Inherent in the history of a sporting event, such as the National Rifle and Pistol Matches held each year since 1903, is an interest in the people, places and equipment involved in those events. Proof of this
is readily demonstrated by the willingness of sports fan and collectors to track down and pay large sums of money for artifacts such as baseballs, bats, uniforms and other memorabilia. The shooting sports are no different.
The shooting sports have their own scholars and collectors who are willing to do
the research and assemble the collections to memorialize and enrich this sport.
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| The
cover displays some of the bullseye target pistols and awards featured
in the Bill Jenkins book. |
For those interested in military match pistols that were used at the National Matches
and other competitions that search just became much easier. Recently published, U.S. Military Match and Marksmanship Automatic Pistols by Bill Jenkins of Medina, Ohio is an interesting and informative reading experience for anyone who has ever fired in the National Pistol Matches or who collects the pistols and equipment that
are part of that competition. Mr. Jenkins, with help from such sources as the Army Marksmanship Unit, the USMC Weapons Training Battalion, the Civilian Marksmanship Program as well as numerous collector’s associations and the NRA National Firearms Museum, the Rock Island Arsenal Museum and the Springfield Armory Museum, has put together a comprehensive
review of the automatic pistols used in National Match competition, from .22 caliber Hi-Standards and Rugers to the classic .45 caliber
Colt M1911and its variants as well as Smith & Wesson target models among others. Discussed here are the companies that made the pistols, the competitors that shot them and the gunsmiths that made them better and how
these handguns evolved through the history of the sport.
Jenkins goes into great detail in the book's 176 pages, filled with both full-color and black and white photographs, to discuss:
- National Match and Marksmanship Pistols
- .45 caliber M1911 and M1911A1s
- Springfield Armory and Rock Island Arsenal National Match Pistols
- Service Team Variations, developed by the Army, Navy and Marines
- Mid-range or Centerfire Pistols
- .22 caliber Marksmanship and Match Pistols
- .38 caliber and .45 caliber Match Barrels
- National Match Slides
- Ammunition
- Springfield Armory M1911 Production Runs
For more information about U.S. Military Match and Marksmanship Automatic Pistols by Bill Jenkins you can go to http://www.manatarmsbooks.com or order directly from the publisher at Man at Arms Bookshelf, P.O. Box 460, Lincoln, RI 02865, or by calling 1-800-999-4697 or 401-726-8011, fax: 401-726-8061. Visa and Mastercard are accepted. The price is $49.95 plus $4.50 shipping and handling.
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