Racegun

Often a semi-automatic pistol, raceguns are used primarily in practical shooting competitions and are modified to function best within a certain set of rules, such as weight, size, and capacity requirements.

Competitions they may be used in include The Bianchi Cup and the Steel Challenge, and various events organized by the International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA), International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC), or United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA).

[3] Additionally, a typical pistol racegun specifically tailored for The Bianchi Cup open division has a "barricade shroud" that completely encircles the slide with "wings" attached to opposing sides, a "moving target scope mount" with a pivoting base adjustable for predetermined lead depending on the bullet's velocity and speed and direction of the moving target, and a form of grip extension that elevates the gun for better line of sight while shooting in the prone position.

[5] Other organizing bodies, such as the IDPA[6] and the production division of The Bianchi Cup,[7] ban most or all of the modifications that distinguish raceguns from stock firearms, as they feel that such extensive modifications turn the sport into a technology race rather than a true contest of skill, and thus are not "practical"—that is, applicable to real-life self-defense shooting situations.

In the case of The Bianchi Cup, restrictions were put in place to increase participation at the grassroots level,[7] in order to reduce the equipment cost associated with competing in the open division.