The 2009 Springfield Armory / USPSA Single Stack Nationals
A New Appreciation For Retro Equipment and Basic Courses of Fire

Hard to believe that we are nearly a decade into the 21st century.  Our lives have been made easier and more enjoyable (though some may argue) by major technological advancements, i.e., Blackberries, iPhones, search engines, social networking sites, Blogging and TIVO, just to name a few.

We tend to be drawn to that which makes life more fun, simpler.  In the sport of Practical Pistol Shooting, this equates to high-capacity handguns, compensators, durable scopes, and 28-plus round magazines: A complete 180 from the origins of our sport.

This shift occurred right around the time Doug Koenig won the 1990 IPSC World Shoot in Adelaide, Australia with a Springfield Armory P-9 and a Tasco scope.  A surge of competitors put away their 1911 Single Stack Government Models and began experimenting with the new “Race Guns”.  I was excitedly one of them.

The prediction and hope was that this new, high-tech equipment would magically improve our shooting ability and, therefore, match performance – resulting in a new enjoyment level.  The equipment race was on!

There were new products, new sponsors, new up-and-coming shooters and a new enthusiasm for the sport.  We saw a shift toward higher round-count assault-course stages and fewer speed shoots and standard exercises.

Like any sport, though, the equipment didn’t change the final standings – it simply elevated everyone’s performance.  Darn, I’m still on the third page of match results. Maybe I should wipe the rust off my old .45…

A Society and Match Is Born

As time passed, and as the saying goes, what was old is new again.  In 2008 USPSA officially recognized the Single Stack category and Single Stack matches across the country experienced an influx of interest and new competitors.

The premier shooting event for this category of equipment is the Springfield Armory 1911 Single Stack Classic / USPSA Single Stack Nationals.  But the match is certainly not new.

The 1911 Single Stack Society was founded in 1994 by Master Pistolsmith Richard Heinie and then Illinois USPSA section coordinator, Russell Cluver. Under their leadership and guidance, the “Classic” was born”:  A  match with “retro” equipment and courses of fire that reflected the early days of practical pistol shooting.

Firearms manufacturer Springfield Armory of Geneseo, Illinois, (just honored with the 2009 American Rifleman “Handgun of the Year” for the highly-sought-after XD-M), has been the title sponsor of the match from the very beginning (1995). The United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) hopped on board in 2006, giving the match the designation and distinguished honor of a USPSA National Championship.

This year’s event, hosted by PASA Park in Barry, Illinois, April 29 through May 2nd, 2009, accommodated 273 competitors.  The 20 courses of fire were shot over three days, with participants shooting all day Thursday and Friday morning, or Friday afternoon and all day Saturday.

Match Director Russ Cluver organized the event without Richard’s assistance for the first time since the match’s inception.  When I tossed a sincere compliment to Mr. Heinie about the match, he stated, “Well, I didn’t have a d*** thing to do with it”!  I’m not sure if that was a statement of joy, remorse, or maybe a little of both.

Not to worry, though, Richard.  Your high standards for course design, qualified Range Officers, and match efficiency were upheld with pride.  The transition was absolutely seamless.

Thank you Richard for 14 great years and for a match that will always be spoken of and remembered in your honor.

Equipment from the early 1900s … What?

So why did so many participants gather for three days in Barry, Illinois come rain or shine to fire over 71,526 rounds of ammunition out of iron-sighted, non-compensated, 1911 A1 pistols with 8-round magazines?

The reasons vary from a love and respect of the equipment, to wanting to compete in a challenging event where everyone is on a level playing field.  Competitors who choose to shoot 9mm or .38 Super have a couple of extra rounds, but scoring minor power factor moves the bubble back to center.

Then there are the die-hards.  The shooters that have attended every darn Single Stack Classic there’s ever been.  Some definitely go for the camaraderie, to share a few days with friends that they haven’t seen since the previous year’s match.  Others sign up with the hope of shooting with one of the Grand Masters of the sport.

The Classic is the only major match where the top contenders are not “squadded” together.  This has always been part of Richard’s plan: mixing up the shooters so everyone has the chance of competing with one of the “greats”.

The straight forward, demanding course designs are certainly a draw for the majority of shooters.  Many attendees may also prefer this match because of the lower round-count stages.  As we all know, ammunition availability, or rather unavailability, has affected everyone who shoots.

