Lee Martin
Hunter
1977 marked the first IHMSA International Championship, held in a valley annex of the Angeles Shooting Range in Tajunga, California, east of Los Angeles. There were three categories of competition, Production, Unlimited, and Standing. Competition was tough and raw, paving the way for new developments and techniques. Each entrant received a pin, the "A" missing from "IHMSA." Pins pictured to left and right of the "OCT 1977" came later.
Jose Porras (striped shirt), an early hotshot from Mexico, favored an XP-100 in .308x1.5", otherwise known as the .308x1-1/2 Barnes. The 55-pound, 3/8"-thick steel ram was set on the rail full foot, and it took a heavy bullet or bullet with good dwell time to knock them over. Even then, "ringers" were commonplace.
The short-recoil operated Auto Mag, with rotating multi-lug bolt, continued popular from the Lee Jurras matches of 1975 and 1976. Auto Mag seen in hands of IHMSA Region One director Ron Ricci, shooting prone. (Photo Pennsylvania 1978). Auto Mag brass in .357 Auto Mag and .44 Auto Mag is formed from .308 or .30-06 brass, heavily trimmed and reamed. The Speer .358 180 FP was popular for .357 Auto Mag. Barrels included 6-1/2" and 10", with the ten favored.
John Towle of New Hampshire, pistolsmith/competitor, at the 1977 Internationals with his XP-100 in shortened .458 Win Mag, with 11-inch barrel, four cuts of Mag-na-Port, and double pistol grip stock built by wildman Jimmy Gilman, also of New Hampshire. To be on the firing line next to John Towle or another .458 shooter by the handle Earthquake McElroy was, to say the least, a sensation.
John Towle's XP short .458 Win Mag, with Bo-Mar rear and Lyman 17-A front sights. Fiberglas double pistol grip stock by Jimmy Gilman. According to the jungle drums, Gilman learned the fiberglas layup making dune buggies, then helmets for NASA; got fired after knocking out a foreman in the helmet shop. Towle loaned Bradshaw his spare XP in .358 Winchester, like the .458 with 11-inch Douglas barrel and 6-cuts of Mag-na-Port, to shoot Unlimited at the first IHMSAS Internationals. Up on the ram line, sideblast blew the ten-gallon hat off the head of El Paso silhouetter Edd Page. Whereupon Page jumped up to ask line officer Ray Chapman (in 1975 the first World Pistol Champion) to slot him after Bradshaw was done. Chapman laughed, "Sure."
Rachel (left) with wife of Jose Porras, 1977 Internationals. The best shooters likely will tell you that to spot is harder than shooting. Rachel and Mrs. Porras kept a cool eye throughout
Bob Zwirz of GunWorld Magazine jawbones with Rachel. Pouring glasses of Chevis Regal back at the motel, Zwirz allowed as to how, "I always felt I was born a six-foot-six Marine." 1977 IHMSA Internationals.
David Bradshaw with Ruger brass grip frame Super Blackhawk shot at the 1977 International Championship. Chickens, pigs, turkeys shot with .44 Hornady 240 JHP, with the Hornady 265 FP over 23.3/H110 put to work on the full-foot rams. Winchester .44 Mag brass, CCI 350 primer. This old Ruger could group either load around an inch @ 50 yards.
Bradshaw with old brass grip-frame SBH in Maine, his third and last IHMSA match before driving cross-country to Los Angeles for 1977 Championship. The beautiful Ruger shot in Production and Standing categories. For most of the match Bradshaw lead Standing against the already dominant single shots, mainly T/C Contender, finally ending in fourth place. Don Stoops became Standing Champion with, take a wild guess, the Ruger Hawkeye .256!
Competitor goes prone with Colt Python in IHMSA Production category.
Colt Python enjoyed a devoted following in the early days. Every once in a while a forcing cone would split at 6 o'clock. Fast lock time and excellent trigger helped realise the accuracy for which these revolvers are known.
Ruger New Model Blackhawk in .45 Colt was a rarity, here skillfully shot from sitting position. The hands join in front of raised knee, providing a degree of back support.
Plume of smoke issues from Blackhawk .45 Colt, telltale sign of cast bullets.
IHMSA 1977 International Championship. Wes Ugalde (left) of Fallon, Nevada, and Skip Talbot. Ugalde soon developed the Thompson/Center Ugalde (TCU) cartridges, including 6mm, 6.5mm, and 7mm TCU. Released by T/C in the Contender in1979, with a tapered bull 10" barrel for Production and bull 14" for Unlimited, the "7 TCU" stacked countless victories. Both Ugalde and Talbot built unlimited pistols on the Remington XP-100. Besides building a great XP-100, Talbot ranks as a master marksman for all time. Shooting his 7mm-308x1.75", Talbot won the Unlimited Championship with a record 60x60. (Bradshaw is willing to bet the sharpshooter bent over the firing line is Dave Whitman.)
