In The News
Smith & Wesson Invitational. WHOOEE!
I just returned from Gunsite, in northern Arizona, where I attended a gathering of gun writers and industry folks at the Smith & Wesson Invitational. We shot the new S&W M&P pistol in 9mm, and the new M&P15 (an AR-15 carbine). It wasn't really a Gunsite class, but was more, as rangemaster Ed Stock put it, "socializing interrupted occasionally by gunfire."We had a ball, as you can see from the photos . The M&P is a winner. The hand is positioned high, putting it close to the line of the bore. This greatly reduces muzzle flip, and makes it easy to get the gun back on target quickly.
To show that this is an easy gun to shoot, even a radio talk show guy can shoot it. I managed to beat all the other shooters there in a draw-and-fire exercise, except for IDPA competitive shooter (sponsored by S&W). Bobby and I were in a shootoff, starting at the three yard line, and moving back to the 5, then 7 then 10. We started with guns in holsters, and had to react when the targets turned to face us. It had been raining that day, which turned out to be important (I'm building an alibi here, so stay with me.) The targets faced us for two seconds. We had to draw (react) and fire
two shots to the center of mass in the two seconds. Several times the command was to draw and put one shot in the head of the target.
It was really fun. We sounded as though it was a choreographed routine, with both guns going off in sync, time after time.
At the end, after a couple of dozen shots, I had three shots out of the center circle, and Bobby had only two.
Only then did I realize that I was still wearing my rain jacket, and was drawing from concealment! Being smarter than I was, Bobby had shed his jacket. Of course, I was using a stock pistol, and he was using his finely-tuned competitive pistol. Oh, and the sun was in my eyes, a fly landed on my sights, and...and...well, he's younger, faster, and better than I am!
We won't even talk about later in the week when I was beaten by a GIRL! Well, a woman who knows how to shoot. Shirley Steffen can shoot. Check out her photo, and see the kind of smile she had when she beat me!
Shirley was a good sport and didn't rub it in TOO much. (grumble, grumble)
Thanks to the professionals at Gunsite. Ed Head, director of operations; Ed Stock, rangemaster and instructor extraordinaire; il Ling New, an instructor you'll be hearing more about; Buz Mills, owner of Gunsite who shot with us several times; Jane Anne Shimizu, marketing director and frequent guest on Gun Talk radio -- you were all great.
Can't wait to do it again next year.
Oh, did I mention the compact M&P pistol? Or the new .45? How about the really cool holsters and gear from Blade-Tech (thanks, Tim!). Aimpoint and Trijicon were there, and as you see in the photos, my old friends Frank and Pete Brownell were on the line every day.
Paul Pluff, from Smith & Wesson, it was a blast!
More details on the new guns in a few weeks on the radio.
Great week!
