ActionAirgun
Encyclopedia
ActionAirgun is a trademarked name of ActionAirgun LLC
Founder of internet administered action shooting
sports. This sport is equally suited for experienced shooters or groups of beginning shooters who want to learn about firearm safety and engage in shooting sports competition. Competitors use standardized shooting kits to shoot special courses of fire specified by the league and keep track of their scores online. The online database is search able allowing competitors to view parameter based competition results.
This targets-only shooting sport is modeled after several competitive shooting sports such as IDPA, IPSC
and Cowboy Action Shooting. The equipment used for ActionAirgun has been around for years under the generic name of 'airsoft
'. Airsoft guns are faithful reproductions of actual firearms made of metal and plastic which shoot 6 mm plastic BBs instead of gunpowder
propelled lead
projectiles. As an alternative to expensive “race guns” and the rising cost of ammunition
. ActionAirgun fills a niche
as a low cost entry-level action shooting sport.
Individuals compete solo or are a member of a fireteam. Fireteams have up to five members. An individual can compete on both levels during each season. The portable shooting range
is 8’ by 16’. Spare rooms, garages
, meeting rooms, basements, and gymnasiums have been used to set up a range. Courses of fire are a set of shooting instructions downloaded from the internet
and used during the season to set up targets. Competition is between individuals or fireteam against fireteam. The rules of competition prohibit the modification of equipment. Everyone uses a standardized shooting kit. This sport places emphasis on the shooters skill.
Each year there are six seasons and each season is divided into six one-week stages. At the beginning of each stage competitors download courses of fire from the website. Each shooter has all week to practice and then enter their official shooting times before the next stage begins. Final results of the stage are kept secret until the beginning of the next stage. A database allows shooters from all over the world to compare their scores with other participants. During the sixth season the top competitors in the league are invited to a world championship.
enthusiast came up with an idea for a new indoor shooting sport. Instead of having to travel to a target range
why not have a personal shooting range. This new sport would use widely accepted ‘airsoft’ equipment and be shot on a range that would fit in a spare room. This idea developed into a what is now known as ActionAirgun.
, IDPA and Cowboy Action Shooting
, ActionAirgun competitions are held year round on indoor ranges of 8’ x 16’. Using airsoft
pistols, competitors download 3 courses of fire each week. During the week competitors practice and then upload their three best times to the website. At the conclusion of a week of shooting, competing members can review their scores and the scores of other competitors participating in the event. This weekly cycle continues for the duration of each 12-week season. Annual competition consists of three 12-week seasons and concludes with an invitational championship to determine the fastest shooter in the world.
-A1. Unlike some live-fire and airsoft sports which use highly customized handguns, modification of the airgun is against the rules.
holster
is worn by competitors. Drawing a holstered firearm to shoot a course of fire adds an additional skill dimension to the sport. The ability to draw and fire is an important skill that is often prohibited at live-fire shooting ranges.
timer
is worn on the wrist or held by a fellow shooter. The shot timer has buttons which start, review and reset the display. When activated, the timer will record the number of shots fired, the time between shots and elapsed time.
targets measuring 3” x 2” x 1” are used as ‘shoot’ and ‘no-shoot’ targets. One side of the target is colored gold
and represents a ‘shoot’ target. The other side of the target is colored red and represents a ‘no-shoot’ target. Targets are placed on one or two target stands. Target stands are 48” long x 18”wide x 18”high. The top surface of each corrugated fiberboard target stand contains 68-3” hexagonal target positions with 25-3” hexagonal target positions on each end.
Targets are placed in various patterns and the target stands can be configured in a large number of different ways.
backstop placed behind the target stands to stop BBs. At the up range end are three shooter boxes measuring 3’ deep and 32” in width.
will be configured. A typical course of fire includes, where the shooter stands and how they move, the number of targets and the order of fire, the arrangement of target stands, where the airgun will be located and with how many BBs. Some courses of fire may require the use of a second magazine of ammunition depending on the number of targets. In addition special items can be used such as, chairs, tables
, boxes, other props.
. There, shooters can organize events, provide tips and check up on the performance of competitors. Courses of fire are downloaded and official scores are uploaded to the database.
sport
, provision is made on the database for participants to compare their shooting with other shooters in a search able database
of everyone else in the league
.
Limited liability company
A limited liability company is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions...
Founder of internet administered action shooting
Action shooting
Action shooting is a term that encompasses target shooting events where the shooter's score is based on both the accuracy and elapsed time. Disciplines covered by the term include:*United States Practical Shooting Association...
sports. This sport is equally suited for experienced shooters or groups of beginning shooters who want to learn about firearm safety and engage in shooting sports competition. Competitors use standardized shooting kits to shoot special courses of fire specified by the league and keep track of their scores online. The online database is search able allowing competitors to view parameter based competition results.
