competitive shooting

Team Smith & Wesson’s Trevor Baucom: Go Big or Go Home!

May 14, 2013 By Tom Leave a Comment

If you’re thinking about getting into competitive shooting, you could always start small, maybe with a local club match. Of you could just go and enter the most challenging competition there is – the Bianchi Cup. That’s what Team Smith & Wesson’s Trevor Baucom did. Oh, and he did it from a wheelchair. You see, Trevor is a medically retired Chief Warrant Officer and Blackhawk Pilot who was paralyzed in a crash during a night assault mission in Afghanistan. Now, as a sponsored competitive shooter, he’s opening doors to the shooting sports for lots of folks.

We caught up with Team Smith & Wesson’s Trevor Baucom at SHOT Show 2013.

We had a lot of fun talking with Trevor Baucom. Here’s what we learned…

My Gun Culture: So Trevor, if we have our facts straight, you’re a relatively new addition to Team Smith & Wesson. Didn’t you join the team sometime in mid-2011?

Trevor Baucom: That’s right, I was formally introduced as a team member at the NRA Annual Meeting in 2011 in Pittsburgh.

MGC: Now for the interesting part – was your first major competition really the The 2011 Bianchi Cup National Championship?

Trevor: Well no, not really. Bianchi was my FIRST shooting competition PERIOD! I had shot plenty just playing around, but never anything in terms of serious competition. After a couple of months of training, Bianchi was the first match I ever shot!

MGC: Ummm, that’s kind of like learning how to read by picking up a copy of War and Peace isn’t it? For those who aren’t familiar, the Bianchi Cup is the most brutal test of handgun shooting skill.

Trevor: It’s all about accuracy. Meaning out to 50 yards with a handgun kind of accuracy.

MGC: So were you completely high on drugs to venture into competitive shooting this way?

Trevor: Nah… That was the first one and I kind of think “Go big or go home!” I had a blast and it was really fun.

MGC: So how did you do?

Trevor: Well, I didn’t come close to winning. Doug Koenig has nothing to fear from me! I’ll improve on it as I go. My goal is always to outdo myself every year. Hey I didn’t come in last place either…

MGC: How did the whole Smith & Wesson thing come about? Tell us about the chain of events that got you here.

Trevor: I had just gotten out of the hospital and was going to outpatient rehab. I was in and out of the rehab facility and I saw this car with GUNS-TV on the license plate and I thought “That’s pretty cool.” Then I saw a 2^nd Ranger Battalion license plate on the front of the car. And I did my first five years in the Army in the 1^st Ranger Battalion so I go out there one day and see a bunch of guys talking by that car. So I went over and asked who the Ranger was. The guy answered that it was actually his son, and it turned out the guy was Jim Scoutten, host of Shooting USA. Anyway, over the next week or so, we talked more and one thing led to another. He introduced me to the folks at Smith & Wesson and here we are.

MGC: Now you also shoot Steel Challenge right?

Trevor: Yes sir!

MGC: How’s that going for you?

Trevor: It’s a blast, I love Steel Challenge. I did the World Shoot the past couple of years. I’ve been improving my times year over year and did the Nationals this year.

MGC: We also heard that you’re starting into 3 Gun competition as well?

Trevor: I am. I am shooting the AR15.com match in July at Rock Castle. That’s going to be my first major 3 Gun match. Ithaca Gun Company has sponsored me. They don’t offer a semi-auto shotgun, so I have to shoot the Heavy Metal class. So I’m going hard core!

MGC: Let’s talk about your competition guns. For Bianchi and Steel Challenge what are you using?

Trevor: I’m shooting the Smith & Wesson M&P Pro Series with a 5 inch barrel. I’ve got a production version and an Open Class M&P that Apex Tactical has fixed up for me. For Steel Nationals, I’m going to shoot the new Smith & Wesson M&P Core. For 3 Gun I’ll be shooting a Smith & Wesson M&P AR, probably the 300 Whisper. So I’ll still be shooting the .30 caliber for Heavy Metal, but with a little less pop. Then I’ll use one of the Smith & Wesson M&P Core’s in .45 ACP for the pistol and of course an Ithaca Model 37 pump shotgun.

MGC: So with all that, you’ll leave Rock Castle with a nice, sore, shoulder…

Trevor: Nah, it’s alright. They hooked me up with a really nice recoil reducer. It has a strut inside that soaks up a lot of the recoil. I did a charity trap shoot with it a couple weeks ago and it was fine.

MGC: Let’s talk about hunting. You live in Tennessee right? Lot’s of hunting opportunities there, so what do you enjoy?

Trevor: There’s lot’s of hunting and fishing. I hunt deer, turkey, and HAVA (Honored American Veterans Afield) is working on getting me out for an elk hunt too.

MGC: So how was your deer season this year?

Trevor: I didn’t get out very much at all. But, my oldest son got his first deer. It ended up being a management buck, but it was bigger than the 10 pointer it was hanging next to in the freezer. So while it was a management buck, it was a big one. So that was the only one we got this year as we just didn’t get out enough. Turkey season is great because I don’t have to go anywhere. The farmer behind us has given us free rein to hunt 300 acres for Turkey. So as long as I don’t shoot his cows, I’m OK!

MGC: No worries, I’m sure the Bianchi Cup stuff has got your accuracy all set. So, since you’re an Army Ranger veteran and probably expert on this topic, you can settle a long-standing debate. My wife and I have been arguing over the best home-defense gun. I think it’s an MK19 Automatic Grenade Launcher, but she’s worried about the blast radius and collateral damage. What say you? Settle this for us, please.

Trevor: I got this. I coach soccer, and one of the soccer parents asked me about home-defense a couple of weeks ago. Her husband is deployed and there is a lot of construction where she lives, so there are lots of strangers coming and going at weird times. She went shopping for pistols and couldn’t figure out what she needed. I told her, look, we’ll get you a pump shotgun. First of all, the noise is going to scare the hell out of anybody. If someone tries to break in, take your boys into the bedroom, and if someone tries to come in, shoot them right in the junk! He’s not gonna mess with you any more! So that’s where I’m at. Load it with light bird shot – you don’t have to have anything heavy. It’s not gonna go through walls. If you hit him below the belt, he’s going to stop. And a pump shotgun has follow-up rounds if you need them. A shotgun is harder to miss with than a pistol and it’s not going to go through walls and such.

MGC: Remind me never to break into your house… So what’s your schedule for the year looking like?

