Old Race Guns

[outerlimits]

Was trashing old magazines this week and had time to scan a few great guns of old. check them out:

http://web.me.com/speedoption/Capsl/Old_Dayz_1.html

[Rolex]

AH Memory Lane

Thank you,

[shooterbenedetto]

Yep! I remember those single stack race gun

when steel challenge and Bianchi cup was so big back then..

I only saw them on a video!

Edited April 4, 2010 by shooterbenedetto

[High Lord Gomer]

Very cool...thanks!

[eerw]

good stuff..

McCormick, Gray, Nowlin, Boland, Liebenberg, Wilson and a bunch of other great work there.

thanks for posting..those were all cool guns.

[Resjudicata]

Interesting to see how much innovation and wild things people were trying back then. It's kinda like cars, everyone seem to be doing the same thing as everyone else now.

Great scans. Thanks for posting them.

Chris

[Powder Finger]

the Boland gun is too cool!

[Powder Finger]

also Brian's grip on the S&W is too noticable.

[GentlemanJim]

I remember when those guns were the cutting edge.

We started before comps were common

DARN...I think I must be OLD

Jim

[eerw]

I remember when those guns were the cutting edge.

We started before comps were common

DARN...I think I must be OLD

Jim

those were fun days..when you could spend nights in the gunsmith shop, turning out comps to try for the weekend match. changing this and that. never had a gun finished, cause you just changed it.

[GentlemanJim]

I remember when those guns were the cutting edge.

We started before comps were common

DARN...I think I must be OLD

Jim

those were fun days..when you could spend nights in the gunsmith shop, turning out comps to try for the weekend match. changing this and that. never had a gun finished, cause you just changed it.

Yep thats for sure, I still have a drawer full of them

Jim

[JACKAL]

Thank you for posting the pics.

[Early IPSC'er]

Now HERE are some old race guns---these are from the 82 or 83 IPSC US Nationals. Those new-fangled compensators were really catching on and everyone was coming up with their own version.

Here's a line up of the gunsmiths that did the comps in the above pic. 3 or 4 of these guys were also pretty danged good shooters. See how many you can name---I can't remember the 2nd from the right, but know the rest.

[LT45]

Now HERE are some old race guns---these are from the 82 or 83 IPSC US Nationals. Those new-fangled compensators were really catching on and everyone was coming up with their own version.

Here's a line up of the gunsmiths that did the comps in the above pic. 3 or 4 of these guys were also pretty danged good shooters. See how many you can name---I can't remember the 2nd from the right, but know the rest.

It's interesting to notice the difference in stance, grip, body position behind the gun, angle of the head and so on, compared to the techniques we see used used today. This sport has evolved in sooooo many ways!

[sperman]

I sent the pic to an old-timer friend. This was his guess:

The guy on the far left is Nastoff and the far right Barnhart. Second from left could be Mike Plaxco.

[sperman]

Are a couple of those guys using cross draw holsters?

[Kevin Spencer]

Are a couple of those guys using cross draw holsters?

Ray Chapman pioneered cross draw holsters, back in the day. It was very common in the early 80's.

Kevin

[Kevin Spencer]

I sent the pic to an old-timer friend. This was his guess:

The guy on the far left is Nastoff and the far right Barnhart. Second from left could be Mike Plaxco.

Is the second from the right, Bill Wilson? Its funny to see all but one using a Weaver Stance.

Kevin

[eerw]

I sent the pic to an old-timer friend. This was his guess:

The guy on the far left is Nastoff and the far right Barnhart. Second from left could be Mike Plaxco.

Is the second from the right, Bill Wilson? Its funny to see all but one using a Weaver Stance.

Kevin

Don't think so, Bill Wilson is a right hander.

far right is Ed Brown

Edited May 14, 2010 by eerw

[Bill Nesbitt]

Far left is Steve Nastoff, far right is Ed Brown, third from right in shorts is Frank Behlert.

[eric nielsen]

Only a 20-year-old photo but my vote for best-looking, coolest race gun ever:

[revomodel10]

What is old, is about to be NEW again,

CZ's new open pistol looks a lot like that old P9 Springfield 9x21 (only with a dot this time)

Edited May 15, 2010 by revomodel10

[J-Ho]

I remember when those guns were the cutting edge.

We started before comps were common

DARN...I think I must be OLD

Jim

hmm I didn't think a comp would work with black powder.

[Early IPSC'er]

compensator gunsmiths:

Steve Nastoff, Michael Plaxco, Richard Watson, Frank Behlert, ? (sorry, don't remember), Eddie Brown.

Without a doubt, the finest smith in the group was Nastoff---it wasn't even close, second was Watson.

In the very early days (pre-76 Columbia conference) the three finest pistolsmiths acknowledged as first echelon were Armand Swenson, Jim Hoag, and the Pachmayr shop. Almost EVERY top shooter shot one of these and virtually every top tourney was won with one. In the late 70's and very early 80's a second and third tier of smiths started to materialize. The only ones left in the business today were third tier in those days (Wilson, Baer and Brown). The second tier were guys that built guns as functionally AND COSMETICALLY as good as the top three---they were Nastoff, Craig Wetstein (ex-Pahmayr guy), Richard Heinie and Don Fisher. Few people remember Fisher---Seyfried occassionally used a Fisher gun and Bill Wilson once said that if he didn't build his own guns, he'd use a Fisher gun. The third tier guys built great functional guns, but if you look at an early 80's Wilson/Baer/Brown gun it's finish work is no where near as good as the 2nd tier guys. The fourth tier were guys like Behlert, Jimmy Clark and Mike Plaxco--all of whom built great functional guns but were pretty rough if you looked closely at them.

[Quack]

Sorry to bump this old thread, but thought this would be of some interest.

I found this at a local shop and it's gonna be coming home with me

and i'm going to try to trade a gun (not the Nastoff above) with my friend for a Nastoff that he got in at his shop if he still has it.

Edited September 10, 2011 by Quack