However many and diverse the reasons, I believe we all have one common desire: To honor the origins of our sport and challenge ourselves with equipment and courses of fire that IPSC and USPSA were built upon.

Jeff Cooper, if you’re looking down upon us, you would be proud!

The event is a love-hate thing for me. I absolutely love the match and the simplicity of the equipment. It’s my favorite competition of the year and the event that I prepare for with the most determination!

However, I very much dislike the stress and anticipation that come along with my husband’s match performance. You see, I’m married to Rob Leatham, professional Action Pistol Shooter.

Rob has won the Springfield Armory 1911 Single Stack Classic – USPSA Single Stack Nationals every year since its inception!  Every April, Rob and I wonder if the previous year’s win will be his last.

I’m happy and relieved to report that 2009 was once again successful for Rob! The Traveling Trophy can reside in Arizona for another year. Rob and I are grateful for and wish to thank his two major sponsors, Springfield Armory and Safariland. Rob’s career would have never been possible without his sponsors on-going dedication.

Match Run Down

By the time Rob finished his 22nd draw and his 21st reload of the match, he was only 19 points ahead of 2nd place, USPSA President Michael Voigt.

For the first time in the history of the match there were four Grand Master scores. When the smoke finally settled, Rob had finished in 1st place; Mike Voigt in 2nd place; Taran Butler in 3rd; and Todd Jarrett of Para Ordnance was fourth.

I cannot speak for Mike or Taran, as they shot the Thursday-Friday schedule, but Todd was on fire and shot with great focus and speed. Rob had his concerned-eye on Todd from the get-go.

Like any match, the winner is the one who finishes with the fewest mistakes.

Rob’s .40 caliber Springfield Armory 1911 pistol worked flawlessly – thanks to Dave Williams of the Springfield Custom Shop. Dave has built every single gun that Rob has shot at this match. Rob dropped a total of 72 points throughout the entire event, not including one miss.

Mike Voigt in 2nd place had one miss penalty also, but dropped 78 points. Unbelievably, Rob, Mike and Todd Jarrett only won one stage each. Taran Butler won four of the stages, placed second on three stages, but he had three miss penalties.

Todd, who shot the last of the four GM scores, had four penalties and dropped 86 points. BJ Norris of Team Smith & Wesson, took four stage wins, an impressive task shooting minor caliber! BJ finished 5th overall.

Phil Strader, who finished 2nd at last year’s match, was the big stage winner with five in all. Unfortunately, Phil had a couple of problematic stages that may have cost him the gold. Most amazing was his performance after his setbacks. He pulled himself back up to 6th place, confidently stealing stage wins as the other shooters looked on.

In all my years of remembering, this is the closest any competitor has ever been to Rob. As my husband gets older, the gap seems to be narrowing.

But wait, that doesn’t make sense. Michael is two years older than Rob and Todd‘s not far behind … How is it that these more “mature” men continue to lead the pack?

Maybe it has to do with the fact that they grew up shooting 1911-style handguns, iron sights, and more-challenging courses of fire with no-shoots, hard cover, standards and speed shoots? Maybe they developed more of the basic skills early on that some of the new Open shooters never have?

Maybe Rob is paying off Richard & Russell?

Okay, that’s enough speculating. Whatever the reason(s), I congratulate you on your domination and your 15th Classic win, Roberto. Which custom gun did I win half of, by the way?

Other Performances Worth Mentioning

Top Senior – Scott Warren. Scott had only one miss in the match. I’m thinking his Warren tactical sights are a good thing. He also finished 11th overall with 88.06 percent! Most impressive performance, Scotty!

Top Junior – Matt Sweeney. Matt was 27th overall and shot 78.68 percent of Rob’s score. Welcome to “A” Class, Matt!

Side note: Bill Davis, who is in charge of registration and stats, sadly stated that there were 30 law enforcement competitors that withdrew from the match due to lack of support or funding from their agencies. We hope by next year, the economy will be greatly improved and they’ll be able to attend again.

Top Lady – Lisa Munson. Lisa finished 46th overall and this is her 2nd consecutive Single Stack National title! Lisa is a top-notch competitor no matter what gun is in her holster. She apparently got her vision issues and tendinitis sorted out! ; )
Congratulations again, Lisa!

