|
After decades of experience
shooting and customizing guns so they can withstand the rigors of Fast
Draw and other competitive shooting sports like CAS, Bob Munden has a lot to say.
Enjoy this edition of In His Own Words and read previous articles
in the archive section below. Check back every month for more of Bob's straight talk!
TOPIC:
Remembering Jeff Cooper
May, 2007
Bob Munden:
I just returned
from the May 10th Celebration of Life for the late Col. Jeff Cooper,
which was held at the NRA Whittington Center near Raton, New Mexico.
Becky and I were honored to be invited to this occasion. The shooting
world lost Jeff last September at the age of 86. To learn of his
influence on law enforcement worldwide, self defense, the NRA and the
shooting competitions in the world today, just Google his name and
stand back.
My connection with Col. Cooper, his wonderful wife Janelle and their
family dates back to 1956 when they moved up to the mountains east of
Los Angeles to Big Bear, California, where I lived. Jeff and Janelle’s
daughter Christy was in my class at school. We were 14. Sisters Perry
and Lindy were younger. All three girls were very attractive and
popular. I was drawn to their friendly home because of my friendship
with Christy and because her father loved to talk about shooting.
Jeff was a writer for Guns and Ammo Magazine. When he wrote his
first book titled Art of the Rifle, Jeff received guns to test
fire and comment on. He would pick me up in his red Porsche and we would
drive out to where he could fire the different high-powered rifles in a
safe area. That was the first time I was able to fire high-powered
rifles like the .375, .458 and .460 Weatherbys.
When Jeff organized and presented his first Leatherslap Fast Draw
contest as part of the Old Miners Days celebration
in Big Bear, I signed up. The only equipment I had was an Iver Johnson
breakdown .38 my dad had, and a cap gun holster, which I tied around me
with a bathrobe sash. A couple years later I raked pine needles from the
Cooper’s yard to earn the privilege of borrowing a Colt single-action
revolver from Jeff. He also let me borrow the carry holster. That was
the beginning of Fast Draw for Bob Munden.
Jeff’s tournaments were well run and served him later in his writings
and training courses. These events were the beginning of organized
combat shooting. Col. Cooper started the Bear Valley Gunslingers Club
and later the South West Combat Pistol League which lead to the
International Practical Shooting Confederation or IPSC. The rest is
history.
At this Celebration of Life, it was sad but also a celebration of what
Jeff Cooper meant to all of us. He certainly influenced my life. I hear
his voice in my head when I tell everyone who will listen about the
superiority of the 1911 .45 ACP over any other choice for self defense.
For that purpose I carry nothing else. When one of the guest speakers at
the gathering asked how many of the over 200 attendees where carrying a
loaded 1911, just about every single person raised their hand.
The memorial celebration was first class. As many people know, Lt.
Colonel Jeff Cooper was a retired U.S. Marine, so it was fitting that
the United States Marine Force Reserve Band played. The U.S. Marine
Corps. 4th Reconnaissance Battalion Color Guard presented the U.S. Flag,
and many people took the opportunity to speak about their association
with Jeff and/or his Gunsite Shooting Academy located in Prescott, AZ.
Mrs. Cooper and daughter Lindy spoke eloquently, and with reserved
emotion, along with many close friends, associates, former students of
Jeff and 1st Vice-President Ronald L. Schmeites of the NRA.
We watched a DVD presentation of Jeff’s funeral and internment in a
mausoleum on the grounds of Gunsite, and also a DVD of his life that
will be on sale to raise money for The Jeff Cooper Legacy Foundation.
When one of the presenters spoke about the Leatherslaps of the 1950’s
and 60’s he asked if anyone in the room had shot in them. Turns out I
was the only one. I entered in several matches, won my share of duals
and placed 2nd in 1958 at age 16 using Jeff’s Colt .45 single action
revolver.
At the end of the proceedings, ten chosen shooters stepped out and fired
a total of 86 shots as a group, one for every year of Jeff’s life. Some
shooters used Scout rifles (Jeff helped develop that gun) and some used
1911s. I was next to last to shoot. Cooper family friend Rich Wyatt, who
organized the salute, fired the 86th and final shot in honor of Janelle
using a S&W Model 60, which she carries. The entire event was a fitting
tribute to an extremely influential man. -- Bob Munden
---------------------------
Do you have questions about Bob Munden's Six-Gun Magic gunsmith work on
single actions, Smith &
Wesson double-action revolvers or Bond Derringers? Call
Munden Enterprises at 406-494-2833 (8am- 8pm MST), or
visit our
contact
page.
ARCHIVE:
Click on any topic below to access
previous
In His Own Words articles.
|
Privacy Policy
|
Copyright ©
1998-2010 Munden Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved
