NRA Action Pistol is one of the more exciting events in competitive shooting. Requiring accuracy and speed, it’s a blend of IPSC and PPC courses. Competing in it will undoubtedly improve your marksmanship, and you’ll have fun and push yourself along the way.

It requires minimal equipment and is open to shooters of all levels of experience. For this event, you need an out-of-the-box semiautomatic or revolver pistol, a holster, and ammunition. You’ll also need magazines and a magazine carrier if you’re shooting with a semiautomatic. If you’re shooting with a revolver, you’ll need speed loaders and a speed load carrier. A waist belt is optional but recommended because it minimizes holster movement while you’re drawing or reholstering.

Action Pistol Divisions

The NRA specifies very strict qualifications for all its events. NRA Action Pistol has three different divisions. These are:

Open Division

Open Division allows the use of electronic sights and “wings” to brace against barricades when shooting from cover. The minimum trigger weight is two pounds, and your holster can be “open,” meaning it doesn’t fully encase the pistol and can thus be drawn from a forward, less encumbered, movement.

Metallic Division

As its name implies, the Metallic Division doesn’t allow electronic sights. You’re limited entirely to metal sights, but they can be adjustable. Wings are not allowed, nor is an open-face holster. There is the same two-pound minimum trigger weight requirement as Open Division.

Production Division

The Production Division is the newest and fastest-growing division in NRA Action Pistol events. It requires the use of an unmodified, out-of-the-box firearm. Open-faced holsters are prohibited, and you must use the standard top-draw holster. There’s also a 3.5 lbs trigger weight minimum in any mode for semiautos and in double-action mode for revolvers.

Ammunition

The most common ammunition in a NRA Action Pistol event is 9mm, but .38 Super and .38 Special are also popular calibers. All must meet a power factor of 120,000. If you’d like to use custom loads, they must be tested before the event starts to use ensure they comply. Otherwise, it can be blocked from competition the day of the shoot.

Targets

The NRA has official targets for its events. Action Pistol Shooting targets can be paper, cardboard, or steel. The paper and cardboard targets are printed exclusively by NRA-licensed manufacturers. The steel targets are round, eight inches in diameter, and 3/8 inch thick. Typically, they’re painted white. They are set up in a series of six, either on individual bases and stands or hinged to a metal frame. In order to score a hit (10 points), the target must be knocked down. Also made from 3/8 inch steel and painted white, the speed plate is the third official target for this event. In the speed event competition, five of the six targets must be knocked down and the sixth stop plate hit in order to stop the clock.

Classification

NRA Action Pistol Shoot competitors are classified as

  • Unclassified
  • Marksman
  • Sharpshooter
  • Expert
  • Master
  • High Master

If it’s your first time in this type of competition and you don’t already have an official classification, you’ll first be assigned to shoot in the Master’s class. After that you will be assigned a classification based on your score. 

In order to compete in the NRA Action Pistol Classification, you must complete an aggregate match consisting of two of these matches:

  • The Practical Event
  • The Barricade Event
  • The Moving Target Event
  • The Falling Plate Event