Team Beretta’s Ben Hardt Wins Limited Optics Division at North Texas Race Gun Sectional

March 12, 2026
6:21 am

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Team Beretta's Ben Hardt just etched his name into the annals of competitive shooting history by dominating the Limited Optics division at the North Texas Race Gun Sectional—a grueling USPSA Tier II match that doubled as a qualifier for the prestigious Race Gun Nationals. Facing off against 121 of the fastest draws in the game, Hardt piloted his Beretta 92X Performance Carry Optic to victory, clinching his first major win of the 2026 season. This isn't just a feel-good story; it's a masterclass in precision engineering meeting elite skill, with Hardt's setup proving that carry-optics platforms can hang with the big dogs in high-stakes, timer-stopping chaos. What makes this triumph particularly juicy for 2A enthusiasts is the Beretta 92X Performance Carry Optic itself—a pistol born from the legendary 92 series but supercharged for modern red-dot dominance. Hardt's success underscores a seismic shift in USPSA: Limited Optics is exploding in popularity because it bridges the gap between practical carry guns and race-ready screamers, letting shooters like him run slide-mounted optics without sacrificing the ergonomics of a duty-proven frame. In a division where split-second transitions and mag dumps under pressure separate the pros from the also-rans, Hardt's win validates Beretta's push into the optics-ready market, challenging Glock and Sig's stranglehold and reminding us that Italian craftsmanship can outgun the plastic fantastic. The ripple effects for the 2A community? Massive. As Race Gun Nationals loom, Hardt's momentum could inspire a wave of shooters to adopt the 92X PCO for concealed carry upgrades—after all, if it crushes Tier II fields, imagine it in a real-world draw. This victory fuels the narrative that competition shooting isn't just sport; it's the ultimate proving ground for self-defense tools, pushing manufacturers to innovate while affirming our right to bear arms that perform when it counts. Eyes on Hardt—he's not just winning matches; he's winning hearts and minds for the next generation of patriots behind the trigger.

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Team Beretta’s Ben Hardt just etched his name into the annals of competitive shooting history by dominating the Limited Optics division at the North Texas Race Gun Sectional—a grueling USPSA Tier II match that doubled as a qualifier for the prestigious Race Gun Nationals. Facing off against 121 of the fastest draws in the game, Hardt piloted his Beretta 92X Performance Carry Optic to victory, clinching his first major win of the 2026 season. This isn’t just a feel-good story; it’s a masterclass in precision engineering meeting elite skill, with Hardt’s setup proving that carry-optics platforms can hang with the big dogs in high-stakes, timer-stopping chaos.

What makes this triumph particularly juicy for 2A enthusiasts is the Beretta 92X Performance Carry Optic itself—a pistol born from the legendary 92 series but supercharged for modern red-dot dominance. Hardt’s success underscores a seismic shift in USPSA: Limited Optics is exploding in popularity because it bridges the gap between practical carry guns and race-ready screamers, letting shooters like him run slide-mounted optics without sacrificing the ergonomics of a duty-proven frame. In a division where split-second transitions and mag dumps under pressure separate the pros from the also-rans, Hardt’s win validates Beretta’s push into the optics-ready market, challenging Glock and Sig’s stranglehold and reminding us that Italian craftsmanship can outgun the plastic fantastic.

The ripple effects for the 2A community? Massive. As Race Gun Nationals loom, Hardt’s momentum could inspire a wave of shooters to adopt the 92X PCO for concealed carry upgrades—after all, if it crushes Tier II fields, imagine it in a real-world draw. This victory fuels the narrative that competition shooting isn’t just sport; it’s the ultimate proving ground for self-defense tools, pushing manufacturers to innovate while affirming our right to bear arms that perform when it counts. Eyes on Hardt—he’s not just winning matches; he’s winning hearts and minds for the next generation of patriots behind the trigger.

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