Did you make sure to wear bright pink spandex instead of camo so as not to offend any of the IPSC shooters sensibilities?  After all we don't want to make people think we are involved in paramilitary training...the fact that you're running around shooting at human silohettes with large caliber pistols wouldn't make people think that...but wearing camoflauge or thigh holsters while you do it would.

A lot of 3 gun shooters used to go to tuesday night steel to practice their pistol shooting for big 3 gun matches, since the closest thing to a small 3 gun match we have here is Rifle/Shotgun, and there is no pistol shooting at it.

Well thigh rigs are perfectly legal for 3 gun shooting, and many prefer them as it frees up more space on your belt to stick mags for your rifle, pisol, or attach a shot shell holder.  The powers that be at Rio Tuesday Night steel said thigh rigs are only allowed for military and law enforcement personnel to use.  3 gun shooters, including myself,  offered to shoot in open class or for no score if it was some kind of speed advantage issue they were worried about.  Many of us just like to go there to have fun and practice.  It basically boiled down to "we don't want that kind of image".  So no thigh rigs are allowed for "civilian" shooters....even though it is not a USPSA sanctioned match.

It really pissed me off.  The company I work for sells tactical gear, and it helps to be proficient in its use when demonstrating it, shooting matches is the best way to become proficient. We also sponsor every major match at Rio Salado with thousands of dollars of product.  I personally am a member of the range...but there are no exceptions to "the rules"....that they just make up as they go along.

I don't know what kind of image they are talking about...as I said, using large caliber automatic pistols shooting at humanoid targets would looks bad as it is if an anti-gunner were to see it.  I fail to see how using a thigh rig makes the image any more agressive.

I'm never shooting a Tuesday Night steel match again...I got sick of the arrogance of all the IPSC faggots that spend thousands and thousands of dollars on gear that is strictly for competition shooting only, and they have the nerve to berate me for using gear that I really would use and also sell?  Don't criticize me for my modus operandi and I won't criticize you for yours...they can't seem to understand that.

I do treat matches as training for real world scenerios...so I am not overly interested in being competitive, I just want to improve my own skills.  I see a lot of accuracy by volume at those matches...they can fire so fast with misses, that they can beat me where I usually get all my hits in with a minimal number of shots fired.