While a few specialty events will be held this afternoon prior to tonight’s Awards Ceremony, the 2011 Bianchi Cup category winners have been named. Congratulations to Doug Koenig, the 2011 Bianchi Cup Overall Champion. Jessie Abbate of Team Smith & Wesson won the Women’s Division, while Rob Leatham was the Production Champion. Other divisional Champions are listed below:
2011 Bianchi Cup Champion: Doug Koenig
Production Champion: Rob Leatham
Womens’ Champion: Jessie Abbate
Metallic Champion: Rob Vadasz
Junior Champion: Tiffany Piper
Senior Champion: Chuck Thomey
Service Champion: Kevin Worrell, USMC
Lawman Champion: Bruce Piatt
Newcomer: Nigel Gordon
In the video below you can watch John Pride, four-time Bianchi Cup champion, shoot the Moving Target Event yesterday. Pride shot a 474-28x in the event and went on to finish with a 1822-133x overall in this year’s Bianchi Cup. (Warning: Loud volume — turn down your speakers in work setting.)
In the next video (below), Heribert Bettermann and teammate Dirk Borchardt of the German National Team compete in the Falling Plate event. Heribert finished with an excellent 480-66x. The Bianchi Cup draws many competitors from outside the United States. Teams from Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Germany made the long journey to Columbia, Missouri to compete in this prestigious competition.
J.M. Browning’s 1911 pistol is 100 years old, and now the latest iteration is… a Ruger. Sturm, Ruger & Co. just introduced the Ruger SR1911 in .45 acp, Ruger’s first-ever 1911-style handgun. The new Ruger SR1911 pistol will debut at the NRA Annual Meeting in Pittsburg, PA, April 29 – May 1, 2011.
With its bead-blasted stainless frame, contrasting grip safety, and Novak sights, Ruger’s SR1911 looks an awful lot like the Smith & Wesson 1911 with some important differences. Unlike the S&W 1911, the Ruger SR1911 has a traditional internal extractor and no forward slide serrations. The SR1911 pistol features a titanium firing pin and heavy firing pin spring. According to Ruger, “this negates the need for a firing pin block, offering an updated safety feature to the original ‘Series 70′ design without compromising trigger pull weight.” In deference to the lawyers, an inspection port allows visual confirmation of a round in the chamber. SR1911 features are shown in the DownRangeTV video below.
We think the gun looks good, and will sell well. However, given Ruger’s checkered history with handgun recalls, we might wait a few months until Ruger gets the bugs out. The Ruger SR1911 weighs 39 oz., ships with one 8-round mag, and has an MSRP of $799.00. We expect street price to be around $725.00 once initial demand eases. The SR1911 is not yet approved for sale in California and Massachusetts.
The 2011 MidwayUSA/NRA Bianchi Cup National Championship will take place in Columbia, MO, May 25-28. This major event draws shooters from all over the world. In 2010, international competitors hailed from Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States. Firearm categories include: Open Division, Metallic Sights, Service Pistol, and Revolver. In addition there be awards for the top shooters in specific classes: Law enforcement, Women, Junior, International, Newcomer, Senior, Grand Senior.
Bianchi Cup — Classic Course of Fire
The MidwayUSA/NRA Bianchi Cup is a combination of Speed and Accuracy. Competitors shoot from both standing and prone positions and are also required to shoot with both strong and weak hands at various stages. Stages may combine stationary and moving targets. As conceived by former police officer and holster-maker John Bianchi, the Bianchi Cup originated in 1979 as a Law Enforcement Training match. 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.
2010 Bianchi Cup Video
How to Save Money on Entry Fees
This year, there are some new ways to save on entry fees. First, if you “bring a buddy” who has never competed at the Bianchi Cup, both you and your friend get a discount. Match organizers also offer reduced fees to Juniors, Production Firearms shooters, and Active Duty Military personnel.
From March 15-19, the NRA Intercollegiate Pistol Championships were held at Ft. Benning, Georgia. The tournament determined the National Collegiate Individual and Team Champions in NTA Intercollegiate Free Pistol, Standard Pistol, Open Air Pistol, Women’s Air Pistol and Women’s Sport Pistol. Both men and women competed shoulder to shoulder in Free Pistol, Standard Pistol, and Open Air Pistol events, but there were separate Ladies’ Only matches for Air Pistol and Sport Pistol. Men and Women shooters competed in separate divisions.
