The 2016 World Speed Shooting Championships (WSSC) were held August 25-27 at the Hogue Action Pistol Range in San Luis Obispo, California. This prestigious U.S. Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) match attracted 125 competitors from around the world, who competed in eight precisely-configured Steel Challenge stages. At the WSSC, it’s all about speed — getting hits on steel in the shortest possible time. And no one on the planet is better at that than Max Michel Jr., King of the Steel Challenge.
This year, Max Michel captured another World Championship title, finishing 0.85 seconds ahead of second place K.C. Eusebio, with B.J. Norris placing third. This was Max’s fourth straight WSSC title and his seventh overall. We’d call that dominance. At this year’s competition, Max logged a best-ever overall score of 74.84, while setting a new world record on the final stage (Outer Limits). Max now owns the overall course world record and seven (of eight) stage world records.
Not to be outdone by Max, Taurus® Team Captain Jessie Duff took her sixth consecutive Ladies Open WSSC Title, and Duff won the Overall Single Stack World Speed Shooting Championship as well. As in years past, Jessie dominated the Women’s Division, but she was most proud of her Single Stack Overall Victory: “To win an overall championship title has been a dream of mine since I started shooting, something I’ve spent all my time working towards. I couldn’t be more proud to win the overall Single Stack title with my Taurus, allowing them to share in this victory with me!”
With a 30-year heritage, the WSSC Steel Challenge Match draws the world’s top speed shooters — both men and women. The three-day match is unique in that competitors shoot different guns each day: Rimfire on Thursday, Iron Sights on Friday, and the full-boogie Open guns on Saturday. The stages are precisely set up with exact Steel Challenge target spacing and distances. That creates an equal playing field at all WSSC events so stage record times can be set at any WSSC venue.
To understand the heart and mind of a champion, watch this video profiling Jessie Duff, a 27-time world pistol shooting champion. Jessie is one of the hardest-working athletes in the shooting game. Jessie is America’s “leading lady” — perhaps the winningest female pistol shooter in the game today. The drive and dedication that has made Jessie a success are revealed in this video from Weatherby.
Jessie Duff’s Will to Win
Jessie explains how hard work brings titles: “To prepare for a championship, I’m on the range constantly.
My office is the gun range — that’s where I do my work.
I travel the country pullin’ the trigger, makin’ brass, smelling gunsmoke. I have to make sure that I’m in control because… there is no other person on the line with me, helping pull the trigger.
I have to pay attention to my foot placements, my set-ups, my positions, gettin’ the gun clean out of the holster, my reloads. I can’t think about it when I’m shooting. I can’t think about these small things. I have to focus on the sights and pulling the trigger. It’s just me and the gun.
[When] I step out on to the range, I simply have to be perfect — I have to be the best… I won’t settle for anything less.”
First-Ever Female Grand Master
Jessie Duff is the first woman in history to earn the title of USPSA Grand Master (GM), the highest rating conferred by the U.S. Practical Shooting Association (USPSA). To earn this prestigious ranking, Duff had to maintain an average above 95% in shooting classification courses, something never before achieved by a lady shooter. Jessie finished 2013 with a 95.39% average.
Just when you’ve thought you’ve seen everything… somebody comes up with a see-through revolver. Credit those wacky Brazilians at Taurus for this idea. We’re not sure why anybody needs a see-through side-plate on their carry-gun. Yes, this is innovative, but we suspect the clear-view Lexan® sideplate is more a marketing gimmick than a utilitarian feature.
Taurus Wheelgun Weighs Just Nine Ounces
Once you get over the novelty of the transparent side-plate, the main attraction of this wheelgun is its remarkably light weight. The Taurus 85 View weighs just 9 ounces unloaded. That makes it 40% lighter than a Smith & Wesson Model 642 Airweight Revolver, which weighs 15 ounces unloaded. For comparision, the Ruger LC9 pistol tips the scales at 17.9 ounces empty, while a Glock 19 weighs 23.65 ounces unloaded. So this little double-action-only (DAO) Taurus really is a feather-weight. The Taurus 85 View is offered with a silver finish or (cringe) a Pink Frame, presumably for the ladies.
You go girl! Jessie Duff is the first woman in history to earn the title of USPSA Grand Master (GM), the highest rating conferred by the U.S. Practical Shooting Association (USPSA). To earn this prestigious ranking, Duff had to maintain an average above 95% in shooting classification courses, something never before achieved by a lady shooter. Jessie finished the year with a 95.39% average.
2013 was a banner year for Duff, who scored Open, Limited, and Single Stack Division wins at the USPSA National Championships. Duff also took multiple wins in the Steel Challenge World Championships, Steel Challenge Nat’l Championships, and Arkansas Sectional Championships.
“I am honored to have earned the designation of Grand Master with USPSA” said Duff. “This is something I have been working toward my entire shooting career and I’ve come this far thanks to a lot of hard work and a lot of support,” she added.
