What are USRA bullseye matches like?

John Kasaian · Post by **John Kasaian** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 5:29 pm

I've never heard of any being conducted in my neck of the woods (California) Their website promotes postal shoots and the classifications sound interesting (snub nose .38s, anyone?) Has anyone here shot any of these postals or know anything about he USRA? What are they like? Is it "legit?"

solomon grundy · Post by **solomon grundy** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 9:17 pm

Good questions.

I'd done a little research and it's seems that there are clubs that sponsor USRA matches. Most of the ones I'd found are in New England. H&R apparently once made a revolver specifically for USRA matches. But I've never heard of them before - though they're apparently a very long-standing organization.

Fred Mannis · Post by **Fred Mannis** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 9:45 am

I've been shooting pistol since 1955, started in Massachusetts, and have never heard of USRA until I read Solomon's response.

Dick · Post by **Dick** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 10:07 am

One of my clubs (Gardner [MA] Rifle and Pistol) was very active in the USRA until last year, and I've shot in several of their postal matches. In addition to the regular Gallery Course, they had matches in slow-fire any centerfire, slow-fire .45, single-action revolver, double-action revolver, etc.

They are indeed a very old organization and I believe they used to tout themselves as the oldest organized shooting organization in the country. A couple of years ago there was a bit of a management shakeup with some hard feelings involved and the powers-that-be in Gardner had a major falling out with the new leadership. I make a great effort to avoid getting involved in that sort of thing, so I don't have any more details on exactly what happened. As a result, the club no longer participates in USRA postals - we now shoot in the Inland Empire postals over the winter, which has many similarities with the way the USRA matches were (and maybe still are) run.

little_doodie · Post by **little_doodie** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 11:05 am

well I can say I have heard of it.
my club did host matches but I never attended any of them.
It has been around a long time.

6string · Post by **6string** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 6:04 pm

I think the original USRA was absorbed by the NRA in the 1930's. From what I've heard the pistol matches at Perry were modeled after the USRA until the advent of the standard 2700. If I recall correctly the standard distance of the USRA matches was 20 yds. Before I came to the USA, I grew up in Canada and remember a lot of indoor matches that used such targets.

I'm not trying to be critical, but I'm not entirely sure of the need for the USRA matches. Besides their value as a postal match and some neat classifications, the NRA matches seemed to have it covered, especially now that the NRA is seriously pursuing revolver matches such as the Harry Reeves match and the Distinguished revolver match. Several area 2700s I'm aware of are offering things like a 30 shot National match revolver course at the end of the day.

But, I guess it doesn't hurt to have another means of getting people out shooting matches.
When visiting England many years ago I recall a "classic pistol match" that used the 50m FP target at 25m in categories such as "pocket pistol" and "service pistol" (had to be an original pre-armistice day military pistol: 1911 was OK but 1911A1 was not. Lugers and Webleys were seen aplenty).