This coming Sunday at the PD Firing Range, here in Columbus, there is a Service Pistol Match being shot for medals and trophy for the best shooters. This is a regular event that is for any law enforcement officers who are interested. There are some very good shooters who attend and participate sometimes we are graced with some of the SRT Team members (best of the best!). This elderly cop plans on bringing his "trusty" and "reliable" Model 11 to the event and give-it-a-go! These matches are conducted in good spirit with most everyone having a great time, even those who don't "place" in one of the two categories shooting. In shooting these matches we are not required to use our duty load but most do anyway. For me, I use the old .38 Special Police Load as my 11 really seems to love this particular load the best when going after small groups on the target. The 158-gr. Lead Round Nose Bullet with the standard Factory Loading has always ( provided I'm steady) performed good with my 4-inch barrel Model 11. In these events I can use my Dan Wesson six-gun going against the PD's duty arm, the Smith & Wesson M&P .45 Pistol and the SO's Glock Model 21. This is a 48-round combat match shot under the clock with four separate reload mountains I have to climb. There is a huge difference in time with me handling a speedloader for reload versus the Glock or M&P magazine "slam" for their respective reloading. I lose a nano-second to the reload here but if I'm lucky and fortunate and everything goes right I can still get the shots off. The revolver is used by myself, as a rule, unless another old guy shows up that remembers how much better we did with the revolver than is done with the pistol today and brings his old wheelgun. I still pack mine, grand-fathered in since 1992 when we transitioned over to the pistol. Not me, thank goodness. I have benovelent supervisors who allow the old man his wheelgun, as long as he keeps his qualification scores up.  But anyway, most of the time my Model 11 is the only revolver present and sometimes "we" do good (when I do my part!) and manage to "place". To score high enough to place I must hit everything on the B-27 Target in the 9 and 10 rings with 48-rounds total being shot. It is a challenge, big-time, for me but due to my many years of shooting, my familarity with my Model 11, and the outstanding accuracy that my Dan Wesson is capable of sometimes I luck up and bring home a medal. Just managing to place is an acomplishment for me, as on my best day, my shooting skills are very modest. I would really love to see a gifted shooter use my 11 in one of these matches just to see how high a score could be shot with it.

Well, I won't wear my welcome out with the fine folks of this forum but I will post my results for those interested. There have been a few people show up "just" to see a wheelgun in action at the match. Its been that long (1992) since revolvers were seen in cops holsters here in Georgia/Alabama area. I guess I'm the last po-po with a six-shooter here in these parts, and a Dan Wesson six-gun at that.

David

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