Duff, one of the most accomplished competition shooters in the world, has “raised the bar” for female shooters across the country. As female participation in shooting sports has grown, Duff’s accomplishments and continued success have blazed a path for women in competitive action shooting. “Jessie is one of the best shooters in the world,” said USPSA Executive Director Kim Williams. “USPSA is proud to announce her historic record as the first woman to ever reach this ranking in Practical Shooting,” added Williams.
The 35th Annual Bianchi Cup is happening soon. The 2013 MidwayUSA/NRA Bianchi Cup Championship will take place in Columbia, MO, May 22-25. This major event draws shooters from all over the world. Along with the USA, competitors have come from Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Netherlands, and Switzerland. 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.
One of the favorites this year is Jessie Duff, shown below competing with one of her Bianchi Cup custom rigs. Jessie’s pistol sports special brackets to help align and steady the gun during the barricade shots.
Slick Modified 9mm Model 1911 for Jessie
If you’re curious about the hardware used by top shooters in other action pistol events, here is Jessie Duff’s new Taurus PT1911 9mm single-stack, set up for Open Division. Note the extended, tri-port compensator attached up-front, and the large cut-out on top of the forward part of the slide. That cut-out is for weight reduction and improved balance. Interestingly, the rear of the slide is milled flat where the rear sight would be on a conventional model 1911. Jessie relies on her Leupold DeltaPoint red dot sight to get on target, so the pistol doesn’t need front or rear iron sights.
Now competing with major sponsorship from Taurus firearms, Jessie Duff (formerly Jessie Harrison) thoroughly dominated the ladies’ division of the recent U.S. Steel Challenge Nationals in Florida, winning the Steel Master title. It seems like you can put any makers’ firearm in Jessie’s capable hands, and she comes out a winner.
Jessie defended her 2011 titles in Ladies Limited, Open and Steel Master, making this her 6th year in a row to win the Ladies Steel Master title. “Competing for Steel Master is a lot more difficult than you would think,” Duff says. “You have to be just as proficient with all three guns, as someone would be with one. A lot of time goes into training for it, and thankfully it paid off this weekend!”
At the U.S. Steel Challenge Nationals, Jessie competed in three divisions: .22 Optic Rimfire, Limited, and Open. All three divisions qualify her for the Steel Master title, an Aggregate score of all three divisions. After the match Jessie commented, “This match was the first match of the year for me, and I wanted to kick the season off with a victory, especially with my new relationship with Taurus. I was very proud to come home with three national titles!” Mark Kresser, President and CEO of Taurus USA comments, “We are very pleased with Jessie’s performance. Jessie is … taking Taurus to a new level and breaking open the door of the competition world.”
Here’s good news for iPhone and iPod owners. There are two new FREE applications (Apps) that let you use your device as a firearms shot timer. It may be a while before we see iPhones used at 3-gun matches, but it’s nice to know that Apple’s smartphones can do double duty as timers. Both Surefire, maker of tactical flashlights, as well as Taurus, firearms manufacturer, offer Shot Timer Apps that can be downloaded, for FREE, from the iTunes store. (Note: you must have iTunes software installed on your computer to download the Shot Timer programs. iTunes software is free, but it is a hefty 90-meg install.)
With either the SureFire ShotTimer or Taurus Timer apps installed, your iPhone/iPod can function just like a dedicated shot timer (such as the PACT Club Timer III), but you no longer need a dedicated unit. All the key functions can be performed with your iPhone or iPod. The screen displays the elapsed time and the split time for every shot fired. You can review time between consecutive shots, shot count, and total firing time. A “start delay” option let you train alone, and you can use the Par Time mode to train “against the clock”.
Once the unit is adjusted, the built-in microphone on an iPhone or iPod should be able to track every shot without fail. Even indoors, anti-echo technology provides reliable shot detection. The software allows you to adjust microphone sensitivity to the unique sound “profile” of the shots. Just tap ‘Adjust Sensitivity’ on the display to raise the sensitivity in 10% increments until the Shot Timer consistently detects all your shots.
With either the SureFire or Taurus Timer Apps, you can hold your iPhone like a traditional shot timer or use the start delay mode with the iPhone placed on a shooting bench, or held in your shirt pocket. The Shot Timer will display both elapsed time and split time for every shot. You can store practice session results in your iPhone’s internal memory.
Jessie Duff’s Will to Win
Now competing with major sponsorship from Taurus firearms, Jessie Duff (formerly Jessie Harrison) thoroughly dominated the ladies’ division of the recent U.S. Steel Challenge Nationals in Florida, winning the Steel Master title. It seems like you can put any makers’ firearm in Jessie’s capable hands, and she comes out a winner.
With either the SureFire or Taurus Timer Apps, you can hold your iPhone like a traditional shot timer or use the start delay mode with the iPhone placed on a shooting bench, or held in your shirt pocket. The Shot Timer will display both elapsed time and split time for every shot. You can store practice session results in your iPhone’s internal memory.