Trevor: I’m competing about once a month on average. What I really love is doing HAVA shoots. I love going HAVA because you’ll get guys out there and see a 180 degree attitude change. We had a quadriplegic who hadn’t been able to get out. We set him up with a friend operating the stick because he can’t move anything. They had the sip and puff trigger where you blow into it and it shoots the gun. That guy went from not saying a word to anyone and moping to having a huge smile after the second round. He was happy, having fun, and talking to everybody. That’s why I love HAVA. You get the wives and kids out there. They teach everyone gun safety first and get them shooting. It’s a great organization.

We’d like to thank Trevor Baucom and Team Smith & Wesson for helping us get Trevor’s story out there. If you haven’t tried competitive shooting, you now have no excuse! No need to start with the Bianchi Cup though. You can leave that to Trevor.

Filed Under: People Tagged With: Bianchi Cup, Club Match, competitive shooting, home defense, hunting, interviews, military, Self-Defense, Shooting Competitions, SHOT Show, smith & wesson, Trevor, Trevor Baucom

Michelle Viscusi: Team Glock’s Military Police Enforcer & Former Gymnast

May 8, 2013 By Tom 1 Comment

Team Glock’s Michelle Viscusi

Today we’re talking with Team Glock Shooter, Top Shot contestant, Border Patrol scout and former Army Military Police veteran Michelle Viscusi. We expect to hear scandalous stories about the many times she had to arrest Glock teammate KC Eusebio, also retired Army, at some hole-in-the-wall border cantina. Let’s get to the bottom of the rumors…

My Gun Culture: So Michelle, from a look at your background, I see that you’ve served in the Army Military Police and Border Patrol. Can you give us a bit more background on that?

Michelle Viscusi: I’ve actually served in the Army National Guard. My time with Border Patrol was during my active duty with the Army. I was assigned to border patrol duties for about a year and a half. So I was still Army, just working with my counterparts at Border Patrol.

MGC: So you were busting people coming across the border and engaging in big firefights with drug cartels?

Michelle: Actually, our duty was more of an observe and report role…

MGC: So you were piloting attack drones then?

Michelle: No, unfortunately we didn’t get to do any cool things like that. I wish!

MGC: We just talked with KC Eusebio, who is also retired Army. Since you were part of the Army Military Police, I suspect you had some run ins with him. How many times did you have to arrest KC at some Tijuana bar for conduct unbecoming of an Army soldier? We expect the truth, so no trying to cover for your teammate!

Michelle: I wish I could give you a huge story…

MGC: Well, just make one up!

Michelle: He doesn’t even drink, so there’s no way I could have arrested him at a Mexican bar.

MGC: Maybe he just likes to fight in bars?

Michelle: Well, maybe we brought him in about 5 times then…

MGC: So, Military police huh? I’m standing here next to you and I’m about twice as fat as you. I’m trying to picture you wrestling and cuffing drunk angry dudes…

Michelle: Are you calling me fat?

MGC: No, I’m calling ME fat. What do you do as an MP? Are you out arresting people and throwing them in the brig?

Michelle: Well, actually I’m not LEO (law enforcement officer), I’m more general purpose duty.

MGC: Let’s talk about Top Shot! We’re big fans and loved your season. What changed in your life the day after the first episode aired?

Michelle: My life has completely changed! The show helped me to get here! It’s interesting because my time in the military helped me get on Top Shot, and Top Shot helped get me into competition shooting representing Glock. Obviously I wasn’t on there a really long time, but I’m thankful to have a good following!

MGC: How did you decide to apply for the show?

Michelle: I was watching Season 2 and loved it. I sent in an email and photo and I heard back about 3 weeks later. From that point, it was just following the application process.

MGC: So did you shoot Glocks before joining Team Glock?

Michelle: Well, actually, the first gun I ever owned was a Glock 19, so I’ve always been crazy about Glocks.

MGC: How old were you when you got your first Glock?

Michelle: Ummm….. 21? Yeah, it must have been 21… But seriously I started shooting my own Glock 19 when I was 19. But I started shooting when I was 15. When I started shooting competition, I started shooting a Glock 34.

MGC: Tell us about the first time you ever shot a gun.

Michelle: Well I was 15 and my dad took me to the range, just for fun! I was nervous but loved it. My dad was a cop, so he had a gun and shot quite a bit.

MGC: Were you instantly hooked or was shooting just something you did now and then?

Michelle: Well actually at the time, I was really big into gymnastics – that was what I was going to do. But when I joined the Army, I really grew to love shooting – so that’s when I got really serious about it.

MGC: Tell us how many Glocks you own. You can round off to the nearest dozen.

Michelle: We’ll right now, I only own two. But I expect that to be changing this year when I start competing more.

MGC: How much time do you expect to be on the road competing this year?

Michelle: It’s averaging 1-2 weeks per month. My schedule seems to be about 2 competitions per month, but I am shooting and preparing for a week around each one.

MGC: Tell us about the equipment you’ll be using this year.

Michelle: I’ll mostly be shooting a Glock 34, but will use a Glock 17 for some divisions. I’m doing both IPSC and IDPA. I use a JR Holster.

MGC: So what’s it like jetting around the world in the Glock corporate jet?

Michelle: It’s awesome! There’s usually a pile of cash waiting on my seat along with champagne

MGC: We ask everybody to weigh in and solve a long standing debate question. Do you think that an MK19 Automatic Grenade Launcher is appropriate for home defense?

Michelle: We’ll only if it had a Glock Gen 5 logo on the side. And I would put one in each window, facing out, to minimize blast damage in the house.

MGC: Let’s finish up with a hypothetical question. The Gunny, R. Lee Ermey, also represents Glock. If you had to bust him for disorderly conduct, could you take him down alone, or would you have to call for backup?

Michelle: You know, I’d probably have to call for backup, but I’d give him a good fight!

Thanks to Michelle Viscusi and the nice folks from Glock for helping us catch up and learn a little more about Glock’s newest competitive shooter!

Filed Under: People Tagged With: Army Military Police, Border Patrol, Border Patrol Duties, competitive shooting, glock, Glock Shooter, interviews, michelle viscusi, people, Police Enforcer, Retired Army, team glock, Top Shot, Viscusi

Our Talk With The Miculeks – The First Family of Shooting

April 30, 2013 By Tom Leave a Comment

We had the opportunity to catch up with Jerry, Kay and Lena Miculek recently to ask them about life as the First Family of Shooting, family rivalries and how often Jerry has to sleep in the couch. As you’ll see, the Miculeks are some wild and crazy folks!

The Miculek Family sporting their work attire, courtesy of Team Smith & Wesson

My Gun Culture: Here we are with the Miculek Family – Jerry, Kay and Lena. Lot’s of folks know you as the First Family of Shooting. How did that come about?

