GeorgeInNePa Posted February 28, 2006 Posted February 28, 2006 It's about one of the USPSA's founders. Also, from what I've read, he's a gunsmith of some fame. He used to shoot IPSC, maybe you've heard of it?
Clay1 Posted February 28, 2006 Posted February 28, 2006 I thought it was a great article and gave me some new found respect for Mr. Wilson. The guy has really been there and done that. I also think it is a good olive branch for USPSA to extend toward IDPA and Bill Wilson. There has been some very bad blood there and this might go a long way toward a better relationship between the two. I always find it interesting that one shooting faction doesn't like another group of shooters. It's human nature, I know, but the real truth is that we as USPSA shooters have one hell of a lot more in common with the IDPA crowd than we do with the anti-gun people.
Greg Jones Posted February 28, 2006 Posted February 28, 2006 I also think it is a good olive branch for USPSA to extend toward IDPA and Bill Wilson. There has been some very bad blood there and this might go a long way toward a better relationship between the two. I agree 100%. It was a class act on USPSA's part and I applaud the effort to put the past in the past and recognize that IDPA and USPSA both have a lot more in common than the differences. Shooting is all good!
Joe D Posted February 28, 2006 Author Posted February 28, 2006 I can feel the love. Time for a group hug.
revchuck Posted February 28, 2006 Posted February 28, 2006 And in the same edition, there was an article by Ron Avery which first slammed IDPA for the FTDR, and then wished that USPSA were self-defense-scenario based, like in the old days. Go figure. The article on Bill was a pretty classy thing. Most IDPA and USPSA shooters have gotten past the rift; maybe this is a sign that the respective powers-that-be have also. I got my copy of Front Sight. Maybe my copy of the TJ isn't far behind...
PJONES5 Posted February 28, 2006 Posted February 28, 2006 And in the same edition, there was an article by Ron Avery which first slammed IDPA for the FTDR, and then wished that USPSA were self-defense-scenario based, like in the old days. Go figure. The article on Bill was a pretty classy thing. Most IDPA and USPSA shooters have gotten past the rift; maybe this is a sign that the respective powers-that-be have also. I got my copy of Front Sight. Maybe my copy of the TJ isn't far behind... I also agree that most shooters have gotten past the rift except on the INTERNET PAT
JFD Posted February 28, 2006 Posted February 28, 2006 I didn't want to like this article at all. However it WAS a classy article about someone who definitely contributed to the sport. I could have done without the Ron Avery article though. Should have been a letter to the editor instead.
sturmruger Posted February 28, 2006 Posted February 28, 2006 I could not disagree with Ron Avery more. I think IPSC shooting has evolved in a good way. I also hate Texas Stars, but not for the same reasons that Ron does I just suck at shooting them. You can only shoot stationary brown targets so much, before you have to break out and change things up. It sounds like Ron should start shooting IDPA. Oh one more thing I still call head shots "head shots".
baa Posted February 28, 2006 Posted February 28, 2006 And in the same edition, there was an article by Ron Avery which first slammed IDPA for the FTDR, and then wished that USPSA were self-defense-scenario based, like in the old days. Go figure. The article on Bill was a pretty classy thing. Most IDPA and USPSA shooters have gotten past the rift; maybe this is a sign that the respective powers-that-be have also. I got my copy of Front Sight. Maybe my copy of the TJ isn't far behind... I also agree that most shooters have gotten past the rift except on the INTERNET PAT And a couple local IDPA guys I won't mention, Pat. IDPA, IPSC... whatever... Its all good shooting fun in my books. I do wish that more people would see that ultimately, IDPA and IPSC are complementary to each other, not at odds with each other. Baa aka Charles
Bigbadaboom Posted February 28, 2006 Posted February 28, 2006 This is the same Ron Avery that drew his gun and started loading up without being given the command at a big match here awhile back and didn't get D.Q.ed because of his "status". He does not impress me. I don't want to bring my 15 year old Eagle Scout Son into a "Sport" that emphasizes ways to kill others rather it's for self defense or not. I'll teach him defensive shooting when it is no longer my responsability to protect him. He knows how to defend himself when home alone. Here goes the crap I was trying to get at in this thread. I HATE this negative B.S. even when they try to put a light hearted spin on it in an effort to cover their disdain.
gmshtr Posted February 28, 2006 Posted February 28, 2006 I was COMPLETELY and TOTALLY not surprised by the Wilson article in Front Sight...or the Steyr article...or the S&W M&P40 article. BUT I would be surprised by an IPSC shooter(s) profile in the Tactical Journal! Phil
Crusher Posted February 28, 2006 Posted February 28, 2006 BUT I would be surprised by an IPSC shooter(s) profile in the Tactical Journal! Stunned, would be my reaction, and I shoot both. BTW Phil nice job at S&W. All from a duty rig.