This targets-only shooting sport is modeled after several competitive shooting sports such as IDPA, IPSC
International Practical Shooting Confederation
The International Practical Shooting Confederation is a shooting sport based on the concept of practical shooting. Accuracy, power and speed are all required to achieve a maximum score.-Founding and organization:...
and Cowboy Action Shooting. The equipment used for ActionAirgun has been around for years under the generic name of 'airsoft
Airsoft
Airsoft is a sport in which participants shoot round non-metallic pellets launched via replica firearms.Gameplay varies in style and composition but often range from short-term skirmishes, organized scenarios, military simulations, historical reenactments, to competition target shooting events...
'. Airsoft guns are faithful reproductions of actual firearms made of metal and plastic which shoot 6 mm plastic BBs instead of gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
propelled lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
projectiles. As an alternative to expensive “race guns” and the rising cost of ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
. ActionAirgun fills a niche
Niche market
A niche market is the subset of the market on which a specific product is focusing; therefore the market niche defines the specific product features aimed at satisfying specific market needs, as well as the price range, production quality and the demographics that is intended to impact...
as a low cost entry-level action shooting sport.
Individuals compete solo or are a member of a fireteam. Fireteams have up to five members. An individual can compete on both levels during each season. The portable shooting range
Shooting range
A shooting range or firing range is a specialized facility designed for firearms practice. Each facility is typically overseen by one or more supervisory personnel, called variously a range master or "RSO – Range Safety Officer" in the United States or a range conducting officer or "RCO" in the UK...
is 8’ by 16’. Spare rooms, garages
Garage (house)
A residential garage is part of a home, or an associated building, designed or used for storing a vehicle or vehicles. In some places the term is used synonymously with "carport", though that term normally describes a structure that is not completely enclosed.- British residential garages:Those...
, meeting rooms, basements, and gymnasiums have been used to set up a range. Courses of fire are a set of shooting instructions downloaded from the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
and used during the season to set up targets. Competition is between individuals or fireteam against fireteam. The rules of competition prohibit the modification of equipment. Everyone uses a standardized shooting kit. This sport places emphasis on the shooters skill.
Each year there are six seasons and each season is divided into six one-week stages. At the beginning of each stage competitors download courses of fire from the website. Each shooter has all week to practice and then enter their official shooting times before the next stage begins. Final results of the stage are kept secret until the beginning of the next stage. A database allows shooters from all over the world to compare their scores with other participants. During the sixth season the top competitors in the league are invited to a world championship.
The Story
In Fall of 2001, W. Collins White an avid shooter and gunGun
A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
enthusiast came up with an idea for a new indoor shooting sport. Instead of having to travel to a target range
Shooting range
A shooting range or firing range is a specialized facility designed for firearms practice. Each facility is typically overseen by one or more supervisory personnel, called variously a range master or "RSO – Range Safety Officer" in the United States or a range conducting officer or "RCO" in the UK...
why not have a personal shooting range. This new sport would use widely accepted ‘airsoft’ equipment and be shot on a range that would fit in a spare room. This idea developed into a what is now known as ActionAirgun.
The Concept
The object of this sport is to shoot courses of fire faster than anyone else. Based on outdoor shooting sports such as IPSCInternational Practical Shooting Confederation
The International Practical Shooting Confederation is a shooting sport based on the concept of practical shooting. Accuracy, power and speed are all required to achieve a maximum score.-Founding and organization:...
, IDPA and Cowboy Action Shooting
Cowboy action shooting
Cowboy Action Shooting , also known as Western Action Shooting or Single Action Shooting, is a competitive shooting sport that originated in California, USA, in the early 1980s...
, ActionAirgun competitions are held year round on indoor ranges of 8’ x 16’. Using airsoft
Airsoft
Airsoft is a sport in which participants shoot round non-metallic pellets launched via replica firearms.Gameplay varies in style and composition but often range from short-term skirmishes, organized scenarios, military simulations, historical reenactments, to competition target shooting events...
pistols, competitors download 3 courses of fire each week. During the week competitors practice and then upload their three best times to the website. At the conclusion of a week of shooting, competing members can review their scores and the scores of other competitors participating in the event. This weekly cycle continues for the duration of each 12-week season. Annual competition consists of three 12-week seasons and concludes with an invitational championship to determine the fastest shooter in the world.
Education and Firearm safety
ActionAirgun reinforces safe firearm practices,good shooting technique and encourages life long participation in competitive shooting.Pistol
The design is patterned after the 1911 model semi-automatic pistol designed by John Moses Browning and made legendary in the form of the Colt M1911M1911
The M1911 is a single-action, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, and recoil-operated handgun chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. John M. Browning designed the firearm which was the standard-issue side arm for the United States armed forces from 1911 to 1985. The M1911 is still carried by some U.S....
-A1. Unlike some live-fire and airsoft sports which use highly customized handguns, modification of the airgun is against the rules.