Navy beats Army in Ladies’ Sport Pistol and Air Pistol
There was a strong rivalry among the military academy teams in the Women’s Pistol Matches at the USAMU’s 25 meter range. In Women’s Sport Pistol, the U.S. Naval Academy earned its second Women’s championship this year with a score of 1626, topping the West Pointers by 24 point. In the individual Sport Pistol finals, Kirsten Asdal of the U.S. States Naval Academy took the win with a 655.3 score, edging West Point’s Heather Deppe (653.9 score). The Lady Midshipmen (Midshipwomen?) also won the Women’s Air Pistol Championship with a final team score of 1086. Arch-rival West Point finished second with a 1073 team Air Pistol score.
U.S.M.A. (West Point) Win’s Standard Pistol Team Championship
USNA, USMA, Ohio St., Citadel, Oregon St., USCGA, MIT, Texas A&M, Yale and USMMA were all represented in the team championship by shilled shooter however after the third stage had been fired the United States Military Academy had emerged victorious with a total team score of 2121. Tallying up another championship under his belt this year, Nick Mowrer of Pikes Peak Community College shot a 569 to claim the Standard Pistol Individual title.
Below, courtesy The NRA Blog, is a slide show from the NRA Intercolllegiate Pistol Championships.
The NRA Intercollegiate Pistol Championships will be hosted March 15-19 by the USAMU in Ft. Benning, Georgia. The event will determine the National Collegiate Individual and Team Champions for 2011 in the categories of Free Pistol, Standard Pistol, Open Air Pistol, Women’s Air Pistol and Women’s Sport Pistol. ROTC teams participating are invited only for Standard Pistol disciplines. To receive invitations to the Championships, shooters had to achieve qualifying scores in the annual NRA Intercollegiate Pistol Sectionals held throughout the U.S. in January and February. Visit the NRA Intercollegiate Pistol Championships website to learn more about the 2011 Championships.
Steel Challenge Demonstration at Ft. Benning
Prior to the Championships, on March 11-12, the Steel Challenge Shooting Association (SCSA) will conduct a free Scholastic Steel Challenge demonstration at Ft. Benning. This is the second demonstration event that the USAMU has hosted for the youth shooting program. The demonstration will feature two Steel Challenge stages: Smoke & Hope and Roundabout. The free shooting demonstration will take place from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm on Friday and Saturday, March 11 and 12 on the Parks Range at Ft. Benning. Handguns and ammunition will be provided.
Cannon Safe has a new series of gunsafes with many smart features that we wish were found on ALL premium safes. There are many other quality safes out there, but we were pleased to see how Cannon equips its new Commander Series Safes. Whether you end up with a Cannon safe or not, if you are shopping for large gun safes, check to see whether it offers these important features found in the Cannon Commanders:
Reinforced Steel Frame
Cannon Commanders has a 5.75″ double-steel composite door, double-steel reinforced door frame, multiple re-lockers and 1.5″ active-locking bolts on the top, side and bottom of the door. Each safe is predrilled for floor bolting.
High-Quality Lock
Too many gunsafes have cheap digital locks that can fail unpredictably. We recommend that all gunsafes have commercial grade rotary (mechanical), or digital locks. On Cannon’s Commander safes, contents are accessed with a commercial grade Type 1 electronic lock that is backlit and protected with three layers of extra-hard 60+ RC steel hard-plate. You can also order a mechanical lock if you prefer. A good commercial-grade mechanical lock, maintained properly, will last a couple lifetimes.
Door Seal that Expands with Heat
A good door seal is really important in the “real world” ability of a safe to protect its contents during a fire. Many other safes claim fire-protection because they have some sheet rock panels inside, but they lack critical door-sealing. The Commander Series has an Intertek-ETL verified fire rating of 1200° F for 90 minutes and features a triple fin intumescent cold smoke expandable seal and heat-activated door seal that expands when exposed to heat.
Internal Power and Computer Hook-ups
A state-of-the-art internal power supply system with two 110 power outlets, USB port and RJ45 Ethernet connection keep computers and other electronics charged and connected. An electric dehumidifier is available as an option.
Built-In LED Lighting
In our Gun Safe Buyers’ Guide, we recommend the use of efficient LED light clusters. Cannon has gone this one better, with multidirectional LED lights that activate when the door is opened and shut off when closed, providing a bright clear view of the safe’s contents.
Versatile Door Storage System
Many safe owners like to use the door for rapid access to handguns, knives, Maglites, tools, and other security gear. The Cannon Commander Safes ship with a custom door panel organizer that holds dozens of handguns and accessories.
Cannon Commander Safes are offered in two models and six colors (gloss black, matte black, gray, white, tan, dark red, and green). Cannon offers a lifetime, hassle-free, zero-cost warranty. If a Cannon safe is ever damaged due to a fire, natural flood, or burglary Cannon will cover all costs to repair or replace the safe, even if the owner is not the original purchaser. (Contents are not covered).
