilot (ret.) Dave Blazek blazes a winning Guardian score with his Glock 17.
Shooting right to left, Gail Pepin strafes down the falling plates with a 9mm Glock.
Mas runs MajorSub event with .45 caliber Glock 30SF.
Mas: Is that a Glock Sport/Combat holster I see on you in that last shot? What better to wear at GSSF? 😉
I didn’t know about the once-a-year discount purchase for members. Good info to know! Why doesn’t every gun make(r) have a shooting organization like that? All the more reason why Glocks rock!
Beautifully written article.
“…that’s what recreation is about: getting you cleansed for a while of the hassles of daily life and work, so you can go back and perform your mission better, and keep the cycles of life and purpose going.”
Good stuff.
Great article – and photos! I just joined GSSF and am really looking forward to my first event…if and when the snow ever melts. Thanks Mas, for all you do!
Mas,
Next time your out NYC-way, I’d be happy to host you at the range I belong to. It’s just a hop, skip and a jump north of the city in Orange County, NY.
“Shooting gets your mind off things via the same mechanism as extreme sports: the focus on safety and performance has to be so total that everything else is pushed out of your mind. That’s what makes it so refreshing and relaxing, as well as fun…a point that lots of people who don’t understand the “gun culture” miss.”
Really well said and I bet it’s true but probably overlooked in other extreme sports.
@Andy-
Yeah I wish other manufactures did similar events. Mainly, Springfield or S&W. But to be fair, I know Springfield occasionally goes to ranges and let’s you demo their guns (or at least they used to).
GASP!
Gail shooting a Glock?! Her XD must be jealous!
Nice breath of fresh air, Mas. Thanks!
Glock hit a home run with GSSF. It is the perfect entry level competition , bringing new shooters in every year. The other manufactures should pay attention. Since the biggest increase in new gun owners is the CCW crowd, events that encourage proficiency and fun among new gun owners is one of the best avenues to protect our 2A rights.
I didn’t manage to catch up with you last year at Dawsonville GA, I heard you had ammo problems. It was my first match and I was hooked.
Total focus also means fully loading the magazine BEFORE you hand it off to the shooter on the line. 🙂 Bet you were happy to head out to NYC in a hurry! 😀
Thanks for coming out to play with us at Central FloridaRPC!
Winston, you have a good eye for holsters.
Tom, you ain’t kiddin’. After handing that gal a magazine that was one round short, I should’ve fled to New York just on general principles. 🙂
Best
Mas
Mas was dead on in the new Backwoods Mag, Gun mounted light article. Just a few ago Josh our Brittany, got to barking and I felt like something was up. peeped the blind and saw movement up at barn. grabbed the maglite and the marlin and went that way..about 1/2 way up.move again from around the coop, lit it up-Big Boxer! Shot twice nearly off hip-trying to hold the big ass lite and the .22 the boxer got low on 2nd round, may have hit or scared not sure, he bolted at that. I went on up, all looked ok, was barefooted so came back in…now to key the nerves down!
late nite in SC
Leaving Florida to fly to New York City must have felt like flying into the UK or Russia. Did you have to leave your guns behind or does your LEO status allow you to take them into the Big APPLe? The article was great. The pleasure I receive from shooting is reinforced by reading your articles.
RPM, it was the latter.
best,
mas
Good going Mas!
I am still working at getting ready for my first GSSF match. GSSF says it takes 2-4 weeks to process a new membership. I decided to wait getting a G17 and use my new membership for a discount. Still waiting for the membership card. Laid in 3600 rnds for practice and got 100 D-1 targets. Also purchased those Geezer sights you recommended.