Rules Q&A

Over the last couple months, we have received the same questions from multiple members about a few SCSA topics. We have learned that if multiple people from different clubs are asking the same thing, it probably needs to be discussed with the larger audience as well.

We often get questions related to certification and renewal exams or even about calls made at matches and why a certain rule applies versus another. Or why one can’t cite a general section of the rulebook and use that to support the penalty or scoring call being made. The short answer is that you need to use the best rule to address the situation. The long answer is all the reasons below.

Our rulebook talks about range equipment failure and what to do when that happens. The rulebook also covers when the firearm breaks or the ammunition has issues (squibs). But what happens when other competitor equipment fails?

I think I said that phrase to almost every squad at 2-gun nationals in response to the question as to whether they could re-holster their loaded pistol during the stage. But this also applies to a couple situations in USPSA Competition matches as well. Let’s talk about those.

Now that magnets are allowed in all divisions for magazine retention, there is still some confusion about magnet use and how many mags can be on one magnet. Let’s look at some common questions and the answers.

When is a firearm considered to be a ‘dropped gun’? We often get many ‘What if…’ questions related to this rule, so let’s look at a few of the common ones and how the rules relate.