The International Practical Shooting Confederation – Information Bulletin – June 1978
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COLUMBIA CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS – May 24-29, 1976
COLUMBIA CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
COLUMBIA INTERNATIONAL COMBAT PISTOL CONFERENCE
May 24—29, 1976
Columbia, Missouri
To: All delegates to the Columbia Conference
All persons and groups interested in the promulgation of practical pistol shooting throughout the world
From: Jeff Cooper, Chairman of the Conference
Date: July, 1976
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of the Columbia Conference was to bring together people who represent the viewpoint of the practical shooter in all parts of the free world, so that some sort of organization and direction could be given to the sport of practical pistol shooting. The previously established organizations which support shooting competition have not shown interest in marksmanship which can be called practical. International target shooting, such as organized by the I.S.U. and the N.R.A., has become an uninteresting exercise for the person who wishes to use his pistol in a serviceable manner. Organized target shooting, as now recognized both in civilian and police circles throughout the world, has failed to satisfy the needs of those persons who wish to use a handgun in a serious manner. On the other hand, there are enthusiastic shooters everywhere who wish to perfect their skills with the sidearm and who wish to compete against each other with weapons which make sense to them in a manner which seems realistic. Such people cannot find satisfaction in competition as it is currently organized, and therefore, wish to form their own organization.
Practical pistol competition started In Southern California in the late 50’s, and has now spread as far as Australia, Central America, Europe, and Southern Africa. We feel that it is time that we organized ourselves into a practical competition program. This was the purpose, of the Columbia International Combat Pistol Conference.
Plans for the Columbia Conference were laid in the summer of 1975. All interested groups that we knew of were contacted and invited to attend. Membership was held to 40, for reasons of manageability. By April of 1976 – subscription was filled. We realize that not everyone came who should have, and we also realize that some came who should not. However, we did gather a strong representation from all interested parties throughout the free world and we felt justified in taking steps to begin our organization, remembering that the interested parties could vary, change, increase or decrease with the coming years. We do not assure overweening authority in this matter, and are willing to take advice from competent people. However, we did make a beginning and we hope that people who are genuinely interested in a sport will take it from here. …
Big Bear Gunslingers and Jeff Cooper Newspaper Articles
The following has been gratefully contributed by Karl Rehn of KR Training.
Another find from my historical handgun research team: a collection of newspaper articles from the newspaper “The Grizzly”, published in the Big Bear Lake area. The articles are text-only, scraped from Newspapers.com archives. They provide useful information about the early days of the Leather Slap matches, which eventually led to the development of the Modern Technique and the associated dramatic changes in every aspect of handgun shooting, training and competition that occurred 1960-2000.
KR notes: back in the 1950’s “gun ownership was normal and normal people owned guns”, to paraphrase David Yamane, and it was not controversial for a newspaper to promote or write about a competition or exhibition shooting event. Note that the 1956 event drew 500 spectators.
KR notes: There are grammar and punctuation errors in the text of the scanned OCR’ed articles. I have corrected the most noticeable but not all of them.
The Grizzly, Big Bear Lake, California, 12 Jul 1956, Thu • Page 1
QUICK DRAW SHOOT EVENT OF INTEREST
Great interest has been shown concerning the leather slapping contest to be held as a special feature of Old Miners Days at Snow Summit on Saturday Aug 4 beginning at 4 pm.
A long distance telephone call was received at the Grizzly office Saturday from Dee Woolen of Knotts Berry Farm who wanted more information concerning the event. Mr Woolen said that he and five friends from Knotts plan to attend and would bring with them a special timing device constructed especially for such contests.
SOLDIER OF FORTUNE MAY 1981 – SHARPSHOOTING WITH CHAIRMAN JEFF column
Jeff Cooper is the Honorary Lifetime Chairman of the International Practical Shooting Confederation, and thus combines official authority with his vast background and experience. In this column Jeff with alternate his own observations with those of other experts of his personal selection.
“Gunsite Rifle Course”
(November 1980)
The American Pistol Institute (API) at Gunsite, Ariz., is widely known (and widely misrepresented) for its courses in defensive pistolcraft. Consequently, a new dimension has been added to the curriculum at Gunsite Ranch.
Cooper’s infatuation with rifles preceded his military service in World War II. He hunted North American trophy animals between terms at Stanford, and learned the ’03 Springfield in ROTC. He still considers the Garand the finest battle rifle of all time. (Now, however, he is inclined to favor the Italian BM-59 version in 7.62mm NATO).
Having grown up with bolt actions, Cooper retains a fondness for the breed—and not merely from sentiment. He maintains that, in most circumstances, a skilled person—male or female—can do as well with a boltgun as with a semiauto. Cooper’s favorite “riflechick” is his daughter Parry, who’s won open matches with a Remington .308. She confidently asserts, “If I can see it, I can hit it.”
Therefore, API’s basic rifle course begins with the assumption that a prospective student will bring the weapon that best suits his needs, and that doesn’t always mean a semiauto with a 20-round magazine. Indeed, Cooper’s hands-down favorite general-purpose rifle is the .308 Remington 600 with an extended eye relief two-power scope.
Hefting his pet, he says, “If the bad guys were pounding on the front door, thus is what I’d grab as I ran out the back.” He’s speaking figurately, of course as an armed opponent is unlikely to get within 300 yards of the ranch house. But the point is well made, and is often reinforced during the six-day course.