Model: Commander CO43
Factory-Direct Price: $3,149.21
Weight:1457 lbs.
Dimensions:72”x40”x28” (depth includes dial and handle)
Gun Capacity: 36 (actual capacity can vary depending on gun size)
Model: Commander CO54
Factory-Direct Price: $3,519.81
Weight:1672 lbs.
Dimensions:72”x50”x28” (depth includes dial and handle)
Gun Capacity: 48 (actual capacity can vary depending on gun size)
Ruger has just introduced a new 9mm carry pistol. Very light (17 oz.), very thin (0.9″), Ruger’s LC9 is the bigger brother to the company’s successful LCP pocket 380acp. According to Ruger CEO Michael Fifer, consumer demand inspired this new pistol: “Customers repeatedly requested a lightweight, compact 9mm pistol. Frankly, they wanted an LCP chambered in 9mm.”
Ruger LC9 Press Release The LC9™ [is] a lightweight, compact 9mm pistol for discreet carry by law abiding citizens, or a full-power, no-compromise backup for off-duty law enforcement officers. This highly requested pistol was developed through Ruger’s Voice of the Customer program….
The LC9 has a 3.12″ barrel, is 6.0″ long and 4.5″ tall, making for a very compact 9mm pistol. The LC9 is impressively narrow at a mere .90″ wide, and weighs only 17.1 ounces with an empty magazine. Featuring a black polymer (glass-filled nylon) frame and blued alloy steel slide and barrel, the lightweight, full-featured Ruger LC9 offers the versatility and capability of the popular 9mm cartridge in a highly compact, reliable, and user-friendly pistol.
LC9 Design Features
The LC9 is a double-action-only, hammer-fired, locked-breech pistol with external extractor, and single-sided manual safety. The Ruger LC9’s polymer frame and steel slide feature smooth “melted” edges. One seven-round, single-column magazine is provided with each LC9 pistol, with an optional finger grip extension. Yes there is a nanny-state mag disconnect, and a California-approved loaded chamber indicator. Sights are low-profile with one dot in front, two in the rear.
The USPSA National Handgun Championships were held October 9 through 16 at the Desert Sportsman’s Rifle & Pistol Club in Las Vegas, Nevada. Over 600 shooters put more than 250,000 rounds downrange in a quest for coveted U.S. Practical Shooting Association national titles in the Open, Limited-10, Limited, Production and Revolver divisions.
K.C. Wins Opens Division — His First USPSA National Title
K.C. Eusebio won the Open division title, outgunning his nearest challenger by more than 73 points. K.C. notched his first Overall USPSA Nationals win with this impressive victory. The Team Limcat shooter who earlier this year won the Steel Challenge Nationals and the Steel Challenge World Speed Shooting Championships, put his speed and shooting skills on display as he won six of 18 stages and finished in the top five on all by three. However, Eusebio sat out the first day of competition waiting for his match ammo to arrive and had to make up the missed stages over the next two days of the competition. Second place in the match went to fellow Limcat shooting team member J.J. Racaza who posted a final score of 1649.2863.
Miculek Wins Yet Another Revolver Championship — But It Wasn’t Easy
Jerry Miculek once again won the Revolver Division, with a close victory over runner-up Matt Griffin. Miculek finished with 1680.7297 match points — mere 9.4980 points ahead of Matt. Getting to the top of the podium wasn’t a walk in the park though, as Miculek battled jetlag after returning from a match in Australia, an inner ear infection and a fly away front sight. Despite all the obstacles before him, Miculek won six of 18 stages and finished in the top five on all by one. No other shooter in any division in the competition came close to that kind of consistency.
Miculek competing earlier this year at the Steel Challenge. Photo Courtesy SteelChallenge.com.
“It was the longest three days of my life. I told my wife Kay it felt like I’d been here for a week,” joked Miculek.”It was the longest, hardest match and every time you pulled your gun out of the holster it was extremely difficult to try and survive the stage. Every time you made a shot it was a hard cover, no-shoot, long range disaster event. It was just nerve-wracking and I do believe it was the hardest [pistol match] I’ve ever shot,” said Miculek.
“There are some good shooters coming up,” said Miculek about his competition. “I’m getting toward the end of my competition lifespan, I guess you could say. I realize that physically so the younger bucks are going to start coming in and pushing the old bucks out. It’s just the way of the world and I left my mark and I hope they do well and leave their mark.”
Jessie Abbate 3-Peats As USPSA Limited National Champ
Jessie Abbate won the USPSA Women’s Limited Division Championship for the third year in a row, finishing 75 points ahead of runner-up Lisa Munson. After finishing second in the earlier Open division contest, Abbate, adjusted her approach: “Coming into the Limited match, I decided that I had to be aggressive, I had to shoot my sights and let those be my speedometer,” said Abbate.
“This is a very hard match, especially for iron sights. There are more partial targets here than I’ve ever seen and I knew I had to be accurate. I had to be patient and let my sights tell me what to do.” That patience paid off as Abbate won 11 of the 18 stages in the match to post a final score of 1173.5946. Abbate used some Open Class techniques to her advantage in Limited Class: “I’ve been shooting mostly Open this year so and I’ve brought some things over from my open shooting to limited that have helped me a lot. Lots of speed, more shooting on the move and being a more aggressive shooter overall.”
Team Glock’s Dave Sevigny Wins His 6th Production Division USPSA Title
Competing in a field of 120 top Production division shooters, Sevigny had to come from behind to win. “Unfortunately I started out a little bit flat, and I think everybody at some point got sideways in this match. I’ve been in these situations before where I knew I had to lay the hammer down to go for the win, and I knew that today I had to do that.” Finishing second behind Sevigny was Team CZ shooter Matt Mink of Conway, Ark. who finished more than 80 points behind with a final score of 1556.5509.
Earlier this month Wilson Combat launched its new gun blog, which is worth a visit. Though focused primarily on handguns, the Wilson Combat Blog also features tactical rifles and shotguns. While there are match reports and gun maintenance articles, the Wilson Blog is mainly a showcase for products, which are illustrated with really superb photography (some of the best “gun glamour” images on the web). Here are some examples of the “eye candy” Wilson combat offers on its site…
Case Colored 1911 for Trey of Jackson Armory in Texas
Trey calls this unique, Case-Colored custom the “Patriot Elite”. The slide is hand polished and then sent to Doug Turnbull for his exceptional bluing and color case hardened finish on the frame. The frontstrap was left bare to show off case colors.
Custom Professional with Flush-Crowned Barrel
Another interesting gun is this 4″ Commander-style 1911 K-5 with beautiful, fan-pattern Cocobolo grips. Notice that the muzzle is flush crowned. A new option for Wilson, the flush crown is made possible by the use of a flat wire, Glock-style recoil spring. This new feature is only available for compact/professional length slides at this time.
Wilson Arms AR Trigger — Long-Term Test
The Wilson Arms Blog also links to a Military Times long-term test of the Wilson Tactical Trigger Unit (TTU) for AR-type lowers. The Times tested the TTU over six months with 10,000 drops of the hammer. Click Here to read the full review, published on Sept. 29, 2010.
A new web vendor for loaded ammunition has just opened its doors to the online public. BulkAmmo.com launched its new secure web-store earlier this month. To celebrate its grand opening, BulkAmmo.com is offering our readers a special promotion: $25 off their first order over $200. To take advantage of this special offer, use Coupon CODE “GrandOpening” during check-out.
Steven, one of the BulkAmmo.com principals tells us: “We have a lot of inventory available and it’s all ready to ship.” BulkAmmo.com currently stocks major brands including Aguilla, CCI, Federal, Fiocchi, PMC, Remington, Tula, Winchester, and Wolf. You’ll find a wide selection of pistol, rimfire, and centerfire rifle ammo, plus shotgun shells. Brands of .308 Win brass-cased ammo include: Hornady (Interlock), Federal (GMM), and PMC.
The 2011 MidwayUSA/NRA Bianchi Cup National Championship will take place in Columbia, MO, May 25-28. This major event draws shooters from all over the world. In 2010, international competitors hailed from Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States. Firearm categories include: Open Division, Metallic Sights, Service Pistol, and Revolver. In addition there be awards for the top shooters in specific classes: Law enforcement, Women, Junior, International, Newcomer, Senior, Grand Senior.
From March 15-19, the 
The 
Steel Challenge Demonstration at Ft. Benning
The LC9™ [is] a lightweight, compact 9mm pistol for discreet carry by law abiding citizens, or a full-power, no-compromise backup for off-duty law enforcement officers. This highly requested pistol was developed through Ruger’s Voice of the Customer program….
The USPSA National Handgun Championships were held October 9 through 16 at the Desert Sportsman’s Rifle & Pistol Club in Las Vegas, Nevada. Over 600 shooters put more than 250,000 rounds downrange in a quest for coveted U.S. Practical Shooting Association national titles in the Open, Limited-10, Limited, Production and Revolver divisions.
Jessie Abbate 3-Peats As USPSA Limited National Champ
