A major pistol championship takes place “down-under” this week in New Zealand. Ace American shooter Bruce Piatt has traveled to Hamilton, New Zealand to compete in the 2025 World Action Pistol Championship. Bruce is one of America’s top pistoleros, having won multiple World and National Championships. He started competing in the 1980s and Bruce has had a 30+ year law enforcement career.

Before flying across the Pacific to the Southern Hemisphere, Bruce conducted some range training: “A little barricade practice today for the upcoming Action Pistol World Championship in Hamilton New Zealand where I’ll be on the U.S. Team for the CMP – Civilian Marksmanship Program. I’d say my gear is dialed in!”

Bruce will be shooting a Caspian Arms 1911 pistol chambered for the .38 Super cartridge and fitted with a Burris Optics XTS-135 scope on top. The ammo he’ll use in New Zealand is loaded with Vihtavuori N320 powder and Sierra 115gr JHP bullets, in Starline Brass cases.

Location of World Action Pistol Championship in Hamilton, New Zealand (North Island)

Bruce Piatt was born in a typical 1961 suburban family, the youngest of 4 boys. Living in New Jersey, Bruce took an interest in his grandfather’s guns. Sometime around age 10 or 11, he began asking his father to take him hunting and shooting.

Fast forward five decades — Bruce Piatt is now one of the world’s best shooters, a World Shooting Championship winner, and the 2019 Bianchi Cup overall match winner. This was Bruce’s sixth Bianchi Cup Victory. Now in his late 50s, Bruce definitely proves that Old Guys Rule!

Last week Bruce Piatt won his sixth NRA Bianchi Cup National Action Pistol Championship with a 1920-179X score. He secured his latest Open Class title one year after shoulder surgery and on the 10th anniversary of his previous Bianchi Cup win. Piatt’s prior Bianchi Cup victories were in 1993, 1997, 1999, 2005, and 2009.

The Bianch Cup competition has four events: the Practical, Barricade, Falling Plates and the Moving Target. Competitors shoot all four events at varying distances and times, prone and standing, use both strong and weak hand. It is very challenging.

Commenting on the pressures of Bianchi Cup compeition, Piatt observed: “When you’re into your final stage with other competitors in contention of winning, the tension is high. That’s when I have to keep the fight between me and the targets.” Piatt added “All of my equipment ran flawlessly[.]”

Bruce Piatt 2019 Bianchi Cup Equipment
Firearm: Caspian Arms 1911 .38 Super customized for Open Division
Optics: Burris Optic Red Dot XTS-135
Bullets: Sierra 115 grain JHP
Brass: Starline .38 Super
Powder: Vihtavuori N320 Powder