Tactical Airsoft Pistol Speed Shooting is a form of "Practical Shooting" based loosely off of several real steel practical shooting systems. Practical Shooting can be defined as such:

From Wikipedia:
"Practical shooting is a sport which challenges an individual's ability to shoot rapidly and accurately with a handgun, rifle, and/or shotgun. To do this, shooters take on obstacle-laden shooting courses called stages, some requiring many shots to complete and some just a handful. While scoring systems vary between practical shooting organizations, each will measure the speed with which the stage is completed with penalties for inaccurate shooting."

Basic TAPSS is the original system developed by Caelyn Nagle (AKA BattlePriest) in 2004, and the system used at Aggressive Sports Joliet Underground in 2005 through early 2007. It was intended not only to be a system for competition, but also as a training system for Airsoft skirmish use of pistols. It used only paper ring scored silhouette targets and a chronograph watch for self timing. It is designed primarily for use of GBB pistols. Plans were made to include other Pistol classes, but it never developed beyond a flat GBB Pistol class. Basic TAPSS is a more "basic" system, and a system more easily used by new practical shooting event hosts, without having to buy any expensive specialized equipment.

Enhanced TAPSS debuted in spring of 2007. It is the latest and greatest version of the original Basic TAPSS. It adds several new elements to the system, making it open to more shooters and making it more exciting and dynamic. The first change was the addition of more pistol classes and non-pistol classes. Weapon classes include: Stock GBB Pistol, Unlimited GBB Pistol, AEG and GBB SMG, Revolver. Also added were metal popper targets, a stop plate timer and mandatory reload station(s). The addition of these elements moves the TAPSS system towards the more sport oriented IPSC, while maintaining several of the more defensive training elements of IDPA. Enhanced TAPSS is the core system used at the new Airsoft Specialists Practical Shooting Range in Hamilton, OH. Future additions and options being considered are a "Tri-Gun Class" and "Side by Side" races.

If you have never participated in Practical Shooting events, and would like to see exactly what Enhanced TAPSS entails, check out the Enhanced TAPSS Primer.

In early 2004 the Illinois airsofter that goes by the call sign "BattlePriest", while perusing the Arnies Airsoft forums, happened upon a link to a video from Hong Kong. It was a video of a Practical Shooting event called bbIPSC held by the Hong Kong Shooting Development Union. After long hours searching both Arnies forums and google for everything relating to Practical Shooting he soon decided that was what he wanted to do. Unfortunately, there were no Airsoft practical shooting venues, groups, or hardly even interested people in the United States. It was growing in popularity in Europe, and was relatively popular in Asia, but there was nothing to be found regarding it in the US.

After trying to find info about Hong Kong's bbIPSC, and finding nothing that was translated into English, BattlePriest tried getting info out of the few members of Arnies forums that knew something about it, but had little success. Then after long and tireless research into the the real steel rules for IDPA and IPSC, with a little discussion with a colleague that takes part in real steel practical shooting, BattlePriest set out to write his own system, slated specifically for use with Airsoft Guns, but maintaining the strict gun safety and gun handling framework of the real steel counterparts. In September of 2004 BattlePriest and his Airsoft Team Geeks with Guns held the first TAPSS event in a 2 car garage owned by one of the team. Some rules clarifications and refinements came out of this event and the ball began rolling.... at a very slow but steady pace.

After making some videos of this event, and doing some marketing online, BattlePriest approached Justin Brown, owner of Aggressive Sports Joliet and Summit Lake Entertainment about finding a venue to host indoor TAPSS events. Eventually Justin Brown agreed to host the first sponsored TAPSS event in the basement of Aggressive Sports' store in Joliet, IL, with BattlePriest running the show, and Aggressive Sports and Summit Lake Entertainment providing prizes and materials. The first event was held in May of 2005, with one more event held in late 2005, two events held in 2006 and two held in early 2007. The last TAPSS event held at Aggressive Sports Joliet in 2007 was in February. They have since changes to a system of their own design, but many regular participants are lobbying for them to return to TAPSS.

Also in February of 2007, BattlePriest began writing the new Enhanced TAPSS rules, incorporating many suggestions and ideas put forth by several regular TAPSS enthusiasts and future enthusiasts, as well as some of his own ideas. The Enhanced TAPSS system was finished around mid spring of 2007. Having moved to Ohio in late 2006, BattlePriest also began feeling the waters in Ohio for interest in Airsoft practical shooting. After long hours spent doing market research and several talks with the Ohio Airsoft retailer Airsoft Arms, A search began with the goal of finding a venue to begin TAPSS event operations in southern Ohio.

After several close passes on possible temporary venues, finally in May 2007, BattlePriest found and signed a lease on a permanent venue for TAPSS in Hamilton, OH. The rest of this history has yet to be made.