Kay Clark Miculek: Well, technically… Jerry married INTO the First Family of Shooting. My father, Jim Clark , Sr. was a gunsmith and now Clark Custom Guns is run by my brother. The Clark family had actually been branded as the First Family of Shooting. So anyway, Jerry decided to practice with my brother one day, and we decided to keep him!

MGC: I know I promised you that this interview was more about entertainment than scoop, and that I wouldn’t try to trip you up with any hard questions. But I kinda lied. The other day, the President signed an Executive Order granting the First Family Secret Service Protection for life. Since you’re the First Family of Shooting, I have to ask if all y’all will be the ones providing this security? And will Smith & Wesson supply all the gear?

Jerry Miculek: I’m up for hire you know! I’m “Johnny on the spot” so show me the money and I’m your man!

Kay: We’ll need a whole bunch of those 7 round magazines though…

MGC: We’ll probably be able to get you an exemption on the new 7 round magazine limits.

Kay: Or we can all just use wheelguns!

MGC: Jerry, there’s this rumor on the internet that you can empty a revolver in .57 seconds. I’m thinking, heck, I can even do that. You just open the cylinder and dump the rounds out. I could’ve told you that a long time ago and saved you a lot of trouble!

Jerry: I think I can still beat you though. By the time you get that thing open, I’ll be done! So I got ya beat…

MGC: So Jerry, tell us about the Miculek revolver grip. How did that come to be?

Jerry: It kind of originated when Jim Clark, Sr. and I were traveling and competing in the Masters event. I was shooting a revolver and beating the pistol guys. I was taking Smith & Wesson grips and altering them with Bondo and tape. I screwed little pieces and parts on them and they looked really, really ratty. Jim told me to go see this gentlemen, Guy Hogue, who actually makes grips that look a whole lot better than that trashy one on my gun. So I went to see Mr. Hogue and out of his kind heart, he made me a couple of sets of custom grips. He’s a super nice guy along with the rest of the Hogue family. Anyway, he was kind enough to throw me a bone and make me grips because be thought I was an enthusiast at the time. We started selling them as they seemed to fit the need for a lot of folks.

MGC: I can see how Smith & Wesson might have liked that you switched to professionally made grips. As a marketing guy myself, I can see how they would be a little stressed out having their team shooter run around with a beautiful Smith & Wesson revolver equipped with Bondo and duct tape on the grips…

Jerry: Yeah, it looked a little cheap, but it got the job done.

MGC: The latest info we have is that you and your wife have different gun selections with Smith & Wesson, with her using an M&P and you being more of a revolver guy. Is there friction in the family over this? Does Jerry sleep on the couch a lot?

Kay: No there’s no friction!

MGC: Let me rephrase that, does Jerry sleep on the couch a lot?

Kay: (Laughs) Not at all! That’s what keeps our marriage strong! I can still beat him occasionally as he’s got a six shot revolver and I have a 17 round M&P. So now and then I can rub it in that “I beat you again!” We won’t count the part where he had 3 reloads and I’m just pulling the trigger…

MGC: So Kay, is your M&P competion gun stock, or did you get the Smith & Wesson Pro Shop to jazz it up? I hope you didn’t let Jerry work on it as he probably would have put Bondo and duct tape all over it!

Kay: Well, Jerry might have tweaked the internals a little bit, but I said no to Bondo!

MGC: So Lena, you were born, born on the range. And now you’re cruising all over the country racking up championships. What’s on your schedule in 2013?

Lena Miculek: I have 22 matches scheduled so far. I’m also an instructor with Babes with Bullets so I have 4 or 5 three to four day classes. So my schedule is crazy, but I love it. Most of my matches are 3 Gun so I can get out there and do what I really love. Actually I just competed in the 3 Gun Nation Shootoff and I was able to take the Ladies Division win. So I’m on sort of a 3 Gun high right now.

MGC: Did your mom compete in that?

Lena: Yes!

MGC: So you’ve been kicked out of the house?

Lena: Well we both made it to the finals!

MGC: You’re dodging the question. Did you beat your mom or not?

Lena: Yes!

MGC: Kay, what drove you to start Babes With Bullets?

Kay: It started off as training for ladies interested in competition, but so many new shooters were interested that now it’s more oriented to that. Smith & Wesson has generously provided guns, so bottom line – these ladies can come to the classes, try out the gear and make an informed decision for when they decide to buy something.

MGC: Jerry, I saw an episode of Sons of Guns, where one of their gunsmiths raced you. He was shooting a full auto rifle against you shooting a semi-auto AR-15. And you dang near beat him!

Jerry: Yeah, but if you go back and look at the footage, his first shot was in the ground, while mine was actually on target. So he was just shooting towards the target zone, while I was actually hitting something! Ummm, they didn’t edit that correctly…

MGC: To get that kind of trigger finger speed, you must have some sort of custom Nautilus Finger Training machine. What’s the secret?

Jerry: I just have a lot of excitement in my life. I’m an excitable guy. When I get excited, things just happen quick!

MGC: Well, since you’re going down that path… With such a well-developed finger you must have other interesting skills…

Jerry: ???

MGC: No, not that! Your mind is in the gutter!

Kay: I’ve tried to teach him to type, but that was a failure…

Lena: You should see him with elevators. When he has to wait, he keeps pushing the button over and over and over really fast. Like it will make a difference…

Jerry: Yeah, I can lock up the elevator.

MGC: What else do our readers need to know?

Jerry: Send checks and donations!

Kay: Yeah, we’re not a non-profit organization! We’re just kidding! We’d love people to check out our new Team Miculek website and of course encourage the ladies to get involved with Babes with Bullets.

We’d like to thank all the Miculeks for a great time. Unlike real First Families, the First Family of Shooting has a great sense of humor!

You can learn more about their happenings at Miculek.com and ladies, be sure to check out Babes With Bullets!

Filed Under: People Tagged With: 3 Gun, Babes with Bullets, competitive shooting, Jerry Miculek, Kay Miculek, Lena Miculek, Miculek, Shooting, SHOT Show, smith & wesson, smith and wesson, Women Shooters

Talking, Talking and More Talking with Max Michel of Team Sig

March 18, 2013 By Tom Leave a Comment

When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one… to attempt to interview another one, who is every bit as nutty as the first one, one looks for Team Sig’s Max Michel.

So we did. We caught up with Max at SHOT Show and dragged him away from the screaming fans and corporate endorsement dealmakers long enough to squeeze in a serious investigative report. Remember folks, you heard it here first…

Champion Shooter Max Michel of Team Sig

My Gun Culture: So Max, I understand you’re Captain of Team Sig. How is your relationship with all the other Team Sig members?

