Newly Unclassified

So, I looked up my .22 scores and saw I was unclassified. Strange, I’ve been classified a Marksman for 10 years now, how could they (NRA) screw that up.
Later I was informed the Marksman team that I am captain of is now a Sharpshooter team. Hmm, I don’t like where this is going.
Turns out that since I am shooting metallic, I have to be reclassified. So for the time being, I am an Unclassified Master and that pushed my team into the Sharpshooter class.
I’ve been shooting irons all my life, I do not own a dot, Seems like not only I am being penalized but my whole team is going to pay the price. 
This kinda sucks.

Have you been competing in NRA Approved or Registered matches? If you haven't competed in a few years, you lose your classification. That's why on here my NRA Classification is None. I am a has been Master.

Oh yes, I’ve been shooting. The issue is that the match directors have not been reporting that I shoot metallic class.

I was wondering how you turned to Unclassified and was going to ask next time we spoke.

I guess 19.6 doesn't come into play because, for the Nationals, they won't accept Assigned classifications or temporary score books.

NRA in their continuous effort to make things harder!

Looking at the results from Perry online from afar, there are many shooters whom I know personally, and even more whose names that I recognize, who are listed as "Unclassified". The common thread seems to be that these shooters are entered in the "Metallic" division.

I'll confess that as a Match Director, I have not submitted shooters' scores in the "Metallic" division/category, ever. I'll take the blame for that for any shooters that have shot "Metallic" in my matches. My apologies.

There are a number of reasons why so many "Metallic" shooters are listed as "Unclassified". Enough to fill a book.

I'm glad to see that the NRA finally is recognizing this division/category at Camp Perry. It's unfortunate that all of you are lumped together as Unclassified Masters.

I'll leave it at that.

I’m wondering if this is the NRA’s “scorched earth” policy for the last year at Camp Perry. They’re doing other stuff thats adding to the frustration. I am on Range 1 and they do not have cover behind the assembly line but 3 & 4 do, We’re baking in the sun...

KB2MBC wrote:I’m wondering if this is the NRA’s “scorched earth” policy for the last year at Camp Perry. They’re doing other stuff thats adding to the frustration. I am on Range 1 and they do not have cover behind the assembly line but 3 & 4 do, We’re baking in the sun...

Really?!!
They moved 1 back 50 yds towards the parking lot. There are shade trees at the parking lot. It’s 50 yds to the ready line from the parking lot. The shade trees are about where the canopies on 4 would be.

All the facts please!!!

19.6 is specifically mentioned in the match program, but when I brought that fact up to the stat office they told me that because it is a different division, I couldn’t use my classification, which doesn’t make sense to me. I got the same answer from the referee I spoke with. There are a lot of shooters in the same boat when it comes to metallic.

...

Sounds like they are following the ruled correctly. Competitors should be sure to check their classifications and classifications cards. Remember if a shooter fired in more than one division in a tournament, all the scores should be entered under the highest division (open).

And it appears it's the CMP that puts up the facilities at Camp Perry, not the NRA. All the range facility staff are wearing CMP shirts anyway.

CMP is preparing for rifle. NRA still running pistol phase, although many may be crossovers

NRA is calling the line and the match, range facilities put up and maintained by CMP staff according to the shirts.

Since you were classified as Marksman in the past but are now Unclassified, is it possible that the Match Director(s) have not sent in any of your scores for the last 3 years? My thinking is that if the scores had been sent in as Open you would still be a Marksman. [This happened to me several years ago when we had a new person take charge of running our club winter league and he did not send the scores in to the NRA. Now it is also possible that he did not get the league approved. I don't know this and have no way of checking into the details.]

Since it is possible to have both Open and Metallic classifications (3.2c) you will need to fire at least 360 rounds in Metallic and have them sent in to the NRA as such (by the Match Director) in order to receive a Metallic classification.

I don’t believe match directors were instructed to decide the classes. They could run just an open match

Personally, sitting at home and reading the Rules and the Program, I think the NRA has fallen down in their handling of this.

