Project Action/Rapid

[Chuck D]

A while back some of the top action shooters played around with some rapid fire pistol shooting. What ever became of that? Any of our guys trying out for the U.S. Team? ( kicking around the idea of shooting some sport pistol in our state games this summer)

[Guy Neill]

Some of the Rapid+Action participants are continuing and being active in the Rapid Fire doctrine.  I have not heard of any actually making the team as such.  There are two spots on the team.  I have been told that the potential of the action shooters coming in has spurred the existing team members to new personal bests.

Guy

[Chuck D]

Guy, do you know who they are and what their using for equiptment?

[Guy Neill]

I've not talked to any of them other than Don Golembieski lately.  Don is serious about it.  Todd Jarrett had told me he was going to do some, but I haven't talked to him lately to know if he is.  Mickey Fowler was looking at it and, I understand, Bruce Piatt wanted to do more.

Some of the others may be doing some, but not that I've heard of at present.

Guy

[gm iprod]

Down here in New Zealand we have had quite a few of the top Bianchi and IPSC shooters shoot ISSF Rapid Fire.

The ones who applied themselves to it did very well. But I think that that was because they were very good shooters in the first place and all they had to do was learn the match and the specific techniques to competently compete. Lots of practice also helps. None of them did worse at their main shooting sport. In fact I believe that they were more well rounded in their shooting ability and shooting something diferent alowed them to think outside the square to sort out difficulties they were having in other areas.

One fellow particulalry has won our National Service Rifle champs for the last two years, finished very handily in the 10M Air Pistol, he also shoots Stock NRA Action and Open NRA Action.

[shred]

Todd was down here in November and mentioned he was keen to try and get on the team, and had been practicing at least somewhat.

(Edited by shred at 3:00 pm on Feb. 14, 2003)

[MBneACP]

I think Todd Jarrett, as well as Don Golembieski, Bruce Piatt and Bruce Gray are pretty serious about an Olympic future. Last year, when Todd won Production and Open championsips and finished 2nd in the world, he also just missed the U.S. rapid fire team (he was in the running and had a gun malfunction...those rapid fire guns are junk in a box). I think that probably qualifies as one of the most spectacular feats of sport shooting ever accomplished, considering that it involved training with three very different guns (his Open Para, a stock Para .40 and the rapid fire gun)  over the same period of time. The U.S. Olympic pistol coach told me Todd's performance was nothing short of amazing, and that he'd'a made the team if the gun hadn't crapped out.

John Bickar has emerged as one of the finest American Olympic pistol shooters in recent memory (partially thanks to Todd J.'s "little feetsteps behind you" pushing). Last year he simply dominated men's pistol shooting, with a whole bunch of new records. You'll get to see him at Bianchi this year, thanks to that deal we worked with Kimber.

I'm really honored that Project Rapid-Action did so much to revitalize Olympic pistol competition...god, you gotta love it when an off-the-wall plan comes together! I still believe that the Olympics is the centerpiece of pistol competition, and our guys WILL represent the United States and stand on a podium!

mb

[mpolans]

Great! Now if we could only get a few olympic rapid fire matches going on in my area (Waco, TX or temporarily, the Washington, DC area).

[rhino]

It seems almost like the Olympic-style pistol shooting sports are trying to keep themselves secret from the rest of us. The sole exposure I've had to any of it has been reading about "our boys" trying their sports (thanks to that rascal MB).

Where in the USA do they even hold matches?

[gm iprod]

Just heard today that they are "likely to" or are looking seriously at changing the rapid fire rules so that you must use 22lr instead of 22short. This is to make it easier for the "emerging" read that as third world, countries can enter a team. So that you could use the same firearm for 22 Standard Pistol and Rapid Fire. They are trying to standardise the rules (dumb them down).

Just remember the swimmer from Africa who very nearly drowned in Australia. Just imagine him or one of his mates on a range. I would suggest that any sensible Olympic Team give Richard Davis or Arnt Myhre a call for a vest. I reckon they should have got Steve Irwin and one of his freinds in the pool, that would speed up the event no end.

BTW the USA rapid fire team accredited itself well at the Bianchi Cup last month. Most of them were shooting STOCK Kimber 45's. They were having some real fun at 50. It appears they had never practiced going prone so shot standing all through.