Max Michel: I treated them pretty fairly. But I had to fire them all, you know?

MGC: So, right now, it’s just you on Team Sig???

Max: Yeah, exactly! I had about 5 other guys and they just started cramping my style and cutting into my budget. And I thought, “I just can’t have that” so I had to release them.

MGC: Well if you’re into world domination, you gotta take out the internal competition. Just ask Dr. Evil or maybe Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

Max: That’s the first thing to do!

MGC: You’re also the Manager of Shooting Activities. What’s in the scope of that role for you?

Max: I think what’s interesting about Sig Sauer is that’s it’s a very well-known company. Most everybody knows of Sig – you don’t have to be a gun person. Sig Sauer has always had that military and law enforcement reputation – you know, “to hell and back reliability.” They brought me in about four years ago to help bring them into the competitive market. So, to the traditional Sig values of reliability, I bring about 20 years of practical competitive shooting experience. I help to coordinate our position in competitive and recreational shooting. For example, I look at things like where we want to compete, what we want to sponsor, what do we want to support and emphasize for the year, and that sort of thing. In short, I help bridge the gap between the company and the competitive shooting world.

MGC: Does this liaison role of yours also extend into Sig’s product development strategy?

Max: Most definitely. I’m really excited about that part! The product and marketing teams come to me for input, and I love that. I love those conversations. In fact, I just enjoy talking!

MGC: Well I can already tell this interview is going to take about three days…

Max: I have a flight on Friday, so as long as I make that, we’re good!

MGC: Is there a specific Sig gun that you personally point to and say “I’m especially proud of that one because I had a lot of input”?

Max: Absolutely. That would be the 1911 Max. I’ve been screaming to get a gun for a long time that is built from the ground up as a competitive model. The product team was really receptive to my ideas. In fact, I pushed for a lot of aftermarket parts on that model and the product guys were completely open to that. Now I’m pushing for a new 1911 Max. But I can’t talk about that just yet…

MGC: Tease! The original 1911 Max is available now right? Can you tell us a little about it?

Max: We launched it at SHOT Show 2012 and we took it slow as there are aftermarket parts and we needed to make sure the whole package met Sig’s quality and reliability standards. It’s a target 1911 gun that has been enhanced with competitive parts. Like Hogue G10 chain link grips, a custom mag well that’s an extension of the grip, adjustable rear sight with a fiber optic front sight, front and rear cocking serrations, wide safeties, a flat trigger, the Doug Koenig speed hammer and matching sear, and extended firing pin.

MGC: So with the Koenig custom hammer, do you have any concerns that it’s really a subversive plot by Smith & Wesson to sabotage the Sig 1911 Max? Maybe it’s specially designed to self-destruct like those old Mission Impossible tape recorders…

Max: I’m worried that I’m going to lose my job when someone realizes I put in my competitors part! Just to be clear, the hammer is a Doug Koening part and not a Smith & Wesson part. Maybe this will encourage Sig to make some Max Michel parts!

MGC: So you’ve won everything there is to win about infinity-eleven times. Last I looked it was about 100 championship titles. What gives? You and Lance Armstrong are doing what on the weekends?

Max: No comment… Actually it’s just a passion of mine. I love it. I’ve been doing this since I was 8 years old. It’s not work for me, it’s fun and not a job. When I was 13 I had a goal and purpose to have the type of job that I have today. I wanted to be the next Rob Leatham! But you know, that guy just won’t retire!

MGC: We interviewed Rob several months ago, and he said the only reason he’s staying in the sport is to crush and humiliate you! Let’s talk about your show Hot Shots. You know, the one with you and Charlie Sheen. It’s about Navy Seals or something right?

Max: Yeah right! Me and Charlie Sheen… Hot Shots is a show that illustrates the real life drama of what it’s like to be a pro shooter. People get to see the real deal and all the things behind the scenes. The practice, the work, competition and family life balance. I like how the show is done because the producers just tell me to be Max. There are plenty of times when I’m not happy on camera, but that can be reality. When you’re not winning, you’re not happy. I like the realism.

MGC: Are you planning on getting into the Three Gun circuit? Now Sig has ⅔ of the bases covered with pistols and rifles right?

Max: It’s coming and I’m looking forward to it.

MGC: Everybody and their brother wants to sponsor you and obviously that’s because of your good looks.

Max: And my bald head of course…

MGC: I told you I wasn’t going to ask you about any secret future plans, but I was lying. I’m hearing that you have a sponsorship deal in the works with Snuggies. Care to comment?

Max: I hope so! I’ve got three kids now and I have to prepare for everybody.

MGC: How much time do you spend on the road doing competitions?

Max: I typically spend about nine to ten months on the road, so it’s a pretty heavy schedule. Of course I’m stopping by home, but I never really unpack. It’s a pretty grueling schedule, but I enjoy doing it and hope I can keep doing it for ten or fifteen more years.

MGC: Do you have an idea of how many rounds per year you shoot in practice? What does it take to keep the edge in a sport that can be won or lost by hundredths of seconds?

Max: A lot of people don’t believe it, but there was a time when I was in the Army when I was shooting 5,000 rounds a week for ten months out of the year. These days I just don’t have that much time. I shoot maybe 40,000 to 60,000 rounds a year now. The trick is finding time to practice while you develop other ways to add value to the company that sponsors you. You can’t just focus on winning matches. You have to be a representative of the company and bring value in other ways too.

MGC: You do a lot of training. If you had to pick one basic tip for new shooters, where would you steer someone first?

Max: Safety is always first of course. Before any tips, you need instruction on how to safely handle the gun – loading and unloading, storing and general handling. Once that’s covered, I tell people the biggest things to focus on are stance and grip. You’ll be surprised how quickly and accurately you can shoot with proper grip and stance. It’s funny, but I tell people in my classes to expect to be bored the first few hours because I go back to the basics. If you ask other shooters like Rob Leatham, they’re working on those basic fundamentals too. There’s no such thing as advanced shooting, there’s only advanced application of basic fundamentals.

MGC: What are some of the new guns from Sig this year?

Max: We’ve got a lot of new introductions. For example, the P227, which is a double stack .45. It comes in a number of configurations, so you can get options like a threaded barrel. We had quite a challenge designing the 227 so that it’s not too big in your hand, but it worked out really well. You can hardly tell the difference in your hand between a 226 and a 227, but the 227 has 10 rounds of .45 ACP. We also have the P226 SAO which is really nice. I love Sig’s implementation of single action in this gun.

MGC: Before we wrap up, can you tell our readers a little bit about about the Max Michel Training Academy.