From the Program:

NRA wrote:All competitors who do not hold an NRA Official Classification, in
the type of competition being fired or an Assigned Classification
according to NRA Pistol Rules 19.6, 19.16, 19.17 and 19.21, will be
placed in the Master class. NRA Pistol Rule 19.14 may NOT be used
but NRA Pistol Rule 19.6 may be used.

From the rule book:

NRA wrote:19.6 Assigned Classification - A competitor who has an
earned classification (a classification obtained through a Score
Record Book or an Official NRA Classification Card) for one type
of competition in the grouping listed below will be assigned this
same classification in any other type in which the competitor is not
classified in the same group:

(a) Outdoor Pistol
(b) Indoor Pistol
(c) Police Combat
(d) Action Pistol
(e) International Pistol (Free, Air, Center, Rapid Fire or Stan-
dard)

If a competitor has a classification in more than one type in the
list, the higher classification shall be used. In the second tourna-
ment in the new type, the Score Record Book is used rather than
the assigned classification.

Since the Program states that "Rule 19.6 may be used" and the Metallic "Division" is within the Outdoor Pistol group at this event, competitors should be classified as per an already existing classification.  Why would a classification for International Rapid Fire be allowed, but not something within the same group?

To address the local matches, we do not offer any awards for anything other than Open, due to attendance.  We therefore do not inquire about them, either.  We'll have to address this issue.

Bingo!

I was reading this thread again and it was bringing back my memories of last weeks discussions with fellow shooters.  I decided to go check the NRA results and it looks like they have done some things to fix this.  I haven't gotten too far but in the aggregate at least they have metallic shooters all listed separately.  Most are still Classifed as MU but there are listings in each class. I'm not sure how they figured out those competitors and placed them appropriately but maybe they are still working on it.  Now my quandary is whether I am prouder of being 12th Master or 5th Expert.  I guess if they fix it I won't have a choice but it's fun to ponder.

John

james r chapman wrote:I don’t believe match directors were instructed to decide the classes. They could run just an open match

Echoing Jim's comment. At no time has NRA provided instructions, either written, oral, email or in any form of communication that our submitted match reports/scores were to identify competitors as competing with metallic sights vs. optics in our approved or registered matches. However, they did not hesitate to  repeatedly inform us that we were to begin submitting $5 to NRA for each DR competitor or else DR scores would not be entered.
A little history, on my first trips to Camp Perry several decades ago, competitors were required to identify if they would be competing with metallic or optic sights. This era was just the beginning of a movement to using optics and the Burris Bullseye Scope and Aimpoint had just ventured into this market. The majority of competitors used metallic sights and a lot of .45 wheel guns and Model 52s were common on the firing lines Shooters were segregated into two separate classes based on their sights. Now the NRA has come full circle.

Local program awards schedule aside, It is my understanding that if a competitor holds different classification levels between Open and Metallic Divisions he/she has the option of declaring which Division they intend to compete in at the time of registration?

Scoring tickets will need to indicate shooter's option of Open Division or Metallic Division so the scorer can verify compliance with NRA Rule 3.1 or 3.2 for reporting purposes.

The NRA sure did a poor job of administering this "Division" rule, I was also caught in the "classification" mess at Camp Perry. My unsuccessful argument to NRA Stats was; "I've never shot and optic on a handgun in my life. Why am I perceived by default to have fired in the Open Division? When you buy a handgun nobody asks you what scope or red-dot you got, the default is iron sights!".


I have presented the "Division" issue to no less than three local match/tournament sponsors and they were all at a loss. Fortunately, all of them are actively addressing the issue. I would encourage everyone to also address this issue with their local match officials prior to final match program publication.

I sure hope this lack of communication from the NRA Competitions Division does not transcend-over to the dissertation of information regarding the 2020 NRA Championships at Camp Atterbury! The move is going to be tough enough for us all.