IPSC – International Practical Shooting Confederation

By J Scott 24 May 2009 No Comment

ipsc_logo

International Practical Shooting Confederation better known as IPSC, (pronounced ip-sick), is credited with organizing a governing structure around an informal style of competition emerging primarily from a group of shooters in Southern California beginning in the late 1950’s.

In 1976 the International Pistol Conference was held in Columbia, Missouri attended by 45 innovators from around the world. The result of the conference was the formation of the International Practical Shooting Confederation and the election of Jeff Cooper as the 1st President of the organization.

Today IPSC consists of 84 Regions around the world and is responsible for organizing the IPSC World Championships every 3 years. The most recent IPSC World Championship was held in Bali, Indonesia in 2008.

The Principles and Objectives of IPSC as expressed in the Constitution of the organization.

“The IPSC is established to promote, maintain, improve and advance practical shooting, to safeguard its principles and to regulate its conduct world-wide in order to cultivate the safe and efficient use of firearms by persons of good character and in particular, but without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, to achieve such objects by adhering to the following principles, which are established to define the nature of practical marksmanship and are embodied in the following words:- Diligentia-Vis-Celeritas , namely, Accuracy, Power and Speed. They are accepted by all members of the International Practical Shooting Confederation as conditions of membership.”

The Divisions recognized by IPSC differ slightly from the Divisions recognized by USPSA. In IPSC competition shooters may compete in Open, Standard, Modified, Production, and Revolver Standard divisions. Though similar to USPSA rules, power factors and other restrictions on equipment vary from USPSA rules.

IPSC also governs rifle and shotgun competitions and recognizes several divisions in those categories as well.

The various Regions around the world will hold Regional Championships as well as collaborate on Continental Championships such as the European or Pan American Championships.

Individuals become members of IPSC through their membership in their Affiliated Region. IPSC runs an international classification system comprised of standard classifier stages. Each competitor is ranked against all the other competitors who have shot the same classifier stages.

The International Range Officers Association (IROA) trains, qualifies and certifies Range Officials throughout the world.

For more information please visit the IPSC website.