Phoenix Combat Classic
A Law Enforcement Shooting Competition and Benefit for the Phoenix Police Explorer Program
2018 Registration Form
2017 Squad Update
The initial information for next year's match will show up here first!
HISTORY OF THE CLASSIC
The original Phoenix Combat Classic ran for 12 years from 1988 through 1999, and was run by Arnie Stallman and Steve Proctor at the Phoenix Police Department's Police Academy Shooting Range. At the time, it was the only LE only match in Arizona of its type and drew shooters from all over the state and around the country. After 12 years of running the match they, understandably, ran out of energy and the match ended.
In 2007, several of us who shot in the original Phoenix Combat Classic found ourselves in a position to be able to bring back the Phoenix Combat Classic. After working out many of the logistics, the Phoenix Combat Classic returned. It has been popular and growing ever since. A lot of our regular participants are folks who shot in the original match, including Arnie and Steve.
Who Can Participate
Divisions
Awards
The Phoenix Combat Classic is open to all law enforcement personnel, including reserves and retired police officers.
We also allow current military police and other current military personnel to participate in the match.
Equipment Needed
Shooters will need:
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Handgun with at least three magazines, five speed loaders (plan to need up to 30 rounds)
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Holster and magazine pouches appropriate for the division
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At least 200 rounds of factory or factory equivalent ammo
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Calibers must be at least .38 Spl or 9mm (Light loads not allowed and won't knock over steel)
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Chairs, umbrellas and foul weather gear as needed
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Optics and ported gun authorized only if it is your approved gear for carry at work and you get approval from match director
Duty Auto: For competitors using street/duty gear. Holsters are to be a Level II retention holster or better, magazine pouches much have flaps that are secured.
Stock Auto: Level I retention / open top holsters and open top magazine pouches are approved for this division.
Challenge: Equipment is same as Stock Auto but is limited to 10-round magazines (In USPSA terms, this is kind of a mix of Single Stack and Production).
Revolver: For 6-shot revolvers only. Open top kydex holsters, pouches and full-moon clips are allowed.
The purpose of this match is to have cops shooting "police equipment" and keep the playing field as fair as possible.. Holsters that a gun sits "on" instead of "in" are prohibited.
DON'T BE A GAMER!
The Match Director has final say on questionable equipment and divisions changes on the day of the match.
Each Division will be broken into Classes, and the number of Classes will be based on how many shooters are signed up in the Division.
There will be a First, Second, and Third place plaque for the top three finishers in each Class, as allowed by the number of shooters.
There will also be awards for:
Top Female Shooter
Top Reserve Office
Top Retired Officer
Top Three Teams @ the Team Shoot
AND OUR FAVORITE:
THE MAN IN THE ARENA AWARD
Other Rules
- No alcohol allowed on grounds
- Eye protection required for everyone on or near range
- Hats and hearing protecting required when ear ranges
- RO running stages have authority to rule on all safety violations
- Match will be run as a cold range
"The Man in the Arena Award"
Many hear about a match, like the Phoenix Combat Classic, and come up with excuses not to participate. Some say things like, "I'm not good enough to shoot a competition." When I hear this I can't help but wonder if they feel they are good enough to win a gunfight. Isn't a gunfight a competition, where 'There are no second place winners' as Bill Jordan said.
For many the reason they won't shoot competition is because of the risk to their ego. They worry they will finish poorly and the mystique of their greatness will be shattered (These folks tend to erroneously condemn competition as building bad habits for police work).
For these reasons we developed "The Man in the Arena Award." This award honors those who left their egos at the home, and came willing to take a risk in order to grow. They decided to STEP INTO THE ARENA while the timid souls with fear in their hearts stood on the side lines.
Below is the quote from Theodore Roosevelt that on the award and it epotimizes our perspective and our match.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
Theodore Roosevelt
26th President of the United States
Speech at the Sorbonne
April 23, 1910