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Shooting USA - U.S. Steel Nationals
It’s new divisions, and new guns shooting in the US Steel Nationals, the fastest of the action pistol sports. It’s simple, how fast can you draw and shoot 5 steel targets? The US Steel Nationals is the largest steel match leading up to the world championship. Plus, the Cobra returns as Colt updates a revolver from the past. And, we’re celebrating 25 years of TV gun shows, reaching into the archives to replay the last interview with firearms giant, Bill Ruger.
U.S. Steel Nationals
 For more than 30 years, steel shooting has been the fastest action-pistol sport in the world. The challenge is simple, how fast can you draw and shoot five steel targets? You can hear the hits, but you can’t hear the misses and that makes this sport enjoyable for both competitors and spectators. The U.S. Steel Nationals is the largest steel match leading up to the World Championship and the competition is taking place at a new home, the South River Gun Club near Covington, Georgia. Throughout the years, the eight courses of fire have remained the same, but the sport continues to grow as new divisions enter the race, which means more guns, including Pistol Caliber Carbines (PCC).
 The eight courses of fire have five targets made up of three steel targets: 10-inch round plates, 12-inch round plates, and 18x24-inch rectangles. Competitors will shoot most stages five times, and drop the slowest run. It’s a test of speed and accuracy, with some top competitors shooting a string in less than two seconds!
Related Links:
Competition information
2017 Results
History’s Guns: 1861 Springfield
 During wartime, we always see significant progress in the development of firearms, and that was certainly true during the Civil War. It was the Springfield Armory that would develop a rifle and a load that would change the tactics of war. That rifle was the 1861 Springfield rifle musket. It’s a .58-caliber, with a 40-inch barrel – and with rifling and the introduction of the minie ball, the effective range expanded the battlefield.
“The effective range of every soldier is not 100 or 150 yards, but it’s now 500 yards and beyond,” says U.S. Army Infantry Historian, David Stieghan.
From the Archives: A visit with the late Bill Ruger
 You may have noticed that we have been producing gun shows for 25 years, and through that time, there are few stories that stand out as worthy of a second look. That’s certainly the case for the last interview with firearms giant, William B. Ruger. We visited his New Hampshire home in 1998, four years before his death. Then 82 years old, Mr. Ruger still commanded America’s largest firearms company which wasn’t what he and partner Alex Sturm set out to accomplish in 1949.
“We weren’t expecting to be a world-dominant company overnight. We just wanted a decent living out of it,” said Mr. Ruger.
Related Link:
Shooting USA Challenge Coin
Colt Cobra
 The new Colt Cobra in .38 Special marks Colt’s return to the wheel gun market. The new Cobra sports a two-inch barrel, a fiber optic front sight and frame notch rear. The all-steel construction gives the Colt Cobra helps mitigate felt recoil. The Cobra is +P rated for hot loads of .38.. The MSRP on the new Colt Cobra is $699.
Product Link
Gear Head Works Tail Hook Pistol Brace
 There have been a number of designs on the market for a stabilizing arm brace for the AR pistol, but Gear Head Works has two of the best. Both are called the Tail Hook. The Mod 1 fits any production buffer tube and works both right or left-handed. There is no Velcro strap, just a second point of contact with the hook down. The Mod 1 is $100. The Mod 2 has a five-position adjustable buffer tube replacement that will extend to 12.5 inches length of pull. There have also been a series of rulings from the ATF that now make the Mod 2 legal. Originally, the ATF ruled it was only legal for the arm brace to touch your body but not in the shoulder area. Now ATF has reversed that rule, so occasional shoulder-shooting is now legal. Travel across state lines is also unrestricted with your AR pistol and the Tail Hook. That’s not the case if you file the papers and pay the tax to register a short barrel rifle. The Mod Two is $200.
MOD 1 Product Link
MOD 2 Product Link
Pro Tip: Ken Hackathorn - Revolver Trigger Pull
 Colt Combat Unit instructor, Ken Hackathorn is pretty enthused about the return of the Colt Cobra. And he has a practice drill for those of you who choose a revolver for carry.
VIEW THE PRO TIP
BUY THE SHOW DVD!!
 NRA Membership Offer: Jim Pays $10 when you join the NRA through the Shooting USA website.
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