Max: It’s aimed at all types of shooters – recreational, competitive, self defense, and law enforcement or military. Basically I teach anyone who wants to get better with a handgun or a rifle. I do maybe a half dozen courses a year at my home range and contract some remote locations throughout the year. For some of the tactical training, I partner with the VATA Training Group and they do an excellent job. The fun thing is that we train anyone – from a raw beginner who has never drawn a gun to military and law enforcement professionals. I love it!

We’d like to thank Max and Team Sig for being such great sports, sharing some knowledge and continuing to make fantastic guns! Check out some training opportunities at the Max Michel Training Academy, and you can always keep up with Max and his plans for world domination at MaxMichel.com.

Filed Under: People Tagged With: competitive shooting, interviews, Max, Max Michel, people, Sig, Sig 1911, Sig Guns, Sig Sauer, Team, Team Sig, training

A Molly Minute with Molly Smith – Team Smith & Wesson’s Youngest Shooter

February 18, 2013 By Tom 6 Comments

Recently we had the good fortune to catch up with Pro Shooter Molly Smith of Team Smith & Wesson. This was no small feat as this lady is seriously on the go. Ever see The Flash from DC Comics? Well, she’s kind of like that…

My Gun Culture: So Molly, we’ve heard you called a lot of things…

Molly Smith Team Smith & Wesson Pro Shooter

We caught up with Team Smith & Wesson Pro Shooter Molly Smith at the 2013 SHOT Show.

Molly Smith: WHAT???

MGC: No, just kidding, not that! Like Molly Minute and Millisecond Molly. We heard about those nicknames from our friends over at Women’s Outdoor News. How on earth did you manage to get involved with a bunch of crazy chicks like them?

Molly: Well, I’m not exactly sure how it happened… I have a blog and through my blogging I’ve been able to go to various things like the Gun Blogger Rendezvous in Reno – that is one of my absolute favorite events – it’s fantastic! Different events like that get me connected with folks around the internet community. Also I’ve been reading Women’s Outdoor News and other sites that are encouraging women shooters. It’s made me want to contribute as well.

MGC: I saw that you recently participated in a mock Second Amendment trial. Was that a school event?

Molly: It’s a statewide competition. I’m from California and every year there is a new case with a different theme. There are two parts and I was involved with the Second Amendment portion. It was a murder case where a gun was not used, but one was found in the perpetrators car. So my part of the debate was related to whether the defendant was allowed to have that pistol and whether there should be additional charges. I got to reference recent big cases like Heller and McDonald to make my arguments.

MGC: So, are you for, or against, the Second Amendment?

Molly: (Laughs. A lot. At our expense.)

MGC: OK, that was a trick question, but we’re going to make you answer it. So?

Molly: I am for rights! I am for more freedoms! I could write you a paper on my interpretation of the Constitution!

MGC: I’m part of Smith & Wesson’s background check network and we just making sure that their team members are up to snuff on these issues…

Molly: Umm, we have a problem???

MGC: So did you win?

Molly: Well, we did not go on to state, but that was not all my fault! It was a team effort and we did really well, however one school beats us every single year. But this year they are going down! This year’s topic is a 5th Amendment debate. I have a huge interest in constitutional law and I’m planning on going to law school as soon as I am able to so I can defend every freedom we have.

MGC: That’s fantastic!

Molly: Well, my mom wants me to marry Prince Harry, but I’d rather be a constitutional lawyer, or better yet, a Supreme Court Justice.

MGC: We’d love to see you on the Supreme Court! Let’s talk about competition. You’re Team Smith & Wesson’s youngest shooter. How did it feel when Smith & Wesson sent out the corporate jet to recruit you? How did this all start?

Molly: Well, I competed at my first International Revolver Championship when I was 10 and I was shooting a borrowed gun as I had only been shooting about 3 weeks at that time. But I didn’t come in last place! I came in second to last, behind a guy who didn’t finish, but that’s OK! I won a revolver there through a drawing. It was a Smith & Wesson 627 and that’s my gun of choice to this day. I’ve shot nearly every event with that same gun.

MGC: .38 Special right?

Molly: Exactly! 8 shot N frame. It was my second International Revolver Championship and I finished pretty well with second or third place for my junior division. After the match, Julie Golob came up. All the women were very nice. They blew me away! They were beautiful and friendly and the best shooters. I decided I wanted to be like them when I grew up. That was my determination at that age. So, Julie asked if I wanted a t-shirt. Then if I wanted a gun! And I was like OK!

MGC: So we hear you’re going to fill in while Julie is on maternity leave. Is there a coup in progress where you’re going to plot and scheme to take her position while she’s out?

Molly: Well actually it’s all a big conspiracy… Wait, you’re not gonna put that in the article!

MGC: So what’s coming up for you in 2013?

Molly: Well the Bianchi Cup. It’s a very difficult and challenging match. It makes my head hurt, and it’s fantastic, and I get so much out of it. It’s the most difficult match I’ve ever heard of and I love it. It teaches me so much, even by just competing in it. By the time the next match, which happens to be the International Revolver Championship, comes up for me, I am ready. I have the fundamentals engraved in my mind because I’ve been focusing so hard for months on the Bianchi Cup. I get to the IRC and then it’s a breeze for me and I have so much fun running around and going fast. I generally do much better at the IRC than Bianchi because I am better at it – that helps my self-esteem a little bit. I’m also thinking about starting Steel Challenge and then I’ll be starting to visit college campuses.

MGC: So is that this coming fall for you? Are you a senior?

Molly: I’m a junior, but I am aiming for some prestigious schools so I’m starting early.

MGC: Want to tell us which ones?

Molly: Well, I have plan A. And plan B. And plan C… I’m ultimately aiming for an Ivy League and hoping to go into Political Science or English and then into law. If I end up going to a California University I can knock almost two years off my undergraduate program as I’ve already been taking college classes. NYU and Georgetown are also schools that I’m looking at. I love Washington DC! I went there over the summer with the NRA Youth Education Summit. Best experience of my life! It was the most fantastic week I’ve ever had. If there are any Freshmen and Sophomores out there, look into this program!

MGC: How many Smith & Wesson guns do you have? You can round off to the nearest dozen…

Molly: Well, 3 actually. I don’t like having more than I need.

MGC: We’ll work on fixing that with the Smith & Wesson folks. What else do you want our readers to know?

Molly: My biggest goal right now is to promote gun safety, safe gun ownership and encouraging women and kids to shoot. I love to see more women and juniors out there shooting because it’s such a fantastic sport! I don’t like to see people afraid of firearms, because when they’re used safely, they’re a great instrument for fun. I really like to be an ambassador and encourage the sport.