Jose Porras (striped shirt), an early hotshot from Mexico, favored an XP-100 in .308x1.5", otherwise known as the .308x1-1/2 Barnes. The 55-pound, 3/8"-thick steel ram was set on the rail full foot, and it took a heavy bullet or bullet with good dwell time to knock them over. Even then, "ringers" were commonplace.
The short-recoil operated Auto Mag, with rotating multi-lug bolt, continued popular from the Lee Jurras matches of 1975 and 1976. Auto Mag seen in hands of IHMSA Region One director Ron Ricci, shooting prone. (Photo Pennsylvania 1978). Auto Mag brass in .357 Auto Mag and .44 Auto Mag is formed from .308 or .30-06 brass, heavily trimmed and reamed. The Speer .358 180 FP was popular for .357 Auto Mag. Barrels included 6-1/2" and 10", with the ten favored.
John Towle of New Hampshire, pistolsmith/competitor, at the 1977 Internationals with his XP-100 in shortened .458 Win Mag, with 11-inch barrel, four cuts of Mag-na-Port, and double pistol grip stock built by wildman Jimmy Gilman, also of New Hampshire. To be on the firing line next to John Towle or another .458 shooter by the handle Earthquake McElroy was, to say the least, a sensation.
John Towle's XP short .458 Win Mag, with Bo-Mar rear and Lyman 17-A front sights. Fiberglas double pistol grip stock by Jimmy Gilman. According to the jungle drums, Gilman learned the fiberglas layup making dune buggies, then helmets for NASA; got fired after knocking out a foreman in the helmet shop. Towle loaned Bradshaw his spare XP in .358 Winchester, like the .458 with 11-inch Douglas barrel and 6-cuts of Mag-na-Port, to shoot Unlimited at the first IHMSAS Internationals. Up on the ram line, sideblast blew the ten-gallon hat off the head of El Paso silhouetter Edd Page. Whereupon Page jumped up to ask line officer Ray Chapman (in 1975 the first World Pistol Champion) to slot him after Bradshaw was done. Chapman laughed, "Sure."
Rachel (left) with wife of Jose Porras, 1977 Internationals. The best shooters likely will tell you that to spot is harder than shooting. Rachel and Mrs. Porras kept a cool eye throughout
Bob Zwirz of GunWorld Magazine jawbones with Rachel. Pouring glasses of Chevis Regal back at the motel, Zwirz allowed as to how, "I always felt I was born a six-foot-six Marine." 1977 IHMSA Internationals.
David Bradshaw with Ruger brass grip frame Super Blackhawk shot at the 1977 International Championship. Chickens, pigs, turkeys shot with .44 Hornady 240 JHP, with the Hornady 265 FP over 23.3/H110 put to work on the full-foot rams. Winchester .44 Mag brass, CCI 350 primer. This old Ruger could group either load around an inch @ 50 yards.
Bradshaw with old brass grip-frame SBH in Maine, his third and last IHMSA match before driving cross-country to Los Angeles for 1977 Championship. The beautiful Ruger shot in Production and Standing categories. For most of the match Bradshaw lead Standing against the already dominant single shots, mainly T/C Contender, finally ending in fourth place. Don Stoops became Standing Champion with, take a wild guess, the Ruger Hawkeye .256!
Competitor goes prone with Colt Python in IHMSA Production category.
Colt Python enjoyed a devoted following in the early days. Every once in a while a forcing cone would split at 6 o'clock. Fast lock time and excellent trigger helped realise the accuracy for which these revolvers are known.
Ruger New Model Blackhawk in .45 Colt was a rarity, here skillfully shot from sitting position. The hands join in front of raised knee, providing a degree of back support.
Plume of smoke issues from Blackhawk .45 Colt, telltale sign of cast bullets.
IHMSA 1977 International Championship. Wes Ugalde (left) of Fallon, Nevada, and Skip Talbot. Ugalde soon developed the Thompson/Center Ugalde (TCU) cartridges, including 6mm, 6.5mm, and 7mm TCU. Released by T/C in the Contender in1979, with a tapered bull 10" barrel for Production and bull 14" for Unlimited, the "7 TCU" stacked countless victories. Both Ugalde and Talbot built unlimited pistols on the Remington XP-100. Besides building a great XP-100, Talbot ranks as a master marksman for all time. Shooting his 7mm-308x1.75", Talbot won the Unlimited Championship with a record 60x60. (Bradshaw is willing to bet the sharpshooter bent over the firing line is Dave Whitman.)
