Back on July 4th, 1988, two Austin-area USPSA competitive shooters, Randy Johnson and Don Davis, took a relative novice/ target shooter out to the Hill Country Rifle Range and introduced him to the 1911 .45 ACP pistol, and the fundamentals of practical shooting. Over the next few months they coached me, as I learned skills necessary to compete safely – drawing, reloading, movement with a loaded gun.
They introduced me to Alan Tillman, local gunsmith and competition shooter, who also coached me and built all my competition guns for many years. Through the local USPSA club, I became part of a group of shooters and gun businesses in the Austin area that have many familiar names: Chip McCormick, STI, Tripp Research, Dawson Precision, LaRue Tactical, Shockbottle, Competition DVD, Taylor Tactical Supply, Ben Stoeger Pro Shop – and many others. With Randy and Don’s coaching and encouragement it’s unlikely I would have started down the path I’ve taken, and certainly would not have progressed as quickly as I did in the first year.
Today is the 30th anniversary of that special day in KR Training history.
To celebrate it, I’ll be running a USPSA match at the A-Zone tomorrow (July 5th), shooting in the single stack division, using a classic 1911 .45 ACP. The gun actually has the same slide and barrel that I used in the early 1990s, mounted on a newer Springfield Armory frame.