We’d like to thank Molly for taking time to meet with us. Be sure to keep up with her via Smith & Wesson, and of course at The Molly Minute or Millisecond Molly at Women’s Outdoor News.

Filed Under: People Tagged With: .38 Special, 627, competitive shooting, interviews, IRC Revolver, Junior Shooters, Molly, Molly Smith, SHOT Show, smith & wesson, Smith Wesson Guns, Team Smith & Wesson

Glock 18 For Home Defense? We Ask Tori Nonaka of Team Glock

April 19, 2012 By Tom 2 Comments

Team Glock’s Tori Nonaka at the NRA Annual Meeting 2012

We caught up with Team Glock shooter Tori Nonaka at the Glock booth at the recent NRA Annual Meeting in St. Louis. After a fair bit of begging and whining, Tori agreed to sit with us for an interview. Here’s what she had to say.

My Gun Culture: We’re here at the NRA Annual Meeting talking with Tori Nonaka of Team Glock. Tori, tell our readers how you ended up shooting for Team Glock.

Tori Nonaka: Sure. I’ll start back when I was 3 years old and I shot my first gun. It was a .22 long rifle. I target shot for a while, and then when I was 12, my father and I got into the shooting sports together. We took a class out at USSA, then came back and shot a local match. We got really involved with the sport. I tried out a number of different guns and then I tried out the Glock and it shot the best for me. At that point, my name was out there and Glock asked me to be on their team! Now I get to represent Glock across the US and sometimes internationally at matches and events like this.

MGC: Obviously you’re on the road a lot of the time. I’m guessing that your school administrators have fits over you!

Tori: I had to really find a good balance between high school and shooting – bringing my work along with me on planes and doing homework in cars. My school has been very supportive and understanding of my goal to have this become my career. I’ve made sure to have good grades at home so that I can come out here and be part of the shooting industry.

MGC: You’re a Junior category shooter right now, and when you turn 18 you move into ladies category. You have to tell us, and this is just between me and you – and the internet – who do you most want to beat?

Tori: The internet???

MGC: Yeah, it’s no big deal. So who are you ‘gunning’ for?

Tori: Well, my goal is to be the dominant force in the women’s category so I’m just trying to improve my skills. This is my last year as a junior shooter and I want to end on a good note, a positive note, and transfer into the ladies category.

MGC: OK, now come on. We all know that Julie Golob is really, really nice, but you can tell us. You want to beat the tar out of her right?

Tori: (Laughs) Well, I wouldn’t put it that way! We enjoy competing together and it’s always been a good competition. I’ve been running with the ladies for a while and so I hope in the next few years I can represent the younger generation and carry the torch.

MGC: So you have to tell us, how many Glocks do you have?

Tori: Oh, gosh…

MGC: And if its more than a hundred, you can estimate to the nearest ten.

Tori: Well, I don’t have a hundred! But I like to keep a primary and backup. Glock treats me well, so I have some 34’s, 35’s, and 17’s.

MGC: So is the Glock 34 your primary competition gun?

Tori: It was for a while for Production Division. This year I’m just choosing to mix it up and shoot the Glock 35 in the Limited Division.

MGC: This next question could be a little controversial with the Glock people, so we’ll tell them not to listen to this next part. Let’s say Dr. Evil came out with a new evil ray device that made all the Glocks in the world instantly disappear. Would you quit shooting or choose a different gun?

Tori: Well, I think that we would have to come up with the Glock anti-evil ray device to compete against it! I think that’s what we have to do. It’s called Glock protection!

MGC: I have a daughter who is just about your age, and we use the gun dad ritual where, when a guy comes over to the house for a date, I make it a point to have some of my guns out for cleaning. In your household, do you scatter a bunch of YOUR guns around just to let the guy know who’s boss?

Tori: Well, everyone knows I shoot and if anybody comes over, my dad is decked out in his camo wearing his Glock hat, and carrying in the kitchen. Pretty much everyone knows we’re a shooter family so we scare ‘em off!

MGC: When you have a really bad day, you’re really frustrated, and you just have to blow some targets up, do you prefer a Glock 20 or a Glock 31?

Tori: Glock 18!

MGC: Whoa! Full auto! Sweet! You’ve shot one of those haven’t you?

Tori: I have… It was great and I’m grateful I was able to shoot that down at the Georgia plant.

MGC: We have an ongoing debate in our editorial room and we ask everyone we interview this question. Is the MK19 Automatic Grenade Launcher appropriate for home defense? Some people are worried about the blast radius, but I think it’s fine. What do you think?

Tori: I would say that… Well, personally I think it’s a little too much gun. Yes, it’s a little too much gun for a home weapon. Why not the Glock 17? Or maybe the Glock 18 so we’re using the automatic Glock instead of the automatic grenade launcher!

MGC: So what’s next on your schedule?

Tori: Next for me, I’ll be traveling to Italy to shoot the European Cup in two weeks. It will be my first trip out there and I’m really excited!

MGC: So are you gonna show those Beretta folks who’s boss?

Tori: I will definitely aim to put on my best performance. My gear is dialed in and I look forward to a great match!

MGC: Best of luck with the match! Thanks again for talking to us today!

Filed Under: People Tagged With: competitive shooting, glock, nra annual meeting, team glock, tori nonaka

Iain Harrison Talks About Caliber, Kilts, and Kegerators – A My Gun Culture Interview

December 5, 2011 By Tom 6 Comments

It’s our pleasure to welcome Top Shot Champion, Crimson Trace Pitch Guy, and all-around class clown Iain Harrison to the My Gun Culture interview hot seat. We first met Iain at the NRA Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh, PA earlier this year. Our initial encounter was at a kilt-heavy bar, so most records of the meeting remain sealed. Let’s just say that certain bald members of the gun writer community are now scarred for life. At great personal risk to reputation and career, Iain has graciously agreed to answer some of our more pressing questions…

My Gun Culture: Rumor has it that in addition to handling Media Relations for Crimson Trace and hitting the competitive circuit, that you’re a gunsmith and do scary stuff like milling and lathe. Are you personally making the new Crimson Trace Lightguard in your garage?

Iain Harrison: Ha, I wish! I thought my shop was pretty trick until I visited the Director of Engineering at CTC. His inspired an instant case of machine envy and besides, he’s got a kegerator next to his welder. I can’t compete with that!

My Gun Culture: We’ve heard rumors that you’re been secretly working on a creating a new Shooting Sport – Kilted Action Kombat Skirt Society (KAKSS) or something? Care to comment?

