Remembering The 2010 NRA National Pistol Championships

by
posted on March 4, 2021

Editor's note: 2010 was big for the NRA National Pistol Championships, with 770 total entries at the match that year at Camp Perry. Here's former Managing Editor Chip Lohman's coverage of the event as it was published in the Sept. 2010 issue of Shooting Sports USA.


2010 National Pistol Championships
By Chip Lohman

NRA National Championships are well-organized, run like clockwork and the pistol matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, are no exception. The punctual 7:30 a.m. cannon shot, the commanding voice of the tower talkers and the watchful eye of each volunteer line official give one the feeling of having walked onto an Olympic playing field—with one exception. Everyone gets to play. Thanks to a time-tested system of classification and squadding, shooters of all skill levels can shoot shoulder-to-shoulder. As is true for all shooting sports, tyros (new shooters) will be welcomed by fellow sportsmen who can help explain how many targets you’re supposed to take to the line or provide tips on filling-out your first score card. In fact, there are more marksmen and unclassified shooters than masters, as the table below reflects.

2010 NRA National Pistol Championships Entries


Brian Zins of Poland, Ohio, returned to the podium this year to claim his 10th win, a record of “most wins” that began with his seventh championship title in 2005. Zins’ 2650-134X score this year surpassed the 2009 winning score of 2646-141X fired by fellow shooter and friend, SFC Jim Henderson of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit.

Brian Zins
Brian Zins (r.) on the podium at the 2010 awards ceremony.


Dr. Judy Tant (East Lansing, Mich.) won her third consecutive national title and sixth overall with a consistent 2565-69X. (Her 2009 title was won with a 2566-72X.) If you don’t already know about Judy, you can read her biography in the Nov. 2009 issue of SSUSA.

Eighteen-year-old Bryan Layfield (Clarksburg, W.V.) swept nine of the Junior and Collegiate categories in the .22 LR and .45 cal. matches, as well as the overall junior aggregate. Having begun his shooting career less than two years ago, it’s fair to call Layfield a “natural.” Credit Allen White, twice a member of the NRA's USA Civilian Pistol Team, for recruiting and coaching Layfield. Brian Zins, take note.

2010 Mayleigh Cup Team
2010 Mayleigh Cup Team at Camp Perry.


Shooters from across the U.S. and 16 foreign countries descended on Port Clinton during Jul. 12-19, many using the preceding week’s regional match in Canton, Ohio, as a warm-up. Incidentally, the top three from the Canton match were SFC Jim Henderson (2667-148X), Brian Zins (2656-136X) and Lyman Grover (2655-124X). Not surprisingly, Dr. Judy Tant earned High Woman at Canton with a 2562-86X and Bryan Layfield earned High Junior with a 2582-86X.

2010 NRA National Pistol Championships Daily Leaderboard
2010 NRA Pistol Championship Daily Leaderboard
Note that several hundred additional scores are listed in the online final results. This is what makes the NRA Nationals unique; everyone gets to play. In the words of President Theodore Roosevelt, “…It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena…”

Read more: Review: Kimber K6s DASA Target

Latest

1 2003 Jr Air Gun Classic Ssusa
1 2003 Jr Air Gun Classic Ssusa

Classic SSUSA: 2003 NRA Junior Air Gun Championship

In 2003, some of the nation’s most accomplished young shooters assembled in Wilmington, N.C., for the NRA Junior Air Gun Championship.

Entry Restrictions Lifted: 1919 National Matches

In 1919, NRA worked to broaden the appeal of the National Matches, including civilian participation, program diversity, and school and college attendance, expanding the competition beyond its military origins.

New: Walther PDP Match Polymer

Walther Arms has released a new polymer-framed PDP Match full-size pistol chambered in 9 mm with 18-round capacity.

Fiocchi Adds Rachel Barringer To Pro Shooting Team

Fiocchi welcomes top skeet competitor Rachel Barringer to its Pro Shooting Team.

USA Shooting: Athletes Earn Seven Medals At 2023 Parapan American Games

Five U.S. athletes—YanXiao Gong, Marco De La Rosa, Mike Tagliapietra, Stetson Bardfield and Kevin Nguyen—secured seven medals at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile, Nov. 17-21.

WATCH: NRA Instructor Empowers More Than 4,500 Women—Exposes Biden, Harris and Newsom’s Gun Control Hypocrisy

NRA releases new video with NRA firearms instructor Robin Evans of Chicks With Triggers that highlights the empowerment of women through self-defense training.

Interests



Get the best of Shooting Sports USA delivered to your inbox.