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HELP: A History of Practical Shooting Competitions?


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For quite a few years now, I've tossed around the idea of researching the beginnings of "practical shooting" competitions, probably starting with the Leather Slap matches in Big Bear CA (if my memory serves) to early Steel Challenge (I'm happy to call Mike Dalton a friend!) to USPSA's start in the South West Pistol League (where I have my name on one of their minor perpetual trophies), and probably the Bianchi Cup, then tie it all in with our current USPSA and its influences into things like multi-gun, etc..  This would all serve to memorialize the story of our sport.

 

The first question I'd like to pose is:  does this book already exist?  If so, can somebody reference it for me?  If not...

 

Are there any "elder statesman" out there willing to share some stories, or possibly even willing to share some historical documentation?

 

If I do this, it will be a multi-year project, playing 4ths to family, job, and my own shooting time.  Nonetheless, it's something I'd really like to do... and I might as well do something with that bachelors degree in creative writing.

 

Thanks,

John

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There was talk about USPSA documenting the history of the sport though I’m not sure if anything came of it.

 

I’ve not seen any existing publication, I remember talking to Nyle Leatham many years ago about such a book, But he saw no market for one.

 

 

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11 minutes ago, BritinUSA said:

But he saw no market for one.

 

This was about 18-20 years ago... I think a market may exist now and self-publishing options were not available then either. Nyle took thousands of photos of competitions, i seem to recall he wrote articles for shooting magazines so there may be some archival data in Guns & Ammo and American Handgunner.

 

Jeff Cooper also wrote regularly for gun magazines and may have mentioned some of the early days of the sport.

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  • 1 month later...

I have shooting magazines back to the mid 1970's. I pulled one out of the middle. Shooting Times Feb 1973. I have Guns and Ammo, Shooting Times, Front Sight, SOF, Guns, Police, AH and probably some others. You can have them if you come and get them. It would cost a fortune to ship.

IMG_2139.JPG

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6 hours ago, Bill Nesbitt said:

I have shooting magazines back to the mid 1970's. I pulled one out of the middle. Shooting Times Feb 1973. I have Guns and Ammo, Shooting Times, Front Sight, SOF, Guns, Police, AH and probably some others. You can have them if you come and get them. It would cost a fortune to ship.

IMG_2139.JPG

Damn!  If I were within a days drive I'd be there!  More like a week's drive from California, though.

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