Iain: There are a few avant-garde members of the shooting community who’ve discovered secret inside knowledge that women have been keeping to themselves for centuries. Once you go kilt, you never go back – it’s like air conditioning for your boys and the first time you experience a fresh mountain breeze ruffling your ahem, feathers, you realize what you’ve been missing all these years. The only downside is going prone, but that’s the spectator’s problem, not mine.

My Gun Culture: So if I’m hearing you right, you’re saying that the more traditional form of, umm, let’s say ‘concealed carry’ is not all its cracked up to be. What Crimson Trace product do you recommend for under-the-kilt use? Can lasers burn, ahh, sensitive areas?

Iain: Unfortunately, the killjoys at the FDA limit the power output of consumer lasers, so even if you managed to somehow turn it on while in the holster, there’s no chance of singeing the family jewels. On a side note, I find a Laserguard-equipped Glock 36 fits perfectly in a sporran, which provides the user with a novel concealed carry option.

My Gun Culture: Our editorial staff has had a raging debate over whether the MK-19 Automatic Grenade Launcher is appropriate for home defense. As a former Military guy and multi-gun competitor, can you please weigh in on this and settle the issue once and for all?

Iain: Look, if you’re going trust your family’s safety to a weapons system, at least pick a decent caliber. Experts the world over agree that a 105mm Light Gun parked at the top of the stairs is the bare minimum…

My Gun Culture: So you’ve done Top Shot, Construction, amateur gun-smithing, and Media Relations for Crimson Trace. What’s next? When are you going to enter Top Chef? Can you even cook?

Iain: Do they have an MRE heating stage in that competition? If not, I’m probably going to struggle.

My Gun Culture: Just hypothetically speaking, if we took the first three Top Shot Champions – you, Chris Reed, and Dustin Ellerman – and set up a cage match stocked with assorted medieval weapons, what weapon would you choose? And who would emerge victorious?

Iain: Easy. I’d pick a trebuchet, that way there wouldn’t be any room in the cage for anyone else & I’d win by default. Seriously though, I think Dustin would emerge victorious as he’s just so damned nice – there’s no way Chris and I would be able to overcome his aw-shucks grin.

My Gun Culture: What can you tell our readers about the Crimson Trace Skunkworks? What kinds of things can we expect to see next?

Iain: You remember the Death Star in Return of the Jedi? Yeah, like that. More mainstream products that aren’t capable of destroying an entire planet include a mini rail-mounted laser, new sights for the Gen 4 Glocks and a Lightguard, weapon mounted light for the 1911.

My Gun Culture: When can our staff expect to receive invitations to the ultra-exclusive Crimson Trace SHOT Show party?

Iain: You mean we’re having one? How come I wasn’t told? (insert sound of furious phone conversation with agent).

Again, we’d like to thank Iain for sharing his time and wisdom. We’re also working with Iain to bring you the latest scoop and our field tests on new Crimson Trace Lasergrip and Lightguard products. Stay tuned!

Filed Under: People Tagged With: competitive shooting, crimson trace, iain harrison, interviews, lasers, people, Top Shot

Coffee Talk with Julie Golob, and Her Julie-Double

November 4, 2011 By Tom 3 Comments

Today we continue our quest to speak with fun and interesting people in the shooting industry. We’d like to thank Julie Golob, coffee aficionado, for sharing some time with us. In case you don’t know, in addition to roasting her own Major Power Factor coffee, she also shoots at a lot of things. So we hear…

My Gun Culture: Congratulations on completion of your first book: SHOOT – Your Guide to Shooting and Competition! How on earth did you find time to do that? We’re guessing you had the laptop out between stages at Bianchi. Or did you have a Julie-double competing at some of the matches?

Julie: Thanks so much! You know… the Julie-double was a great idea at first until I realized she didn’t write so well and she didn’t win matches! I had to let her go in Colby Donaldson style and tell her she “fired her last shot.” In all seriousness though, writing a book turned out to be much more difficult than I ever imagined it would be. I had to tackle it like I would a checklist to stay on track. There were definitely a lot of late nights and I am so glad to be done reading all the different sports’ rulebooks!

My Gun Culture: We’ve had similar troubles. Fembot Julie-doubles are great at shooting but kind of lousy at office work. If you had to pick one piece of advice from your new book “Shoot” that you’re most passionate about, what would that be?

Julie: What I want people to take away from the book is that safety is first and foremost whenever dealing with firearms and to go ahead, get out there and try your hand at shooting. There are so many shooting sports and I believe there’s one suited for everyone. Go for it, be safe and have fun!

My Gun Culture: While flying over Montana recently, I could have sworn I smelled coffee beans roasting. Any ideas why?

Julie: You did??? Well it wasn’t from my house! Book writing and training kept me from that hobby this year but now that you mention it that’s on my winter to do list. I LOVE it! I even roasted batches for Christmas gifts one year with signature roasts – double tap roast, powder burn, etc. in major and minor power factor, of course! If you love coffee and you’ve never had fresh roasted beans, I highly recommend it!

My Gun Culture: Just hypothetically speaking, if your daughter follows in your footsteps, but winds up shooting for, oh, say Team Glock or Team Sig, will you still attend her wedding?

Julie: Absolutely! You just won’t see any of those plastic gun key chains as wedding favors, the reception won’t be at the Sig academy and the mother of the bride will be in Smith & Wesson blue with a splash of Benelli red, of course.

My Gun Culture: Speaking of weddings, we couldn’t help but notice that your maiden and married names both start with a “G.” Call us skeptical, but doesn’t this mean you didn’t have to change the monograms on your towels? This wasn’t a marriage of convenience was it?

Julie: Too funny! It’s actually more than just the ‘G’ part. I only had to drop the “ski” and add a “b.” I remember when I first met him, I thought, “wow… our names are so similar!” I prefer to think that it means that we are meant for each other though.

My Gun Culture: Recently you won the USPSA Ladies Revolver Championship, making you the only competitor in history to win National Championships in all six USPSA divisions. Some people are saying this is a result of you possessing all five Sankara Stones from Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom. As these stones are known to help fight the forces of evil, that seems to be a plausible explanation. While there are no current USPSA rulings related to use of Sankara Stones, many are concerned about the precedent. How do you respond to these accusations?

Julie: Yes, I admit to having connections in the government, but when I put in the request to acquire the five Sankara stones to commemorate my wins in five divisions of USPSA it just made sense. After all, they were just sitting there in that big warehouse next to the Ark collecting dust. Even with the shipping, excise tax and dangerous goods fees it was well worth it and come to find out, tax deductible! I admit to having an edge over the other person in consideration, to house the stones. Some guy named, Robert Leatham had also applied. Who’s that guy? But, being former AMU (Army Marksmanship Unit) I had the edge. To anyone who has a beef with it, you carry those things around in your shooting bag at a Nationals. They may “glow” and all, but they easily weigh fifteen pounds each. Add to it the ammo, water, snacks, etc. I had to train for months just to carry my bag! Truth be told, I am sending them back. I’m all into the number six now.

