So I am organizing a plate shoot at our local pistol club range in July here in Central Nebraska. They've done them before I got involved in shooting and joined the club, it's generally a low key fun competition. $5 entry fee per class. Head-to-head shooting at horizontal plate racks, ranges of seven to 15 yards. In the past we had four divisions, bottom feeders of centerfire and rimfire, and then wheelgun with the same two classes as well. I'm running it because I want to make sure we have a plate shoot this year, and because I want to make the rules. Specifically, we are going to allow the New York reload in any class.

I'm going to add a class this year. Pocket pistols. I'd rather have an objective measurement to qualify as a pocket pistol. I'd rather not say no you can't use a Shield, even though some folks do carry it in my pocket. But really, the Shield is not a pocket pistol so it shouldn't qualify for that class. And that's just one of many guns that an argument can break out over, which I'd rather avoid Does anyone have any measurements they have seen used in the past for a pocket pistol shoot? I'm thinking a barrel length for K frame revolvers with barrels 2 inches or less, any J frame or equivalent with a barrel of less than 3 inches , perhaps a measurement "box" for the bottom feeders. Autos will compete against revolvers in this class.

Thanks for your help. Should be a fun shoot. If you're near Broken Bow Nebraska July 8, you're welcome to join us!

It was fun but not to many had speed loaders, so it kinda slowed things down. The all steel 640 ruled. I'd move the closest plates back to a 10 yard minimum to reduce splatter, or at least lessen the pain. The Uber micro seecamp sized 32's & 380's, IDK??? Not for steel anyway, & the intended ranges for those types (for me anyway) is MUCH closer than 30'.

I would define "Pocket Revolver" as any wheel gun with 2 5/8 barrel shorter and "Pocket Auto" as any with 3.25 or shorter. Let to pocket 45's play too!

Question: Do you have to draw from a pocket/purse for this class? If not it just becomes another quick draw contest!

I know the jacketed bullet splatter can rip you to shreds, so stick to non-jacketed bullets (plated/coated works fine)

Ivan

The guy that organises the pin matches here wants to do a snubbie match. He's suggested barrels under 3 inches, everybody starts with 5 rounds. Lots of people said (me included) they don't have a holster. He's thinking about starting with the pistol on a table in front of you, pointed down range and hands up. SA's no bigger than 9mm, revolvers 38 special. 3 pins at 7 yards.
Should be fun.

We had to qualify w/our department approved off-duty weapons annually. My J frame proved to be quite a challenge but I was able to consistently score 85% + and that gave me confidence in that little gun.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

No drawing from concealment, too dangerous. We'll stage guns on a table or seahorses, and go from the surrender position or just with guns held at low ready. Splatter is a concern of mine vs. Ability to score hits. Shooting at this range by myself no problem with splatter from 7 yards, but When we warmed up for a night shoot last summer and shot plates head-to-head at plate racks the splatter was evident.

You got seahorses in Nebraska?

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I always take precautions

I would make some kind of box with the dimensions you want and ad a weight limit. If you say 2-1/2" barrel, guys with M-19s or M-66s would have a lot better chance than guys with a J-frame.

I think I can help you there from experience. At my club I developed the Oreo Cookie Pocket Pistol Shoot. The definition of a pocket pistol was a revolver with a barrel length of 3 inches or less or a semiautomatic pistol with a barrel length of 4 inches or less. A Colt Commander was not legal, a Colt Officer's Model was. And we really did use Oreo cookies as targets. There were probably a lot of happy birds, possums and skunks after the match.

Seahorses constantly move so it makes the challenge more difficult from the start by trying to grab your gun.

Darn seahorses instead of sawhorses anyways. We have cows on grass at the range too right now, I suppose if we can't shoo them all off we can stage guns on their backs! They do tend to scatter with a warning shot from a 12 gauge though. I thought about the weight limit , hence shorter barrels on k frames vs. J's. 2.5 inch 19s will have to run in the open revolver class. We did have a vote to allow pocket 45's as well, so they'll get to play. Thanks for the advice and good natured humor!

We start Steel Challenge .22's aimed at a traffic cone 15' out. That solves AD's picking the gun up off a table for novices.

After giving this some more thought, I think we've settled on the following rules. Revolvers must have a barrel under 2 1/2 inches in length. This means that the 2.5 inch 66 and 19 are out. And would allow some k frames and Ruger SP 101's, an LCR, original Kimber K-6s, detective special, and colt cobra. Pocket auto will mean a barrel of 3 1/2 inches or less, and an overall length limit of under 6 inches. This disqualifies the Shield, Glock 43, but will allow almost all 380's, and shockingly, the Sig P365! It will be a modified plate shoot, the plan is to suspend clay pigeons with duct tape from some furring strips or plastic PVC structure, similar to a ladder golf game. The shooting line will be 5 yards away, extending one's arm will get the gun about 4 yards away. My buddy plans to shoot his Kel-tec 380 and J frame!

Try raw eggs hung on a string at 15 feet. You get a little spatter but what the heck.

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Eccentric old coot