There are 4 main Divisions in Airsoft International Practical Shooting Confederation (AIPSC), these are Open, Standard, Production and Classic.
Open – Very few limitations on gun, ammunition capacity is increased, positioning of holster and pouches relaxed and optical sights allowed
Standard – Maximum gun size, ammunition limit per magazine (usually 18 rounds) and restricted placement of holster and magazine pouches
Production – Gun must be totally unmodified and comply with all standard grade restrictions.
Classic – The Handgun has to be a 1911 type, fit inside the ‘IPSC Box’ and have a maximum capacity of 10 rounds.
Shooting Divisions can heavily restrict your choice of gun, so it’s best to understand the restrictions before you go shopping. The following restrictions apply to both standard and production divisions.
Gun Size – Maximum size with hammer cocked but no magazine inserted is 225mm x 150mm x 45mm. Guns must fit inside the check box with the magazine inserted. This box is the same size as standard full bore IPSC shooting. Most Airsoft Standard size pistols will not fit into the box with a standard magazine due to the size of the gas fill base plate. There are 2 options generally followed: Change the base plate to a low profile CNC alloy plate (this is also necessary with some CNC Grips and Mag wells), or agree a local ruling to use a gun without a magazine.
Magazine size – Magazine must not extend more than 20mm below the lowest point of the magazine well. Maximum number of shots that may be loaded into a magazine is 28 for Open Division, 18 for Standard Division, 15 for Production Division and 10 for Classic Division. This is not the maximum number of shots the magazine can carry, just the maximum that you can load within it for a tournament.
There are 5 Grades of Competition for AIPSC shooting:
Grade 1
Open to all participants – novices will be supervised closely for safety purposes
Grade 2
Open to all participants who have completed the UKPSA range safety course or equivalent in handguns.
(Shotgun / Rifle courses do not qualify)
Grade 3
National Championship Level – sometimes used for Regional Competitions
Grade 4
Continental Championships
Grade 5
World Championships