Wow lots of info, thanks Chaffin.
Let me try and explain what it is I mean. You say it is very difficult to create a competition where every choice can compete on a level playing field. I completely agree with you. With that said, if somebody shows you a picture of their Armalite, you can probably determine if that gun is for competition, combat or hunting/plinking without looking too hard at it. There are certain features that are relatively distinct in each genre. It has now gotten to where the line between combat arms and competition arms is a bit blurred because competition type accessories are making their way onto the scene.
I in no way meant that the people who shoot open class USPSA for instance (Miculek or Ricazza for example) aren't skilled shooters. But those guys also compete in a division where as far as my understanding goes, anything goes. So in order to stay in tune with shooters on their same level, they have to do things that shave split seconds off of their times. And they reach a point, where in order to get any faster, they have to tweak equipment.
What I would like to see is a 3 gun comp, where average joes like me and LEO and military alike who have an armalite that they slapped some accessories on, a production combat handgun (glock, Sig, XD, etc etc), and some sort of tactical type shotgun can compete. Basically, the guns you would pick up and take to a combat handgun course, combat shotgun or tactical carbine course.