Magazine
A separate magazine has a chamber that accepts a 12-gram CO2 charger and will hold up to 26 rounds of 6 mm BBs.Holster
A ballistic nylonBallistic nylon
Ballistic nylon is a thick, tough, synthetic nylon fabric used for a variety of applications. Ballistic nylon was originally developed by the DuPont corporation as a material for flak jackets to be worn by World War II airmen...
holster
Holster
A handgun holster is a device used to hold or restrict the undesired movement of a handgun, most commonly in a location where it can be easily withdrawn for immediate use.-Function:...
is worn by competitors. Drawing a holstered firearm to shoot a course of fire adds an additional skill dimension to the sport. The ability to draw and fire is an important skill that is often prohibited at live-fire shooting ranges.
Timer
A shot clockClock
A clock is an instrument used to indicate, keep, and co-ordinate time. The word clock is derived ultimately from the Celtic words clagan and clocca meaning "bell". A silent instrument missing such a mechanism has traditionally been known as a timepiece...
timer
Timer
A timer is a specialized type of clock. A timer can be used to control the sequence of an event or process. Whereas a stopwatch counts upwards from zero for measuring elapsed time, a timer counts down from a specified time interval, like an hourglass.Timers can be mechanical, electromechanical,...
is worn on the wrist or held by a fellow shooter. The shot timer has buttons which start, review and reset the display. When activated, the timer will record the number of shots fired, the time between shots and elapsed time.
Target System
Ten polyurethanePolyurethane
A polyurethane is any polymer composed of a chain of organic units joined by carbamate links. Polyurethane polymers are formed through step-growth polymerization, by reacting a monomer with another monomer in the presence of a catalyst.Polyurethanes are...
targets measuring 3” x 2” x 1” are used as ‘shoot’ and ‘no-shoot’ targets. One side of the target is colored gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
and represents a ‘shoot’ target. The other side of the target is colored red and represents a ‘no-shoot’ target. Targets are placed on one or two target stands. Target stands are 48” long x 18”wide x 18”high. The top surface of each corrugated fiberboard target stand contains 68-3” hexagonal target positions with 25-3” hexagonal target positions on each end.
Targets are placed in various patterns and the target stands can be configured in a large number of different ways.
Range Specifications
The range is 8’ wide and 16 feet long with a fabricFabric
A fabric is a textile material, short for "textile fabric".Fabric may also refer to:*Fabric , the spatial and geometric configuration of elements within a rock*Fabric , a nightclub in London, England...
backstop placed behind the target stands to stop BBs. At the up range end are three shooter boxes measuring 3’ deep and 32” in width.
Courses of Fire
Courses of fire are described as a set of shooting instructions. Each course of fire specifies how the shooting rangeShooting range
A shooting range or firing range is a specialized facility designed for firearms practice. Each facility is typically overseen by one or more supervisory personnel, called variously a range master or "RSO – Range Safety Officer" in the United States or a range conducting officer or "RCO" in the UK...
will be configured. A typical course of fire includes, where the shooter stands and how they move, the number of targets and the order of fire, the arrangement of target stands, where the airgun will be located and with how many BBs. Some courses of fire may require the use of a second magazine of ammunition depending on the number of targets. In addition special items can be used such as, chairs, tables
Table (furniture)
A table is a form of furniture with a flat and satisfactory horizontal upper surface used to support objects of interest, for storage, show, and/or manipulation...
, boxes, other props.
Season Structure
Each shooting year begins in January. There are six 6-week seasons during the shooting year with approximately two week breaks in between. Shooter's who perform well during the regular seasons can qualify for the championship. At the end of the regular shooting, top shooters will be invited to compete in the ActionAirgun Championship Cup which is a live competition.Internet Support
Competitors communicate with other members using an internet forumInternet forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived...
. There, shooters can organize events, provide tips and check up on the performance of competitors. Courses of fire are downloaded and official scores are uploaded to the database.
Scoring
Participants shoot three courses of fire each week, shooting for the fastest times. The three best times are uploaded to the website where they are compiled. Scores for the week are kept secret until the end of the shooting week. Competitors then log on to the website to view the rankings.Demographics
As this is a globalWorld
World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
, provision is made on the database for participants to compare their shooting with other shooters in a search able database
Database
A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
of everyone else in the league
Sports league
League is a term commonly used to describe a group of sports teams or individual athletes that compete against each other in a specific sport. At its simplest, it may be a local group of amateur athletes who form teams among themselves and compete on weekends; at its most complex, it can be an...
.
Penalties
Penalties result in the addition of time to the base shooting score. Flagrant safety violations, modification of equipment or not following officials’ instructions can result in disqualification. Official RulesExternal links
- ActionAirgun LLC
- International Defensive Pistol Association
- International Practical Shooting Confederation
- Cowboy Action Shooting
- Single Action Shooting Society
- International Airsoft Practical Shooting
- American Airsoft Practical Shooting
- UK Action Shooting Association
- Hong Kong Air Soft Shooting Association