Bianchi Cup — NRA National Action Pistol Championship

Match pistol photo courtesy Clark Custom Guns.

The nation’s top pistoleros are headed to Missouri this month to compete in the 2017 NRA Bianchi Cup, the most prestigious action pistol match of the year. The 2017 Bianchi Cup event, also known as the National Action Pistol Championship, will be held May 24-27, 2017 in Columbia, Missouri at the Green Valley Rifle & Pistol Club.

The format will be changed slightly for the 2017 NRA Bianchi Cup. The Multi-Gun Aggregate has been reinstated on Tuesday, May 23; signup for the Aggregate will be online only, capped at 44 competitors. The Championship consists of a “Match X” and the “Championship Final”. Each round is the aggregate of the four (4) following fired events: Practical, Barricade, Falling Plate and Moving Target Events. Match X will be conducted over 3 days, Wednesday, 24 May through Friday, 26 May 2017. CLICK HERE for official Program Guide. Send questions to bianchicup@nrahq.org or call 703-267-1452 for the NRA Bianchi Cup Coordinator.

Check out this “Sizzle Reel” from the 2013 NRA Bianchi Cup:

About the Bianchi Cup
The Bianchi Cup is the NRA National Action Pistol Championship, a major tournament held every May in Columbia, Missouri. The premier action pistol championship, the Bianchi Cup boasts the largest purse of any tournament on the action pistol calendar. The Bianchi Cup is the only major shooting tournament that has retained its original Course of Fire since its inception. The Course of Fire consists of four separate matches:

• The Practical Event: From the appropriate shooting line, the shooter fires at distances from 10 yards to 50 yards under varying time limits.
• The Barricade Event: From within shooting boxes and behind barricades, a shooter fires at targets on either side of the barricade at different distances and under varying time limits.
• The Falling Plate Event: From the appropriate shooting line, the shooter fires at 8 inch round steel plates arranged in banks of six at distances from 10 to 25 yards under varying time limits.
• The Moving Target Event: From within shooting boxes at distances ranging from 10 to 25 yards, the shooter fires at a target moving from left to right with the target being exposed for only 6 seconds.

Due to the high accuracy required in each stage of the Bianchi Cup, the tournament is widely considered one of the most difficult handgun championships on the planet.