Nolan Posted February 28, 2006 Posted February 28, 2006 I HATE this negative B.S. even when they try to put a light hearted spin on it in an effort to cover their disdain. You mean like when they say something bad by starting it out like "I think the world of that boy, but..." followed by "bless his heart!" Nolan
Bigbadaboom Posted February 28, 2006 Posted February 28, 2006 I HATE this negative B.S. even when they try to put a light hearted spin on it in an effort to cover their disdain. You mean like when they say something bad by starting it out like "I think the world of that boy, but..." followed by "bless his heart!" Nolan Eggzackly.....
chuckbradley Posted March 1, 2006 Posted March 1, 2006 I HATE this negative B.S. even when they try to put a light hearted spin on it in an effort to cover their disdain. You mean like when they say something bad by starting it out like "I think the world of that boy, but..." followed by "bless his heart!" Nolan You mean like this. Bill did have allot of good things to contribute to USPSA but I think the article danced around the truth a bit and put a positive spin on it. The article implied he was against the arms race but at the same time it shows pictures of him pushing the edge with his comped, weighted, 38 super(higher capacity) pistol. He was one of the drivers of the arms race but when another company hit a grand slam with the polymer high cap gun that absolutely took over the sport and left him in the cold then he wanted to resort to the simpler guns. Of course after an attempt to compete with a high cap polymer frame himslef. When USPSA wouldnt buckle to demands to limit round count to 10 is when he started IDPA. I believe that meeting was during a nationals in Fredericksburg, VA. It was all about creating a market for single stack guns. He he is one hell of a business man, without question. Thats my opinion on the matter and is only used as an example to what Nolan was talking about.
jkelly Posted March 1, 2006 Posted March 1, 2006 Mr. Bradley, As a short time IDPA/USPSA shooter with no sense of the history involved in the two shooting sports I found your post very interesting, thank you for the insight. It would explain much that until this point I just had to guess at. By your quote below are you saying the Mr. Wilson used a non-Wilson polymer gun in competition or that Wilson Combat (or what ever Wilson Combat might have been called at the time) produced a polymer frame gun? Of course after an attempt to compete with a high cap polymer frame himslef.---Chuck Bradley Respectfully, jkelly
Ben Stoeger Posted March 1, 2006 Posted March 1, 2006 Anyone see the shorts those guys were wearing in the 80's? I would be pissed if someone printed photos of me looking like a dork.
Crusher Posted March 1, 2006 Posted March 1, 2006 That "sting thong thing" Jake wears has those "hot short shorts" by a longshot. Maybe it's the weaver arm position that shifts foucs from the shorts.
Ted Murphy Posted March 1, 2006 Posted March 1, 2006 BUT I would be surprised by an IPSC shooter(s) profile in the Tactical Journal! Phil Phil, Write it. I bet they print it. They pretty much print anything the members send in. Ted I don't want to bring my 15 year old Eagle Scout Son into a "Sport" that emphasizes ways to kill others rather it's for self defense or not. I'll teach him defensive shooting when it is no longer my responsability to protect him. He knows how to defend himself when home alone. I have a friend who feels this way too. Said that "there is a time to be a kid". Ted
jkelly Posted March 1, 2006 Posted March 1, 2006 Not sure if he ever competed shooting a polymer high cap. I think he quit shooting competitively before they came out. I was referring to the time he tried to market a high cap polymer frame which i believe was a bul 5 frame from Israel. ---ChuckBradley Interesting, thank you. Respectfully, jkelly
Flexmoney Posted March 2, 2006 Posted March 2, 2006 Thread drift on Windmills & Stars & Bubble Yum moved here: http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=33113
Duane Thomas Posted March 2, 2006 Posted March 2, 2006 The article implied he was against the arms race but at the same time it shows pictures of him pushing the edge with his comped, weighted, 38 super(higher capacity) pistol. I've heard from numerous people the idea that Bill Wilson was a gamey SOB equipment-wise in the day, and so his comments today on not liking the equipment race back then are thus disingenuous. That's simply not true. I remember reading an interview with Wilson in American Handgunner back in the late '80s/early '90s. At the time all I knew about Bill Wilson was the fact his company was famous for developing compguns (the AccuComp LE, anyone?) so I figured as I started reading that he would be heavily pro-compgun. I was surprised to find (yes, even back then) that he stated in no uncertain terms he didn't like the equipment race, he preferred "real guns." And yes, I'm sure Wilson used some gamey equipment in the day. What a lot of people don't seem to remember, if they ever knew, is there was a time that Bill Wilson was one of the best IPSC shooters on Earth. In the very early '90s, Robbie and Brian were of course in a class by themselves - but Bill Wilson was arguably the best of everyone else. When you're a top shooter, I would theorize that sometimes you do things equipment-wise that are necessary to stay a top shooter that you might not particularly like or approve of. I can respect that.
Steve J Posted March 2, 2006 Posted March 2, 2006 I was COMPLETELY and TOTALLY not surprised by the Wilson article in Front Sight...or the Steyr article...or the S&W M&P40 article. BUT I would be surprised by an IPSC shooter(s) profile in the Tactical Journal! Phil Less than a year ago there was an article in the Tactical Journal that encouraged SSP shooters to attend USPSA matches and shoot Production as a means to further improve their skills. May be the trend toward reconciliation actually started in the TJ? Maybe not, but the gate at least is now open.
ipscbob Posted March 3, 2006 Posted March 3, 2006 I've heard from numerous people the idea that Bill Wilson was a gamey SOB equipment-wise in the day Quite a compliment actually! I'm sure he would appreciate it if he was reading this thread.
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