Three Gun Nationals
Run and Gun action from the United States Practical Shooting Association to the power of three. Three Gun is tactical shooting with pistol, rifle and shotgun with two national titles on the line: Limited and Open, which allows some of the most exotic race guns you are likely to see anywhere. Championship Series coverage of the fastest of the gun games.
Three Gun Competition is a relatively new development in USPSA competition. It basically grew from the question: “OK, you’re fast with your handgun… how good are you with rifle and shotgun?” The expanded game developed from there. The stages of fire are most often set up for individual guns, with rifle challenges, separate from shotgun and pistol. The scoring is typical of USPSA handgun competition applied to the rifle and shotgun stages as well. Winning requires both speed and accuracy, with target points divided by the time in seconds. More target points, in a shorter time, results in a bigger score.
Handguns shooting in the Open Division must be nine millimeter or larger caliber, with porting and compensators permitted as well as optics. There are several restrictions in the Limited Division, where all guns must be production, meaning the complete gun or major component must have been available to the public for one year. There may also be no porting, compensators or optics for Limited Division pistols.
Shotguns in both the Open and Limited Divisions must be twenty gauge or larger with no restriction on weight, trigger pull or maximum barrel length. The limited shotgun must meet the same guidelines as limited pistols to be considered production and have a capacity not greater than nine rounds. Open Division shotguns are allowed compensators, speed loaders and optics. Open Division Shotguns are limited to eleven rounds.
All rifles in three gun competition must be .223 caliber or larger. They must meet the production gun requirement in the Limited Division, but they are allowed a compensator not longer than three inches. Optics and bipods aren’t allowed. The Open Division rifle may have all possible enhancements, including any size compensator and porting as well as optics and a bipod.
While not all USPSA local clubs hold three-gun matches, many do and the members will be happy to welcome you to the range when you’re ready to answer that question: “How good are you with pistol, rifle and shotgun?”
