February 7, 2011 Gig Harbor Sportsmans Club Falling Plate Match Report

18 Guns Entered    -----    Match Winner:  Loren DeShon

 

        2nd Place - George Flaherty

        3rd Place - Rolf Lunde

         4th place - Hal Hansen (cause I write the reports)

 

          Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen, and welcome back to Gig Harbor Sportsmans Club, and a dark and stormy night for a plate match.  With the temperature in the low to mid 40s,  a light drizzle developed, which turned into some pretty steady determined rain for most of the match.  The canopy was deployed to keep the scoretable, scoreboard, and.. oh yes, our Scorekeeper, George Flaherty, dry.  The rain didn't deter 18 Guns from entering the match though,  and between the canvas canopy and all three heaters, no one suffered in the least.  On the contrary, everyone had a great time and enjoyed some good challenges.

     Many thanks to our Match Staff for the great match tonight.  Mike Blondin, in his capacity as Match Director, brought us a smooth, efficient and most importantly, a SAFE Match.  Our aforementioned Scorekeeper & DJ. George Flaherty, shuffled and dealt the duels, kept track of the winners and losers, and did it in a manner that kept the action flowing.  Our Match Director & Chief Line Marshall, Mike Blondin kept the line organized and SAFE, and the entire show was made possible by the Stage Mgrs and set-up crew manned by the same folks that have done all the other functions, and aided immensely by  Mathew Seagraves.

Thanks folks, it was a great match and we enjoyed it a LOT! 

 

     By Match's end, the field of 18 was winnowed down to only 4.  After George Flaherty and his Smith & Wesson 1911 put this reporter, Hal Hansen and his Glock 35 on the trailer, it was but 3;  George Flaherty and his SW 1911, Loren DeShon and his Flight Deck Terrorist Deflector H&K USP, and Rolf Lunde and his HK P7.  George Flaherty showed Rolf Lunde the door

at this point, and that left just George with 6 numbers and Loren DeShon with 5.  This may take awhile.  The first duel of the finals went to George, as did the 2nd.  This put the standings at George- 6 numbers to Loren's 3. 

     That's when the fighter pilot eyes of the Alaska Airlines Capt. Loren DeShon took over.  George was a Korean War Era fighter pilot, with a lot of flight time in F-86s and F-105s, but the younger eyes of the modern Navy's FA-18 pilots are hard to beat, especially when those same eyes make a career of shepherding the airliners of Alaska Airlines through the (usually) friendly skies on a daily basis now.  And just to keep the skies friendly enroute to and from the world's last frontier, Loren keeps current with his flight deck weapon, a .40SW HK USP, by using it to shoot falling plates against the best the local gun clubs have to offer.  Between the younger eyes, and the HK USP, Loren DeShon took the next three duels in a row, leaving the score tied at 3 numbers each. 

     At this point, George and Loren were apparently getting hungry, and they heard dinner calling them loudly and clearly.  By mutual agreement this next duel would be for all the marbles, and the match victory.  Our Chief Line Marshall, Mike Blondin, makes the call.   "Shooters, load and make ready!"  "Shooters ready?"  "Stand by!!"  At the *TONE* George and Loren

go for all 5 + the popper.  When the thunder ebbed, and the rattle of falling plates ceased, Loren DeShon and his HK USP saw his popper tight to the cold ground, and Loren DeShon is tonight's match winner.  George Flaherty was 2nd and Rolf Lunde finished 3rd.  Congratulatons to our Match Staff and our competitive field for a SAFE & CHALLENGING MATCH. 

 

     OK Folks, that's it for tonight.  We'll see you right back here in two weeks, Monday February 21, 2011 and we'll play this game again.  Practice a lot.  Bring your pet pistol "FLUFFY", and we'll see who's hot!! then.  In the meantime, when you are shooting and practicing, always remember:

 

                         "SPEED IS FINE, BUT ACCURACY IS FINAL."

 

Hal