Rounding out the Top Six Ladies were:

2nd – Kippi Leatham
3rd – Kay Clark-Miculek, shooting minor
4th – Julie Goloski-Golob
5th – T.D. Roe
6th – Nancy Huspek

This was Julie’s National Match debut and we were all thrilled to see her out on the range again! The last time Julie shot a USPSA National was June of 2007 in Missoula, Montana, which she won. Julie took a temporary hiatus to get married and have her first child, Madeleine, who is now the absolute center of Julie & Simon’s lives.

Don’t think for one second that Julie won’t take her shooting just as seriously as she did before. To watch her, you would never know that she’d taken such a long break from the sport.

Julie finished the match with a stage-winning run on The Big Vee, a 19-round assault course. What better way to complete your first National Championship in almost two years. Congratulations on your finish, Julie, and good luck with your 2009 season!

Our Dedicated Range Officers

The Single Stack Nationals has an extremely friendly and mellow atmosphere thanks to some of the best ROs you can find.  Their work was a bit more challenging this year as the match coordinators added another day to the schedule to accommodate more stages and more shooters. Unfortunately, the economy took a toll and the match did not fill to capacity.

There were only two assigned ROs per stage, which meant no rotation for breaks. Nancy Huspek, who finished 2nd at last year’s USPSA Limited Nationals, was an RO this year for the very first time.  Nancy is just as competent RO as she is competitor. She and all of the other ROs are to be commended for their tireless efforts, no doubt.

I really missed Nancy being there as a focused contender, though. She is an excellent shot and always one to watch.

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to RO and also put in a match performance that reflects your actual shooting ability. Maybe next year, we can find someone else to cover her stage and Nancy can just shoot and give us ladies a run for our money once again.

Match Complete, Check Your Scores

All in all, the match ran very smoothly even with the threatening storm clouds and tiny spatter of rain on Friday afternoon. All competitors were done shooting by approximately 3:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Within a few hours, the results were posted, thanks to Bill and all of the efficient Springfield gals, and awards were presented.

Springfield Armory donated eighteen pistols, two of which were Custom Shop guns, to the top competitors. Did anyone tell them we’re in the middle of a recession? ; )

The other extremely generous sponsors were: The 1911 Society; Safariland; Smith & Wesson; Caspian Arms; STI Guns; VZ Grips; Fenix; and custom gunsmiths: Richard Heinie, Matt Davis, Richard Dettlehauser, Jason Chambless and Dave Williams.

Be sure to support these fine companies and extend your gratitude for all they contribute to our great sport!

Do We Have To Listen To Another Speech?

Rob’s victory speech was not as long as it usually is, only around seven minutes, but it was a little emotional like it always is. Julie G. was kind enough to capture the video on her phone.

Rob thanked the ROs and the match staff, our United States Service men and women, and in closing, asked all competitors to sign a banner and make a small donation for Adam Carter.

Adam is an eleven-year old boy who was recently diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Adam is fortunate enough to have many friends and loved ones helping him with his fight.

Joe Niederbrach came to the Single Stack with “Team Adam” shirts, donated graciously by TechWearUSA, hoping to rally support and raise funds for Adam’s skyrocketing medical bills. Joe’s son attends school with Adam and has been friends and football teammates for many years.

Joe’s wish is to bring Adam to the 2010 Single Stack Nationals. Rob and I  hope to have the opportunity to shoot with Adam next year!

If you would like to donate to Adam’s cause, visit www.caringbridge.org/visit/adamcarter. You will have to set up a login account but don’t let that keep you away! (Editor: See the banner in the sidebar to donate)

Basic skills … Priceless

As practical shooting matches continue to cater to high-capacity guns with high-round count, and speed-intensive courses of fire, the fundamentals of shooting are often overlooked.

When you “make ready” for a 24-round stage and your gun holds 30 + 1, you don’t worry so much about making every shot count. It’s not usually critical where you reload, even if you have to reload.

When you shoot the same stage with a 1911 Single Stack, you don’t have the same luxuries: every shot, every reload, every extra shot matters. The exact execution of your plan is extremely important. Our basic skills are put to a very stringent test … and that’s what we love about the 1911 Single Stack Classic!

Come on out to next year’s match. It’s one of the best and most humbling Practical Shooting Tournaments in the country! And if you’re lucky, you may get to shoot with “Da Boyz” from Chicago. They are my five new Single Stack friends that I was fortunate enough to be squadded with!