My Gun Culture: We’ve noticed that you’ve been competing in 3 Gun Competitions recently. If there were a 5 Gun match, what would your other two choices be?

Julie: That’s easy! Machine gun, preferably the gatling gun and then a cannon shoot. I SO want to shoot a cannon.

My Gun Culture: I have a great lead for you on that. Last spring, the folks at LuckyGunner.com hosted a mega-shoot event and I was able to shoot a Napoleonic Field Artillery cannon. Shoots a 12 pound cannonball you know, and does a heckuva job on old cars. I think it would work great for you, but you’d have to talk the folks at Smith & Wesson into springing for a pretty hefty 4 wheeler to lug it around the matches…

We’d like to thank Julie Golob for taking time out of her busy schedule shooting the heck out of various things to do this interview. We hope you enjoyed learning a few new and interesting things about the only woman, man, or child to win National Titles in all six USPSA divisions.

Don’t forget to check out Julie’s new book, available now!

Filed Under: People Tagged With: competitive shooting, interviews, Julie Golob, people, smith & wesson, Team Smith & Wesson

Gunfire Erupts In South Carolina From Youth Gang Related Activity

July 25, 2011 By Tom 1 Comment

Scholastic Steel Challenge Gang Activity

Gunfire erupted in a Summerville, SC rural community over the weekend as a gang of teenagers, including some pre-teens according to witnesses, literally sprayed hundreds of bullets over a three hour period. According to some estimates, over 1,400 shots were fired before the shooting spree ended just before 1pm eastern time.

Witnesses claim the hoodlums committing these shannanigans were armed with typical ‘street guns’ including Springfield XD’s, Smith and Wesson M&P’s, and Glocks. “Typical Saturday night specials favored by criminals and thugs,” whined New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “I can’t believe that gun companies are giving our children access to these things. My people tell me that Smith and Wesson even gave them one free of charge in order to encourage this behavior.”

Gang Member Boasting His Colors

Most of the youth involved exhibited no shame and brazenly walked around with their firearms in full view. Most had exposed belt holsters, belt-mounted magazine carriers, and other tactical equipment.

“These kids were armed to the teeth,” observed a passer by. “They had lots and lots of high capacity magazines. Every one of them had at least five from what I could see.”

On further examination, It turns out that the gang was participating in a Scholastic Steel Challenge Match. A source close to the group explained the gangs colors. “They’re wearing Techwear competition shooting jerseys,” explained a mysterious adult ring leader known as Coach Mike. “They have a really cool ‘Steel Stingers’ logo on the back. Totally bad if you ask me and the kids love ‘em.”

A Teaching Moment

The Palmetto Steel Stingers ~~gang~~ team is based at Palmetto Gun Club in Charleston, South Carolina. In addition to providing a great facility for the youth to practice and hone their skills, club members are exceptionally generous with donations, loaner firearms, and free coaching and instruction. National and local gun related companies have also thrown in their support. Smith and Wesson provided a team M&P 9mm, Winchester Ammunition provided big discounts on ammunition, and local retailer East Coast Guns has donated ammunition.

Safety is the number one priority with each new team member receiving exhaustive classroom training before stepping on to the range. Coach Mike also starts each practice session with a pop quiz on the four rules of gun safety and cold range rules.

Scholastic Steel Challenge is a division of the Steel Challenge Shooting Association designed for ~~hoodlums~~ youth ages 12-20. The basic idea is to hit five steel targets as fast as possible, without missing. A youth match consists of four separate courses of fire, each with a different combination of target shape, size, and range. At each course of fire, competitors shoot five ‘strings’ with the best four times getting logged in the books. As the event is timed, each miss costs precious seconds, thereby placing a premium on accuracy and smoothness over raw speed. It’s challenging, which probably explains the name Steel Challenge.

It’s not hard to see how these kids ended up in gun toting gangs. A look at their collective backgrounds tells the story:

Top of class in a prestigious junior high school
Practices drawing and getting fast sight pictures with a paintball gun and paper plates on the clothesline
Former International Irish Dance Champion
Various members of junior and senior high school cheerleading squads
A recent graduate of a summer Civil Air Patrol program

Dangerous group isn’t it?

Got kids? Know kids? Ever seen a kid? Expose them to something fun, safe and challenging. You’ll also get the joy out of scaring the bejeepers out of any hand-wringing pantywaists nearby. Check out the Scholastic Steel Challenge program and find (or start) a youth shooting team in your area! Please, do it for the children!

Filed Under: Life, Life Tagged With: competitive shooting, kids, youth

Action Shooting Championships Dominated by Justice League of America

October 31, 2010 By Tom Leave a Comment

Justice League of America (DC Comics, Ed Benes)

Blacktown, Australia, October 2010 – Making many renowned competitors look amateurish in comparison, the Justice League of America swept the recent Action Shooting World Championships. While a host of world-class shooters descended on The Blacktown Pistol Club in Sydney, Australia, it was clear from Match 2 (The Barricade Event) onwards that the Justice League team meant business.

Ralph Dibny, better known as The Elongated Man, commented “I think my ability to just stretch around all the barricades really helped to shave seconds off my time. I didn’t have to run anywhere. Elasticity is really an advantage in this part of the match.”

Wonder Woman (Art: Terry Dodson)

The Green Lantern, also known in civilian circles as Hal Jordan, easily took top honors in the falling plate stage. “While there is still a little controversy over legality, I just used my Green Power Ring to shatter the plates” commented Jordan. I did actually shoot at the first one, so I don’t see what people are complaining about.”

Some competitors were less than pleased with the Justice League team. Top Shot reality star Adam Benson intends to lodge a formal complaint with competition organizers. “When Wonder Woman wanted to use her invisible plane during the Moving Target stage, that was the last straw for me” wailed Benson. “I think if you have supernatural powers or come from another planet then you shouldn’t be eligible.”

While most of the Justice League team exhibited quiet humility during their unprecedented victory, some got carried away in the excitement. “When we got to Stage 8 – the Iron Man Match – I was like, REALLY?” laughed Justice League Team Captain Superman. “Give me a break. Iron man? Like that one’s not over before it starts? Please.” Superman refused to comment when asked about recent sightings of him and Wonder Woman at trendy Sydney restaurant, Outback Steakhouse.